By God's Mercy

From 1987-1995, a television show called Full House aired. A dad with two young girls and a baby girl is recently widowed. His best friend and brother-in-law move in to help him care for his three daughters. Uncle Jesse is the fun uncle, young and cool. His idol is Elvis, and in an Elvis-type voice, he is famous for saying, “Have mercy.”

Uncle Jesse was not concerned with God’s mercy, but in Romans 12, Paul is. Recently, I read through this chapter and was struck by all the ways in just twenty-one verses that Paul lists to practically live in light of God’s mercy, in light of “the gracious, extravagant, divine graces” (as John MacArthur phrases it) covered in the first eleven chapters.

Today, instead of me writing on the chapter or a few verses, I want you to read through Romans 12, and make a list of the practical ways we are to live in light of God’s mercy. I used a table like below, but you can write it out any way you want. After the table, are reflection questions. Then at the end is my sample table, but try to fill out your own before looking at my mine.

Reflection

1.    What are some of God’s mercies for which you are thankful?

2.    Pick one from the above list in which you would want to live more like this in response to God’s mercy. How would your life look differently at home, work, or church if you lived in this way?

3.    What are specific steps you can take to begin growing in this?

Your chart does not have to look like or be worded like mine. You might have found things that I missed.