Let the Holy Spirit Use Romans 8 to Navigate Your Way
Romans 8:1-8:38
If you really want the full benefit of God’s navigator, the Holy Spirit, who guides you into all truth, try ten key principles from Romans 8.
Illustration: The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. --Romans 8:26
Have you ever been speechless before God? Perhaps you know the frustration of being utterly unable to find the right words to pray.
Imagine a loving parent seeking to help a child with a speech problem. As the youngster struggles to express his feelings and desires, the parent with his own voice formulates what the child wants to say. This is a picture of how the Holy Spirit catches our deepest longings and aspirations and brings them in line with the Father’s ultimate purposes for us.
The weaknesses spoken of in Romans 8:26 refer to our inability to pray intelligently. This is evident from the phrase that immediately follows: "For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought." The Holy Spirit, who knows us better than we know ourselves, helps us. He takes our feeble attempts, and in a language all His own He interprets them to the Father in keeping with His holy will.
What a mystery! What a motivation to pray--especially when the words do not come freely. Even the faintest cry of "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15) reaches heaven’s throne.
We may not know what to pray for, but we have a holy prayer partner who does. That should stir us to keep on praying, no matter how helpless we feel. --DJD
O God, too weak and worn for words, I shrink
From trials that deeply wound, and yet to think
Your Holy Spirit helps me as I pray
And gives a voice to what I cannot say. --Gustafson
When you can’t put your prayers into words, God hears your heart. (Our Daily Bread)
1. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:1 to teach people how to defend themselves against accusations, criticisms and insinuations of perpetual guilt and worthlessness. Paul wrote, "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
Application: Ask the Lord to give you the wisdom to know how to assure people of their blameless status in Christ. Through the complete work of Christ’s forgiveness, redemption and propitiation we can find restoration, forgiveness and intimate communion with God. Let us refuse to accept the blame game that other people try to lay on us. Let us refuse to throw blame on others when we really need to let God be the judge of all people.
2. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:3 to teach people that what our fleshly efforts could not accomplish in fulfilling the demands of the law and life, the Holy Spirit helps us subdue, overcome and over power. Paul wrote, "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by condemning sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."
Application: Allow the Holy Spirit to help you hate what is evil realizing that the flesh sets itself against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh for these are in opposition to one another. Let us remember that we cannot do the natural things that just selfishly please our flesh. (Gal 5:16-18)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you teach people who feel powerless to overcome their anger, jealousy, bitterness, feelings of frustration, anxiety, worry, fear, resentment, shame, guilt or ordinary fleshly struggles, to find overcoming power through the Holy Spirit and God’s word.
3. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:6,7 to teach people that the use of sense and reasons without the controlling power of the Spirit is a futile way to try to conquer temptation and evil. Paul wrote, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile toward God."
Application: Ask the Lord to help you show people how they can overcome all kinds of evil and sinister temptations that are so commonly given into by the majority of people.
4. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:10 to teach people what to do when others try to cast dispersions, shame and blame on them. Paul wrote, "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."
Application: Ask the Lord to show you how to buoy Christians up with a greater realization of all the rich resources that they enjoy through the imputed righteousness of Christ.
5. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:26,27 to teach people what they should do when they are feeling weak, fearful or inadequate. Paul wrote, "In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will."
Application: Ask the Lord to show you how to encourage people with the assurance that the Holy Spirit is able to intercede, deliver and support people during any difficulty with Christ’s all sufficient grace.
6. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:28 to teach people how God can turn tough times, uncertain feelings and adversity into something great! Paul wrote, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Application: Ask the Lord to help you show people how the Lord works His sovereign wonders in bringing all kinds of factors together for those who love God and are obedient to His will.
7. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:29 to teach people how God can help make us more like Christ. Paul wrote, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."
Application: Ask the Lord to help you teach people how the Spirit helps transform us into Christ’s image, attitude, actions, character qualities and mature perspective.
8. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:32 to teach people what to do when they lack resources to accomplish their responsibilities. Paul wrote, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also along with him, graciously give us ALL THINGS!"
Application: Ask the Lord to use this precious promise to assure people that God will supply them with everything they need to accomplish His purposes for them.
9. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:35-37 to teach people what they should do when they feel frustrated, discouraged or overwhelmed by life’s stresses. Paul wrote, "Nothing will be able to separate you from the love of Christ, including suffering, affliction, tribulation, calamity, distress, persecution, hunger, poverty, peril or sword. You are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Application: Ask God to show you how to connect people to Christ’s over-powering care and all concerning love.
