Start New: New Outlook
Rich kicks off our new series by looking at Romans 12:1-2, how we can start our years fresh and with new perspectives, and how to live our lives based on Him.
Worship Suggestion:
Spend some time kicking off the year in thanksgiving. Either giving thanks to God for stuff over the last few weeks or a reflection from the past year, rejoicing together in His faithfulness.
Group Questions:
1. Read Romans 12:1-2, maybe even two or three times, highlighting what stands out to you about these rich verses.
2. Starting a new year always brings with it some sense of “newness”. Whether it’s through resolutions, hopes, dreams, changes or just a new mindset ahead of the new year.
Rich unpacked with us the idea of starting the year with a New Outlook, one that begins from a place of God’s mercy. How does this, and what Rich shared with us, change your view of the year ahead.
3. The idea of a “living sacrifice” is a bit of an oxymoron. Do you see your life as an act of worship? How can we encourage each other to learn to live this way?
4. This verse does challenge us to live a life that doesn’t conform to this world, but one that is transformed by the patterns Jesus lived his life by. It makes us ask the questions “who is Lord of your life?” Family? Money? Identity? These will not be able to cope when life gets hard, but God can. How can we live lives that are different in a way that challenges the World’s views in these areas?
Application/Prayer:
The outcome of these verses is that “we will then know what to do”. To live lives of love, that make a difference, that change our communities… Pray for each other as we learn to live lives this way and that God would always be helping us know how to do that.