A SEVEN WEEK JOURNEY FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS: FOR TEENS

CROSSING THE ROAD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

A SEVEN WEEK JOURNEY

FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS: FOR TEENS

BY AMOS GUTIERREZ

Introductio

n

I remember a time when video games and arcade games were easy to un-

derstand and simple to play. You could only move in four directions; up, down,

forward, and back. There were only two action buttons; jump and attack. Today,

video games are so much more complex with the capability of moving in eight

directions and having up to eight action buttons.

It was in those good ol’ days that I was introduced to the game Frogger®.

The object of the game was to get the frog from one side of a highway to the

other side. As you traveled across the highway cars came across the screen and

you had to dodge them. It was difficult trying to avoid all the cars coming at you,

but it was possible.

Our journey to righteousness is not always an easy road to follow. There

are obstacles that we encounter that hinder our walk with God. These hindranc-

es are part of Satan’s plans to remove us from the presence of God in attempts

to destroy the Kingdom of God.

James writes in his book to the Jewish Christians scattered among many nations

that “the testing of our faith develops perseverance (James 1:2, NIV).” 4

James understood that even through hardship, living a life worthy of God

should be what we strive for in this world. We are to strive for righteousness.

Righteousness is the result of living a life of obedient faith to God, our Fa-

ther, our Creator, and our Savior, when times are good and even when times are

not so good.

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he

would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went,

even though he did not know where he was going. By

faith he made his home in the promised land like a

stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did

Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same

promise. For he was looking forward to the city with

foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith

Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacri-

fice. He who had received the promises was about to

sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said

to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be

reckoned.”

– Hebrews 11:8-10;17-18

Abraham was credited by God as righteous not because of what he

did, but because he did what God told him to do. God told him to leave the

land where he was accustomed and go to a land where he was a stranger,

and he did.

God told him to offer his son upon an alter, and he did. He was obedi-

ent to God because of his faith in God.

What are you doing in your life that comes from your faith in God?

Are you striving for a life of purity, free from sin? Are you serving others in

your church or communities that are in need? Are you hearing the call of

God, listening to His plan for you, and traveling on your journey to

RIGHTEOUSNESS?

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING YOUR FAITH?

Small Group Discussion

1. What does God call you to do that requires faith

and trust in Him?

2. What are some ways that you would like to serve

your church family and community that are in

need? In other words, what types of service pro-

jects/opportunities are you interested in doing?

How these lessons are designed:

ACTIVITY

Each lesson has an interactive activity that corresponds

with the lesson. For example, if you wanted to make the intro-

duction into a lesson with an activity, you could play “Simon

Says,” with the class, because the introduction explains how

Abraham did what God said for him to do. This portion of the

lesson can range from 5 to 15 minutes.

APPLICATION

After completing each activity, the application is where

the main point of the lesson is introduced and connected

with the activity. It is used to set a foundation for the small

group discussions. Before the group is divided up into small

discussion groups, the key passage the lesson is derived from

is read as a whole group.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

The small discussion groups are used primarily to put

students in groups they will be more comfortable answering

questions in. Let’s face it, if you ask a question in a large

group all the time, what tends to happen? No one wants to

answer, or the same person answers every time. Teens aren’t

learning like that..

By dividing the class into groups of 4-6, there will be

more students answering questions, and more students en-

gaged in the discussion. These discussion groups can be led

by parents or by student leaders. If students are leading, it is

best to meet with them before and discuss the questions.

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

After discussing all the questions within small groups,

come back together as one large group and go over the same

questions. Now when you ask the class these questions, you

should get answers from each of the groups instead of the

same one person week after week. Each group will have their

own personal experiences so the answers given during this

time may be similar or different.

LESSONS

1. Freedom in Christ

2. Redemption in Christ

3. Obedience to God

4. Gifts from God

5. God’s Love

6. Encouraging Others

7. Road to Righteousness

FREEDOM IN CHRIST

ROMANS 8:1-11

ACTIVITY

FROZEN T-SHIRT CONTEST Directions: Ball up 4 t-shirts and soak them in water. Place

each t-shirt in a grocery bag then set in a freezer. Divide

the class into 4 teams. Have each group race to unravel

the shirt. A team is finished when one member of the

team puts on the shirt.

