The Greatest Story, Part 2 | The Quest | Aug 6-7, 2022

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S.O.A.P. – “Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer”

When do you feel most alone?

Quests and Questions:

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 NLT

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35–39 NLT

This Scripture is not saying that if you follow Jesus, you will be liked by everyone. Jesus had enemies and promised believers would too. The point Paul is making is that if God is for us, no one can effectively keep us from the love and security that is found in God.

Are you viewing your past the way God is encouraging you to see it?

Are you embracing the present with the Holy Spirit’s gift of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

Are you genuinely hopeful about your future—no matter what?

Lord, overwhelming victory—the kind I cannot find on this earth and have trouble imagining—is MINE through Jesus, who loves me. I am never alone, for you are with me. I have reason for having peace for my past, genuine love and care for others in my present, and ultimate hope for the future. These are gifts I grateful acknowledge that I love and need…thank you for being my source of life! Help me not be distracted!

What is your preference—planned or spontaneous generosity?

Quests and Questions:

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:32 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.

And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:3–11 NLT

God decided before he made the world to create an opportunity for you to be made whole after sin had wrecked your life. Go back through the Scripture and list the gifts and blessings and perks that you have through Jesus.

Consider God’s generous spirit—do you believe God wants to be generous to you?

Do you long for Jesus to finally be in control of everything?

Lord, I pray that “the right time” would come soon for everything to be brought together under the authority of Jesus. Thank you for your incredible kindness to me. You are a generous God!

How do you respond when you feel genuinely loved?

Quests and Questions:

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Romans 8:33 NLT

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:1–11 NLT

In a world where you can lose a job or have a family member leave or have your environment or health shattered in a brief moment, it is astounding to embrace the truth that forgiven sinners have been given right standing with God through…catch this—not being a good person, but by FAITH. We trust God, and God does the work. How are you TRUSTING God?

Are you rejoicing in your “wonderful new relationship with God” through Jesus?

Lord, in the middle of the noise of life and the chaos of the world, help me to focus on you and my right standing and friendship with you. Wow!

What is your knee-jerk reaction when you feel guilty?

Quests and Questions:

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34 NLT

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:1–11 NLT

It is selfish, self-centered, and downright prideful to replace Jesus as your focal point with worry about your spiritual scorecard. It is also a great disservice to others when you teach them to focus on their failures instead of Jesus’ overwhelming success. How are you embracing your opportunity right now to live the new life that Jesus powered through death to give you?

Consider rewording the last paragraph of the Scripture above to make it personal, replacing “we” with “I” – how does that help you focus on what Jesus did for you?

Lord, teach me to consider myself dead to the POWER of sin and ALIVE to you through Jesus! Thank you for crucifying my old sinful self so that sin might lose its power in my life. Thank you for setting me free from the power of sin so that I can be at peace with you!

What changes during your life have most surprised you?

Quests and Questions:

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Romans 8:35 NLT

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Do you have difficulty embracing God’s overwhelming love for you? Does your difficulty have to do with something Paul listed like, for example, your fears for today or worries about tomorrow?

If you are fully convinced that God loves you NO MATTER WHAT, how are you going to live? How are you going to love?

Lord, thank you that no one can successfully be against us or accuse us or condemn us because you raised Jesus to life—and he cannot be stopped! Thank you for helping Paul, throughout his sufferings, to realize the power and consistency of your love for those who are your own. Thank you for your love for us; fill us with your faithfulness so we can love like you!

The Greatest Story, Part 2 | The Quest | Aug 6-7, 2022

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