Romans 8 | Week Five
God is For You, Chose You, and Loves You!
Begin by sharing prayer requests and praying for one another
Read Romans 8:31-39 aloud as a group
Key Takeaways
This week's message focused on the unshakeable love of God for those who are in Christ Jesus. We explored three main truths from Romans 8:31-39:
God is FOR us - He works in all circumstances (good and bad) for our ultimate good and His purpose
God has CHOSEN us - We are justified not by our merit but by His grace through Jesus
God LOVES us - No trial, struggle, or spiritual force can separate us from His love
Discussion Questions:
Paul asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" What circumstances in your life currently make it hard to believe God is "for you"? How does Romans 8:32 address those doubts?
What does it mean to you personally that God "chose" you-not because you were lovable or had potential, but simply because He wanted you?
The sermon explained justification as God declaring us righteous because Jesus paid our debt. How is this different from trying to earn God's approval through good behavior?
Travis mentioned that Jesus is currently interceding (praying) for us at God's right hand. How does knowing Jesus prays for you impact your daily life and struggles?
Share one "charge" or accusation (guilt, shame, past sin) that you struggle to believe is truly forgiven. How does Romans 8:33-34 speak to that?
Paul lists troubles that might make us question God's love: hardship, persecution, danger, etc. Why do you think suffering sometimes makes us doubt God's love more than His existence?
Paul says we are "more than conquerors" (hyper-conquerors) through Christ. What does this mean practically when facing a difficult medical diagnosis? Financial hardship? Relational conflict? Spiritual attack?
Of the three truths (God is FOR us, has CHOSEN us, LOVES us), which one do you most need to embrace this week? Why?
Review What’s Coming up Next:
This Month: The next two Sundays are special for our congregation. On November 23, we will hear from Pastor Randy one final time as our Senior Pastor. The following weekend, November 30, we will prayerfully install Pastor Travis as our next Lead Pastor. Due to the nature of the services, we will not provide Group Discussion Guides for the next two Sundays.
December: Group Discussion Guides will be made available for our December/Advent sermon series: The Gift of Jesus. Groups may continue to meet during the holidays, or take a break. Tuesday groups can meet on campus if Kid Club meets.
January-March: The winter semester of groups will begin the week of January 25, with the start of a 9-week sermons series covering John 13-17 – Jesus’ upper room conversation with his disciples the night before the cross. A Devotional Guide will be made available for groups.