Spirit for Life | Romans 8:5-8
Sermon Discussion | Romans 8:5-8
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."
1. In verse 5, Paul writes, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Jeremy made the statement that there are 2 ways to live life, in the spirit or in the flesh and whichever way you choose, affects how you interact in the world. Have you stopped to consider how you show up in the world? What does it mean to "live in accordance with the Spirit"? How much control do you have over what you set your mind to?
2. Jeremy shared a quote from John Mark Comer, "Basically, it's our base, primal, animalistic drives for self-gratification, especially pertaining to sensuality (as in sex and food) but also to pleasure in general, as well as our instincts for survival, domination, and the need for control. Desires that are in all of us. In spite of the humanistic atmosphere all around us constantly telling us we're good, we all know we have these desires we don't know what to do with.” We operate in the flesh without even thinking of it; there is a flesh in us that wants what it wants, when it wants it. Do you agree with this? How does this manifest in your life? Do you feel equipped to combat the flesh?
3. Verse 6 says, "..the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." In the NLT it reads, "But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace." Discuss what "..the Spirit is life.." is. What does it mean for you to let the Spirit control your mind? How do you define life and peace?
4. Read Romans 7:15. I think we all agree with Paul and have felt this in our own lives. We desire to do good, yet there is a conspiracy against us; a principality in the air that desires to feed our flesh and works to convince us that life is found in serving ourselves. How does this make you feel?... trapped? Where do you find hope in this tension? How do you help/encourage others when they feel the control of the flesh?
5. Jeremy ended his sermon with verses 7-8, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." He went on to say we are dead in our flesh to change anything, even if we wanted to. Part of our slavery is that we actually enjoy it...we wouldn't think of having the affair, but overeating is totally okay. Do you feel "stuck" with a master? What would it require of you to put to death your flesh? Read and discuss Galatians 5:13-26.
*Weekly Practice*
This weeks practice is morning listening prayer. Every morning before you get busy, find a quiet place to be alone with God. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Sit with your hands open, take a few deep breaths, invite the holy spirit to come, you can simply just say “Come Holy Spirit”. After 2 mins, ask God to reveal any flesh in you that needs to be recognized or dealt with. Spend the last minute just being quiet and listening. Next time you meet, reflect on how this practice went.