Judges & Romans: Ruined to Righteous

Lecture Outline: Aim: Surviving the spiritual cancer of sin inspires a believer’s devoted service. I. Living Sacrifice (Romans 15.14-33)  T1: Saved sinners live to the praise of God’s glory. a. How have your life choices and deepest desires changed as a result of Paul’s teaching in the book of Romans? b. In what new ways have you become a living sacrifice? c. How are you living to the praise of Go...

Lecture Outline: Aim: Only King Jesus can overcome the darkness of the Fall. I. Fallen Worship (Judges 17-18)  T1: Jesus is the King of kings and must be worshipped as He commands. a . What does your worship of Jesus look like from Monday to Saturday? b. How are you worshipping Him each day in Spirit and in truth? And how might that worship infuse your weary soul with hope? II. Fallen World (Judge...

Lecture Outline: Aim: A Holy Bridegroom requires a holy Bride. I. Living Sacrifice (Romans 12.1-13.14)  T1: Christ’s holy Bride is a living sacrifice in active pursuit of Christlikeness. a. How are you giving yourself to God as a living sacrifice? b. What parts of yourself might you be refusing to lay on the altar? c. Which of the world’s customs or standards are keeping you from standing out as C...

Lecture Outline: Aim: Believers fulfill their God-given potential when they live set apart for Him. I. Samson’s Revenge (Judges 15)  T1: Living set apart for God guards against assimilation with the world. a. In what ways are you simply going with the flow and assimilating into the world? b. How might assimilation into our current culture be hindering you from reaching your fullest God-given poten...

I. God’s Right (Romans 9)  T1: God’s sovereign election is a mercy extended to unworthy sinners.  a. What do you believe makes you worthy of God’s saving grace?  b. How might your works be infecting what you believe is fair concerning your salvation from sin?  c. How might works be corrupting the right view of the gospel of Jesus Christ? II. God’s Reasons (Romans 10)   T2: God’s sovereign election...

Lecture Outline: Aim: God uses flawed people to accomplish His divine purposes. I. Righteous Remnant (Judges 13)  T1: God uses flawed people to accomplish His purposes through the strength of the Holy Spirit. a. Which of your flaws or weaknesses are keeping you from wholeheartedly serving God? b. How might the flaws or weaknesses of fellow believers keep you from trusting their ability to serve Go...

Lecture Outline: Aim: Holy Spirit power makes us conquering Christians. I. Alive in the Spirit (Romans 8.1-13)  T1: The Holy Spirit drives out our flesh to take up residence in us. a. What evidence do you see in your life that the Holy Spirit lives IN you? b. How readily do you draw on His indwelling power? c. What might you being doing to quench the Holy Spirit’s power? II. Adopted by the Spirit...

Lecture Outline: Aim: God’s promises are perfect and their fulfillment is guaranteed. I. Repentant? (Judges 10.6-18)  T1: God’s perfect and guaranteed promises are rooted in His jealous love for His people. a. What are you doing to provoke God’s jealousy? b. In what ways are you failing to be faithful or put God first in your life? II. Raised Up (Judges 11.1-33)  T2: God’s perfect and guaranteed p...

Lecture Outline: Aim: God designed His law to lead us from ruined to righteous. I. Deliverance from the Law (Romans 7.1-6)  T1: God’s law is designed to make us feel the weight of our sin and rejoice in our freedom in Christ. a. How seriously do you take your sin? Do you name them specifically? b. What effect does the weight of your sin have on your day-to-day life? Does it bog you down with guilt...

Aim: God’s justice will ultimately triumph over all evil. I. Abimelech’s Rise (Judges 9.1-21 )  T1: God’s justice is assured, even when He is silent or seems absent. a. What wrongs or injustices are burdening your heart today? b. What is your peace-producing strategy when God is silent or seems absent? II. Abimelech’s Reign (Judges 9.22-49)  T2: God’s justice is assured, even when circumstances ap...

