The apostle Paul had never been to Rome when he wrote this letter. But many of his friends had (cf. Romans 16), and he knew that Christians there, as in every other church he worked with, faced many day-to-day challenges. In these verses, he offered powerful, faith-based wisdom that guided not only the Roman Christians, but generations of Christians through the centuries in how to live lives capable of defeating evil with good.

• Paul began this section by saying, “Love should be shown without pretending.” Have you ever been in a setting (maybe even a church) where everyone pretended to love one another, while whispered conversations were full of criticism and backbiting? What makes honest love (which includes dealing honestly with issues that arise) so vital to our spiritual health?
• Suppose that at your favorite sports team's game, with the crowd cheering for the home team, you saw verse 11 posted on the scoreboard: “Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic.” Would that seem pointless and odd? What factors make us hesitant to be enthusiastic about our faith? How can you open yourself to, and nurture, the condition of heart and mind Paul called being “on fire in the Spirit”?