Winter Cycle, Week 3
Start your time with a Check-in (about 15 minutes)
inductive bible study (30-40 minutes)
Open your Bibles and begin with a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help you read God's word. Read the passage out loud once together and then silently once more on your own, noting your observations and questions. Then take a few minutes to share your observations and questions together.
Key Scripture: Romans 5:5-8
5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Take some time to answer a key question you've raised as a group and think through how the issues you've explored apply to your lives.
DISCUSSION (about 20 minutes):
Some thoughts for shaping your time together: Feel free to open your time asking people what stood out to them from the sermon before diving into the text. Then spend time diving into verse 5 and exploring the work of the Holy Spirit.
Discussion Questions:
1) What is the significance of “at just the right time”? How does that connect to the previous section?
2) Give a modern example of powerlessness. Why does Scripture define our plight as powerless?
3) A strong connection is drawn between love and the cross. How does this impact our understanding of God and what He has done for us?
4) What does it mean that "God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us"? Brainstorm ways that this changes the way we live.
Close with a time of prayer.
