Hello dear readers! I hope you had a blessed 4th, and remembered why we celebrate. It’s our independence….our freedom that we celebrate. I fear we take it for granted. God forgive us.
I wanted to tell you about two blogging friends who are each offering a copy of HeBrews: A Better Blend in GIVEAWAYS at their blogs. That means you have two chances to win a copy of my new Bible study. Here are the links. Do click over to these wonderful blogs and enter to win.
My friend, Kathie, at The White Stone. You have today to enter Kathie’s giveaway. Click here to enter her giveaway.
My friend, Becky, at Grace and Grit. Becky’s giveaway closes on Sunday. Click here to enter her giveaway.
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Today we begin a new month of Heart Notes posts. Four new Scriptures to tuck into our collective hearts and mediate upon. Before we take a look at our first Scripture, I want to offer you the July FREE printable. I place my printable on my fridge at the beginning of each month to remind me to be deliberate about pondering on one verse each week. I hope you are using the printable to help you memorize Scripture. I would love to hear from you if the printable has been helpful to you.
Today’s Scripture is a continuation from last Monday. If you recall we glanced at Romans 12:1. Today, we meditate on Romans 12:2. This verse can be, should be, and hopefully will be, as life changing for you as it was for me. In case you missed part one from last week, here is a link to it.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12: 2 (NIV)
Conform, transformed, and renewed are the three words that should stand out to you in this verse.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world”
To conform means to follow the standard of, or imitate, this world. I think most would agree that the standard of the world in which we live is hardly worth conforming to, yet so often we do. We watch what the world watches, we laugh at what the world laughs at, we take into our bodies what the world consumes, we act the way the world acts. Yet, it should not be so for those who name the name of Jesus. We should be different, even peculiar, to this world because we have Christ living in us.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
If we will allow the Word of God, the very Scriptures that we are seeking to incorporate into our hearts, to settle into our minds, we will have renewed and transformed hearts and minds. You and I will look like Jesus, we will act like Jesus, we will think like Jesus.
It really does work, friends. I used to be given to foul language, but when I began drinking from the well of the Word, that propensity disappeared. In the past, I really did not know how to discern God’s will for my life. Once I began to seek Jesus through prayer, and the study of the Bible, the Holy Spirit’s voice was clear to my heart concerning His will for me.
If I could choose two verses that I considered to be vital to your walk with Christ, Romans 12:1-2 would be those verses. I hope you will chew on these verses a bit, allow them to settle deeply into your heart, and change you from the inside out.
