1. CAMPING OUT IN ROMANS

"O long and dark the stairs I trod,

 with trembling feet to find a god.

 Gaining a foothold bit by bit,
 then slipping back and losing it
.
  Never progressing, striving still,
 with weakening grasp and faltering will.

  Bleeding to climb to God, while He
 serenely smiled, unnoting me.

  Then came a certain time when
I loosened my hold and fell thereby,

 down to the lowest step;
 my fall as if I hadn't climbed at all.

  Now, when I lay despairing there,
 listen, a footfall on the stair,

 on that same stair where I
 afraid, faltered and fell and laid dismayed.

 And lo, when hope had ceased to be,
 my God came down the stairs to me."  ~anon

And that sums up the book, in a poem read by my pastor years ago as he introduced Romans.
As I camp out in Romans this summer, I am already into the third time reading.  It is inspiring to have had first hand experience of God's grace in my life as well as the life of his people.
 As per usual, my pastor, when introducing a new book or chapter at times does not get past the first word.  The first word in Romans is "Paul".  Paul was an amazing man!
What made him so amazing 
 was his biblical mind.  He knew God's Word and was very knowledgeable in the Old Testament.  His thoughts intersected with the O.T.
He understood grace.  He understood love.
He understood why man is so confused.
 He had a determined will to obey God's plan.  He had a loving heart and on top of that his highest goal was to glorify God.
  No wonder I have been captivated by this book.

Paul answers a plethora of life's questions:
 What is the gospel?
 Who needs it?
 Why is it needed?
 What is the nature of salvation?
 How is it achieved?
 What difference does salvation make in my life?
 What difference does it make with reference to society as a whole?

But what is truly amazing is the hope that I have been given when I find myself in those situational dramas when I experience mercy, grace, love and forgiveness, kindness and blessing when I venture into his agenda.
Camping out in the book of Romans so far has been phenomenal.