APPLICATION

While you were trying to put on the shirts, I imagine

that it was not very easy. There were probably a few

things that slowed you down; the ice covering the shirt

having to be pulled apart, the freezing feeling on your

hands as you unravel the shirt, and the thought of putting

that freezing cold shirt on your body. If it were a regular

shirt, our minds would be free of any thoughts that go

through our heads while putting on the shirt. Without

thinking we would throw the shirt on and be on our way.

But with the frozen shirts, we let these thoughts go

through our minds that keep us from doing what we

would normally do without thinking.

Today we are going to be talking about what it

means to have Freedom in Christ.

Read Romans 8:1-11 as a group, then break up into small groups.

Designate a leader from each group to facilitate the discussion.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of

life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law

was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful na-

ture God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man

to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man in

order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully

met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but ac-

cording to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful na-

ture have their minds set on what the nature desires; but those

who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on

what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the

mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace, the sinful mind is

hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

Those controlled by sinful nature cannot please God. You howev-

er are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the

Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit

of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your

body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of

righteousness. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the

dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also

give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in

you.”

Romans 8:1-11


1. Picture this in your head; you are on death row for com-

mitting an awful crime. It is days before you are sched-

uled for execution. What are you feeling? Now it is the

day you have been hoping would not come. You want an-

other chance, but there is nothing you can do. At this

point, what would the words, “let him go free” mean to

you? (*)

2. Paul says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of

God.” (Rom. 3:23 NIV) In other words, we are all on death

row. How do you feel knowing God can set you free from

the punishment of sin?

3. Read verses 5 – 8. What 2 types of people is Paul talking

about in this passage? Discuss how these types of people

live their lives.

4. Read verses 9 – 11. What are some specific ways the Spir-

it would cause you to act? Give examples.

(*) - Question taken from Life Application Study Bible. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2005


1. Discuss the small group questions all together.

2. What does it mean to have Freedom in Christ?

REDEMPTION IN CHRIST

ROMANS 6:1-14

ACTIVITY

BOBBING FOR APPLES Divide the class into two teams. Have 2 buckets of wa-

ter and enough apples for everyone on the teams. Some

teens may not want to participate, but would rather just

watch. That’s okay. Line up each team about 20 feet away

from their bucket. When you say “GO,” the first person on

each team will race to their bucket, bob an apple, and run

back to their line tagging the next person in line. A team wins

when everyone on the team successfully bobs an apple.

(NOTE: PROVIDE TOWELS FOR THE TEENS TO DRY OFF THEIR

HAIR AND FACE. )

APPLICATION

In 1 Peter 3:18-21, Peter refers to the water that wiped

out the evil in the world in the days of Noah as symbolizing

“baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt

from the body but the pledge of a good conscience towards

God.” Baptism means to be fully immersed in water, but it is

much more than just being dunked in a pool of water. It’s not

the water that has special powers to save, only God can save.

Baptism is not about showing the world that we are becoming

a Christian. Baptism is about you dying TO YOURSELF, being

buried WITH Christ,, being RESURRECTED as a new creation,

AND making a promise TO GOD, NOT MAN to follow Him.



“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace

may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it

any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized

into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore

buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as

Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,

we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like

this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his

resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him

so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should

no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has

been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that

we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was

raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has

mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all;

but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count your-

selves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do

not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil de-

sires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of

wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who

have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your

body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be

your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. “

- Romans 6:1-14


1. It’s a wonderful thing to have the grace of God that for-

gives us when we sin, but the Romans here seemed to be

taking advantage of that grace. Read vs. 1 and 2. Know-

ing that God forgives, do you ever have the same atti-

tude as the Romans did here in verses 1 and 2? Does this

ever lesson your desire to strive for perfection?

2. Read vs. 3-7. Paul begins to talk about baptism. He starts

off by connecting the immersion in water (being baptism

in Christ) with being buried with Christ. Read Acts 2:38.

For what reason are we baptized in Christ?

3. Read vs. 8-10. Paul goes on to say that if we have died

with Christ then we have also resurrected with Him.

