Welcoming While Differing

Romans 14:1-4
[1] 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.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Notes
1.     How are we tempted to overinflate the fact that there are big differences within the church in our day? How does studying church history provide a little perspective?
2.     How does this passage encourage us to prioritize unity and love in the church? To what extent has this been a priority for you?
3.     Who are the “weak,” and why are they described this way? How do the opinions of the weak in Romans differ from the positions taken by those in Galatia?
4.     What are the sins to be avoided for both groups, the “strong” and the “weak”? How does this highlight the inevitability of pitfalls in the Christian life?
5.     How does Paul provide a threefold reminder of the gospel of grace in his response to the weak?

References: Romans 15:7; Ephesians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-11; Romans 15:1, 8-9; 14:5, 21, 14; Daniel 1:1-16; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 1:7; 3:24; 8:33-34; 5:1-2; 8:38-39.