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Copyright ©2011 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org
Family Worship Guide – Week 45
READ This week we are studying the introduction to Paul’s letter to the church in Rome (Romans 1:1-‐7). Since Paul had never visited the church at Rome, he spends the first few verses of this letter introducing himself to them, telling them about the gospel that he preaches, and explaining his mission to take the gospel to all nations.
Read Romans 1:1. In this verse, Paul introduces himself to the Roman Christians. He calls himself a “servant” or “slave” of Christ Jesus. Paul realized that Jesus had bought him and that Jesus owned him. Paul joyfully submitted to whatever his Master commanded him to do.
Paul also says that he has been “called as an apostle.” An apostle was someone who had seen Jesus after he had risen from the dead and who had been specially sent out by Jesus to speak with Jesus’ own authority. We do not have this kind of apostle today, but we do have their teachings preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament.
Finally, Paul says that God had set him apart for the gospel. Paul realized that God had chosen him by his grace. It wasn’t because Paul was a good person or because he deserved to be set apart. God sets people apart by his grace and for his glory.
Read Romans 1:2-‐4. In these verses, Paul reminds us that the gospel is not something that he, or any other human being, made up. It is the gospel of God (1:1). God had promised all throughout the Old Testament that he would send his own Son to earth. His Son would be a descendent of King David who would conquer death and be publicly recognized as the King of the universe through his resurrection from the dead. When God, by his Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead, he publicly proclaimed to the entire universe that Jesus is his Son—the ultimate King over all things.
Read Romans 1:5-‐7. Because Jesus is the supreme King, he deserves to be believed and obeyed by people from every nation. That is why Paul wants to take the gospel to all nations, and that is why we take the gospel to all nations – for the sake of Jesus’ Name. Jesus is the King. He is worthy of all worship. And we go to the ends of the earth to call men and women, and boys and girls in Birmingham and in all nations to turn from sin and trust in Jesus.
Questions: When Jesus rose from the dead, God declared that Jesus is the King of the universe. That means that Jesus deserves your full trust and obedience. Have you submitted your life to King Jesus? If Jesus is King of the universe, then he deserves not only your worship, but also the worship of all people everywhere. How will you as a family work “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations”? (1:5) Do you see yourself as a slave of Jesus? (1:1) In what ways are you refusing to obey your Master? Confess those to him, receive His forgiveness, and ask for help to submit to Him.
Bottom Line: We preach the gospel that is from God, about Jesus, to all nations, for the glory of God in Christ.
PRAY This week, we are studying Romans 1:1-‐7. In light of this text, spend some time thanking God for the gospel that He has revealed to
us in the pages of Holy Scripture. Thank Him for sending His Son to conquer sin and death. Thank Him for raising Jesus from the dead
and for publicly declaring him to be the King of the universe. Thank God that He has made us slaves of Christ and that He sends us
out, as He sent out Paul, “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations.” Pray that Jesus would
receive the glory that he rightly deserves from every people group on earth. And pray that God would grant us grace to persevere in
the work of magnifying Christ in all nations.
SING As we continue in worship, let’s sing ‘Wonderful, Merciful Savior’ written by Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse in 1989. As we sing, we can rejoice in God as our Father, our Redeemer, and our Comforter. He is the one that we praise and adore as he is completely and fully worthy of our lives and devotion. Colossians 1:13-‐14 says, “He has delivered us from the domain
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of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”. This is something to sing about!
MEMORIZE Romans 1:1—Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…
SUGGESTIONS These suggestions were created by the age-‐group ministry leaders as a way to help parents better communicate the biblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These suggestions are intended to help parents facilitate God-‐centered discussions with their children. Parents should prayerfully use these suggestions, and any other means necessary, to help their children discover the truths of God’s word and worship Him together.
Preschool • Before you begin: grab your Bible and prepare to play the game “Mother May I?” or “Daddy May I?” • Begin by reading Romans 1:5-‐7. • Now, have your child stand across the room from you. Tell your child all kinds of steps he must take to get to you on your
side of the room (hop, skip, baby steps, etc.) He must say, “Mother/Daddy may I?” before moving. • Discuss with your child how just like they obeyed mommy and daddy in the game, God wants us to obey him too. There
are people all over the world who have never heard about Jesus, and God wants us to share the good news with everyone.
• Conclude by rereading Romans 1:5-‐7 with your preschooler.
Children • Gather pictures from clip art or magazines of several people with easily identifiable jobs (ex.: nurse, teacher, veterinarian,
athlete, etc.). • Pass around the pictures. Take turns introducing yourself as the person in your picture. Remind everyone to tell the most
important things others would need to know to understand who they are (ex.: “Hello. I am a nurse. I work in a hospital. I help doctors take care of sick people.”).
