Romans 5:1-11 People love rescue stories. In Romans 1-4 we learn the backstory of the rescuer, Jesus. Now Romans 5-8 will tell us of all the implications of the rescue.

Romans 5:12-21 Besides Jesus, the person with the most influence on our lives is not any family or friends, but Adam... we encounter the effects of his choice to sin by the minute in this life. Paul describes Jesus here as the second Adam... the one who God sent to make it possible for mankind to escape the curse of the first Adam by putting our faith in him.

Romans 6 Like maintaining our yards, sometimes faith is about the surface and sometimes about the foundation. When we don't take care of the soil, weeds start getting in. Paul explains in Romans 6 some truths we must know and some actions we must take.

Romans 7:1-6 Paul uses the illustration of marriage to describe our lives before knowing Jesus and after... before we were married to sin, but our salvation puts that person to death and now we are reborn and married to Christ for eternity with all of the positive vows and none of the negatives: better, richer, health, etc.

Romans 7:7-25

Romans 8:1-17 While Romans 7 may be the most relatable chapter in the Bible, chapter 8 may be the most encouraging. When we follow Jesus we get a whole new life and outlook. We will still have the struggles of this life, but we will also have the promise of eternity in a new family.

Romans 8:18-27 Unlike the rest of creation, we as humans are aware of our impending death. As Christians we are also aware that our life here in this sinful, fallen world, will someday give way to an eternity in a perfect paradise with Jesus. Romans 8 gives us some guidance on how to navigate this life.

Romans 8:28-30 As Paul finishes chapter eight, he hits on a topic that is sometimes hard to understand... God works all things for good. How is this possible? God is, has always been, and always will be in total control, seeing the whole picture and guiding us toward our perfect eternity, but refining us through the hard times. And when we finally get to the other side of the door, we will say, "wow, whoa, and oh! I see what you did there God!"

Romans 8:31-39

Romans 9:1-18 As we move to Chapter 9 Paul begins to discuss some concepts that are hard for us as humans to understand, especially God's Sovereignty. We need to know our Father, but understanding why He does the things He does is not easy for us to comprehend.

Romans 9:19-33 In Romans 9, Paul discusses God's power and control over salvation. God never promised that everyone would be saved... He will do what He wants through wrath, power, glory, and mercy.

Romans 10 God is never the reason that someone rejects salvation. We have a role to accept the plan He set for us through Jesus and help others to get there as well.

Romans 12:1-16 As we move to Romans 12 we shift from orthodoxy (what we believe) to orthoproxy (how we live). Paul tells us that we first need to give ourselves to God and the church.

Romans 12:17 - 13:14 God wants us to make a difference in our world by living the way Jesus taught... forgiving instead of repaying evil, submitting to those in authority, and loving our neighbors... all radical ideas in a world where the focus is on self.

Romans 14-15 Rome was a melting pot of cultures, and new Christians of all backgrounds faced the challenges of living in a world intertwined with many races and religions. Paul seeks to provide guidance for them, reminding them that they are all saved in Christ, as is the case today.

Romans 15:14-33 After all of the lessons Paul has taught us through Romans he brings it full circle to remind us of what our lives are all about: being part of a body of believers and making new disciples by sharing the gospel with other people.