Read. 

Romans 12:1–2 (NIV)

1 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.

Find Each Other In The Text

1. What is your earliest happy memory?

2. What is the nicest thing a stranger ever did for you?

3. What is the hardest thing you ever had to let go of?

4. What is a fork in the road choice you had to make?

5. How has “proper worship” changed in your lifetime?

6. Have you ever done a paint by number?

7. Have you ever gotten to use the answer key to a test to grade your own paper? 

8. Have you ever argued that your answer was correct even if it was marked incorrect by the teacher?

Dig Into the Text

1. Compare translations of the word, “urge.” (Click here)  Why doesn't Paul command this?  How is it different?

2. If the verse said, “in view of God’s judgement” instead of, “in view of God’s mercy,” how would that change the verse?

3. Compare offering a lamb and yourself as a sacrifice. How are they the same? How are they different?

4. Can there be “true worship” without sacrifice? How might that impact the way we think of worship? 

5. How does sacrifice conflict with “the pattern of this world”?

6. What mind problems do we have that need to be renewed?

7. How does having a “new mind” help you make better sense out of God’s will?

8. Discuss how the three modifiers for God’s will add to our understanding. 

Apply The Text

1. Paul urges the “brothers and sisters” to offer true worship. Is the worship he is talking about here an individual or corporate experience? How does our attitude contribute to the body of believers worshiping together? Read 12:3-9. What does God say your role in the church is?

2. Which of these “patterns of the world” do you think is most destructive to the church?

   1. Busy - I have too much going on to make church a priority.

   2. Cliquishness - I really just like hanging out with people who are my friends. 

   3. Pleasure - I have things I like and things I don’t like.

   4. Defeat - I don’t have anything to offer.

   5. Selfish - Life is too short to be unhappy. I just do stuff that makes me feel good.

3. If you were self grading your test, what grade would you give yourself. 

   1. A+. I always choose God’s will over my preference.

   2. A. I mostly choose God’s will over my preference.

   3. B. I sometimes choose God’s will over my preference.

   4. C I rarely choose God’s will over my preference.

   5. F I never choose God’s will over my preference.

4. What would it take for you to get a better grade?