• Read Romans 1:1 out loud. Paul was writing to the church in Rome, and he introduces himself in this verse. • Ask what three things Paul says to describe himself. Discuss the importance of Paul’s description of himself and his job.
o “a servant of Jesus Christ” – Paul completely belongs to his master, Jesus, and willingly serves him. o “called to be an apostle” – Paul is a messenger called to deliver his master’s message. o “set apart for the gospel of God” -‐ By God’s grace alone Paul was chosen for a very important job. His job was
to share the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. • In verse 6 Paul tells us that as Christians we all share this same description. We all belong to Jesus. Jesus commands each
of us to take His message to everyone, everywhere. • Pray as a family that you all may willingly submit to Jesus as Master and in faithful obedience joyfully share the grace and
truth of the Gospel.
Students • What do you consider to be the most defining thing about you? Is it your academic success, sports performance,
hobbies, family ties, friend network, etc.? Notice that when Paul introduces himself to the Roman church, he identifies himself with Christ and the gospel. In other words, Paul’s identity is found in Jesus Christ above all else. Is your relationship with Christ the most defining thing about you? What do you think others would say about you in this regard?
• Paul describes himself as being “set apart” for the gospel. What does it mean to be set apart? In what ways is your life different from those who don’t believe in Christ? In what specific ways has your relationship with Jesus changed your thoughts, desires, and actions?
• All Scripture is a testimony of Christ. In our key passage, Paul says that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecies regarding the Son of God (verses 2-‐4). Search for Old Testament verses that speak of the coming Messiah (e.g. Psalm 22; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53:12; Daniel 9:25-‐26; Micah 5:2). Why do you think these fulfilled prophecies are so important for believers? What do they tell us about Scripture? What do they tell us about Jesus?
• Study Romans 1:4. Also read 1 Corinthians 15:12-‐19. What do these verses tell us about the resurrection? Why is it essential?
• According to Romans 1:5, it is the grace of Christ that produces “obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations”. This means that every Christ follower should have a global influence. Over the next year, how will you help take the gospel to the nations?
Pra
yer
W
eek
45
Loca
l
Loca
l Chu
rch:
Hou
seho
ld o
f Fai
th -
Larr
y Co
ckre
ll
Focu
s: C
olle
ge S
tude
nt O
utre
ach
- The
re
are
man
y w
ho a
re s
eeki
ng to
impa
ct c
olle
ge
stud
ents
with
the
gosp
el in
Bir
min
gham
and
th
roug
hout
the
wor
ld, y
et s
tatis
tics
reve
al
a de
sper
ate
need
for
mor
e fa
ithfu
l lab
orer
s am
ong
colle
ge s
tude
nts.
Pra
y th
at G
od w
ould
ra
ise
up m
ore
disc
iple
-mak
ers
on c
ampu
ses.
M
onda
y: P
ray
for
the
mem
bers
of o
ur fo
rty-
plus
co
llege
sm
all g
roup
s as
they
reac
h ou
t tog
ethe
r to
the
lost
at s
choo
l and
aro
und
the
wor
ld.
Tues
day:
Pra
y th
at G
od w
ould
con
tinue
to
stre
ngth
en th
e w
itnes
s of
the
man
y ca
mpu
s m
inis
trie
s in
Bir
min
gham
. Pra
y th
ey w
ould
be
faith
ful a
nd e
ffecti
ve in
eva
ngel
ism
and
di
scip
lesh
ip a
nd to
con
nect
col
lege
stu
dent
s to
a
loca
l chu
rch.
Wed
nesd
ay: P
ray
for
the
inte
rnati
onal
stu
dent
s w
ho li
ve in
Bir
min
gham
, for
bel
ieve
rs to
bui
ld
rela
tions
hips
with
them
and
for
thes
e st
uden
ts
to u
nder
stan
d an
d kn
ow C
hris
t’s s
alva
tion.
Thur
sday
: Pra
y fo
r ou
r co
llege
stu
dent
s as
they
ap
ply,
rais
e su
ppor
t and
see
k to
dis
cern
whe
re
God
wan
ts th
em to
go
for
shor
t-te
rm a
nd m
id-
term
glo
bal t
rips
in 2
012.
Frid
ay: P
ray
for
the
man
y co
llege
stu
dent
s w
ho
are
seek
ing
to d
isce
rn G
od’s
cal
l on
thei
r lif
e in
ligh
t of u
rgen
t phy
sica
l and
spi
ritu
al n
eeds
ar
ound
the
wor
ld.
Satu
rday
: Pra
y th
at G
od w
ill c
ontin
ue to
equ
ip
colle
ge s
tude
nts
with
the
Wor
d. P
ray
that
God
w
ill c
ontin
ue to
reve
al h
imse
lf to
them
in a
way
th
at th
ey w
ould
see
the
surp
assi
ng v
alue
of
know
ing
and
follo
win
g Ch
rist
Jesu
s ou
r Lo
rd.
Cop
yrig
ht ©
2011
The
Chu
rch
at B
rook
Hill
s
Glo
bal
Shor
t Ter
m T
eam
s: In
dia
Part
ner:
Bro
ok H
ills’
par
tner
Chr
is A
. ser
ving
in
Sout
heas
t Asi
a
Mon
day:
Chr
is’ m
ain
wor
k is
to e
ngag
e un
iver
sity
stu
dent
s in
thei
r ci
ty.
