Romans 12:1-2 | We Are Learners | 6 October 2019
Being a follower of Jesus means denying ourselves, taking up our cross and daily following him. In this sermon Pastor Billy examines Paul’s call to whole-hearted discipleship in Romans 12:1-2. We see in this passage how the gospel fuels our transformation as we reject worldliness and offer all of who we are completely to God.
Discussion Questions
- Do you feel equipped to live as a believer in the world around you? Why or why not?
- In what ways do you compartmentalize your life – living as a Christian on Sundays but unsure of what that looks like in the “real” world?
- What does it mean to be a “living sacrifice” for God? What role do the “mercies of God” play in this appeal to be a sacrifice?
- What specific patterns of worldliness have the potential to do the most damage in your life? In the lives of those around you?
- In what ways can you seek transformation through the renewal of your mind?
- Spend some time discussing the Personal Discipleship Plan. Share your initial thoughts for each of the questions listed on the plan.
Personal Discipleship Plan
GOAL: To offer ALL of who I am to Jesus
- How will I fill my mind with truth?
- How will I fuel my affections for God?
- How will I share God’s love with other followers of Jesus?
- How will I share God’s love with the world?
“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Dietrich Bonheoffer, The Cost of Discipleship