8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you

10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--

12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

(NIV)

I. Open

A. What is one place you have never seen that you would like to visit?

B. What did jot down as the verse that catches the central idea in this passage? What makes it central?

II. Go deeper

A. List the I statements Paul makes.

I thank God, I serve, I remember you, I pray to come to you, I long to see you, I planned to come, I am obligated to both Greeks and non Greeks, I am eager to preach the Gospel, I am not ashamed of the Gospel.

B. From these statements give a character sketch of Paul.

1. What are his attitudes?

2. What are his ambitions?

3. What would be his top three priorities?

C. Summarize the Gospel.

D. What does Vs 16-17 teach us about the Gospel?

E. What does it mean to be saved?

1. How is this seen in life?

2. How does it happen?

F. What does it mean to be righteous?

G. What is faith?

III. Apply

A. How do people today try to get right with God?

B. How can we be right with God? what other ways work?

C. When did the truth of the Gospel break through into your life?

D. What especially grabs you about Verse 17?

E. How do your desires to witness compare to Paul's