Christ cannot die to sin again. He conquered it once for

all. When we died to sin, we are to follow the life of

Christ, living to God. What does it mean to “live to God.”

4. Read vs. 11-14. After reading these verses, does your

definition of what it means to “live to God” match what

Paul has written in verses 11-14?



2. What does it mean to have Redemption in Christ?

3. Because Christ has redeemed us, how are we suppose to

live our lives?

OBEDIENCE TO GOD

ROMANS 5:18-19

Find any black and white cartoon drawing from the internet or

use a simple picture from a children’s coloring book. Have 4 or

5 volunteers draw a copy of the cartoon drawing. The person

with the closest drawing to the original wins. The people

drawing must follow these guidelines:

Must use non-dominant hand

Must keep one eye closed (same side as non-dominant

hand)

Must stand on one leg (opposite of hand used)

Have 2 minutes to finish the drawing

ACTIVITY

ART CONTEST

APPLICATION

Sometimes we view Christianity as following a set of

guidelines rather than it being a way of life, and it makes fol-

lowing Christ difficult. Today we're going to read about the

obedience of Christ to his Father in heaven. It is our goal to be

Christ-like and we say many times that we should love be-

cause God has loved us, to forgive and be merciful because

God forgives and is merciful. I think these are very true and

we should do them all, but I think God wants us to be obedi-

ent to Him, just as Christ was obedient.



“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was con-

demnation for all men, so also the result of one act of right-

eousness was justification that brings life for all men. For

just as through the disobedience of the one man the many

were made sinners, also through the obedience of the one

man the many will be made righteous. “

– Romans 5:18-19 (NIV)

“Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and

got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person

did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting

us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to

God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes

to God and put many in the right.”

– Romans 5:18-19 (The Message)


1. Have you ever try to do something new like play a new instru-

ment or sport, but quit because it was too hard? Talk about

what your experience with your group. Why was it too hard?

How much effort did you really put into it?

2. Have you ever wanted to do really well on a test at school, but

you did not want to take the time to study and prepare be-

cause there was something more interesting that you could be

doing? What would you rather be doing and why?

3. Do you ever feel like being obedient to God isn't “fun

enough” or “interesting enough” or even “cool enough,”? Ex-

plain.

Being obedient to Christ is more than just doing what you may

think is right in God’s eyes. It is more than making the decision

to do what is right in God’s eyes. Obedience is a product of our

faith in God. Read James 2:14-18

4. Read Philippians 2:5-11. We see here that Jesus became

“obedient to death even death on a cross” Paul writes that we

should have the attitude of Christ, the attitude that leads to

“obedience to God.”

What is this attitude of Christ that Paul describes? (Humility)

What did God do for Christ because of his obedience?

(exalted Him, glorified Him)



2. What does it mean to be Obedient to God?

GIFTS FR

OM GOD

ROMANS 12:4-8

ACTIVITY

LIME LIGHT Provide a lime (or Key Lime) for every person in the

group. Have each person in the group observe their lime and

find a characteristic (spot, scar, etc.) that is unique to their

lime. They are not allowed to make any marks on their lime.

Go around the group and have each person then describe

one thing that is unique about them and one thing that is

unique about their lime. After everyone has had their turn,

have everyone place their lime into one bag then have a seat.

Shuffle around all the limes and then dump them in a pile in

the middle of the room. Have everyone come up and look for

their lime until all the limes are gone.

APPLICATION

It is very easy to identify the strengths and weaknesses

of others, but when we look at ourselves we tend to have

trouble seeing where we excel and where we need to im-

prove. As workers in God’s Kingdom, it is important to under-

stand God’s plan for us and use the strengths/gifts that he has

blessed us with to further His Kingdom.



“Just as each of us has one body with many members,

and these members do not all have the same func-

tion, so in Christ we who are many form one body,

and each member belongs to all the others. We have

different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a

man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion

to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teach-

ing, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encour-

age; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him

give generously, if it is leadership, let him govern dili-

gently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

– Romans 12:4 – 8


1. There are many types of gifts or talents that are all valua-

ble in God’s Kingdom. Read Romans 12:4-8. What gifts/

talents has God blessed you with? A few examples are:

serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and pa-

tience. These are just a few so try to think beyond just

these examples. (Leaders: Have each person in your group

discover one gift/talent about themselves.)

