1. Romans 13:1-2 talk about how authority is established by God. There’s a uniquely American thing, rooted in our history from the Boston Tea Party and Revolutionary War on, that’s ingrained rebelling against authority as a part of our DNA. And while these events were good, that doesn't;t mean that rebellion against authority is a virtue. Are you naturally someone willing to submit to authority, spiritual or otherwise, as of God, or do you tend to naturally rebel? How do these verses speak to that area of your life?

2. Romans 13:8-10 summarize the entire Law as this: “love your neighbor as yourself.” Think about the implications of this to you. How can you grow to love even the most difficult people in your life?

3. The images of daylight and darkness are such clear contrasts- what you do in the day is so much different than what you do at night. Paul writes in Romans 13:12-14 that we should behave as in the daylight, because the night is nearly over. What areas of ‘dark’ living are you holding onto that God is calling you into the light from?

4. Romans 14 breaks down differences in believers who believe that one day is holier than others (the Sabbath) and those who don’t, and believers who abstain from foods sacrificed to idols (believing that that food is unclean) and those who don’t mind eating it. We can have such a tendency to want to correct people or tell them why they’re wrong and we’re right, even on issues that don’t necessarily have a clearly right answer. Paul breaks down how our role in these situations, rather than debating and arguing, is to honor one another’s convictions and not use our freedom to do a thing to dishonor another person. Does this resonate with you? Have you been trying to argue about what you should be respecting in someone else’s walk with God?