This past spring, my siblings and I, with families in tow, gathered in Tucson, AZ, for a surprise 90th birthday party for our Dad. Following dinner and birthday cake, impromptu speeches were given by me and my three siblings. Each of us shared from the heart. Each of us, with no prior coordination, said the one thing we most wanted our Dad to know. There were laughs. There were tears. And all four of us told of a moment when we sought and received our father's acceptance.
There's something very special about a parent's approval. Some of us have received plenty. Some of us nothing. In either case, the longing is universal.
The Apostle Paul, having given the people-pleasing business his best shot, ends up telling the Romans that the only way to satisfy the deepest regions of your heart is to aim to please our Heavenly Father. This is true when life seems to be going well and especially true when the bottom falls out of our "up and down" world. To that end, Paul says:
"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. ...fix your attention on (pleasing) God. You’ll be changed from the inside out." (Romans 12:1-2 TLB)
On Sunday, we begin a sermon series entitled "Renewed Minds, Transformed Hearts." We will be looking at Paul's road map to being a faithful follower of Jesus (Romans 12). This Sunday, I will address both the transformation we received at our baptism and the on-going transformation that God, through Christ, has promised to those who seek it. Read through Romans 12 beforehand and see if you can begin to see where Paul is headed.
If life is harder than you'd like it to be, if you have questions as to how to navigate divisions in your family, neighborhood, and nation, if you, like me, need a bit more clarity as to what it means to be Christ-like, join us Sunday...preferably in person! Amazing music, Biblical teaching, and hugs will be waiting for you!
Gratefully,
Steve
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