Cut to the Heart

  1. What is your pride and security? What do you nd yourself boasting about, explicitly or implicitly? Can you ultimately rely on those things?

  2. Where have you seen your own pride and boasting result in hypocrisy and shame? Would you practice humility and vulnerability by sharing and confessing?

  3. How do you invest in the unseen spiritual reality where only God is your audience? How would you live to please God with your heart and being?

  4. What for you is the most helpful/challenging thing from this text or the sermon on it? 

Why Being Moral Cannot Save Anyone

  1. In 2:1-5 Paul accuses the Jews of doing the very same things that they condemn in the pagans. Where do you see this kind of hypocrisy most evident in your life? How do you tend to justify it or cover it up?

  2. In 2:9 Paul says that judgment is for the Jew rst. What does he mean by this? How does it help you to see the gravity of your own sin?

  3. 2:12-16 is meant to show us that no one can be justi ed by their works. In what ways do you tend to smuggle in good works as the basis of your relationship with God instead of the nished work of Jesus Christ in his life, death and resurrection?

  4. What for you is the most helpful/challenging thing from this text or the sermon on it? 

…What Ought Not to Be Done

1. Read Romans 1:24-28. Think of an actual non-Christian friend. How would you explain a Christian view of homosexuality to him/her? Discuss their likely objections, and what you might/could/should say in response.

2. Re-read Romans 1:24-32. What would/should you say to a Christian brother/sister who was struggling with homosexual temptation or sin? Would that be similar or different to a brother/sister who was struggling with heterosexual temptation or sin?

3. Re-read Romans 1:28-32. How would you counsel a brother/sister who was struggling with slander, malice, or pride? (How does this differ to the answer to #2?)

4. Re-read Romans 1:24-32. Which of these sins are you most convicted by

The Imperishable Hope

  1. Do you hope and believe in the resurrection as taught in 1Corinthians15? What were some new things discovered through the sermon? --or, af rmation and reminders?

  2. What do you personally look forward to the most about resurrection and renewal?

  3. Based on the sermon, name all the ways in which the resurrection renews us.

  4. Where/how would you apply the courage resurrection provides a believer? 

The Creation Testifies

  1. What do you think of the seriousness of sin? Does the Bible make a good case against your guilt?

  2. How do we conduct ourselves in the “court of man”? Describe some of your own denials and distractions that de ect God’s sin-conviction in your life.

  3. How did Jesus satisfy the wrath of God? How personally grateful are you for that rescue? How do you show gratitude in your life? 

Church in the Wild

Discussion Questions:

1) Can you share any “Ah ha!” moments that you had during the sermon?

2) Christian morality is not about becoming the best person you can be; it is about becoming the best neighbor you can be. If this is true, is it possible to live the Christian life apart from the church? Why is it so tempting to miss church or even stop going to church altogether but still feel like we are good Christians?

3) It’s easy for us to get surprised when we see people in church acting sinfully. Why is it important for us to expect division, scandal, and trouble in the church?

4) God holds us together better than we can possibly hold on to each other. How can the belief that the church belongs to God humble us, give us patience with one another, and make us more gentle? Why is it important to understand that unity is more than the absence of division or disagreement? What are some ways you can actively promote the unity of HCC?

Unashamed of the Gospel

  1. How does our society definene ‘power’? How do you explain the gospel in terms of ‘the power of God’? How can you be empowered by the gospel?

  2. Where does our society find the source of ‘morality’? How do you explain the gospel in terms of ‘the righteousness of God’? How can your relationship with God be restored and grow?

  3. What does it mean by “The righteous shall live by faith.”? How can we live out the good news as the way of life when the gospel is not an advice but an announcement?

How can we develop a passion for the progress of the Gospel?

I. Realize that the Progress of the Gospel is God’s Work, 1:8.

II. Really Pray for the Progress of the Gospel, 1:9-11.

III. Remember that both Non-Christians and Christians Need the Progress of the Gospel, 1:12-15.

Discussion Questions: 
1. Paul’s thanksgiving shows God’s sovereignty in salvation. How should this motivate us to share the gospel both with Christians and non-Christians?

2. Paul’s prayer for people moved him to action. Why do we struggle to pray for the progress of the gospel? What practical step(s) can you/will you take to begin to pray for the work of the gospel in specific non-Christians and Christians?

3. Paul wanted to share the gospel not just with non-Christians but the Christians in Rome? Why do Christians need the gospel too? Which non-Christians do you struggle to want to pray for and share with? Why?

4. What from this text or the sermon on this text was the most challenging or encouraging to you?