Raised To Life: Baptism Weekend 2026

Romans 6: 3-4

  1. If you could completely start over in one area of your life with a clean slate, what would it be and why? What would “new” look like in that area?
  2. In this sermon, Pastor James talked about how many people believe in the resurrection as an event but miss what it means for their daily life. What stood out to you about the difference between believing something happened versus understanding what it means for you personally?
  3. Read Romans 6:3-4. Paul starts with the cross before talking about the empty tomb. Why do you think understanding Jesus’ death is essential before we can fully grasp what His resurrection means for us?
  4. What struck you about the phrase “Don’t you know?” that Paul uses in Romans 6:3? How would you describe the tone Paul is taking with his readers?
  5. Pastor James explained that when Romans 6:3 says we are “baptized into Christ’s death,” it means His death now counts for us. How would you explain in your own words what it means that “Jesus paid it all for you”?
  6. Pastor James mentioned that burial is final – when something is buried, it doesn’t get a voice anymore. According to Romans 6:4, what exactly was buried with Christ, and what does this mean for how we should see ourselves?
  7. Romans 6:4 says we can “live a new life” just as Christ was raised from the dead. Based on what you heard, how is this different from just trying to be a better version of yourself?
  8. Pastor James mentioned that many people try to “live a resurrection life with pre-resurrection strength.” What do you think he meant by this, and why doesn’t this approach work?
  9. Pastor James also stated that “sin is not just something you do, it was a power that held you.” How does this perspective change the way you think about patterns or habits you’ve struggled with?
  10. Pastor James said, “Don’t dig up what Jesus buried.” Is there something in your past – guilt, shame, or an old identity – that you keep returning to even though Christ has dealt with it? What would it look like to leave it buried?
  11. When you face pressure, fear, or situations that demand more than you feel you have, where do you typically turn for strength? How does the reality of Christ living in you challenge or change this?

Memorize Romans 6:4 and recite it when you feel tempted to go back to old ways of thinking or acting: “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.”

Prayer

“Jesus, thank You that Your death wasn’t just something that happened in history, but something that happened for me personally. Thank You that You paid what I could never pay and carried what I could never carry. Help me to really understand that the old version of me – the one stuck in guilt, shame, and destructive patterns – was buried with You. I don’t want to keep digging up what You’ve already put in the ground. Give me the courage to step into the new life You’ve made possible. I’m tired of trying to be the source of my own strength and peace. I want to learn what it means to live from Your resurrection power, not just believe in it. Show me this week how to draw from You instead of depending on myself. Help me to move when You’re calling me to move, and not just admire what You’ve done from a distance. I want my life to actually look different because You are alive and living in me. In Your name, amen.”