10.CAMPING OUT IN ROMANS

It isn't always that I awake with such godly thoughts as usually I am more focused on rescuing myself from some sort of nonsensical dream, however, I awoke with the words from John 17:17 reverberating in my head.

Matthew

  "You're Word, God, is true."    "You're Word IS True!"

The Rewards

It was one of those moments that I just wanted to meditate on and savor those words snuggling deeper under the covers, letting the memories flood back to the times I helped my children memorize verses in Cubbies and AWANA.

Hannah with Cubbie Bear

Matthew in middle

Having now read or listened to Romans thirteen times, I was struck by Paul's teaching strategy and use of frequent questions (around 85) to move along in the passage to help his readers to think hard about what he was writing.  Following are 15 of Paul's questions:
^3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
^3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
^3:29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?
^3:31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
^4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
^4:9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also?
^7:1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
^9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith…
^10:18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they?
^10:19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they?
^11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?
^11:2 Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
^11:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
^11:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
^14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?

Getting ready for the AWANA bike races in the far parking lot.  Instead of strollers, we used play pens.

I am sure Amy is in one of those photos.  Sorry Sarah, you were only in our thoughts as a next one.

Karl directing traffic

Getting ready for the bike race.

Anticipating the bike race, Karl standing, waiting.