Operation Week 2 - The Mind
Read
Romans 12:1-2 Christian Standard Bible
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Christian Standard Bible
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
James 4:8 Christian Standard Bible
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
1 Corinthians 2:6-8 Christian Standard Bible
6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Summary
Welcome back to Community Group, we are in week two of our Operation series and this week we will be looking at the mind.
As we began to prep for this sermon, one of the examples we spoke of was an exercise program. Before we begin to work out we need to understand that we need to get healthy. The results of our commitment or lack thereof will be noticeable as we move forward.
We are being called to act, it involves a submitting of the mind, and a commitment of the mind. In Romans, we are being urged to make changes, because of God’s mercies. Our minds have a creator, and that creator is merciful.
Before we modify or change ourselves, we need to know about God first. Why do people need mercy? Because we’re sinners. We can’t make the mistake of taking God’s mercies lightly, mercies are plural. We are urged to give ourselves fully to God, at bare minimum we should give ourselves up as a living sacrifice. This requires surrender, it’s easier to commit to this when we are aware of who we are submitting to. We are asked to discern what is good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God. Simply because we aren’t naturally pursuing that.
Last week we talked about the priority of the heart. Keeping watch over our mind helps to keep our hearts on track. So, how do we set our minds on things above?
We begin with PERSONAL PRESENTATION. It is impossible to surrender until you present yourself to the Lord. God knows we have that problem and that is why He provides us with a solution in Jesus. It is through Jesus that we get a new heart. This is a part of is because of God’s mercies.
Our next point is SACRIFICIAL SURRENDER. We struggle with surrender because we haven’t presented ourselves to the Lord. Many times we want God to present us with the options that we have, holding on to our agenda, instead of asking what God has for us. You will not find worship where there is no surrender.
Our final point is TOTAL TRANSFORMATION. We are not called to conform, but to allow ourselves to be transformed. Total transformation comes with Radical Renewal.
We sacrifice and surrender so that we can have the mind of Christ. James tells us that the renewing of the mind is an ongoing process. Many people think of God as app that they can open when they need Him. A better analogy would be that God is the operating system that everything needs to operate effectively. That is why our lives, all of our lives, must run through God.
Thanks for joining us today, we look forward to seeing you next week!
Discussion
How do you present yourself to the Lord when you know you are in the wrong? Explain
Do you fear coming to the Lord when you are in the wrong? If NO, explain why
Have you experienced God’s mercies in your life? Share
How have you surrendered to God? Explain
How has surrender led to transformation? Share
Announcements
Let’s begin to get ready for the fall. Help us get the word out concerning the events at BT Church.
We are scheduling a CG leadership gathering in Alice for some time in August. More information to come.
Let’s continue to pray for each other and send prayer requests through our WhatsApp thread. If you are a CG Leader and are not on our WhatsApp thread please contact Meichelle at meichelle.vasquez@bt.church
Pastor Isuaro Medina
Isauro.medina@bt.church
Cell: (956) 984-9380
