ADULT EXTRA – Romans (Spring 2020) – SESSION 2

Session 2: Guilty 

 Suggested Week of Use: March 8, 2020

Core Passage: Romans 1:18-28,32

News Story Summary

Late last December on a 600-mile, 10-hour trip from El Paso, Texas, to Norwood, Colorado, a family of three on their way to scheduled furniture delivery relied on their GPS system for directions. However, the GPS took them into San Juan National Forest in Colorado where they got stuck in the snow. Unable to dig the truck out of the snow, they kept warm in the truck overnight and the next morning wrapped shipping plastic around their shoes and started walking. Having been reported missing by the people expecting the furniture delivery, the family was eventually rescued by a search party on Christmas Eve.

(For more on this story, search the Internet using the term “A family needed to be rescued in Colorado’s snowy mountains.”)

Focus Attention

To replace the Invite idea under Focus Attention, write the following on the board: Map, Local guide, GPS, Guidebook, and Just Wander with no fixed route. Give each person a slip of paper. Direct the group to imagine visiting a city for the first time to see all the sights. Instruct them to rank the five things listed on the board in the order they would want to use them for guidance. Call for responses.

Relate the story of the family who got lost in the snowy mountains following their GPS.

Ask: Has something similar ever happened to you? How did you find your way to your destination? Say: Just as we need directions when driving to get us to our destination, we also need directions to stay on the right path in life. Explain that today’s lesson will show us how to stay on the right path to avoid the path that leads to destruction.

Summarize and Challenge

To supplement the Summarize and Challenge ideas, ask: What happens when people ignore God’s laws even when they know the consequences? Remind the group of the family that got lost because they relied on their GPS. Tell them that the sheriff who oversaw the rescue operation said, “People need to remember that electronic GPS systems are not always the best guide.” On the board, write, “People need to remember that _________ is not always the best guide to life.” Call for responses to fill in the blank. Cross out the word “not” and call for responses.