Jeff Mikels Lafayette Community Church great news re Struggle Romans 7 (p. 786) Week of August 5, 2012 Message 6 Many of us struggle with small, seemingly insignificant things—bad language, bad habits, bad attitudes. What kind of struggles will you admit? If Paul is right in the early chapters of Romans that in Jesus, our sin is completely paid for, we have been given righteousness as a gift, we have been restored into a grace relationship with God, and we are free from sin, why is it so hard to live the right way? On Sunday, I suggested that one problem is that we use the wrong methods to measure our "goodness." What are some ways people measure the "goodness" of themselves and of others? How do you tend to measure your own "goodness"? Head Romans 7 : 1-6 What does Paul say is the reason we have been set free from the law? What are the two ways of living described in verses 5 and 6? What might each look like in our modern world today? READ VERSES 7-13 What is the purpose of God's law? How does sin relate to the law? READ VERSES 14-25 Throughout these verses, Paul outlines his struggle to live according to the law as a struggle between his mind and his body or "flesh" (sometimes paraphrased as sinful nature). What does Paul think about God's law? How does Paul actually live regarding God's law? What is Paul hoping for in verse 24? What do you think he means by verse 25? Take it Home Is anyone ever able to live according to God's law? Why or why not? Based this study of Romans 7, does God expect us to live according to his law? We'll get a clearer picture in chapter 8, but what are your thoughts right now on what it means for a Christian to live "released from the law"? How can someone avoid sin (Chapter 6) and yet live free from the law (Chapter 7)? Jeff Mikels Lafayette Community Church great news nr Struggle Romans 7 (p. 786) Week of August 5, 2012 Message 6 Many of us struggle with small, seemingly insignificant things—bad language, bad habits, bad attitudes. What kind of struggles will you admit? If Paul is right in the early chapters of Romans that in Jesus, our sin is completely paid for, we have been given righteousness as a gift, we have been restored into a grace relationship with God, and we are free from sin, why is it so hard to live the right way? On Sunday, I suggested that one problem is that we use the wrong methods to measure our "goodness." What are some ways people measure the "goodness" of themselves and of others? How do you tend to measure your own "goodness"? READ ROMANS 7 : 1-6 What does Paul say is the reason we have been set free from the law? What are the two ways of living described in verses 5 and 6? What might each look like in our modern world today? READ VERSES 7-13 What is the purpose of God's law? How does sin relate to the law? READ VERSES 14-25 Throughout these verses, Paul outlines his struggle to live according to the law as a struggle between his mind and his body or flesh" (sometimes paraphrased as sinful nature). What does Paul think about God's law? How does Paul actually live regarding God's law? What is Paul hoping for in verse 24? What do you think he means by verse 25? Take it Home Is anyone ever able to live according to God's law? Why or why not? Based this study of Romans 7, does God expect us to live according to his law? We'll get a clearer picture in chapter 8, but what are your thoughts right now on what it means for a Christian to live "released from the law"? How can someone avoid sin (Chapter 6) and yet live free from the law (Chapter 7)?