Romans chapter 12

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Romans chapter 12 Living Sacrifices (GNB) 1 So
then, my friends, because of God's great mercies
to us I appeal to you Offer yourselves bodies
as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his
service holy and pleasing to him. This is the
true worship spiritual worship/reasonable
service that you should offer. 9 Love must be
completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to
what is good. 10 Love one another warmly as
Christians, and be eager to show respect for one
another. 11 Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve
the Lord with a heart full of devotion. 12 Let
your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your
troubles, and pray at all times. 13 Share your
belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and
open your homes to strangers.
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If anyone wants to be my follower, you must deny
yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow
me. Discipleship involves a little bit of
dying every day. Week 1 Worshipping God Week
2 - Review (Repentance Removal) Week 3
Relationships So now I am giving you a new
commandment Love each other. Just as I have
loved you, you should love each other. (John 13
v 34 NLT)
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• What does this kind of love look like
• in a church family?
• Its about doing a little dying to ourselves,
  and making space in our lives for others.
• Its about sacrificing some of what we love
  our friendships, our leisure, our comfort-zones,
  our own time to make room for someone else.
• Its about genuinely recognising those around
  us, engaging with them, listening to their
  stories.
• Its about sharing ourselves, being open, being
  humble, counting others as more important than
  ourselves.
• Its not about finding a quick fix or solving
  their problems, but being there, walking a
  journey with others,
• investing some time, supporting and serving
  others.

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• Loving others is about
• Knowing and being known (Self-disclosure)
• Caring and being cared for (Care-giving)
• Serving and being served (Humility)
• Correcting being Corrected (Truth-telling)
• Celebrating and being celebrated (Joy)
• Therefore the community of believers must be a
  refuge, a place of unparalleled affections and
  service that will at once set it apart from its
  environment.
• In the early third century, Tertullian wrote, It
  is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead
  many to put a brand upon us! See, they say,
  how they love one anothersee how they are ready
  even to die for one another.
• In the earliest church the social caring and
  commitment of Christians to one another was a
  profound testimony in a Roman world with its
  sharp social divisions.

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But it is the mandate of the church to become a
community of love, a circle of Christs followers
who invest in one another because Christ has
invested in them, who exhibit love not based on
the mutuality and attractiveness of its members,
but on the model of Christ, who washed the feet
of everyone including Judas. (Gary Burge,
Commentary of John) You are invited to pray this
week, for the five families or households ahead
of your name in the Church Directory.
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M