#God #People #Time #Place #Obedient
faith #Sin #Key
Idea
3 For
by the grace given me I say to every
one of you:
Do
not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think
of yourself with sober judgment,
in
accordance with the faith
God
has
distributed
to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has
one
body with many members,
and these members do
not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ
we, though many, form one
body, and
each
member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different
gifts, according
to the grace
given to each of us.
If your gift is prophesying, then
prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is
serving,
then serve; if it is teaching,
then teach; 8 if it is to
encourage,
then give encouragement; if it is giving,
then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to
show
mercy,
do it cheerfully.
9 Love
must be sincere. Hate
what is evil;
cling
to what is good. 10 Be devoted
to one another
in love. Honor
one another above yourselves. 11 Never
be lacking in zeal,
but keep
your spiritual fervor, serving
the
Lord. 12 Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share
with the
Lord’s people
who
are in need. Practice
hospitality.
14 Bless
those who persecute you; bless
and do
not curse. 15 Rejoice
with those who rejoice;
mourn
with those who mourn. 16 Live
in harmony with one another. Do
not be proud,
but be
willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do
not be conceited.
17 Do
not repay
anyone evil for evil. Be
careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If
it is possible,
as
far as it depends on you,
live
at peace with everyone. 19 Do
not take revenge, my
dear friends, but leave
room
for God’s
wrath,
for it is written: “It
is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says
the
Lord. 20 On the
contrary:
“If
your enemy is hungry, feed
him;
if he is thirsty,
give
him something to drink.
In doing this, you
will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do
not be overcome by evil,
but overcome
evil
with
good.
Series: Connected “Abiding in Christ”
In a time of growing isolation and individualism, we are
reminded of how important it is to stay connected to God and to each other.
Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and branches calls us into a life of connection
over production as we abide in Him.
Title: “Connected Community” (Romans 12:1-13)
Bookmark: Click Here
Opening Thoughts:
As we nurture meaningful connections within the body, we each accept our
role and responsibility to build up the body by serving cheerfully.
v Introduction to connection
§ “Alone
we can do so little; together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller
===============================================================
Text: Romans 12:1-13
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be
devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful
in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share
with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
===============================================================
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your
own words.
v Review and
retell the story.
Reflections for applications:
v Connected by
Mercy
o Romans 12:1
v Connected &
Transformed
o Romans 12:2
v Interdependence
o Romans 12:3
v Unified
Diversity
o Romans 12:4-5
o Charlie Brown’s
Christmas Tree
v Enthusiastic
Service: Making the Body Bigger & Better
o Romans 12:6-8
v Connectedness
in Action
o Hebrews
10:24-25 And
let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging
one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
v “There’s no such thing as ‘can’t’. You taught
me that.” –Anne Sullivan in “The Miracle
Worker” by William Gibson
o
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ.
==============================
Digging Questions:
·
How
will you respond to making “Connection to Jesus”? What transformative move
needs to be made?
·
What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
·
What is God calling us (me and you individually) to do?
Take Away Challenges
·
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in
this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
·
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
·
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What
beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Hashtags #Connected
#Involvement
Sunday sermon link https://youtu.be/d632Ei1cFaI
Kevin’s Blog Link to more
resources: Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes
Comments and resources with some more
resources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A1-13&version=NIV
#God #People #Time #Place #Obedient
faith #Sin #Key
Idea
25 I
do not want you to be ignorant of
this mystery, brothers
and sisters,
so that you may not be conceited: Israel
has
experienced a hardening in
part until the full number
of the Gentiles
has come in, 26 and in this way[a] all Israel
will
be saved. As
it is written:
“The
deliverer
will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away
from Jacob.
27 And this is[b] my covenant with
them
when I take away their sins.”[c]
28 As
far as the
gospel is concerned,
they
are
enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they
are
loved
on account of the
patriarchs, 29 for God’s
gifts
and
his
call are
irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at
one
time disobedient to
God
have
now
received
mercy
as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they
too
have now
become
disobedient
in order that they
too
may now[d] receive
mercy
as a result of God’s
mercy
to you. 32 For God
has
bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy
on them all.
33 Oh,
the depth of the riches of
the wisdom
and[e] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable
his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing
out!
34 “Who
has known the mind of the
Lord?
Or who has been his
counselor?”[f]
35 “Who has ever given to
God,
that God
should
repay them?”[g]
36 For from him and through
him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen.
12 Therefore,
I
urge you, brothers
and sisters,
in view of God’s
mercy,
to offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing
to God—this
is
your true and proper worship. 2 Do
not conform to the pattern of this world, but
be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will
is—his
good, pleasing and
perfect will.
