Discussion 1: “Why do you believe in Jesus?”

Some people say, “I believe because my parents believe,” “I married into a Christian family,” or “I grew up in church, so I believe.” Let’s see what faith means through Romans 4:13-25.



1. Abraham’s Faith


Romans 4:3 says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This means that even before he was circumcised, God considered Abraham righteous because of his faith. God also promised that Abraham and his descendants would be blessed through faith (v. 16)./ What did Abraham believe in? How did he live out his faith? The Bible says, “Abraham believed in the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (v. 17). / When God promised the childless, elderly Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, it seemed impossible (v. 19), as both he and his wife Sarah were old and unable to have children./ However, Abraham “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God” (v. 20) and was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (v. 21)./ As a result, the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17 shows 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus,/ proving that God fulfilled Abraham’s steadfast faith and allowing generations to witness God’s promises through his life.



2. Paul’s Faith

Discussion 2: How do you understand that God considers us righteous because we believe in Jesus?**
Acts 9:1-19 tells us that Paul, originally named Saul, did not believe in Jesus and persecuted his followers. One day, on the road to Damascus, he heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” and said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” /Saul then experienced three days of blindness, during which he neither ate nor drank. Later, the disciple Ananias, instructed by the Lord in a vision, laid hands on Saul, restoring his sight and revealing that God had chosen Saul to serve Him and suffer for His name. Paul’s faith and life changed dramatically, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, preaching Jesus everywhere. He experienced the power of the risen Lord and rebuilt his relationship with God. Despite facing many difficulties in spreading the gospel, Paul considered himself living in God’s grace. /Paul pointed out that circumcision is an outward sign of the covenant with God and does not reconcile people with God. Believing in Jesus is what truly restores our relationship with God. /Paul said, “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. /He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (v.25).  He believed that only through the resurrection of Jesus could people be considered righteous and reconciled with God. He not only believed but also lived out his faith as a testimony.



3. My Faith

Discussion 3: What do you believe in? What don’t you believe in? What hinders your motivation to pursue faith?**


Can we share our personal experiences in the Christian faith? Can we live out a true testimony in our lives? We often recite the Apostles’ Creed in worship to confess our faith. Reciting a creed is one thing, understanding faith is another, and practicing faith is yet another. Abraham and Paul testified their faith through personal experiences and faithful actions. How do we testify to our faith? We can learn from Abraham and Paul to live out our faith practically. As James 1:22-25 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… whoever looks intently into the perfect law… and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing.


Actions : 

1.  Read Bible and Pray to God daily, we can know HIM more and experiencing HIM more.

2.  Share the gospel with your family and friends, witnessing God’s works in your life.