29.

Don’t condemn a believer based on food and day

Romans 14: 1-13

  • Session: 29
  • Week: 4
  • Day: 7
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Introduction

In this session, Romans 14: 1-13, we focus on the principles of not judging believers in the cell church. Paul provides enough reasons not to judge other believers based on what they eat or what they wear. Such reasons include Christ accepting them that way; they have Christ’s freedom to eat and wear that way, they eat or wear to honor Christ, one day they will stand on the judgment seat of Christ, etc. In the next session, we will focus on using your Christ-given freedom not to stumble other believers.

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood Principles where strong cell church members will learn not to judge other weak believers
  • Purpose to accommodate other believers who don’t eat or wear like you.
  • Appreciated that our services and actions within our fellowships are based on a mercy point of view

Outline

  • Practice of acts in the cell church
  • Don’t judge others
  • Accept other weaker believers
  • Living and dying for Christ

Group Study Time

Romans 14: 1-13

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • What is the meaning of the following terms, judging others, condemning others, and criticizing others? What are the Common criteria people use to judge and condemn others
  • What shows that a believer has a strong faith in another believer? 14: 1-3,
  • List at least 5 reasons why you should NOT judge or condemn another believer over food or a special day. 14: 3-4, 5-12

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Don’t condemn a believer based on food and day

Romans 14: 1-13

Romans 14:1-18

  • Context:
    • Prodigal and firstborn (Luke 15) reflect weak and strong believers; Romans 14 urges unity despite differences, rooted in Christ’s mercy.
    • Judgment over disputable matters threatens fellowship—Paul calls for acceptance.
  • Accepting the Weak (Romans 14:1-4):
    • Welcome those weak in faith without quarreling over opinions (e.g., food—meat vs. vegetables) (v. 1-3); God accepts them (v. 3-4).
    • Christ’s lordship, not ours, sustains them—judgment is misplaced.
  • Freedom in Christ (Romans 14:5-9):
    • Days (sacred or equal) and actions (eating or abstaining) are for the Lord (v. 5-6); we live and die for Him, united by His death and resurrection (v. 7-9).
    • Personal conviction honors Christ—disputable matters don’t divide.
  • Judgment Belongs to God (Romans 14:10-18):
    • Don’t judge or despise—Christ judges all at His seat (v. 10-12, Isaiah 45:23); avoid stumbling blocks, pursue peace and righteousness (v. 13-18).
    • Mercy received forbids condemning others—focus on edification, not food or days.
  • Application:
    • Embrace believers despite differences in practice—Christ’s acceptance and coming judgment unite us beyond disputable matters.