Abraham’s Offspring
- Cornerstone Church
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Paul’s letter to the Roman church addresses Gentile and Jewish believers, and Paul is working out the Gospel for them. The letter will finish with two sections. The first section in Chapters 9-11 is focused on the relationship between God’s promise to Israel and the Gentiles. How can the Gentiles share in God’s promises to Israel? One important thing to distinguish between is the two different ways Paul will use “Israel.” Paul will use the term “Israel” to refer to ethnic Israel, or those born through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Paul will also use “Israel” to refer to God’s people, or those who believe, like Abraham, in God’s promise, and it is credited to them as righteousness. The second section will get very practical in how the Gospel unifies and applies to the Church. The believer’s joy, peace, and hope is rooted in belief in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is the Big Picture.
Each week, as you take in the Bible, find some friends to talk it out. You can follow this simple guide to help. First, R.E.A.D. and P.R.A.Y. on your own. Then, meet with friends to share what you've learned.
R - Repeated words
E - Examine and mark
A - Ask what you learn about God
D - Do if there is anything to do
P - Praise
R - Repent
A - Ask
Week 41
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Prayer Plan
START IT.
We're reading the Bible together in 2025 to see how Love Shows Up from the Old Testament and into the New Testament. How do we understand so many stories and lessons through the entire Bible while trying to stick to the "sacred timeline"? The answer is the big picture. If we get the big picture, we get the story the Bible is trying to tell. From Sunday's message or The Big Picture Bible Reading Plan this week in the book of Romans, what is impacting you the most? How has praying daily through the Psalms impacted you? Was there a word, phrase, Bible verse, or theme that impacted you?
R.E.A.D. - Repeated words. Examine & mark. Ask what I learn about God? Do.
STUDY IT.
Read Romans 2:28-29. What has Paul already said about what makes a person a Jew, or one of God’s people? Read Romans 3:22-24, 4:13, 9:6. Does birth, ethnicity, or action have anything to contribute to a person’s righteousness before God?
Read Romans 3:23. What person deserves to be saved? Read Romans 9:16-18, 22-23. What is God’s purpose in His sovereign acting?
Read Romans 9:30-33. Are there different paths of salvation for ethnic Israel and Gentiles to become a part of God’s chosen people? Read Romans 10:9. How is one saved?
Read Romans 11:11, 25-26. How does Paul explain ethnic Israel’s hardness to God? Who is included in the “all Israel will be saved” in verse 26? Is this “Israel” ethnic Israel or God’s chosen people Israel?
Read Romans 12:1. What is the appropriate response to God’s sovereign mercy?
SHARE IT.
Read Romans 10:13-17. What responsibility do you have in the salvation of others?
Read Romans 12:3-8. What do you perceive to be your spiritual gifts? What would others say? Are you growing in these areas?
Read Romans 12:9-21. What are the ‘do’s’ you find challenging? What are the ‘do’s’ you have been growing in?
Read Romans 13:1-7. What is your duty to the government you live under? At what point is disobedience to the government appropriate? (Hint: Daniel 6:1-16)
Read Romans 14:19-21. In matters of conscience and liberty between believers, what are we to pursue above even our own liberty in Christ? How does this challenge our American culture?
FINAL THOUGHT
Romans 15:12-13 states, “12 And again, Isaiah says, The root of Jesse will appear, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in him. 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Gentiles, non-Jews, have been grafted into God’s family to the praise of His mercy. Neither Jew nor Gentile deserves salvation, but God is a God of hope. Those who believe in the root of Jesse, Jesus Christ, will be saved. Pray to God for you to be filled with all joy and peace, overflowing with hope “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” No circumstance, job, relationship, financial gain, talent, achievement, or any other thing imaginable could result in an overflow of hope, but only dependence on and by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
Comments