When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (Romans 1:12) One of my most favorite things is being encouraged by the faith of other people. I’m not talking about painfully annoying encouragements of faith like, “keep your eye on the sparrow and God will deliver you from the test you didn’t study for.” I’m talking about encouragements of faith like, “I had nothing and I messed up and found my life slip away and succumb with my decisions, but God still welcomed me.” You all know the encouragement of faith that I’m talking about. It is the conversations you have that share the pain and experiences with God’s grace over a lifetime. Paul was writing about the same such encouragement. He knew the things that the Romans were going through for their faith. They were being persecuted for turning away from the national religion in the capitol. Paul was also being persecuted food his beliefs. He knew first hand the persecution because he used to inflict on believers. Now he shares their pain and shares in their stores to give him how for the future. When you get together with other believers, I want you to share in the encouragement that God is giving to you through them. If they are not encouraging you, then I want you to encourage them with your faith stories. You will surely encourage each other.