Pray
for
God
to
giv
e a
clea
r vi
sion
to C
hris
on
how
he
shou
ld
conti
nue
the
wor
k th
ey a
re d
oing
.
Tues
day:
Chr
is a
nd h
is fa
mily
are
sta
tesi
de fo
r a
time
peri
od w
hile
he
com
plet
es a
gra
duat
e de
gree
. Pr
ay fo
r G
od to
giv
e Ch
ris
disc
iplin
e as
he
fini
shes
sch
ool.
Wed
nesd
ay: P
ray
for
the
time
Chri
s an
d hi
s fa
mily
hav
e st
ates
ide
to b
e fil
led
with
rest
and
to
be
frui
tful
as
they
pre
pare
to g
o ba
ck to
So
uthe
ast A
sia
soon
.
Thur
sday
: Pra
y fo
r th
e st
uden
ts C
hris
and
his
te
am w
ill e
ncou
nter
. Pr
ay fo
r G
od to
beg
in to
pr
epar
e th
eir
hear
ts to
hea
r th
e go
spel
and
be
com
e fo
llow
ers
of C
hris
t.
Frid
ay: P
ray
for
God
to s
tren
gthe
n Ch
ris’
fa
mily
and
mar
riag
e as
they
ser
ve to
geth
er in
So
uthe
ast A
sia.
Satu
rday
: The
re is
muc
h w
ork
to b
e do
ne in
So
uthe
ast A
sia.
Pra
y fo
r G
od to
cal
l out
mor
e w
orke
rs to
go
and
as a
resu
lt fo
r m
any
to k
now
Ch
rist
in S
outh
east
Asi
a.
Live
s/Ch
urch
This
wee
k, w
e ar
e st
udyi
ng R
oman
s 1:
1-7.
In
light
of t
his
text
, spe
nd s
ome
time
than
king
God
for
the
gosp
el t
hat
He
has
reve
aled
to
us in
the
pag
es o
f H
oly
Scri
ptur
e.
Than
k H
im f
or s
endi
ng H
is S
on t
o co
nque
r sin
and
dea
th.
Than
k H
im fo
r rai
sing
Jesu
s fr
om th
e de
ad a
nd fo
r pub
licly
dec
lari
ng h
im to
be
the
King
of t
he u
nive
rse.
Tha
nk G
od th
at H
e ha
s m
ade
us s
lave
s of
Chr
ist a
nd th
at H
e se
nds
us o
ut, a
s H
e se
nt o
ut P
aul,
“to
brin
g ab
out
the
obed
ienc
e of
faith
for
the
sake
of h
is n
ame
amon
g al
l nati
ons.”
Pr
ay t
hat
Jesu
s w
ould
rec
eive
the
glo
ry t
hat
he r
ight
ly d
eser
ves
from
eve
ry p
eopl
e gr
oup
on e
arth
. A
nd p
ray
that
God
wou
ld g
rant
us
grac
e to
per
seve
re in
the
wor
k of
mag
nify
ing
Chri
st in
all
natio
ns.
Won
derf
ul, M
erci
ful S
avio
rW
ords
and
mus
ic b
y D
awn
Rodg
ers
and
Eric
Wys
eA
rrg.
by
Sela
h
Won
derf
ul m
erci
ful S
avio
rPr
ecio
us R
edee
mer
and
Fri
end
Who
wou
ld h
ave
thou
ght t
hat a
Lam
bCo
uld
resc
ue th
e so
uls
of m
enO
h yo
u re
scue
the
soul
s of
men
Coun
selo
r Co
mfo
rter
Kee
per
Spir
it w
e lo
ng to
em
brac
eYo
u off
er h
ope
whe
n ou
r he
arts
hav
eH
opel
essl
y lo
st th
e w
ayO
h w
e ho
pele
ssly
lost
the
way
You
are
the
One
that
we
prai
seYo
u ar
e th
e O
ne w
e ad
ore
You
give
the
heal
ing
and
grac
eO
ur h
eart
s al
way
s hu
nger
for
Oh
our
hear
ts a
lway
s hu
nger
for
Alm
ight
y in
finite
Fat
her
Faith
fully
lovi
ng Y
our
own
Her
e in
our
wea
knes
s Yo
u fin
d us
Falli
ng b
efor
e Yo
ur th
rone
Oh
we’
re fa
lling
bef
ore
Your
thro
ne
Copy
righ
t©19
89 W
ord
Mus
ic, L
LC/D
aysp
ring
M
usic
, LLC
Due
to c
opyr
ight
lim
itatio
ns, w
e ar
e on
ly
allo
wed
to p
rint t
he ly
rics
to th
is s
ong
with
no
cho
rds.
We
enco
urag
e yo
u to
dow
nloa
d an
mp3
of t
his
song
from
iTun
es.
Scri
ptur
e M
emor
yPa
ul, a
ser
vant
of C
hris
t Jes
us, c
alle
d to
be
an a
post
le, s
et a
part
for
the
gosp
el o
f God
…
Rom
ans
1:1