Life Group Notes for Sunday 2 May – Romans 12:2

Life Group Notes for Sunday 2 May – Romans 12:2

The big idea from the message: There is a battle for the mind of every Christian.  Having urged us to give the Lord our bodies, Paul now instructs us to let God continually transform our minds, rather than passively conform ourselves to the world.

  • Discuss any key points people took from the message.  Was anything particularly striking?  Anything particularly instructive?  Anything particularly challenging?

Worldly Narratives

While our mental transformation is not for us to do, it is for us to allow God to transform us.  Romans 7:23 speaks of a “war” at work in our minds.  This is the war that sin, the flesh, and the world make against the new creation within us.

We saw five narratives: five different, counter-gospel messages that the world tends to speak to us.

  1. Independence – you don’t need God or His people in your life.
  2. Popularity confirmation – you need to show yourself to be superior, richer, better than others.
  3. Purpose – your priorities are the priorities, taking precedence over the priorities of others and, ultimately, God’s.
  4. Identity – you are defined by various labels, rather than described by them.  This mindset denies the power of God to transform and, therefore, denies the gospel.
  5. Power – you mustn’t in any way appear weak or incapable.  Therefore, you won’t praise or commend anyone else.

Discussion questions:

  • What are some of the ways that the message of the enemy comes to us?  Are there any that you find harder to dismiss?
  • Do you have a tendency to heed any of these narratives?
  • Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 that he has “weapons” to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion” that is counter-gospel.  What are these weapons?

How to be Transformed

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, our transformation is “from the Lord who is the Spirit.”  Nevertheless, we have a part to play in not quenching the Spirit and allowing Him to work.  We heard three focus areas:

  1. Meditate on the gospel narrative
  2. Practice holiness
  3. Asking for God’s help

We also unpacked the fullness of the word our ESV translates into the phrase “by testing you may discern.”  It means all of recognise something, demonstrate it to be true, and approve of it.  This is what Paul says will be the outcome of a renewed mind.

Discussion questions:

  • Are there areas in your mind that you particularly sense God’s working at this time?
  • Are there any areas you want God to work?
  • How do we determine whether something is in the condemn, critique or consume category?  Why is this challenging to do?
  • How else can we pray for your walk this week?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.