Study Questions for September 13, 2026

For Those Who Have Never Been Told by Dale Beaver
Read Romans 15:8-33; Luke 24:44-47; and Matthew 28:18-20.

1. Pastor Dale states that real gospel obedience is ambitious enough to go where no one has heard the gospel and patient enough to stay once arriving. How do you see both ambition and patience functioning in your own spiritual journey or witness?
2. Read Romans 15:8-13. Paul cites Old Testament passages from the Psalms and Isaiah to prove that God's plan always included Gentiles giving glory to God. Why is it encouraging to know that God's mercy to all nations was part of His intentional design long before Christ came?
3. Pastor Dale likens Paul to a spiritual doctor who uses tools to check vital signs like faith, hope, and love. In Romans 15:13, Paul specifically focuses on the vital sign of hope. How would you evaluate the current "vital sign" of your hope in God's promises?
4. Read Romans 15:14-19. Paul references his role as a special messenger to the Gentiles, giving them "parental reminders" grounded in God's grace. Who has God placed in your life to give you gentle, persistent reminders to keep walking with Christ?
5. Pastor Dale highlights the Greek word for patience or longsuffering (makrothumia), which combines "large" and "suffering". He also shares a Kentucky saying: "If you meet a jerk in the morning, you met a jerk; if you meet jerks all day, you're the jerk". How does recognizing our own need for others' patience help us extend supernatural patience to people around us?
6. Read Romans 15:20-24. Paul expresses his gospel ambition to preach where Christ has never been named rather than building on another's foundation. The sermon cites a Lausanne movement report showing that about 40% to 43% of the world (over 3 billion people) remains unreached, yet less than 1% of global mission finances go to unreached populations. How do these statistics challenge our understanding of global gospel priorities?
7. The sermon notes that Jesus' Great Commission involves both passionate proclamation and deliberate discipleship. Read Luke 24:44-47 and Matthew 28:18-20. Why are both bold evangelism and patient, long-term discipleship necessary for fulfilling Christ's mission?
8. Pastor Dale shares a story about his grandfather, an evangelist who would tell him after preaching crusade messages, "Dale, here's where the real work begins". Why is long-term discipleship—like Paul spending a year and a half in Corinth or three years in Ephesus—often harder than initial proclamation?
9. Read Romans 15:25-29. Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia eagerly sent financial gifts to poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem to show unity and gratitude for spiritual blessings. How does financial partnership across cultural or economic lines express true unity in the body of Christ?
10. Read Romans 15:30-33. Paul urges the Roman believers to join in his struggle by praying for his protection and ministry. In what ways can you actively "join in" gospel partnership through prayer or supporting local and global outreach this week?
11. Close in Prayer: Thank God for sending His Son as a Servant for all nations and for the grace that brought the gospel to your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a passionate ambition for the unreached and a patient, long-suffering love to disciple those in your sphere of influence.

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Analogy for Understanding: Living out gospel partnership is like building a long-distance bridge. Passionate proclamation is like firing the initial pilot cable across a wide chasm so the connection is established. But deliberate discipleship is the patient, step-by-step engineering work of laying down heavy beams, securing foundations, and maintaining the structure over years so people can cross safely and walk together. Without the ambition to cross the chasm, no connection is ever made; without the patience to build and stay, the connection cannot sustain lasting growth