Romans...

My friend Katie (I really enjoy her blog by the way!) and I have read through the bible several times together, after I invited Tori and several of my friends to join me in reading the bible in three months. After I mention the fact that I was eager to "start reading Romans, and would anybody like to join me?", she asked if she could join me, and so guess what we are doing? :). That's right, reading Romans 1-8 for fifty days :).
You know something?
I didn't know how often the verses in this chapter were used. I found that I am, for the most part, familiar with at least one verse in each topic.
I realized after we started that I was actually really looking forward to copying out the first eight chapters now, rather than thinking of it for something in the future like I had been.
I have noticed things that I have not realized before when reading these passages. Have you every noticed that the bible specifically says "disobedience to parents" is considered just as big a sin as murder? You know how people will talk about 'small sins?' Well, I believe these verses defy that: " 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (Romans 1:29-31). And these have been a couple of my favorite verses: "1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5: 1-5).
But just reading through something several times doesn't mean we know everything about it. During church service today, I was reminded of that when we read some verses in Romans 6 (verses 1-15) and I realized that I really didn't know them very well, or even remember reading them very well, in the past five days.
That's not it, though. Katie also invited me to memorize Romans 1, 8, and 12 with her, and I am looking forward to knowing these passages even better :)! We are using this schedule, if you want to check it out :)...