Connect Tell someone else this week of how you came to believe and specifically about God’s kindness to you in getting an opportunity to hear and believe in Jesus Christ. 

Warm-Up

1. What are the common sources of ‘life advice’ or ‘guides for living’ that people consult?
2. Why do you think that this type of advice has been common across the ages?
3. What is the best life advice that you have ever received? What is the worst advice that you’ve been given?

Read Romans 12:1-2

4. What is the first word of chapter 12? What do you think it is there for? (i.e., think about what the focus of Paul’s argument has been so far in chapters 1-11)
5. What does it mean to offer our bodies as a ‘living sacrifice’? What are we doing this in response to?
6. What do you think it means to keep God’s mercy “in view”? 
7. How did God give ways to his people (in the Old Testament) to keep remembering his mercy?
   What has he given to us? What helps you to keep God’s mercy ‘in view’?
8. What does Paul say is “proper worship”? Why is this really good news for us?
9. How does offering our lives as a living sacrifice involve both not confirming and being transformed?
10. How does God’s Spirit help transform us? How do we have a role in the ‘renewal of your mind’?

Read Romans 12:3-8

11. What are the various ingredients for humility (as put forward by Paul here)?
12. Do you know anyone who is a wonderful example of humble service? What stands out about them?
13. Why is it so important that we do not undervalue or overvalue the gifts that we have been given?
14. Why would we have a high value of all of the different gifts of the body? How can you show this?
15. What gifts are listed? Are they exhaustive? What — according to Paul — should we do with our gifts?
16. Who could you encourage in the way that they use their gifts? How might you empower others more?

Read Romans 12:9-21

17. What type of love does Paul call us to express? What does sincere love look like?
18. What are we to hate? What are we to cling to? What does this actually mean in practice?
19. Do you ever find it hard to love in any of these ways? Are there particular aspects for you to focus on?
20. How is our love a faint echo of the love with which God loves us? How does that spur you on?

Apply What aspect of offering yourself as a living sacrifice can you focus on this coming week? 

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On Your Frontline this Week

Who are three people you know, you are not yet following Jesus? Pray for them all week - for soft hearts, opportunities to hear the gospel, and courage for you to share the gospel. 

For Families

• Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org

Listen, Watch, and Read

• Listen (sermon): “Relating to others” by Vaughan Roberts:
  https://stebbes.org/sermons/relating-to-others/#sermons 
• Listen (sermon): “We’ll overcome evil with good” by John Stott:
  https://www.allsouls.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx?show_media=50849&show_file=55527
  Listen (sermon): “Everyone with a Gift” by Timothy Keller
  https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/everyone-with-a-gift 
• Listen (sermon): “Weʼll Conform no Longer” by Chris Wright:
  https://allsouls.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx?show_media=50843&show_file=55522 
• Listen (sermons): Various sermons from St Bart’s on Romans 12:
  https://www.stbarts.com.au/grow/sermons?search=Romans%2012&page-n68j=2 

Series Resources

• Read: “Strengthened by the Gospel” by Brian Rosner. 📚
• Read: “The Story of God Bible Commentary: Romans” by Michael Bird.
• Read: “Into the Heart of Romans” by N. T. Wright. 📚
• Read: “Epistle of Paul to the Romans” by F. F. Bruce. 📚
• Read: “The Message of Romans” by John Stott. 📚 
• Read: “The Epistle to the Romans” by Leon Morris. 📚
• Watch: “Romans” by the Bible Project:
  https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-romans/ 

📚Available to borrow from the St Bart’s Library (Toowoomba): stbarts.com.au/library 

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