We were in the second week of our new series in Student Quest this week on the book of Romans.  One of the goals we have with our Sunday mornings is to balance out the teaching schedule and be strategic with how we use the 51 weeks a year we have (no SQ on Easter).  What the means practically is that we spend about 17 weeks a year on age specific topical studies, 11 weeks on core issues that we want to hammer home every year, and 24 weeks of systematic Biblical study.  The systematic studies have two core goals; the first is to build Biblical literacy, and the second is to model to students how to study their way through a book of the Bible.

Using The Complete New Testament Resource, Volume 1 from Youth Specialties as a launching pad for the series, we began a series on the book of Romans.  This week we were on chapter 2 of Romans; Chris Z led the middle school while I led the high school group.  If you want to follow along, you can listen to it on our student ministry podcast.  In this second week, we took a close look at chapter two.  In fact, 1:18-3:20 is a systematic case for the fallen nature and sinfulness of man – ultimately to demonstrate our equality and need in God’s eyes.  It was a response to some of the struggles the Jewish and gentile believers were having as they blended their church and learned to follow God together.  A great follow up activity would be to read chapter two together and use the following discussion questions:

• What in your life last week would convince someone watching you that you love God and are paying attention to what he wants you to do?
• Based on what you now know about the wrath of God against sin and the love of God for all people, how can you be a positive influence on your friends who don’t know Jesus?
• Romans 2:17-24 spoke about Jews who bragged about being in a relationship with God, but did the very things they taught people not to do. What is the problem with this? How do you react when you see this happen in believers today? How do you react when you see it in your own life?
• Do the TV shows and movies you watch, the music you listen to, the text messages you send communicate to others you’re a Christ-follower? If not, what should you do to change?
• How can you begin to change your actions so people know you’re a Christian?
• What are some specific ways we can show others we’re marked as Christ-ones?