Welcome to a year in the Bible with Daily Grace. My name is Kristen and my name is Katie and we want to spend a few minutes a day with you walking through the New Testament, one chapter at a time. This year we will fix our gaze upon Christ so that we may know him, not only with our minds, but with our hearts. Together we will learn that who Jesus is changes everything. Welcome back to a year in the

Bible with Daily Grace. My name is Kristen Schmucker, and we are journeying through the New Testament. Today, we are in

Romans 15. In today's chapter, Paul begins to wind down his letter to the Roman church. This chapter highlights the two primary concerns

of his letter. The first is unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome and Paul's plan to

visit Spain. Let's start with the first primary concern, unity. Paul desires Jews and Gentiles

in the Roman church to be unified as brothers and sisters in the family of God.

Paul reminds them that what they have in common is Christ.

As they are tethered to Jesus, they are also tethered to one another.

The first four verses of this chapter continue on with Paul's encouragements for conflict resolution from yesterday's chapter.

He calls the Romans to model their lives after Christ by strengthening those who are weak in the

faith. This is something we see throughout the New Testament. Galatian 6-2 calls this bearing one

another's burdens. Jesus carried our burdens all the way to the cross.

Mark 1045 says, for even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give

his life as a ransom for many.

We can also look at Paul's letters to the Philippians, where he calls the Philippians to adopt

the same attitude as Christ, who did not consider

equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead, he emptied himself and assumed the form

of a servant. He looked out not for his own needs, but for the needs of others. So too, Paul

instructs the church to build up one another. But this is impossible if we are fixated on our own needs.

Put simply, Paul calls the Romans to look up from what divides them and look to Jesus,

who teaches us what it means to serve.

In verse 3, Paul quotes Psalm 699, in which David is suffering as a result of sin, yet he still

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