We have taken teachings from different sections of each chapter, but there are many other riches in the book of Romans for you to discover. Here are a few study tips as you go through this study.

Study Tips: The Holy Spirit is your teacher, so ask Him to show you things in Romans that you've never noticed before. He will help you look beyond the obvious to see hidden treasures.

#1: One way to do this is by breaking verses down into sections. While a truth in the first part of a sentence could be leading to the final conclusion of the sentence, by itself it could lead you to other truths to meditate on.

For instance, Romans 1:4 in my 1984 edition of the New International Version is talking about Jesus when it says, "and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God...." The words, "through the Spirit of holiness" really stuck out to me. Not only was Jesus operating through the power of the Holy Spirit while He was on the earth (which is important to understand), but this name for the Holy Spirit - "Spirit of holiness" (also worded that way in the King James Version) - reveals that He brings holiness with Him wherever He goes, just like an ice cream truck brings ice cream wherever it goes. Numerous other verses support this fact, such as Galatians 5:16 where we are told to "walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." When we are being led by the Spirit of holiness living inside us, and saying yes to His promptings in every area of our lives, His holiness becomes our holiness because He is the Spirit of holiness. Just hanging out with Him changes us from the inside out!

#2: You can use resources such as www.Biblegateway.com and www.Biblehub.com to look at different translations to gain added insights. I like the NIV, NASB, King James, New King James, NLT and sometimes the Message Bible. These sites also have Greek and Hebrew meanings and other study tools if you have time to go deeper.

#3: Absorb what you can and don't be stressed about memorizing everything. I am always amazed how the Holy Spirit brings to mind verses and truths that I didn't realize had gotten into my mind and heart until I needed their truths at a later date. Enjoy your time in God's loving words of truth and love. Don't let it ever become a drudgery or a chore. Have fun talking and delighting with Him as you read, study and write down insights together! You'll be absorbing more than you realize.

#4: Don't do this out of law, but out of love! If you miss a day (or a number of days), don't condemn yourself. Just jump back in and enjoy. Jesus loves hanging out with you and revealing His words of truth--He's not throwing guilt on you, so don't let the devil come at you with discouragement and make you give up all together.

If you have questions, please feel free to email me at Julie_Earl@att.net

Many blessings!

Julie Earl with Crazy About You Ministries (CAYM)

All Scripture taken from the New International Version 1984 edition unless otherwise noted.