2. What gifts/talents do you see in the others in your dis-

cussion group? (Leaders: Have each person identify at

least one gift/talent for each person in your group.)

3. Think for a moment about the gifts that you identified

about yourself and those that others have identified

about you. In what ways can you use your gift(s) in God’s

Kingdom? In other words, what type of ministry could

you be a part of that would best use your gift to its

greatest potential?



2. Although it’s often hard to identify the strengths within

ourselves, it is very important that we know in what areas

God has blessed us so that we can use those strengths to

further God’s Kingdom.

GOD’S LOVE

ROMANS 8:28-39

Divide the class into groups of 2 to 4. Give each group the sup-plies needed to design a structure that would protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height of 3, 5, and 8 feet. The supplies needed for each group are:

10 straws

2 small balloons

1 small box or 1 – 20 oz Gatorade bottle with mouth cut off (group can chose 1 of these 2 containers)

Tape (duct, masking, or scotch)

Scissors

1 large egg

ACTIVITY

EGG DROP

APPLICATION

Without protection, the egg is very fragile. Dropping it

from a height by itself will surely result in the egg cracking

open. With the protection of the structure that each group

designed, the egg was protected from damage, if it is de-

signed well.

Without God, our lives are fragile. The temptations and hard-

ships of this world will cause us to break down because we

are weak when we are alone. Our life without God, without

the sacrifice of Christ would lead to spiritual death. With God,

we are protected from the temptations and hardships. We

will take our hits, our falls but we will not break. We are pro-

tected by God’s love, greatest gift that we will ever receive. A

gift that leads to eternal life in Heaven!



And we know that in all things God works for the good of those

who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For

those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the

likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many

brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called,

he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who

can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave

him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously

give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom

God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is

at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall

separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or

persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is

written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are consid-

ered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are

more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am con-

vinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nei-

ther the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor

depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us

from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

– Romans 8:28-39


1. Read verses 28—30. In what ways does God work for the

good of those who love Him? Does this mean that God

will only allow good things to happen to those who love

Him?

2. What does it mean to be predestined? (God offers his

salvation to all men. This has been part of His plan from

the very beginning, even before the creation of man.)

3. In verse 31, Paul writes, “If God is for us, who can be

against us? What does this verse mean to you? Describe

how this verse affects your relationship with God.

4. Read verses 32-37. What can we rely on when we face

trials, temptations, and hardships? Read 1 John 3:1, 4:7-

11.



2. Because of God’s Love, we are “more than conquerors.”

We can rely on His love, His gift of salvation, when we face

trials, temptations, and hardships.

ENCOURAGING OTHERS

ROMANS 15:1-4

This activity can be anything that is done for the encourage-ment of others. Some examples are:

Singing at a nursing home. (Spend time singing, focusing on more traditional songs like Amazing Grace so the resi-dents feel comfortable singing along. Use a couple contem-porary songs as well. After singing, spend some time vis-iting with the residents. A small conversation and some smiling faces can be very powerful.)

Letter writing. (Write letters to members of the military that are overseas, away from their families.)

ACTIVITY

ACTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

APPLICATION

God has blessed us with gifts that can be used to glorify

Him. He has blessed us with the gift of salvation and because

He has loved us so much that he gave His Son to die for us, we

too should share that love with others.

Acts of encouragement don't have to be elaborate

things. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day. Listening

to someone instead of talking shows you care about them.

Showing someone that you care enough about them to give

up and sacrifice a little of yourself shows the amazing love of

God.



We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the

weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should

please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For

even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written:

"The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."

For everything that was written in the past was written

to teach us, so that through endurance and the encour-

agement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

– Romans 15:1 – 4


1. When we do things to help others, what should our mo-

tivation be? For what reason should we do the things we

do to help others?

2. Read 1 John 3:18. John writes that we should show our

love “with actions” and “in truth.” What does it mean to

love “with actions?” What does it mean to love “in

truth?”

