Thursday, October 13, 2016

Touching Base - Part 314


  
16 Oct 16
ROMANS SERIES, PART 2
Suppression, Recession, Obsession!
Mark Kotchapaw

You will note that the Touching Base is taking on a bit of a new format. In order to leverage this document for yourself personally or in a group, it will be necessary for you to take notes, even pictures of various PowerPoint slides, in order to capture key quotes in order to reflect on the text.  We encourage you to take notes, develop your own questions and engage with the text as you feed yourself and perhaps those you lead.

This morning we are into our second week of our series in Romans. We will be covering the first 7 chapters this fall.

Series Title: Good News Bad News

Description:  From the moment we wake up to the moment our heads hit the pillow, we can be bombarded with bad news. Social media has made our world a lot smaller and exposed us 24/7 to the constant deluge of bad news. This fall we are starting a study in the book of Romans.  In the first 17 verses Paul talks about the good news, the good news that he will expand upon in his letter to the Romans. Join us as we unpack the good news, are challenged by it and anchored in it.

To best use this tool, listen to the message and take notes. If you are not able to join us on the Sunday, you can listen to the message on our website. It is posted by the following Tuesday.  The teaching will help you either as a facilitator of a group or for your own personal study to engage with the text. Feel free to take pictures of various teaching slides that may help you with your discussion.

Text: Romans 1:18- 2:29
Question: What happens when we reject God?
Big Idea: Suppression, Recession, Obsession!

Notes:
Suppression (1:18-20)



Recession (1:21-25)




Obsession (1:22-32)


In what ways do we see the same pattern (suppression, recession, and obsession) in Romans 2?



Discussion questions:

Here are the two points to ponder in light of what the text has raised.

1.                  This text will challenge your understanding of the nature of humanity.

Discuss how this text illustrates the nature of humanity.
Do you believe that mankind at the core is essentially good and upright, or sinful and broken and left on his own, may do great damage?
Is it a stretch to say that man, without God, is in trouble?
Is it illogical, irresponsible, and over-reacting to say that you and I have a dark side, the capacity to do great ill?


2.                  This text will challenge your understanding of freedom.

Do you agree that today’s culture would define freedom asfreedom is me doing whatever I want”? 
How does the text demonstrate that this is not true?
How does your own life demonstrate that this is not true?
Of all the examples that Paul gives of recession (remember they are just examples, generalizations illustrating a bigger truth) what ones are the most challenging in our culture?
How do you exercise grace and truth when engaging in conversation on some of these issues?

Finally, we noted that Romans 2 is a picture of Jews being hypocritical (2:1). But the real zinger is what Paul says in 2:24.
How do you think the church has been guilty of causing people to walk away from God?
What can the church do better to be a better messenger without compromising the message?

How does your reflection on this text encourage you to pray for the city, the nation and the world?

Mark Kotchapaw





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