We will pop into a final book today, the book of Romans. Paul longed to visit the Christians in Rome and sent this letter ahead of himself.

It’s a beauty in the sense of its rich doctrine and understanding. It’s a beast for those same reasons! A deep read for sure- but well worth the effort.

• Read Romans 12:9-21

KNOW (What does the text say about God?)

BE (What does the text say about us?)

DO (What is the text calling me/us to do?)

• What pops out to you as something the Lord is encouraging you with today?

We will journey today to the book of Philippians. Paul is thanking them for sending a gift to him during his imprisonment in Rome. Having just read about that in Acts, it seemed good to pop over here!

Paul, as always, also writes to encourage them in their faith, stand strong in persecution, and respond with a joyful heart. This is amazing encouragement from someone who’s been falsely accused, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and beaten.

• Read Philippians 1: 1-11

Reflect on the following questions:

• What is Paul praying for them?
• Who could you pray this prayer for?
• What do we learn about God’s character from these verses?

Read aloud verses 9-11, pray this for yourself and those around you.

• Read Acts 28

It seems appropriate that this recording of Paul’s life and ministry would end this way- with him preaching the good news. He sought out the Jewish leaders on purpose to talk so that they would hear from him about faith in Jesus.

Paul’s warning from the Prophet Isaiah is sobering.

• Where do you see, in yourself, tendencies to not understand or perceive what God is doing in you?
• Do you see, in yourself, areas of callousness?

Stop and pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas where you need to turn and be healed.

• Read all of Philemon.

Paul makes a bold ask in this letter to his friend Philemon.

• What challenges you from this letter?
• What questions do you have?
• From verses 1-7, what is Paul praying for him?
• If you had to describe ‘every good thing you have in Christ’ (v6), what are things that you would list?

Pray that you and our whole body would be growing in the spirit of this letter.

Today we will land in the book of 1 Corinthians.

Paul is writing because he has heard of ungodly practices in the church there, and (as we’ve seen) because of his great love for his people, he confronts their sin and offers teaching.

• Read 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9

Paul speaks and prays in such an aspirational way as he opens up this letter. Consider the following as you reflect on today’s reading:

KNOW (What does the text say about God?)

BE (What does the text say about us?)

DO (What is the text calling me/us to do?)

• Read Acts 26

We are back in Acts and King Agrippa, his wife, and Festus get an audience with Paul.

• What stands out to you from what Paul says?
• Where do you see evidence of Paul’s heart and love for people to understand faith in Jesus?
• Who are the people in your life you are longing to see turn towards Jesus in faith?

On a separate piece of paper, list them out and spend some time praying for them:

Today we will pop into the book of Thessalonians. We saw in Acts 17 that Paul departed abruptly from Thessalonica. He writes this letter to these new believers to encourage them in their faith, and to remind them how to live because Christ is coming back.

We learn a lot about them and a lot about Paul from these two short passages.

• Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-7; 2:6-9

Reflect on the following questions:

• From the sections in chapters 1 & 2, what do you learn about these people? Who are they?
• What do you learn about Paul?

Verse 3 and verse 8 are beloved of mine and speak volumes about Paul’s care for his people. He tells them in 1:3 that he continually remembers their work produced by faith. He remembers that their labor is prompted by love, and their endurance is inspired by hope.

It’s brought me much encouragement over the years to turn these sentences around: Faith can be work. Love can be Labor. Hope can get Long. But that does not change the prayer for us. Perhaps you are in the place where it’s been work to have faith, and your loving is hard and laborious, and hope seems stretched thin it’s been so long.

Hear Paul’s encouragement and love spilled out for them.