Romans 12:1, 2

I) Introduction

• How can we ensure next time won’t be like the last time!

• We are focusing on our spiritual life but what we are going to discover can be applied to any area of one’s life (finances, relationships, career, etc.).

• We learn from our mistakes in the areas that matter least (games, hobbies, sports, etc.).

• We repeat our mistakes in the areas of our lives that matter most (faith, relationships, etc).

False Presumptions

1. Experience makes me wiser!

• Experience alone does not make you wiser.  (Evaluated experience makes you wiser.  Evaluation of one’s experience can be a game changer)  James 1:2 “Count it all joy . . .”  Count means to evaluate

1. Since I know better, I’ll do better!

• Knowing better ≠ doing better.

• Knowing better ≠ the ability to do better.

1. Time is your enemy!

• Time is not your enemy, it is your friend.

• Leverage time to work for you by pausing long enough to evaluate and heal.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  God is doing something and God is going to leverage my past for my good.  We must:

1. Own it - One must own one’s role in one’s negative history.  Therefore, one must pause long enough to own one’s responsibility.

2. Renewed Mind

3. Release it

II) Renewed Mind

As a parent, have you ever responded to one of your children to something you saw them do and ask, “What were you thinking?”  If we were to pause for just a moment and look back at our life, I am sure there was someone that thought that same thing of us in some of our decisions.  And looking back, our decision doesn’t even make sense to us!  “What was I thinking” we ask!  

If we desire for this time not to be like last time, then we need to stop long enough to come up with a real answer to the question: “What was I thinking?”

• If you think the same way you used to think, you’ll do the same things you used to do!

Romans 12:1, 2 (Paul was a product of this because of his past as a Pharisee)

• Conform to the pattern – (don’t be like everybody else - in relationships, finance, etc)  It doesn’t take any discipline to be like everybody else; one just has to go with the flow.

• Be transformed – Don’t be like a cookie-cutter pattern of everyone else.

• By the renewing of your mind – In order for one’s body to be a living sacrifice, one must have one’s mind renewed.

• Renew = restore (to restore, one must take off the old – dedication or rededication alone does not take off the old – Ephesians 4:22, 23 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds;”  Col. 3:9, 10 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Romans 6:11 “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

• What happens if you put on the new before taking off the old? The new peels off!  Why? Because we never paused long enough to answer the question, “What was I thinking?”

• Renewal takes time! Renewing one’s mind takes time – time is your friend!  One has to take the time to peel off the old.  (Apostle Paul spent three years renewing his mind

Then you will be able . . . 

• “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (test and approve – discern, sort out)

• Regret and resolve are not enough to live differently – one must renew one’s mind.

A few lethal assumptions:

1. If I find the right person, everything will be alright – If you become the right person

2. My situation is unique – you are unique but your situation is not.

3. It is not right but it makes me happy and God wants me to be happy – if it’s not right, things will not turn out right.

4. If only I had _________________, then I would be satisfied – Appetites are never fully and finally satisfied.

5. I owe is better than I want – It’s better to want than to owe.

6. My secret is safe with me – Secrets seep!

What were you thinking?  Be transformed by renewing your mind!