Unashamed Reading Plan
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 17 | Day 3
Prayer
Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Pray that God would open your eyes to wonderful things from His word today.
Bible Reading: Romans 16:1-15
Read these verses three times slowly.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.
Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.
Reflection & Questions
As we enter the final chapter of Romans, Paul continues to bring attention to the very practical specific examples of people living out their faith – and it is important for us to sit up and listen to what he is saying as this is so helpful for us to learn how to live for Jesus. Today, is a beautiful list of real people making a real difference. There are men, and significantly for that time, women who are commended. They have “risked their lives” and “worked very hard”. Their “fidelity to Christ has stood the test.” They have been faithful companions to Paul on his journey.
We can learn so much from these verses if we take time to slow down and meditate on them.
We can learn about Paul’s affection for people and his eagerness to appreciate them. How easily we can take others for granted and not speak words of affirmation and appreciation!
We can also learn about intentionality and faithfulness. These believers showed their love for God and others in very practical ways, at a cost to themselves.
Affection and appreciation. These are good things to mimic in our lives today.
- Who have you taken for granted and could show appreciation to today?
- Which person that Paul names in these verses sticks out to you? How can you learn from them?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: Romans 16:1-15
Read these verses three times slowly.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.
Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.
Reflection & Questions
Wow! There are a lot of people that Paul wants to “greet” at the end of his letter! These people on this list have been living their lives for Jesus, making a difference right where they are. These men and women have “risked their lives” and “worked very hard.” Their “fidelity to Christ has stood the test,” which means that they have been faithful to Christ and also to Paul while he has been on his journey.
We can learn a lot from Paul here and how he treated others. He was affectionate and showed his appreciation for each one. When you think of the people in your life who are good friends or wonderful family members, how do you treat them? Do you take them for granted or do you thank them for who they are and for what they do for you?
We can also learn from the people that Paul listed. They were risk takers who worked hard and were faithful to follow Jesus. These are all things that we can work hard to do ourselves!
- Is there someone that you need to show appreciation to today? What have they done for you?
Pray
Thank God for the good people in your lives who are good examples of Christians to you.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
