Set the Mind

Small Groups

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “What are two or three thoughts you consider throughout the day?” (For example, does your mind drift to your “to-do” list? To people in your life? A mantra or breath prayer? A worry or anxiety? How your body feels? Your responsibilities? The latest news story?)

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). You may not get through all the questions in your time together. Consider inviting group members to work through any remaining questions on their own throughout the week.

• Read Romans 8:1-11. Invite participants to have the scripture in front of them, either in a Bible, on a phone app, or printed on paper. This text contains complex ideas and invites slowing down and looking at the words. Ask the group what they notice from the text about the following:
  • The law
  • Sin
  • The Spirit
  • Life
  • Peace
• Verse 5 talks about the following:
  • “Living according to the flesh.” Look ahead to verses 6-9 to answer, “What do you think that means?”
  • “Living according to the Spirit.” Look ahead to verses 6-9 to answer, “What do you think that means?”
• This passage centers on the idea of “setting one’s mind.” What does it mean to set your mind on the flesh or on the Spirit, as mentioned in verse 5?
  • How have you experienced “setting your mind” on the Spirit? Would you talk about that with members of your group?
• Verse 11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you” (NRSVUE). How do you understand this idea? What could it mean for day-to-day life?
• The Preaching Note for July 12 says,
  “So, what is the polarity that Paul is drawing attention to in this text? It is hard to simplify this rich theological proposition with a single statement, but Paul himself uses the phrase “set your mind” as the key to understanding…It isn’t about a fixation; it is more like a filter or a lens through which we approach the world. The question Paul asks is, “Are you the center of your world, or is God in Christ?”…[It] is a call to have a proper perspective on life, to set one’s mind according to the Spirit, to seek God’s will in all things, to see what would benefit the community and world, not just oneself.  
• Just One Thing: Where can you write out the words of Romans 8:11 so that you can read it daily in the week ahead?
• Going Deeper on Your Own: This week, consider studying one of the other lectionary texts in the following pattern:
  • Prayerfully ask God to open your eyes to the scripture. (Psalm 119:18)
  • Read the selected text [Genesis 25:19-34, Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23] out loud.
  • What do you notice about the text?
  • What questions arise?
  • What do you think God might be saying to you in this text?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.  

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:  

Spirit of God, you raised Jesus from the dead, and you want to dwell in us! Forgive us when we set our minds on the things of the flesh. Help us to choose life and to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. And as we grow in the life of the Spirit, I pray that our thoughts, actions, and very being would point others to you. Set our minds on you in all that we do today. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

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Rev. Dr. Ashlee Alley Crawford, Director of Adult Discipleship, an elder in the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, served in campus ministry for twelve years and in leadership with the Great Plains Conference for over a decade. She has a passion for connecting people with resources and encouraging them to nurture their faith and walk in step with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. She has a D.Min. in spiritual direction from Asbury Theological Seminary. Ashlee also has a Certificate in Discipleship Coaching through Discipleship Ministries.