What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

1. You have to be part of a “WE.” You cannot have the mind of Christ without the people of God.
2. It’s not a human achievement but a divine gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. We have the mind of Christ when we are focused on God’s glory instead of our own.
4. The mind of Christ stays close to the cross of Christ.
5. The mind of Christ unifies.

Where is your mind being shaped more by the world than by the cross? Is it shaped by comparison rather than by grace? By self promotion rather than service? By grievance than forgiveness? More by fear than resurrection and hope? Bring it to Jesus. The worst can always be overcome by the power of Christ. We can rejoice saying together that we have the mind of Christ.

Paul's letters to the churches in the New Testament can be great guidance for our lives and there are many parallels between the church in Corinth and us today: they were in a new nation, there were divisions between people, and there was great tension between culture and faith.

In 9 verses, Paul mentions Christ Jesus 9 times! Clearly, Jesus was his great passion. He reminds them of his authority and then reminds them of who they are in Christ.

They are sanctified in Jesus, set apart, saints, blessed with GRACE (given to us before we clean up our act - a divine yes) and PEACE (wholeness).

What could a church like this look like? We can embody grace and peace every day. The church of grace and peace is a church with a short memory without marks and scars and scorekeeping. We don't take ourselves too seriously- forgiveness is freely given and honesty is welcome. It's more concerned with hearts than appearances. It's about connecting the hurting and hopeless with God's goodness, mercy and grace. It's less anger and more passion for loving the world whether the world loves us or not- living like Jesus lived because we are Jesus people.

📝 The Sermon Notes

May 17, 2026 - Ryan McCoy

Romans 6 - Free Indeed

Christian freedom is not personal autonomy, but being set free from the power of sin and death through Jesus Christ. As the scripture says in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Through Christ’s sacrifice, believers are freed from slavery to sin and called into a new life of holiness, obedience, and abundant life in God.

The Bibles doesn’t give us happily ever afters. The people in the Bible are real people with real struggles!

In 2 Samuel 15, we see David recovering compassion, humility before God, a life of prayer, and patience with others. Clearly something has changed for David!

Is there a fog you need to come out of? What would it take to create change in you?

David is going through a mess and great loss but he is recovering what is essential. David had to leave the palace for the fog to clear, suffering the consequences of his actions. But it doesn’t have to take cancer or jail or exile to experience clarity and renewal in our lives.

In Ephesians 5:14 we hear the cry - Wake Up O Sleeper!” This is what Jesus is calling us to.

David staggered out of Jerusalem barefoot and bereft under the weight of his own sin but Jesus bore the weight of all our sin to set us free. Jesus can restore what sin and suffering have clouded over. He gives us compassion, patience, humility, and perseverance in prayer. Come closer to Christ and tell the truth of the fog that you’re struggling with. Ask him again to make you the person he calls you to be.

Difficult relationships are not healed by avoidance.

In 2 Samuel 14, David encounters a delicate situation with his son Absalom.

Do we deeply see others we're in relationship with? Some reasons we fail in this:

- we're too self centered to try

- we're too anxious

- we reduce them to one characteristic

- we freeze people in time

Sometimes in difficult relationships, we are are unwilling to step toward forgiveness or reconciliation. We must honestly search our hearts to see if we have done our part. In 2 Samuel 14, David is called on to break the cycle of difficult relationships in his family. Have you taken steps to really see those in your life? Justice and mercy is better than avoidance and bitterness.

Is there a small step we can take to not avoid others?

Do we need to apologize? Forgive?

Is there someone we can attempt to really see?

2 Samuel 12

There is a temptation in life to live like we are God- functional atheism.

This is the oldest temptation in all of Scripture (Genesis and satan tempting Jesus)

David finds himself in a place he did not mean to go (Bathsheba, murder, betrayal)

After he overcomes this, he is in a more dangerous position. Power drunk and sin blind. Sin does this to all of us.

Is there an area in your life where sin maybe wearing a disguise?

David has to recognize his sin - first hurdle.

David sees the sin of others in the story Nathan tells him. David explodes with pity and judgment. Two feelings that They make us feel righteous and holy.

We have to recognize our own sin. David does this with Nathan.

People like to reject the whole category of sin.

Hurdles to restoration -

1 - Admitting sin

2 - Moving through brokenness

3 - Accepting Gods forgiveness

Forgiveness and restoration and repair is the work that Jesus came to do for us.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

If you heard that there was a man eating lion roaming around South Highlands or Spring Lake or Broadmoor, would you think “well that’s good to know. If I run into him when I go to get the mail I’m sure I’ll figure something out. Or would you take some steps to defend yourself ahead of time against this lion?

King David, as described as “a man after God’s own heart” raises hopes. He does do many great things, but in 2 Samuel 11, we have an account of David’s great sin. Why is David vulnerable to this sin?

-He was unguarded and unaccountable. Samuel was gone, his best friend Jonathan had been killed, and his closest advisors were at war. Power can breed cruelty and arrogance and here David was alone and unchecked.

- David has all he wants and now he is adrift having lost his mission. He had a listlessness and a boredom that led him astray.

When we are confronted with temptation to sin, we can and should think about not only what Jesus WOULD do but what Jesus DID. He lived in prayerful communication with the Father, he lived in community with the disciples, he lived a life of worship, he knew scripture- all of these things prepare us and help us guard our hearts against temptations.

Just like we see in this story of sin, it all tends to escalate.

Are you unguarded and unaccountable?
Are you on the roof… tempted?
Are you escalating and hiding?
Are you self deluded?

All of us are sinners, but there is a wonderful promise and good news for us:

“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.

In this passage, King David is at the pinnacle of his power and wealth. He considers building a house for God. God then appears to David and emphatically says no. God has a different, greater plan.

• Sometimes the things we want are not the best things for us.
• Sometimes we can talk ABOUT God and not TO God. David might have been moving from being full of God to being full of himself. (Eugene Peterson)

God, the great Giver, is doing something greater. (Psalm 50:9-15)

David finds out that God’s plans are better than he could even have ever asked or imagined. What God is up to is immeasurably MORE.

Are you in control? Self-sufficient? Or can you shift gears and recognize the gift of God that allows us to love as a response to that gift?