introduction
Today I'm wearing a toga and passing out M&Ms in Ladies' Class to remind us that our next series of lessons, beginning in 2000 A.D., will be from the letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome.
Some of you requested that we study the book of Romans. Lynne Alexander, Joyce Dunavin, Christy Hesslen, and Jeannie Cole prepared the lessons. This is more in depth than our look has been at some books.
Paul is very wordy. So we'll peel away the words and find just the basics. God's basic principles are revealed in this book. This book can serve as a main source for teaching the unchurched in Fort Smith, Guyana, or anywhere.
Paul's first 11 chapters are basic principles: the Problem with Sin & the Blessing of God's Grace. It's typical of Paul's writings to put doctrine first. We see in Romans that Paul follows the doctrine with 5 chapters of applications.
We might deduce that, if we get the doctrine right, then our applications--our every day lives--will
Applications need to be based on Truth, not on the flawed reasoning of man.
- be logical -- a natural outgrowth of God's word.
- be on target -- we will not be led astray. (Acts 20:29, wolves, perversion, lead astray)
- bring glory to God -- most important of all.
Come to class and bring a friend. Answer what questions you can. If you don't understand, our teachers will attempt to simplify. We will not be teaching "this church teaches this or that." Let's concentrate on "What does God say?"
Listen to the discussion. Together we can learn from God's word. Don't let Romans scare you. The Bible is meant to be a blessing--a road map to Heaven. Start building a foundation of these basic Christian principles.
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