TwelveTwelve: The Leader Blog of North Wake Church

Read: Romans 15:1-7 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with

LOVING LIBERTY MORE THAN NEIGHBOR? Read: Romans 14:13-23 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom

The Unity of the Church  Read: Romans 14:1-12 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One

Love Does No Harm Read: Romans 13:8-14 8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The

Read: Romans 13:1-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For

For the Travelers Here is possibly my favorite Easter story: It’s three days after Jesus has been crucified.  Two guys are walking down a road to a village called Emmaus, discussing what has happened.  I imagine they are mourning, consoling each other, trying to make some sense of it all.  Another man (Jesus) draws near to walk with them, but they don’t recognize him.  He asks them what they’re talking about.  They stop short, incredulous.  “How can you not know what’s happened?” they ask.  Jesus replies “Tell me.”  So, with sorrow and confusion in their voices, they explain, “Our

Condemning Kindness? Read:  Romans 12:19-21 9 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Reflections In the verses from last week and this week, Paul pivots from internal church dynamics to the much harder task of dealing with those

The Ministry of Meekness Read: Romans 12:14-18 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. The German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a personal hero of mine. He followed Jesus courageously until his death in a Nazi concentration camp. While running an underground

Confident Hope Read: Romans 12:12-13 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. We have a joke in our home that hope is a bad word. We are always hoping that something will happen, but most often the exact opposite occurs. Why does hope stir such strong feelings? Because we want good things to happen, and we know that isn’t always reality.  It leaves us to wonder what hope looks like in our daily lives. How do we come to terms with the need for hope while knowing that too often what we hope for

How Then Shall We Live? Read:  Romans 12:9-11 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Questions for Reflection In Romans 12:9-11, Paul continues to move from the theology of the earlier chapters into the biography of how a believer actually lives. These verses are a rapid-fire series of commands: sincerity, hatred of evil, brotherly affection, and spiritual fervor. Having read these commands, take some time to personally reflect on the following