True Transformation

Romans 12:2

God’s Word tells us to “not be conformed to this world.” In this context, “world” refers to a system of values. The world tries to seduce us away from our relationship with Jesus. We’re told that if we get into a good college, find a decent paying job with a pension, meet the “right” person, and buy a nice house in a safe neighborhood, then we’ll experience security, significance, meaning, happiness, and purpose. Yet those who “have it all” are often the emptiest because they’ve been drawn away from the only One who can bring us true fulfillment.

1. Read Luke 21:8-9; Romans 16:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Colossians 2:2-4 — Pastor Hinz said that resisting conforming to the world is a continuous action. Why can’t we just decide once that we will not conform?

       a. What makes it hard for you to resist or makes it easy to conform to the world’s system?

2. Where do you see the world’s system holding sway over people?

       a. What make people susceptible to being swayed?

       b. What can we do to break the world’s sway over people?

3. What do you do when the subject of abortion comes up? How can you share the biblical truth in love?

4. The classic human motivators we often hear about are sex, money, and power. (Think of those motives for murder in detective shows and books.) Can you see how they correspond to 1 John 2:16?

       a. How can we beware of these temptations taking root in us?

       b. Why do these things create emptiness and not fulfillment?

5. Pastor Hinz said we see these three temptations (1 John 2:16) in Genesis 3 and Matthew 4, with very different approaches and results. Can you think of any other Bible stories where one or multiple of these temptations exists? (See Genesis 38, Numbers 12, 1 Kings 11, Daniel 1 & 6, etc.)

6. Read James 1:19-25 — Why can’t we be transformed from the outside in?

7. What Bible reading plan do you follow?

       a. Have there been plans you did not enjoy? Why not?

       b. Have there been other plans you really enjoyed? Why?

8. Read Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:145-152; Proverbs 3:6 — What meditation practices have you found helpful (ones that really help you focus on God and understand his Word)?

       a. How does Bible meditation connect with the sermon of Aug 17th about obedience (Romans 12:1)?

9. How did you answer Pastor Hinz’s last two questions:

       a. Where do I sense God asking me to say no to something standing between me and God?

       b. How is God calling me to renew my mind?