The book of Romans is considered by many to be one of the most important books ever written on the Christian faith. Writing to Christians, the apostle Paul defines the gospel, explores its depths, and discusses its significance and implications for the Christian life. Join pastor J.D. Greear in this twelve-session series where he walks, chapter by chapter, through the second half of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. Discover the timeless relevance of the book of Romans and encounter the power of the gospel.
This Study Guide is a tool that helps you unpack the book of Romans. But it can be more than that. We’re giving you a document full of possibilities. Our goal is to provide you with more than enough content to create life-changing reflection and, if you’re using it with a group, discussion. So, feel free to select only those parts or questions that you feel will best help your study of Paul’s words in the book of Romans.
With that in mind, let’s preview the guide. The main body of the Study Guide is written as a conversation. We’ll offer questions for reflection or discussion in bold type. Many of the questions are open-ended. We want you to wrestle with what the Bible is saying to us today. In addition, each session has various sections:
Session Goals
This is the point of each session—the big idea and what we hope those who participate in the study walk away knowing, feeling, and doing differently because of the material. All the teaching, questions, and reflections ultimately point back to these goals. They’re there primarily to help structure your study.
Open
This is an icebreaker aimed primarily at group discussion. If you’d like, you can use it as something to ease into the theme of the session and get the reflective juices flowing.
Read & Watch
We often rush into the interpretation of a Bible passage without really hearing what it says. For this study, we urge you to read the text slowly before you begin the analysis. Drink in the words and images for yourself. Then the video teaching from J.D. Greear will make more sense. You’ll be able to compare it with your own impressions of the text. Keep your eyes and ears open while watching the video so you can answer the “things to look for” questions.
Discuss
Here’s the meat of the Bible study: questions about the meaning of the text. The section usually starts with some “easy-answer” questions that review what the Scripture says. But then there are tougher questions about the why’s and how’s.
Last Word
This is an opportunity for you to do something with what you’ve learned. Many of us are very good at internal responses in which we treasure the lessons we just learned. But actually talking with a neighbor? Actually helping someone in need? Keep moving toward the more challenging responses.
Go Deeper
The Go Deeper section has two potential functions. It can supplement a group discussion by providing extra material for study. We’ve highlighted a place where each of the segments could fit in the Discuss section of the Study Guide.
But you can also use these challenges as short devotionals to carry you through the week as you dive even deeper into the text of Romans. Consider reading one section a day to deepen your study of the book.
The audio and the transcripts are also included.