When we come to Christ, we are born into a new life and are no longer bound by sin. But why do so many Christians struggle to put to death recurring sins? We know all too well that willpower, good intentions, and sincere promises to "never do it again" are no match for the character flaws that plague us. Can we genuinely be transformed? Join us as we dig into the divine process of renovating our hearts and putting on the character of Christ.
How You Work
Speakers
Josh Blount
Lead Pastor
Worship
Notes
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We are not born again to stay the same.
I can’t steward what I don’t understand
To steward wisely is to understand deeply. Ignorance leads to mismanagement, but knowledge leads to faithful stewardship.
A.W. Tozer
Mark 12:28
“Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Being - nep̄eš = soul
The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of the self.
Dallas Willard
The Heart
Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the body is in its blood.
Your spiritual heart sources life to the whole of your being
Ephesians 2:4-5
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.
John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Salvation is not just about forgiveness; it's about transformation.
John 5:5
“Apart from Me you can do nothing”
Ephesians 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
Just as a corpse cannot heal its own wounds, we cannot mend our brokenness without the healing touch of Jesus.
Oswald Chambers
Jesus came, not so bad people could become good, but so dead people could come alive.
At salvation, God doesn't just change our behavior; He changes our very nature. He replaces our stony, rebellious hearts with hearts that are tender and responsive to His leading. We receive a new spirit, aligned with His Spirit, enabling us to live in obedience and love.
R.C. Sproul
Philippians 2:12
Continue to work out your salvation for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
What God started in you, He wants to continue to do in you, in partnership with you.
Salvation is not just about a change of destination; it's about a change of heart. God gives us a new spirit, but it's our responsibility to cultivate a heart that loves Him more deeply, serves Him more faithfully, and reflects His character more fully."
John Ortberg
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
What’s flowing in and out of your spiritual heart determines the course of your life.
The spiritual heart is the engine that pumps the divine life of God into all the other aspects of our existence. In the heart, God's life-giving Spirit breathes vitality into our souls, empowering us and enabling us to live victoriously and abundantly.
The Mind
Proverbs 23:7
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
All change begins in your mind first
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Renewing the mind is not merely about changing our thoughts; it's about surrendering our intellect to God's truth and allowing Him to reshape our entire perspective!
The renewing of the mind is a process of sanctification, where we surrender our worldly perspectives and adopt the mind of Christ.
John Stott
Every thought comes with a feeling, and every feeling comes with a thought.
If you don't like the way you're feeling, change the way you're thinking
The Body
Mark 12:30
with all your strength.
Every aspect of your soul has a voice.
The language of the body is the language of craving and desire. It speaks to us in hunger pangs, in thirst, in fatigue, in restlessness. These physical sensations are not just biological signals but spiritual prompts, inviting us to seek fulfillment in God alone."
Tim Keller
Behind some of the cravings, desires, and feelings of the body are deeper longings that are not being adequately met in God.
Your body is a faithful messenger, constantly communicating its needs, desires, and cravings to you. Pay attention to its whispers, for they reveal the deeper longings of your soul and the areas in need of healing and transformation.
John Ortberg
Relationships
Mark 12:31
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
God made you to be social beings that connects with other people.
Today, you are a reflection of the relationships you have had
Our relationships are the laboratories of our souls. They reveal our deepest fears, desires, and beliefs. Through them, God molds us into the image of Christ.
Dallas Willard
Before Jesus:
Your mind, your thoughts and feelings are darkened.
Your body, your appetites and habits are inflamed.
Your relationships, your social context is corrupted
And as a result Your soul is weakened
I need my heart to be saved and growing.
I need my mind to be renewed and transformed.
I need my Body to be restrained
and I need my relationships to be submitted
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.