Fall Cycle, Week 2
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 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
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):
Main Point: To their own demise, humanity has exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
Discussion Questions:
1) How many contrasting images can you find in this passage (i.e. v.22, wise vs. fools)?
2) How do you understand "without excuse" in v.20? What are the implications?
3) The phrase "God gave them over" appears in v. 24, 26 & 28. What does Paul mean by this?
Application Questions:
4) How does humanity continue to "exchange the glory of the immortal God" for things created by humankind (v.23-25)? Can you think of examples in our society?
5) A theme of this passage is idolatry. Although most of us in western secular society do not worship Roman idols, what idols are you tempted to worship today? (book recommendation: Counterfeit gods by Tim Keller click here)
6) Where do you see "Good News" in Romans chapter 1? How does it affect the way you live? (This is a question that we want to come back to as we allow the Book of Romans to shape the way we understand the Gospel.)
Close with a time of prayer.