Lecture Outline: Aim: A believer’s true identity is found in Christ. I. Two Men (Romans 5.12-21)  T1: In Christ, the reign of grace evidences a believer’s true identity. a. Which aspects of the reign of grace are evident in your life? b. How does God’s super-abounding grace change how you view your sin? c. What remnants of the reign of sin do you need to put to death? II. Two Masters (Romans 6.1-2...

Lecture Outline: Aim: God with us transforms fear into faith. I. The Coward (Judges 6.1-40)  T1: Fearlessness is the fruit of being clothed in the Spirit. a. How in tune are you to the very Presence of God living IN you? b. How might you be allowing your fears to quench the Spirit’s power? II. The Conqueror (Judges 7.1-8.21)  T2: Fearlessness is the fruit of trusting in God’s faithful and powerful...

Lecture Outline: Aim:  Faith in Jesus Christ is profoundly transformative. I. Promise Through Faith (Romans 4.1-25)  T1:  Faith in Jesus Christ transforms ruined sinners to righteous saints. a. How does your life testify to the transformation faith in God has worked in you? b. What was once dead in your life but is now raised to new life? c. What “ruin” has been profoundly changed to righteousness...

Lecture Outline: Aim:  In Christ, a believer’s victory is guaranteed. I. Lifting A Standard (Judges 4)  T1:  A believer’s guaranteed victory over sin and death is the result of Christ’s finished work. a. What is oppressing your spirit? b. Which of sin’s shackles are keeping you stuck in a cycle of defeat? c. Where do you need the Spirit of God to lift a standard over you and guarantee your victory...

Aim: Christ’s righteousness is the only remedy for sin’s ruin. I. Divine Diagnosis: Ruined (Romans 3.1-20) T1: A believer’s proper pride is in God and His justice. a. What is your response to God’s divine diagnosis of the universal ruin of mankind? b. Who or what are you taking pride in? Is your pride a ruined pride in worldly privileges and possessions or a righteous pride in God and His justice?...

Lecture Outline: Aim:  God uses His people as instruments to advance His glory. I. Filled Instrument (3.7-11)  T1:  Instruments for God’s glory must be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and obedient to His will. a. In what specific ways is God using you as an instrument for His glory? b. How are you walking in obedience to His will for your life? II. Flawed Instruments (3.12-31)  T2:  Instr...

Lecture Outline: Aim:  Sin is incompatible with God’s design. I. Excuseless Depravity (Romans 1.18-32)  T1:  Because sin is incompatible with God’s design, our need for Jesus Christ is critical. a. In what ways do you suppress the truth about God? b. What excuses do you make for continuing in your sin? c. How sick and tired are you of your sin?  II. Eternal Destinations (Romans 2.1-29)  T2:  Becau...

Lecture Outline: Aim:  True believers must never forget the mighty deeds of God. I. Forgetfulness (Judges 2.1-11)  T1:  Remembering God’s mighty deeds guards against covenant-breaking actions. a. Which truths about God do you need to recall to guard against spiritual amnesia? b. How could a deeper understanding of your covenant relationship with God change how you live out your faith? II. Faithles...

Aim:  God calls believers to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. I. Gospel Slaves (Romans 1.1-7)  T1:  God calls believers to be His kingdom-advancing slaves. a. When were you redeemed from a life of slavery to sin to a life of slavery to Christ? b. What are the positive aspects or blessings of being His slave? c. How is God using you to advance His kingdom? II. Gospel Salvation (Romans 1.8-17)  ...

Aim: God’s holiness demands our full obedience. I. Full Obedience (Judges 1.1-20)  T1: God’s holiness demands a full obedience that gains the victory over sin. a. What undefeated sin is ruining your life? b. Which specific sin are you allowing to metastasize into other areas of your life? c. How might your failure to trust in God’s sovereign power limit your victory over sin’s power? II. Failed Ob...

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. This repeated phrase in the book of Judges describes a period of history that has been referred to as the "Dark Ages” of the nation of Israel. Each time the Israelites fell into sin, they suffered dire consequences. But when they cried out to God, God responded with great mercy and sent a judge. Unlike modern-d...