Romans (Youth) 15 - Part 2

The Ask & Plan

Scripture: Romans 15:14-33

Exposure to Exposition & Exploring the Scriptures: (10-20 mins)

• Bible Drills (Memorization of OT & NT Book order)

• Review

• Prayer

• Opening question

• Guide students to Romans 15:14-33 in the Bible. (Help them as needed, NT vs OT)

• Read aloud - Ask kids to start their pointer finger on V14 and follow along

Opening Question

Have you ever had to give up something you wanted so you could help someone else? → How did it feel?

Notes:
Paul is finishing his letter to the church in Rome. In this letter, he taught how we are saved by faith in Jesus, explained God’s plan for Israel, and showed how believers should live.

Now, at the end, Paul gets personal. He encourages the believers and asks them to respond by helping, praying, and supporting God’s work.

Paul reminds them that learning about God isn’t just for knowledge—it should lead us to action, love, and serving others. Paul is very strategic in asking for help from this church. These verses can be sectioned as follows:

• Paul Reminds Them of His Mission (vv.14–21)

• Paul Asks for Their Help (vv.22–29)

• Paul Asks for Prayer and Shares His Plans (vv.30–33)

Romans 15:14-33 NLT
14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.
20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,
“Those who have never been told about him will see,
    and those who have never heard of him will understand.”
22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.
25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.
30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. 32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.
33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

• V14-16 Serving God’s Mission Together

  • Paul begins speaking directly to the church in Rome. He starts by encouraging them in their faith,  explaining his mission, invites them to partner in God’s work, and shows them how believers work together to spread the Gospel.

  • 1. Encourage One Another- Paul says the church is full of goodness and knowledge. (v.14)

    • Living right

    • Learning God’s truth

    • Helping each other grow

  • Christians are meant to help each other follow Jesus.

  • 2. Reminders Help Us Grow- Paul says he wrote boldly—not because they knew nothing, but to remind them. (v.15)

    • Even strong believers need reminders.

    • We grow by hearing God’s truth again and again.

  • 3. God Gives Each Person a Mission- Paul explains that God gave him a special job—to tell Gentiles about Jesus. (v.16)

    • God gives every believer a role in His plan.

  • Kid Point: God calls all believers to work together—encouraging one another and supporting His mission to share the Gospel with the world.

Romans 15:17-21 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.
20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,
“Those who have never been told about him will see,
    and those who have never heard of him will understand.”

• V17-21 Sharing the Good News Where It’s Needed Most

  • Paul explains how God used him to share the Gospel with people who had never heard about Jesus.

    • He talks about the amazing things happening in his ministry—but he makes it clear God did the work, not him. (v.17-18)

    • Paul says people responded to the Gospel by believing, and it’s changing their lives (v.19)

    • He chose to go to places where people didn’t know about Jesus yet because God called him to share with Gentiles. (v.20)

    • Then Paul reminds them that God always planned to reach people who had never heard. (v.21)

    • Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15

  • Kid Point: God uses us to share the Good News, but He does the real work—and He wants everyone to hear about Jesus.

Romans 15:22-24 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. 24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.

• V22-24 Following God’s Timing and Mission

  • Paul explains why he hasn’t visited the church in Rome yet—and when he plans to come.

    • Paul wanted to visit Rome, but his mission kept him busy elsewhere. (v.22)

    • Sometimes good things must wait while we do what God has called us to do.

    • Paul had wanted to visit them for a long time. (v.23)

    • Paul next plan is to go to Spain to tell more people about Jesus- then he will stop by Rome.

    • Paul asks the church in Rome to help him on his journey. This would be financial help, clothing, food, etc. (v.24)

  • **As believers, God calls us to help each other when in need.

  • Kid Point: We trust God’s timing, stay focused on His mission, and work together to help others hear about Jesus.

Romans 15:25-29 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. 28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

• V25-29 Helping Others and Serving God’s Mission

  • Paul now shifts to tell his exact travel plans.

    • He explains why he must go to Jerusalem before visiting Rome. (v.25)

    • The Gentiles of Macedonia & Achaia are helping the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. So, Paul had to take a gift to help poor believers in Jerusalem. (v.26-27)

    • Paul reminds his readers that Gentiles received spiritual blessings from the Jews. And now the Gentiles are looking after the Jews.

    • Paul shows how churches worked together across different places.

    • After Paul delivers the offering to Jerusalem, he will go to Rome, and it will be a great blessing to everyone. (v.28-29)

    • Paul will then travel to Spain after he goes to the church in Rome.

  • Kid Point: God calls us to give, help others, and work together so His mission can grow and bless more people.

Romans 15:30-33 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. 32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.
33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

• V30-33 Praying Together for God’s Work

  • Paul asks the church to support him—not just with money, but with prayer.

  • 1. Prayer Is Powerful Support- Paul asks the church to pray for him right away. (v.30)

    • Prayer is not small—it is a powerful way to help God’s work.

    • Paul tells them that when they pray for him, they are joining him in his struggles.

    • Just as his journey across nations, on foot, is a struggle, so is it to pray consistently for other brothers and sisters.

    • But when we join in prayer for someone, we are helping them FIGHT!!

  • 2. Pray for Protection and Success- Paul asks for prayer so he would be safe and his work would be accepted. (v.31)

    • We can pray for others to be protected & to succeed in God’s work.

  • 3. God Brings Peace and Encouragement- Paul ends by reminding them that God gives peace and joy. (v.32-33)

    • God strengthens us as we serve Him together.

  • Kid Point: When we pray for others, we join in God’s work, helping His mission move forward with His power and peace.

Observation Questions (What did it say?)

1. What does Paul say about the Roman believers’ character and ability? (They are full of goodness, knowledge, and able to instruct one another. v.14)

2. What mission did God give Paul specifically (to share the gospel with a certain group of people? (To share about Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. v. 16)

3. What does Paul ask the church to do for him? (He asks them to pray for him and support his mission financially. v.24,30)

Understanding Questions (What does it mean?)

1. Why does Paul say he can only boast about Jesus in his work? (Because it was Christ working through him, not his own ability. v. 18)

2. Why had Paul not visited Rome earlier? (Because he was focused on preaching the Gospel where it had not yet been heard. v.20-22)

3. Why were Gentile churches giving to the believers in Jerusalem? (Because they had received spiritual blessings (Jesus & the Gospel) from the Jews and wanted to give back. v.27)

Application Questions (What should I do?)

1. How can you be involved in God’s mission even if you don’t travel like Paul? (By praying for others, supporting them, and sharing the Gospel where you are. v.30)

2. How can you give God credit for the good things in your life? (By recognizing that everything we accomplish is through Christ’s power, not our own. v.18)

3. How can you support other believers in practical ways? (Volunteering at church, financially supporting a missionary or ministry, praying for others. v.25-27)

Activities

Remind them: What is the Gospel?

Jesus’ perfect life paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus died on the cross as the punishment for sin. But Jesus did not stay dead, three days later He rose to life (resurrection) defeating the power of death. Believe, and you will be saved!

• We are all sinful. We all deserve the consequence of sin- death.

• Jesus is what saves us from the sin we all have in our bodies. And one day, he’ll even give us a new body.

Supporting Truths Kids Can Grasp:

• God uses ordinary believers to share His message with others. (Romans 15:16).

• Everything good we do for God is because He is working through us. (Romans 15:18).

• We can help God’s mission by giving and supporting others in need. (Romans 15:25-27).

• God wants us to work together, not alone, to spread the Gospel. (Romans 15:24).

• Prayer is a powerful way to help others and be part of God’s work. (Romans 15:30).

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.