Romans 10:14-17 Having established that salvation is available to all who call on the name of the Lord, Paul now sets forth the necessary things that must occur for someone to call on God. This passage has two important messages for us. One is the primary thing that Paul is communicating. The second, and incidental message, pertains to the church's imperative of evangelism and missions. Why is Paul explaining what is necessary for someone to call on God? Is the believing mentioned in verse 14 different from that mentioned in verse 11? Why is it necessary for someone to hear? When Paul speaks of a preacher, how is his concept of a preacher different from what we often think of today? Why does a preacher need to be sent? Now we know what must occur before someone can call on God, yet we discover that Israel has not called on God. What has gone wrong in this process? (52 min)

Keywords Calling, Believing, Preaching, Faith

Romans 9:22-26 Having considered last week about the vessels Paul discusses in these verses, we return in this lesson to discover a bit more about those vessels, and then to study Paul's "what if" statement. What evidence do we have from this passage and others that the condition of being a vessel of wrath is not unchanging, but that a vessel of wrath can become a vessel of mercy? What are two different ways we might use a "what if" statement such as Paul uses here? How does Paul use it? What do we learn that God is every bit willing to do? Yet we learn that God has not done this. Why? What is the glory for which the children of Israel in Egypt were prepared as God waited on Pharaoh? How does Paul use the word "from" in verse 24? How does he use the word "called?" How does the story of Hosea's daughter and son give evidence that God can call some who are Gentiles His people? How does this passage shut the door on racism? (61 min)

Keywords Calling, Vessels, Wrath, Mercy, Hosea

Romans 9:6-13 If, as we saw in our last lesson in Romans 9:1-5, Israel seems to have lost out on the blessings that were once hers, can we conclude then that God's word has failed? This is the issue Paul addresses in this week's lesson. What is Paul specifically referring to when he speaks of God’s word? What is the idea of failing that Paul introduces? What is God's purpose for Israel? In Romans 9-11 Paul speaks of two different Israels. In verses 1-5, of what Israel does he speak? The other Israel he writes about is what we refer to as the true spiritual Israel. In some places Paul speaks of the true Israel or descendants of Abraham as being the whole church, Jews and Gentiles. This is not the case here. How do we know this? What is he referring to? How does Paul prove his point that not all the descendants of Israel are the true spiritual Israel? What are the two promises Paul cites which limit true Israel to less than all the descendants of Abraham and Isaac? Of what does God speak when He gives his promise to Rebekah concerning what she is experiencing in her womb? How do we know that this passage is not addressing God's dealing with individuals, but with nations or groups of people? What does God mean when He says "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated?" What is the main point that Paul seeks to establish in Romans 9-11, and how will we know if he succeeds? (62 min)

Keywords Israel, Promise, Predestined, Calling, Jacob, Esau, Ishamael, Isaac

Romans 8:29-30 In this lesson we continue considering the subject of what it means that we have been foreknown by God. What does the word "foreknown" mean? How do we know that this is speaking from a human rather than divine perspective? We then learn that those God has foreknown he has predestined. To what have those God foreknew been predestined? What is God's purpose for all His children? How does this purpose relate to God's original intent in creation? What three things has God done to ensure that His purpose for us is accomplished? Why is it that though earlier Paul has spoken of our glory as something that is yet to happen, that in this verse he speaks of it in the past tense? (57 min)

Keywords Foreknowledge, Predestined, Calling, Justification