Bodies are the way in the created world that we act.

And God cares not about muscular bodies, but merciful bodies. Not about shapely bodies, but loving, kind, generous, servant

bodies, bodies that get up early and go to bed late, caring for people.

Today's culture obsesses over how our bodies look.

But what John Piper says here cuts through all of that.

I'm Dan Kruver.

In this episode of Light and Truth,

John Piper helps us see that God's far more interested in merciful, servant-hearted

bodies than strong or shapely ones. This message was originally delivered at the Cove in

Asheville, North Carolina on July 28, 2007.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 12.

So we spent all of our time in our first session pretty much trying to understand the implications of the word therefore in verse one.

I appeal to you, you church in Rome, I appeal to you.

Therefore, because of what's gone before. There's some roots.

There's a foundation.

These imperatives are not coming out of nowhere.

The lifestyle that I'm going to unfold for you, Paul says, is not made up.

It's not an arbitrary lifestyle.

These commands follow from something.

They're shaped by something.

They're empowered by something.

They're going somewhere because of where they come from.

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