April 19, 2026

“Becoming a Grace Giver”

Romans 12:9–18 (NIV)

9  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Remember: “Before we can give grace, we must receive grace”

Grace receivers give the goodness of God to others

Non-grace receivers give guilt to others

Roadblocks to being a Grace Giver:

1. Comparing ourselves to others

It Produces…

a. Envy

b. Judgement

c. Prejudice

d. Nullifies grace

2. Controlling others

Compare and control

Road to becoming a grace giver (Romans 14)

Romans 14:1–4 (NIV)

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2  One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3  The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

1. Accepting others where they are is the first step

A. Contempt B. Judgement

Romans 14:5–8 (NIV)

5  One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6  Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7  For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8  If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

2. Refuse to dictate to others, allow God to direct them

Paul says

a. Allow people their personal convictions

b. Remember we are the Lord’s

Romans 14:9–12 (NIV)

9  For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10  You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11  It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”  12  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

3. Realize we are not qualified to judge others

a. We don’t have all the information

b. We are unable to see motives

c. It’s impossible to be completely objective

d. We lack the big picture

e. We have blind spots

f. We are imperfect ourselves

Romans 14:13–23 (NIV)

13  Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14  I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15  If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16  Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18  because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 19  Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21  It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. 22  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23  But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

4. Grace givers don’t flaunt their liberty.

Final Thoughts of Paul

1. Focus on things that encourage others

2. Don’t hurt the Lord’s work because of your conviction

3. Focus on pleasing God not watching others

Life Group Notes:

• Reflecting on Romans 12:9–18, what does it mean for love to be sincere? How can we practice genuine love in our daily interactions?

• Why is it important to receive grace before we can give grace to others?

• Share a time when experiencing God’s grace helped you extend grace to someone else.

• What are some practical ways we can avoid “comparing ourselves to others” and “controlling others”? How do these attitudes act as roadblocks to being grace givers?

• Envy, judgment, and prejudice are listed as outcomes of comparison and control. In what ways have you seen these attitudes nullify grace in relationships?

• According to Romans 14, why is accepting others where they are so important in the journey to becoming a grace giver?

• How can we allow people their personal convictions without falling into contempt or judgment? What does this look like in situations where we disagree?

• Paul says we are not qualified to judge others. What are some reasons listed in the outline, and how do these reasons challenge your own approach to relationships?

• Romans 14:13–23 speaks of not putting a stumbling block in a brother or sister’s way. How can you be mindful of your actions or freedoms so they don’t harm others’ faith journeys?

• What does it mean that “grace givers don’t flaunt their liberty”? Give examples of how this principle can be applied in your community or church.

• Paul’s final thoughts encourage focusing on things that build up others and not hurting the Lord’s work due to personal convictions. What steps can we take to keep our focus on pleasing God rather than watching or judging others?

• This series has included “Perfect Christians,” “Grace,” “Forgiveness,” “Forgiving Ourselves,” “Grace and Truth,” and “Forgiving Others.” Which sermon benefited you most, and why?