Study Notes

Romans 12:1–2 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect. Paul wrote the book of Romans to a church that consisted of both Jewish and gentile Christians. As he opens chapter twelve, he commands the brothers and sisters to present their bodies as sacrifices. What this means to each group reading the letter is important, and sets up the remainder of Paul’s instruction on godly living. Having grown up in a church-going family, the first image that comes to my mind is the sacrifice of a lamb on an altar, meant to atone for my sins. It is a humbling image, because it reminds me that the penalty for sin is death, and my punishment was taken by another so that I might live. But tha...

Studying the Bible and sharing nuggets of truth with others is extremely rewarding. One of the greatest feelings you can know comes from seeing someone’s eyes widen with understanding as you explain God’s word to them. You feel that your efforts are making a difference in another person’s life as they grow to more deeply appreciate the Lord’s message. But, if that is as far as it goes, your tuition wasn’t worth much. Head knowledge is fine, but if that knowledge never makes it beyond the brain and into the hands, the feet, and the heart, then it really benefits no one. Putting the knowledge of God into practice is the only way to truly grow in him, and it’s the only way to gauge the success of a Bible class, sermon, or personal study. When I began preaching in 1990, my wife and I decided that my sermons wouldn’t mean much if they didn’t contain any application — they had to be practical as well as truthful. That’s not so simple. It’s pretty easy to lecture for twenty minutes on som...