Romans loved the blood and gore of gladiators and beast hunts. These explosive spectacles were designed to recall great moments from Rome’s past and were deliberately sponsored by politicians who also distributed cash-handouts, donations for public banquets, and other gifts to secure the public’s favor. Knowing they were about to die, gladiators nevertheless sought to die well. The Apostle Paul seized on imagery and language from gladiators and beast hunts to illustrate what a life fully yielded to God looked like. This fascinating teaching by Dr. Randall Smith (a dear friend of the WTT community!) will spark your curiosity and challenge you to consider how to yield everything in your life to God, including your death.

• What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching? 
• What do you think about Roman society as a whole in light of their abiding love for the blood and gore of these spectacles? 
• In what ways do you see this “love of bloodlust” alive and well in our culture? 
• It seems that, for Paul, spiritual maturity is about growing in the ability to yield everything to God. What are some of the things you’re learning to or struggling to yield to God? 
• In his book “Sacred Fire,” Fr. Ronald Rolheiser argues that there are three major stages of discipleship: the struggle to get our lives together, the struggle to give our lives away, and the struggle to give our deaths away. In the season of our greatest maturity, the primary question is, “How can I live now so that when I die, my death is an optimal blessing to my family, friends, church, and world?” What do you think about that question, and what are some answers that come to mind?
• How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?