August 19: Loving and Just Behaviors (Romans 12:9-21)

To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:

Download the “Keep It Short” worksheet here. Make copies for every class member and distribute them. Divide the class into groups of three to five class members each, asking them to work together to complete this challenging exercise.

Move among groups to help them. Refer to the Scripture commentary and our attempt at this same exercise as needed.

To Fellow-Christians (vv. 10-13)

(v. 10) Consistent selflessness

(v. 11) Passionate faithfulness

(v. 12) Holy optimism

(v. 13) Persistent generosity

———DEVOTED——–

To the World (vv. 14-16)

(v. 14) Respond kindly

(v. 15) Be sympathetic

(v. 16) Practice humility

———BLESSING——–

To Enemies (vv. 17-20)

(v. 17) Do right

(v. 18) Coexist peacefully

(v. 19) Discard grudges

(v. 20) Meet needs

———FORGIVING——–

After giving groups ten to fifteen minutes, have them share their work.

To encourage personal application:

On the left side of the board write the word NICE and on the far-right side of the board, write the word GOOD. Ask class members to try to change NICE to GOOD by changing one letter at a time, making sure that a new word is formed each time. One solution is:

nice>niNe>FiNe>FiND>FOND>FOOD>GOOD

Ask a class member with a smart phone to look up definitions of both words. They should find something like these:

Nice—pleasing; agreeable; delightful

Good—morally excellent; virtuous; righteous

Help the class discuss the difference between the two words that we often use interchangeably. Nice is what is pleasing to others, while good is that which meets God’s moral standards. (Sometimes certain behaviors are both, but not always.) How can the qualities listed in today’s text help us “cling to what is good?” Which of the good behaviors Paul listed do they need to improve on?