Romans 1 - Part 2

Paul’s Longing & God’s Power to Save

Scripture: Romans 1:8-17

Exposure to Exposition & Exploring the Scriptures: (10 mins)

• Guide the children to Romans 1:8-17 in the Bible. (Help them as needed, NT vs OT)

• Say: We are going to continue through Paul's letter to the people of Rome.

• We will learn that the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes, and we should never be ashamed of Jesus.

• Read aloud. (Ask kids to start their pointer finger on V8 and follow along)

Opening Question
“Have you ever wanted to visit a friend really badly, but you couldn’t go yet? That’s how Paul felt about the church in Rome. Let’s see what he writes to them.”

Romans 1:8-17 NLT - Paul’s Longing & God’s Power to Save
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.
10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Romans 1:8-10 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.
10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.

V8-10 Paul is thanking God for Others

• Paul thanked God for the faith in Jesus that the people in Rome had. (V8)

• Their faith was so strong that people everywhere were talking about it! (V8)

• Paul prayed for them all the time and wanted to visit them. (vv.9-10)

Kid Point: We should thank God for other Christians and pray for them, even if they live far away.

Romans 1:11-12 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

V11-12 Encouraging Each Other

• Paul wanted to visit to give them strength and to be encouraged by their faith, too. (V11)

• Faith grows when we share it with one another. (V12)

Kid Point: We help each other love Jesus more when we share our faith.

Romans 1:13-15 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

V13-15 God’s Plans Come First

• Paul tried to visit Rome many times, but God had other plans. (V13)

• God wanted Paul to first preach to other nations, even people who didn’t seem important to the Romans. (V14)

• Sometimes God says “wait” because He has a better plan. (V15)

Kid Point: God’s plan is always best, even when it’s not our plan or we don’t understand.

Key God Terms (Theological terms)

Jew/ Jews: God’s Chosen people

Gentile: ANYONE who is not a Jew. All of us are Gentiles.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

V16-17 The Power of the Gospel

• Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” (V16)

• The gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes- Jews and Gentiles. (V16)

• The gospel shows us God’s righteousness (God’s goodness and holiness). (V17a)

• We can’t be right with God on our own- we need Jesus. (V17b)

• The Bible says, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4)

Kid Point: The gospel is the best news ever – it shows us how to be right with God, not by what we do, but by trusting in Jesus.

Observation Questions (What did it say?)

1. What did Paul say was being talked about all over the world? (Their faith v.8)
2. Why did Paul want to visit them? (To encourage them and be encouraged too. vv. 10-11)
3. Who did Paul say the gospel is for? (Everyone- Jews and Gentiles v.16)
4. What did Paul call the gospel? (The power of God at work, to save v.16 )

Understanding Questions (What does it mean?)

1. What does it mean to “encourage each other in faith”? (Open for discussion)
2. What does the word “gospel” mean & what is the Gospel? (Good News = Jesus’ life, death & resurrection)
3. What does “righteous” or being made right mean? (Being right with God. Jesus’ death paid for our sinful nature. We are Heaven-bound!)
4. Jew vs Gentile? (Jews are God’s chosen people; Gentiles are people who are not Jews)

Application Questions (What should I do?)

1. How can you encourage someone else in their faith?
2. What should you do when God’s plan is different from yours?
3. What does it look like to live by faith in Jesus every day (at home, at school, with friends)?

Activity 1: Hot Gospel

• Use a soft ball or beanbag.

• Play music while the ball is tossed around the group.

• When the music stops, whoever has the ball must answer a question from lesson 1 or 2 (vv 1:1-17)
  
  Bonus: If they get it right, they can toss the ball to the teacher and ask the teacher a question back!

Activity 2 : Memory Verse: (Come up with moves)

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

Remind them: What is the Gospel?

Jesus’ perfect life paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus died on the cross as the punishment for sin. But Jesus did not stay dead, three days later He rose to life (resurrection) defeating the power of death. Believe, and you will be saved!

• We are all sinful. We all deserve the consequence of sin- death.

• Jesus is what saves us from the sin we all have in our bodies. And one day, he’ll even give us a new body.

Supporting Truths Kids Can Grasp:

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• Thank God for the faith of others.

• Encourage each other in faith.

• Trust God’s plans, even when they’re different from ours.

• The gospel is God’s power to save – and we live by faith in Jesus.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.