Bible ReadingRomans 12:1-8 “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.”
[30:50] “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.”
[30:50] “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
[31:54] “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
[34:12] “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
[35:57] Exodus 1:8-21 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”
[25:26] “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.”
[26:32] “So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and let the male children live?’ The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’ So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.”
[27:14] Romans 12:12-13 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
[17:28] “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
[17:35] Observation questions- What fearful claims does Pharaoh make about the Israelites, and what steps does he take as his fear grows? [25:38]
- What do Shiphrah and Puah do differently from what Pharaoh commands, and what reason does Exodus give for their actions? [26:50]
- In Romans 12:1-8, what movement can be seen from offering one’s whole self to God, to sober judgment, to using gifts in the body of Christ? [30:35]
- Which kinds of gifts and forms of service are named in Romans 12, and what do they show about how a church works together? [34:32]
Interpretation questions- Pharaoh treats a growing group of people as a threat rather than as neighbors. How does fear make it easier for people or societies to scapegoat those with less power? [28:34]
- The midwives fear God more than Pharaoh, yet their resistance takes place in an ordinary setting: helping mothers give birth. What does their example suggest about where faithful courage may be needed in daily life? [28:54]
- Paul says not to think too highly of oneself but to think with sober judgment. How can both pride and feeling useless keep a person from receiving and using God’s gifts? [33:49]
- Christ’s suffering was freely borne to set people free from sin. How is redemptive suffering different from simply accepting cruelty, injustice, or harm as something that must continue? [36:40]
Application questions- Is there a place in your work, school, neighborhood, family, or online life where someone is being treated as a problem instead of as a person made in God’s image? What is one life-giving response you could make? [29:11]
- Shiphrah and Puah used their position to protect vulnerable children. What responsibilities, relationships, or abilities has God given you that could be used to protect or strengthen someone with less power? [37:35]
- A living sacrifice is not a way to earn God’s love; it is a whole life offered back to God. What part of your ordinary life—your time, money, work, habits, or relationships—would you like to place more fully in God’s hands? [31:18]
- Where are you tempted to think too highly of yourself, and where are you tempted to discount the gifts God has actually given you? What would sober judgment look like in one specific situation this week? [33:38]
- The body of Christ needs many different members, including those whose work is quiet and often unseen. What gift or practical act of service do you bring—or could you begin to bring—to help the church lift its heart to God together? [35:09]
- Romans calls believers to be patient in suffering, constant in prayer, generous toward fellow believers, and hospitable to strangers. Which of these four practices feels most needed in your life right now, and what small action could make it concrete this week? [36:11]
- Freedom in Christ makes people free to become what God created them to be. What is one form of fear, sin, bitterness, or self-protection from which you are asking God to set you free? [37:25]
