When In Rome: Shouldsville vs. Graceville

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When In Rome: Shouldsville vs. Graceville

November 5, 2023 • Sylvia Thomson • Romans 7:21—8:2, Romans 8:5–17, Galatians 5:22–23

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Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life:

1. Have you ever been to Shouldsville?

2. If so, which shop do you frequent the most: Guilt Shop, Shame Shop, Debt Shop, or the Castle of Confusion?

3. Has condemnation ever stopped you from believing that God is good or that He has good things for you? Read Romans 8:1-2: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Are you ready to go to Graceville?

4. What do you think it means to live by the Spirit? Read Romans 8:5-7: Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

5. Galatians 5:22-23 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Can you see the fruit of the Spirit at work in your life?

When In Rome: Better Together

December 17, 2023 • Garry Firth • Romans 15:20–22, Romans 16:1–20, Matthew 16:18, Hebrews 11:35–38, 2 Corinthians 4:14–16

1. When do you open Christmas gifts? On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? What other Christmas traditions do you have? 2. What was your biggest take away from today’s message? 3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me…Romans 16:3 In what ways is it ‘risky’ to be a Jesus follower in Nanaimo or Canada today? 4. Who is someone that is ‘working hard’ that you could ‘greet’ and say thank you to? 5. What was your biggest take away from this series and why? (Good News/Bad News, Deal #1/Deal #2, Defining the Relationship, Oops I Did it Again, Graceville/Shouldsville, Sharing in God’s Glory, Build & Bear)

When In Rome: Build & Bear

December 10, 2023 • Russ Smith • Romans 14, Romans 15:1–3, Galatians 6:2–3, Colossians 3:13, James 1:19

Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life: 1. Maybe you have a story about encountering a bear. What happened? 2. There’s that saying Unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, and in everything love. What do you think are some of the essentials about what Christians believe? What are some of the non-essentials? 3. Is there a way in which you feel “strong” in your faith in God that you need to be careful about when you’re around someone that’s “weak” in their faith? 4. How about the opposite - what way do you feel “weak” in your faith that’s sometimes difficult when you’re around people that are “strong” in their faith? 5. To build & bear this week, the big challenge for us is to listen to someone (be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry). What’s another way you can build & bear people this week?

When In Rome: I'm Supposed To Do What?

December 3, 2023 • Garry Firth • Romans 12:1–2, John 13:34–35, Romans 5:8, Romans 12:9–16, Romans 13:1–10

1. When do you put up your Christmas decorations? When do you take them down? 2.In Romans 12:9 Paul writes: Love must be sincere. We heard how it literally means to love without hypocrisy. Our love for others is to be genuine (without wax, remember?) In what ways is your love for others ‘genuine/without hypocrisy’ and in what ways could you improve in your love for others? 3. Paul says that we are to Bless those who persecute you. (Romans 12:14) What is your initial gut reaction to that? Do you find it difficult to do that? What would help you actually put this into practice? (Think about God’s grace and mercy.) 4. ‘Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. (Romans 13:1-2) God created government for our good because it brings order. What are your thoughts about standing against the government? When is that appropriate? 5. There’s a lost world looking for answers, looking for an alternative from what culture and the world is offering and we have the answer (the gospel message–the good news about Jesus) The best way to get the gospel message out is to live our lives in a way that stands out from the everyday in the everyday. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) What is one thing in your everyday life that you could give to God that would help get the message of Jesus out to those who need to hear it?