Romans 15:27-33 In this lesson we pick up in the middle of Paul's discussion about the offering from the Gentile churches to the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Why is this offering so frequently discussed by Christians? To what does Paul's decision to personally take the offering to Jerusalem alert us? How do we know that this offering is about a whole lot more than simply charity to the poor? How could Paul assure himself that when he arrived in Rome it would be in the "fullness of the blessing of Christ?" How do we know that the contributors to this offering were doing so freely, without compulsion? In what way were the Gentile churches obligated to contribute? How does this offering relate to the subject Paul discussed earlier about the strong and the weak in the church? What does this all mean for the oneness of the Body of Christ? (55 min)

Keywords Giving, Offering, Strong, Weak, Rome, Spain

Genesis 4:1-15 Why did the Lord record the story of Cain and Abel? Enmity between the two seeds. Independence from God. What was the difference between the two offerings? What was it that God regarded in Abel’s offering? Why God wants our best? Faith vs. works.

Keywords Cain, Abel, Offering, Worship, Faith