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From the Pastor's Desk:

August 27, 2026
Scripture Focus: KJV Romans 12:1-2 
 
Brothers and Sisters,
 
Have you noticed how loud everything has gotten lately? Not just the news or the endless scroll on our phones, but the constant hum of expectations. Everywhere we look, there is a subtle pressure to keep up, to react like everyone else, and to measure our success by the culture's standard. Honestly, it’s exhausting trying to fit into the world's mold.
 
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 12:1-2.
 
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
 
He addresses this exact pressure when he urges us not to be "conformed to this world." I love that phrasing because it perfectly captures what the world tries to do: it tries to squeeze us into a shape that wasn't made for us. It wants to dictate our anxieties, our spending, our arguments, and our priorities.
 
But Paul reminds us that we are invited into something so much better: we are called to be transformed by the "renewing of our minds."
 
That kind of transformation doesn't usually happen in a single, dramatic lightning bolt. It happens in the quiet, daily reset. It’s what Paul describes as presenting our bodies as a "living sacrifice." It means taking our ordinary, everyday lives—our morning commutes, our stressful meetings, our loads of laundry, and our dinner table conversations—and offering them up to God. It’s simply saying, Lord, here is my day. Shape my thoughts before the world does.
 
Scripture calls this our "reasonable service." It’s not about striving for perfection or putting on a performance. It’s just the natural, beautiful response to the incredible mercies God has already shown us.
 
This week, I want to invite you into a simple practice. Before the world tries to set your agenda for the day, take five minutes to let God renew your mind. Before you check the news or open an email, pause. Ask Him to help you see your family, your coworkers, and your challenges through His eyes, rather than the world’s.
 
Let's trade the exhausting pressure to conform for the deep peace of being transformed.
 
Please know that I am praying for each of you as you pursue this incredible calling to transformation. May your week be filled with the grace and wisdom needed to live out this truth.
 
In His Service and Yours,
Pastor/Elder Donald Bridgett