I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1. The sermon opens with the image of a bent writing finger — your body shaped by what you've given it to. Are there ways you can see yourself being shaped by what you've given your time and attention to, for better or worse?
2. Where in your own life have you felt most confident you were thinking for yourself, only to realize later you were absorbing a particular culture or story?
3. Paul appeals to transformation "in view of God's mercies" — not as a demand, but as a response to compassion. Is that the frame you typically operate from when you think about changing your life? What tends to crowd it out?
4. What feels transactional in your life? Does a relationship with God ever feel transactional?
5. If you are interested in being transformed by God, what role can your body play in that?
