Even though an active persecution was a few years off, the church at Rome was no stranger to suffering. Some Jewish members of the church may have been expelled by the emperor Claudius some 15 years prior to Paul's letter. The hybrid reality of the church--Jew and gentile--may have led to conflicts both within and without. The church was not particularly large or influential. And there were the normal difficulties that came with being human. How does the Spirit, according to Paul, help them in their suffering? Does the Spirit just take it away? Or does God choose another way? For Pentecost, Pastor David preaches "Groans and Grace" based on Romans 8:14-39.