Romans 9:30-10:21.  The children’s story of the tortoise and the hare teaches that success does not always come to the ones who are best equipped.  The same is true of spiritual success: finding salvation.  Paul was a Jew.  He knew that his own people had everything they needed to find salvation from the grace of God.  Yet so many of them stumbled over the stumbling stone: Jesus Christ himself (9:33).  By contrast, the Gentiles – like the Romans to whom Paul is writing – had disobeyed at every point.  Yet, when the heard about Christ – they put their faith in him.  Both groups were guilty of disobedience to the Law, but believing Gentiles found success – because of their faith in Christ.

LORD, help us to proclaim your gospel because believing in Christ is the only difference between spiritual failure and spiritual success.