10. The Holy Spirit uses Romans 8:38,39 to teach people how they should respond to the attacks from sinister spiritual forces that cause them to feel so much emotional, physical, and mental anguish. Paul wrote, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Application: Ask God to help you persuade people of the blessings of being intimate with Christ’s omnipresent power, truth, wisdom, sufficiency, and inseparable love.
Conclusion: In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. —Romans 8:37
Everybody likes to be a winner. So when we read in Romans 8:37 that we as followers of Christ are "more than conquerors," we get excited. But what does that phrase mean?
The apostle Paul began Romans 8 by recounting God’s grace in sending His Son Jesus to die to pay the penalty for our sins (vv.1-3). He went on to say that believers also have the help of the Holy Spirit to give us victory over the power of sin in daily life (vv.4-17).
Paul later talked about Christ’s unfailing love (v.35). Some circumstances may make us feel alone and defeated, but in all situations we are conquerors because nothing can "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v.39).
When I was a boy in Singapore, I experienced one particularly harsh punishment. I was forced to kneel on the thorny skin of a durian (a large Asian fruit). I became angry, and bitterness consumed my life. But when I learned of God’s love for me and I put my faith in Christ, He not only forgave my sin but He taught me to forgive others. No longer was I imprisoned by my sin or anger. I began to discover that "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (v.37).
Because of Christ and His unfailing love for us, we are winners! —AL
Although this life will bring us pain,
Our faith in Christ can help us see
That if we will obey His Word
He’ll give us joy and victory. —Sper
Think less of the power of things over you and more of the power of Christ in you. (our Daily Bread)
Ideas for internet evangelism courtesy of Jim Whittaker:
from New Life Ministries
Reaching Out in Word and Deed
New Life Ministries is happy to share a variety of ideas that congregations have found helpful in their ministry of evangelism and outreach. We welcome your suggestion of an idea you’ve tried that has been especially helpful to your ministry. Send a brief description of your idea to WebServant@NewLifeMinistries-NLM.org. More details are available for some ideas through the highlighted links.
Our Jerusalem
Conduct a six-eight week mailing campaign to friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors of people from your church. In each mailing, include a cover letter written by someone from your church along with a colorful brochure dealing with life issues. Follow up with a phone call and an introduction visit.
Send us your ideas for reaching people with the good news of saving faith in Jesus Christ through words of faith and deeds of mercy! Include a web link where available. And check below regularly for the addition of detailed information on previously listed ideas.
"Adopt-a-Highway"
Build favorable name recognition for your congregation participating in your state or community’s "Adopt-a-Highway" program. The church promises to clean up at least two miles of state road every three months. By doing so, many state departments of transportation/highways will post a sign on the highway stating that your congregation is part of the "Adopt-a-Highway" program. Also a great servant evangelism project.
Backyard Bible School
Take Bible school to the kids. Offer a Bible school type program at the homes of persons in your congregation. It could be daily for a week or one day a week for four-five weeks.
Balloon Launch
Fill biodegradable balloons with helium and attach information about your church and release them during a special ceremony. This is also an excellent way to celebrate Easter.
Birth Announcement Signs
Place an "It’s a Boy" or "It’s a Girl" sign in the lawn of members at the time of the birth of their baby. Include on the sign a subheading that gives visibility to your congregation, such as: "A part of a growing family worshipping at (your church name)."
Breakfast for Homeless Persons
Many churches and social service agencies offer "Meals on Wheels" at noon or an evening "soup kitchen." But few communities offer breakfast for the homeless or others among "the least of these." For one church in Elgin, Illinois, this was an introduction to a broader ministry to people on the streets.
Building Relationships with Another Language Group
Begin a class or small group or a one-to-one language training program as an outreach ministry. This is an especially significant way for congregations who wish to teach persons not proficient in the predominant language or to start a worship service for another language group. It’s also a time for teaching and learning each other’s language and culture. Members volunteer their time for a couple hours each week to study language and build strong relationships.
Bus Ministry
Invite and bring children from our local communities to our Sunday School program.
Candy Cane Giveaway
Find a public place to give away small candy canes at Christmas time. Attach a card with the story of the candy cane on one side and information about your Christmas services on the other side.
Choice Books Distribution
Provide subsidy or capital funds to assist in the employment of a person from your congregations or community who would (a) service Choice Books displays in your community (supermarkets, drugstores, restaurants, etc.), and/or (b) present the Choice Books opportunity to retailers in your area. Option: Encourage groups or the congregation to become a Choice Books sponsor or co-sponsor of an area.
