Culture Wars
Culture Wars
Romans 12:1-2
What voices most consistently shape your
worldview right now — Scripture, community, media — and how can you
intentionally reorder those influences this week?
How does the way you speak about moral issues — especially online — reflect whether your mind is being renewed by the gospel or shaped by the anger and anxiety of the world?
Romans 12:1-2
A Living Sacrifice
1 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.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Romans
12:1-2
- Why is living sacrificially for God described as “true and proper worship”?
- What does it mean to not be conformed to this world? What are some examples of ways the world pressures us to conform?
- What do you think “the renewing of your mind” looks like in daily life? How does this help in resisting worldliness?
- What does it mean to live in alignment with God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will?
- How can we tell if we’re being transformed by the renewing of our minds? What does that transformation look like?
- What part of this passage challenges you the most personally? Why?
Closing Thoughts
As believers, we are called to live out our
faith within the community of other believers and actively show the world what
it looks like to follow Christ. The transformation that happens in our lives by
renewing our minds will affect not just our relationship with God, but our
relationships with others.
Identify one area where you can live out your
faith more boldly this week. Maybe it’s choosing not to conform to a specific
worldly pressure, or offering your time or energy to someone in need.
Pray daily for God’s help in renewing your
mind, and for the strength to resist the pull of conformity to the world.
Identify one person in your life who is far
from God, who has embraced the pattern of this world. Pray for them, invite
them to our church, and seek to share the gospel with them.
END
Teacher' Notes:
How is the world different now than it was
ten years ago?
Click Play to Watch
At what age do you think conformity to the
world is at its strongest?
Mr. Keating whispers to ‘seize the day, make
your lives extraordinary’. His message is one of nonconformity – but is it?
Romans 12:1-2
A Living Sacrifice
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.
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.
What does it mean to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice?
The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything
consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer
ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?
For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord.
What does a living sacrifice look like in the
practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We
are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world.
Romans 12:2
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.
What does it mean to not be conformed to this
world? What are some examples of ways the world pressures us to conform?
Romans 12:1-2
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.
What is Paul referring to by this world?
World defined in 1 John 2:15-16
1.
Cravings of
sinful man - gratifying our physical desires.
2.
Lust of his
eyes - materialism and coveting.
3.
The pride of
life - boasting of what he has and does.
All that the world has to offer can be
reduced to these three things.
Romans 12:2
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.
How can we tell if we’re being transformed by
the renewing of our minds?
We know we’re being transformed when our
thoughts, desires, and decisions increasingly reflect the mind of Christ.
Romans 12:2
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.
What patterns of cultural influence do we
conform to without testing or questioning?
Success
Pattern: Always bigger, better, and faster
Career advancement at any cost
Comparing lifestyles, not character
Measuring life by milestones
Our Assumption: “If I don’t keep up, I’m
falling behind.”
Technology & Attention
Pattern: Constant connection
Checking phones as a reflex
Filling silence with noise
Allowing algorithms to disciple us
Our Assumption: “I can’t afford to unplug.”
Conflict Avoidance
Pattern: Peace at any price
Silence instead of truth
Compromise to avoid discomfort
Redefining love as agreement
Our Assumption: “Truth is unloving if it
causes tension.”
Reactionary Living
Pattern: Responding instead of discerning
News cycles shaping emotions
Outrage without prayer
Echo chambers in our mind reinforcing
opinions
Our Assumption: “If I feel strongly, I must
be right.”
How does the way we speak about moral issues
— especially online — reflect whether our mind is being renewed by the gospel
or shaped by the anger and anxiety of the world?
Should we even speak to moral issues online?
What's the point?
Conformity often hides in habits we’ve never
examined.
The Moving Walkway
Have you ever gotten on one of those moving
walkways at an airport? At first, it feels helpful — you’re moving forward
without much effort. But if you stop paying attention, you’re being carried
along whether you choose it or not.
Now imagine stepping onto one going the wrong
direction. You might not notice at first. You’re still moving. Everyone else is
moving too. But unless you intentionally turn around and walk against it,
you’ll end up somewhere you never meant to go.
Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this
world.”
In other words, don’t let life’s moving
walkways carry you along without thinking.
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
(1 Thess. 5:21)
Consider this: Are there things that feel
“normal” in my life that Scripture might question?
The most powerful molds are the ones we don’t
realize we’re in.
