Some of you like me and Tina, have recently sold your home, taking advantage of the hot real estate market in Nashville.  If so, you likely accepted an earnest money deposit along with the real estate contract.  In some ways, you might call it a down payment on the future purchase of your home.

It can be an exciting thing to have that contract in your hands, along with the earnest money.  You look forward, with eager anticipation, to the closing date when the contract will be consummated and the transaction complete.  In some cases, you hold your breath until inspections and appraisals are completed because you know that the earnest money deposit does not guarantee that the deal will close.

I remember when we first listed our house last year.  We received several offers within hours of listing our home.  All offers were above the list price and several of them were very competitive.  But one offer, in particular, rose to the top and we were glad to accept it.

Our initial euphoria was still somewhat present when we received a call from our realtor just a few days later.  The buyers had gotten cold feet and they were retracting their offer.  They saw something inspection report that they did not like and so they backed away.

We pulled the house off the market, fixed the issues, relisted it, and sold it a second time in just a few hours, at a very good price.  Maybe some of you have experienced similar issues in selling your house in the past.

Well, what does this have to do with our study of Romans, you ask?  Did you know that all believers have “earnest money deposits” placed on them?  Yes, that’s right.  God purchased your freedom, at a great price, and He made an earnest money deposit to guarantee the contract.  Paul calls it the “first fruits” in our study this week.

But wait, when will the contract be finalized?  Can God walk away from the deal before closing?  Will our lives be different because of the transaction?  I hope you can join us tomorrow and in the coming weeks to find out the answers.  Romans 8 is filled with deep and rich answers to all those questions.  You will be energized, excited, and empowered by what you learn.

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You can download the Bible study materials for this session for your personal use and watch the Zoom video of the in-class session by following the links below:

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Follow this link to find other studies in this series: TRANSFORMED: Knowing & Doing God’s Will.