Our true and proper worship is to be God’s living sacrifices so that we can be used by Him to bring renewal to our city. We can only live as sacrifices when we have a deep adoration and knowing of God. When we encounter Jesus, He extends an invitation to abide in Him, just as He abides with the Father. When we abide with Him, we make room for the Holy Spirit to transform and renew our minds into people of love. Abiding turns our attention to God, orienting our heart’s affection toward receiving and giving His love.

From the overflow of our abiding in Him, we are empowered to act as Romans 12 people. As a gift of grace from God, we have Spirit-breathed giftings given to serve God and others. We serve not just for the sake of serving, but to build relationships that culminate into the active, full body of Christ at work, bringing renewal to our world. When we serve from a place of high regard for relationships, serving is transformed from a means of working to a means of missional living.

We start every day drifting towards our selfish desires and our culture’s narratives. We get distracted by the things of the world, misplacing our identity and purpose. Remembering is a powerful antidote to drifting - it reorients our minds and hearts back to the love and mission of the Kingdom. Remembering helps us weave meaning throughout our abiding and serving, stitching together a fuller picture of God’s calling on our lives as Romans 12 people.