Be Human

Contributed by:
Tyler Ward
spiritual formation pastor

Last weekend, Pastor Ron began a new series highlighting the four Life Values that we are chasing after together as church. The first of these four values involves “Living a Transformed Life.”

As we explored this together, we were reminded that God desires to change us and shape us into what we were always meant to be. He has made life transformation possible for us through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This transformation is not just an external work, though, that changes what people see on the outside. Instead it is a holistic work that begins on the inside – in the depths of our heart and soul – and begins to show up on the outside as well.

God begins this work by transforming our hearts – and he accomplishes this in a variety of ways. First of all, one of the ways that he transforms us is through adversity. In light of the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Pastor Ron talked with us about the way that God can use tragedy and difficulty to shape us in profound ways.

In addition to this, another way that God transforms our hearts is through other people. As we surround ourselves with other people who are pursuing God’s transforming work in their lives as well, God is able to use them to shape and transform us. This is why participating in one of our Life:Groups is so important. They give us a context for community that God can use to change us.

A third way that God transforms our hearts is through his truth that he has communicated in the Scriptures. Through the Bible, God helps us to overcome the misconceptions of our world regarding who he is and who we were meant to be. As Pastor Ron pointed out, this is why some of our Life:Study Groups are so important – whether it’s a women’s or men’s study group or one of our Essentials Classes – all of these opportunities help us to grow as we gain a greater understanding of God’s truth.

The final way that God transforms our hearts is through time. Over the course of our lives, God continues to shape us and mold us into the people we were always meant to be.

Again, these are some of the ways that he transforms our hearts – and once our hearts are transformed, then, our focus begins to change as well. Again, we saw this with 9/11 ten years ago. In that moment, when our hearts were changed, our focus changed, too. It’s the same with any transformative work that God does in our hearts. It always changes our focus – helping us to center on the things that really matter.

And when this happens – when our hearts are changed and our focus is changed – our legacy changes as well. We become the people God created us to be, and the story that our lives tell is totally different. It is one that points people to God and begins to change their story, too.

Life transformation is what the good news of Jesus is all about. He wants to help us become all that we were meant to be in the beginning. He wants us to be fully human, as God originally intended. So don’t settle for being less than what God created you to be. Don’t settle for a version of yourself that falls short of God’s best version of you. And don’t settle for mere appearances of transformation.

Instead, choose to surrender yourself fully to God – allow him to change you from the inside out. Allow the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to give you the new life – the full life – that you were always supposed to live.

1. What are some of the ways that God has transformed you? How has he changed you from the inside out?
   
   
2. What role did adversity, other people, God’s truth, and/or time play in his transformational work?
   
   
3. What are some other areas in your life in which you are in need of God’s transformational work?
   
   
4. What are some steps you can take, relationships you can enter into, opportunities for better understanding God’s truth that you can participate in, that will help you to experience the transformation that you need?