Church Brochure
Design (or have designed) a publicity brochure for your congregation. Organize it in such a way to "lift up" the ministries of your local church. Print plenty of the brochures and distribute them widely to your community/ministry area; provide copies to existing members, encouraging them to reach out to friends, relatives and acquaintances.
Coffee Break for Women
Coffee Break is a church-based, community-oriented small group Bible study strategy. It helps Christian women from the local church reach out to unchurched women by inviting them to participate in a weekly one-hour inductive Bible study. The primary goal of Coffee Break is to
help local churches bring women into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Parallel outreach Bible study programs are available in both Spanish (Sobremesa) and Korean, but are developed for both men and women.
"Coming Home for Christmas" Open House
Host a Christmas open house for your community during Advent. Demonstrate Christmas activities of yesteryears (making dried apples, cookie baking, candy making, quilting, etc.). Serve refreshments and give tours of displays set up throughout your church building.
Community Block Party/Christmas Festival
Hold an event open to the community. Offer games and activities for all ages, but especially for children. Especially be sure to offer food! Offer door prizes as a means for encouraging attendees to share their names and addresses. And don’t charge for anything—make this your gift to the community.
Community Prayer Walks
Organize a series of prayer walks on every street in your community. Encourage the participants to see these events as being times of both spiritual warfare and vision building.
Community Social Event
Reach out to your neighborhood by sponsoring an outside social event for the whole community. Invite folks from around your church building to be a part of this "get acquainted" event centered around food, fun and entertainment.
Community Visitations
Invite members of the congregation to participate in making door-to-door visitations of a designated area of your community.
Community Web Portal
Many communities (especially small towns and rural areas) do not have a web portal—a place where anyone can log on to find what businesses and social services are available or what is happening in the community. So consider putting up a page as a church or in cooperation with your community association of churches. In addition to featuring businesses and local news, the page should also include links to churches and to other sites where web surfers may find a relationship with Jesus and/or help in growing in their faith.
Direct-Mail Newspaper to Your Community
Reach out to your community (ministry area) through direct mail using the Together newspaper or similar product. This 8-page information piece includes general human interest articles from a Christian perspective, along with space for your congregation’s own personal message (dates and time of services, special ministries etc.) It is also a great way to build name recognition and a positive image in your community.
Drop-in Center for Unchurched Youth
Develop a youth center where unchurched youth from your community can hang out and be involved in constructive activities that will create new horizons for them physically, academically, socially, and spiritually.
Evangelistic Bible Study
Develop one or more Bible studies in homes of your congregation that are specifically designed to be an outreach to non-Christians and unchurched persons.
Friday Night at the Movies
Sponsor a movie night for community children. Show Walt Disney films, provide simple refreshments (at a "simple" price) and radiate a mood of excitement and hospitality. Encourage church families and kids to attend as well. Note: Be sure you procure a video license prior to showing videos.
Hospitality Evangelism
Plan a special weekend night a week or two before Easter when you invite neighbors and friends into your home to view the "Jesus" video, called "the most biblically accurate film ever made on the life of Christ."
Imprinted Desk Calendar
Attractive desk calendars will uplift and encourage people in your community the whole year through. Order an adequate supply for others with whom your church might have some natural connections, like last year’s visitors, etc. Includes photographs, slogans, scripture, and an imprint of your church’s name and logo.
Latchkey Program/After-School Tutoring
Adopt a local school. Offer to assist with tutoring. Or offer after-school childcare for children in the community. Or offer a Pioneer Club/AWANA program one day a week.
"Let’s Go to the Mall"
That’s what many Americans do - go to the mall, the modern equivalent of the village green. Will they find a/the church there, in the middle of the marketplace? Probably not. Most churches base their outreach on the Field of Dreams concept: "if we build it [an actual building or a program], they will come." Jesus said, "Go!" Check out how one church has entered the marketplace through the Burlington Center Mall Ministry.
Submitted by Phil Olson, director of Network 9:35
Meet Your Neighbor Night
Reach out to your neighborhood by holding a special "social night" for the whole community. Invite folks from around your church building to be a part of this "get acquainted" event. Provide a simple meal and a program consisting of singing and games for the children.
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers Program) and MOPPETTS (Pre-School Program)
Provide a ministry to mothers who choose to stay at home with their kids. MOPS is geared toward the moms and MOPPETTS is geared towards the kids. The MOPS program addresses topics of need related to parenting; the MOPPETTS program resembles "Bible school." More information is available from MOPS International.
