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(Monday) 2 Corinthians 4: Baked Dirt
How does Paul’s ministry contrast with those who discredit the gospel (v. 2)?
What forces does Paul see behind those who accept or reject the gospel (v. 4-6)?
How does the glory of the gospel compare with the weakness of those who preach it (v. 7-18)?
We often assume that our weakness will hinder God’s work through us. How does this passage directly confront that assumption?
Prayer Focus: Praise God for working through your specific weaknesses
Family Devotional: Read verses 6-7. A clay jar is very weak and fragile. What are some weaknesses you see in yourself? How can God use those for his purpose?
(Tuesday) 2 Corinthians 12: Boasting of Weakness
While we don’t know exactly what the “thorn” is, what can we see about how it affects Paul (v. 7-8)? How does Paul view Satan’s part and God’s part in the thorn?
Verse 9 could be considered Paul’s life verse. What effect did God’s answer have on Paul?
What is Paul’s main reason for explaining himself to the Corinthians (v. 19-21)?
What kind of weaknesses or problems in your life can God transform into a means of grace?
Prayer Focus: Pray for God’s strength to redeem your weaknesses
Family Devotional: Read verse 9. What are some weaknesses you have? How can God show his power even through your weakness?
(Wednesday) Romans 3: Remedy
What does Paul say about the extent of our fallenness (v. 11-18)? How do you reconcile this extreme truth with the fact that some non-Christians do seem to seek after God and live righteously?
Redemption (v. 24) means buying someone out of slavery. What types of slavery has Christ delivered us from?
God’s justice and mercy seem contradictory to some. How do they meet at the cross (v. 25-26)?
Paul does not discuss the good news (v. 21-24) until he discusses the bad news (v. 10-20). How should this influence your discussions of the gospel with unsaved friends and relatives?
Prayer Focus: Praise God for his justice and mercy in your life through Christ
Family Devotional: Read verses 23-26. What does it mean to sin? What is God’s justice and why do we deserve it? How can be saved from God’s justice?
(Thursday) Romans 7: Limits of the Law
How did the law create a stark awareness of sin in Paul (v. 7-12)? Why would it be wrong for him to blame his spiritual death on the law (v. 13-14)?
In Romans 6:17-18, Paul says Christians are no longer slaves to sin. So how can we explain verse 14?
What makes Paul feel so wretched (v. 14-23)? How is his anguish addressed by God (v. 24-25)?
What personal sin struggles in your own life does this chapter bring to mind? How does the end of the chapter give you hope and encouragement?
Prayer Focus: Confess your sin to God, and thank him for his grace: “Thanks be to God!”
Family Devotional: Read verses 18-19. What are some good things that are hard for you to do? What are some bad things that are hard for you to avoid? How can Jesus’s power and grace help us in those areas?
(Friday) Romans 8: Spirit Life
What has God done to free us from the law of sin and death (v. 1-4)? How do we experience the privileges of being God’s children (v. 15-17)?
What perspective does Paul give for us to view our current struggles through (v. 18-25)?
God causes all things to work for our good (v. 28). What is his definition of good (v. 29)?
How might trouble, hardship, persecution, etc. cause us to question God’s love for us (v. 35-36)? How does Paul encourage us to answer these questions (v. 37-39)?
How can eager expectation of glory help you live today? Do you long for heaven?
Prayer Focus: Ask God to make you ready for his future glory
Family Devotional: Read verses 28-29. What are some things that have happened to you that are hard to see as good? If God’s idea of “good” is making you more like Jesus, can you see how that might have happened?