Encouraged

Rom 1:8-15

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers, [1] that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, [2] both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Footnotes
[1] 1:13 Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church
[2] 1:14 That is, non-Greeks

• How would you feel if someone told you that your faith is being talked about all over the world?
  
• Why might the Roman Christians have been encouraged by these comments?
  
• What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "spiritual gifts"?
  
• What spiritual gift did Paul have in mind for the Roman Christians?
• Why would he call this a spiritual gift?
  
• Who in your life encourages you by their faith?
  
• Who do you encourage by your faith?
  
• What is necessary about a relationship for you to encourage and be encouraged by it?
  
• When have you hidden your faith?
• What harvest do you hope to reap from what you have sown?