3. What are the benefits that others get from your encour-

agement?

4. What are the benefits that you get from encouraging

others?



2. As a group, what can you do to encourage the rest of your

church family?

ROAD TO

RIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 1:16-17

Search online for very difficult mazes. Find 2 difficult mazes and draw a cross at the end of each of the mazes. Make a copy of each maze for each teen in the class.

Give the students a time limit to finish both mazes. If you would like, give prizes to the first 2 or 3 to finish both mazes.

(Another option could be to draw a difficult maze on four or five 6’x6’ sheets. Divide the class into teams that work togeth-er to complete the maze together. )

ACTIVITY

JOURNEY TO THE CROSS

APPLICATION

As we walk on our spiritual journey we have to make

choices. Some choices lead us down the right path and some

lead us down the wrong path. With the maze, some people

may have gone down the wrong path only to find a dead end.

In these times, you find a new way until you eventually make

it to the finish. There is only one way to the finish line, only

one way to righteousness and that is through Christ. The

amazing thing about it, is that God gives up the opportunity

to make our way back to Him and continue again on a path of

righteousness.



I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power

of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first

for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a

righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness

that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The

righteous will live by faith."

– Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It

is the power of God at work, saving everyone who be-

lieves—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good

News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is

accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scrip-

tures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has

life.”

– Romans 1:16-17 (NLT)


1. What comes to mind when you think about the power

of God? -It is important to understand and see the

power of God. Close your eyes and the leader will read

Revelation 4:1-11. As you listen, picture this scene in your

mind. Pay close attention to what the four living beings

and the twenty-four elders say about God. (Leader read

4:1-11)

God is eternal! He is, was, and always will be your Sav-

ior! The same power that created the world, and resur-

rection Christ is the same power that saves you and is in

you!

2. Paul says in verse 16 that he is “not ashamed of the gos-

pel, because it is the power of God, for the salvation of

everyone who believes.” Do you ever feel ashamed of the

gospel? In other words, are there ever times when you

do not proclaim Christ as your Savior? Is your faith in

Christ something that is hidden from the world?

3. In verse 17, Paul writes that the “righteous will live by

faith.” What does “living by faith” look like to you? Give

specific examples.



2. In what ways can you as a group help each other to live by

faith?

CONCLUSION

Crossing the road to righteousness is not always an easy task.

It involves making tough choices, enduring hardships, resisting

temptations, trusting that God’s ways are better than our own and

being faithful and obedient to God through all of it.

We must first understand that through Christ’s sacrifice we

have been set free from the bondage of sin. We no longer have to

be slaves to sin. We have FREEDOM IN CHRIST!

Once we under this, we can put all our trust in God and ac-

cept the invitation to become His child. We can be forgiven of all

our sins and commit our lives to following Christ, the one who saves

us. We have REDEMPTION IN CHRIST!

Living as a child of God, a follower of Christ, means that we

put our complete trust that God knows what is best for our lives

and live according to His plan. We live in OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST!

God blesses our lives with many gifts and talents. We must be

able to identify what those gifts in us are, because God calls us to

use those gifts/talents to serve Him and to serve others. We have

amazing GIFTS FROM GOD!

The greatest gift of all is the gift of salvation. This is some-

thing that we do not deserve but we’re given because God is loving

and merciful. Being called a child of God is the greatest example of

GOD’S LOVE!

CROSSING THE ROAD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

God’s love is something that we are to share with others. Be-

cause God shared His amazing love with us, we can share that same

love with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with our friends at school

or work, or with anyone we come across. We should always be EN-

COURAGING OTHERS.

Our journey to the cross never ends. Living a life of obedient

faith to God leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS.

We should always be thankful of the blessings we have that

come through God’s love for us. Don’t take for granted the salvation

we have in Christ Jesus or the gifts that God gave us. Live as a child of

God and use those gifts just as God intended you to. Don’t let your

faith be something that you wear around your neck for people to see

when you go to church. Let it be something that you live out every

day, every hour, every minute, every second.

EXPERIENCE YOUR FAITH!

A SEVEN WEEK JOURNEY FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS: FOR TEENS

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