Neighborhood Bicycle Repair Day
Set aside a special day each year to make simple repairs on the bicycles of community children. Encourage congregational members with repair skills to get involved. Hold the event on the church parking lot, advertise, and reach-out to the youth of your ministry area.
Newspaper Ads
Display a series of professionally produced newspaper ads in your local newspaper. "Let your light shine" through simple ads which catch people’s attention along with allowing space for the name of your congregation and times of Sunday services.
Our Jerusalem
Conduct a six-eight week mailing campaign to friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors of people from your church. In each mailing, include a cover letter written by someone from your church along with a colorful brochure dealing with life issues. Follow up with a phone call and an introduction visit.
"Overlooking Jerusalem" (Matt. 9:36)
Following the pattern of Jesus, go among the crowds, imagine their outer and inner needs, and find yourself stirred with compassion. Visit public places, such as the mall, welfare center, airport, busy restaurant, and observe with the heart of Jesus.
Parent’s Night Out
Set aside a certain Friday of each month to offer low-cost babysitting at the church from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. This is an outreach to single parents or couples new to the community. Congregational visitor and member parents also appreciate it. Offer special fun and learning activities for the children.
Parking Lot Activities
The church parking lot, especially in urban areas, can be a center for recreation or used as a place for holding summer concerts. Consider how your lot could be used during the week as a place to reach out and learn to know the younger and older of your neighborhood.
Prayer Booth
Offer a prayer booth at a community fair or festival with a banner asking, "How can we pray for you?"
Idea developed by Kinney Cathcart, Fellowship Bible Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Praying for Military Service Persons
Offer to pray for persons serving in the military and their families.
Idea developed by Clair Knappenberger, Sarver (Pa.) Brethren Church.
Radio/Television Spots
Air on your local radio or television station or cable TV system a variety of "spots" which are thought-grabbers that invite people to consider the difference Christ and the church can make in their lives. Several spots are available that show that your neighbors will be welcome in a caring congregation. Tag line of local church.
Saturday Nights Alive
To involve persons who work Sundays or who prefer a different style of worship than your present worship service, add another worship service on Saturday (or a weekday) night. Try it as an experiment at first and continue if you find that it is meeting needs and effectively reaches more people.
Senior Citizens Club
Organize a "social club" for persons 55 years of age and older in your community/ministry area (and congregation). Provide senior citizens an opportunity for fellowship, spiritual growth and evangelistic outreach. Church Growth Inc. offers training materials for those interested in ministry with "seasoned saints."
Servant Evangelism Projects
These projects "show God’s love in practical ways with no strings attached," softening the hearts of persons who may otherwise be very resistant to the good news of Jesus Christ.
"Share the Spirit" Card
Create an outreach identification card about your church that will advertise to the community just exactly who you are and what you have to offer.
Sponsor a "Needs of Youth" Forum for Your Community
Invite youth, parents, and community leaders to a special program looking at needs of youth in your community. Have a panel composed of at least two young people and two adults who make presentations about youth needs in the community, and then open the floor for questions and discussion. This positions your church as clearly concerned about the youth of the community, and ideas generated may cause your church to create new youth programs which reach young people and their families. A drop-in youth center, a drug education program, or a parent-teen workshop might result from concerns and ideas raised at the forum.
T-Shirt Visibility
Purchase printed T-shirts with a promotional slogan about Christian faith and/or your church, so that your members can wear them in their neighborhood and working places.
Vacation Bible School Outreach
Use your Vacation Bible School program to connect to unchurched families in your community. Advertise broadly and encourage church members, VBS teachers, and students to invite friends and acquaintances who don’t have a church home.
Vision Statement
Create a vision statement that best describes what your congregation’s focus is for carrying out it’s mission.
Washing Feet
Some faith traditions practice the washing of feet in their churches. A way to show the love of Jesus to others is to wash feet in a public place, such as at the beach.
Idea developed by Evangel Christian Fellowship, San Jose, California, and reported in the October 2002 issue of sE-Mail.
Work Project
Conduct a work project for our members or attendees and invite unchurched friends to join in the project.
Yellow Pages Outreach
Raise the visibility of your congregation in the community by placing a Yellow Pages ad (or consider "upgrading" your ad if you already have one in place). People often let their "fingers do the walking" when they are first looking for a congregation to visit. Recognize this and place an attractive, attention-getting ad.
Ideas That Work Index
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