Embracing Change: The Journey to Spiritual Transformation

 

Summary

Change is an inevitable part of life, and today, you will experience it. Whether it's a small shift or a significant transformation, by the end of the day, you will be different. This change is not just about the external aspects of life but about the formation of your character and soul, which is what truly matters. Our lives are a series of choices that shape who we become, and these choices are the essence of our character.

Reflecting on a recent gathering with old friends, I was reminded of how much we change over time. While physical changes are visible, the internal transformation of our character is often less apparent but far more significant. We are all on a journey towards becoming the person God sees in us, and this journey is about more than just following rules or trying to be good. It's about seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, as C.S. Lewis describes in "Mere Christianity."

Every choice we make turns the central part of us into something different, either aligning us with God or distancing us from Him. This process can be overwhelming, but it's not about a do-it-yourself project to become a better person. Instead, it's about dying to our old selves and discovering the reality of God's kingdom. Jesus invites us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, which are inseparable. Righteousness is about developing a character that allows us to live in God's kingdom, experiencing love, joy, and peace.

As we embark on this journey, it's essential to remember that it's not about showing off our spirituality or following a set of rules. It's about accepting the grand invitation to seek God's kingdom in every moment. Ask God how you can be present, grateful, and joyful, and how you can let go of regrets and fears. Let this change be a positive one, and allow God's love and peace to flow through you like living water.

Key Takeaways:

1. Change is inevitable, and every day we become a little different. This transformation is not just about external appearances but about the formation of our character and soul, which is what we offer to God and others. [01:08]

2. Our choices shape who we become, turning the central part of us into something different. Each decision aligns us either with God or away from Him, and this process is ongoing and significant. [04:23]

3. Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is not about following rules or trying to be good on our own. It's about dying to our old selves and discovering the reality of God's kingdom. [07:20]

4. Righteousness is about developing a character that allows us to live in God's kingdom, experiencing love, joy, and peace. It's not a burden or obligation but a grand invitation to seek God's presence in every moment. [09:32]

5. Letting go of regrets and fears allows us to be present and grateful, experiencing God's love and peace. This change is not something we do alone but something we discover as we seek God's kingdom. [10:37]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:43] - The Inevitability of Change
[01:21] - Reflecting on Personal Transformation
[02:22] - Visible vs. Invisible Changes
[03:30] - The Journey of Character Formation
[03:58] - C.S. Lewis on Choices and Character
[05:24] - The Overwhelming Nature of Change
[06:10] - Misconceptions About Righteousness
[07:20] - Dying to the Old Self
[08:05] - The Invitation to God's Kingdom
[09:16] - Understanding Righteousness
[09:48] - Seeking God's Kingdom in Every Moment
[10:23] - Letting Go of Regrets and Fears
[11:07] - Living Water and Spiritual Growth
[11:39] - Embracing Positive Change

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Observation Questions:
1. What does the sermon suggest about the inevitability of change in our lives? How does this relate to the formation of our character and soul? [00:56]
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between external changes and internal transformations? [02:22]
3. According to the sermon, what role do our choices play in shaping our character? [04:23]
4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between seeking God's kingdom and developing righteousness? [09:03]

Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" in the context of daily life? How might this look different from simply following religious rules? [08:20]
2. How does the sermon challenge the idea of self-improvement as a "do-it-yourself" project? What alternative does it offer? [07:20]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that letting go of regrets and fears can lead to experiencing God's love and peace? [10:23]
4. How does the sermon use the example of C.S. Lewis's writing to illustrate the process of character formation? [03:58]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent change in your life. How did it affect your character or soul? What choices did you make that aligned you with or distanced you from God? [00:56]
2. Identify an area in your life where you are trying to follow rules rather than seeking God's kingdom. How can you shift your focus to align more with the sermon’s message? [08:20]
3. Think of a situation where you felt overwhelmed by the need to change. How can you rely on God’s strength rather than your own efforts in this area? [07:20]
4. What are some practical ways you can seek God's kingdom in your daily routine? How can you be more present, grateful, and joyful in these moments? [09:48]
5. Consider a regret or fear that you are holding onto. How can you release it to experience more of God's love and peace? [10:23]
6. How can you cultivate a character that reflects God's righteousness in your interactions with others this week? [09:16]
7. What is one specific action you can take this week to let God's love and peace flow through you like living water? [11:07]

Devotional

Day 1: Embrace the Transformation of Your Soul
Change is an inevitable part of life, and it goes beyond mere physical alterations. It is the transformation of our character and soul that truly matters. Each day, we are presented with opportunities to grow and evolve, becoming more aligned with the person God envisions us to be. This transformation is not just about external appearances but about the essence of who we are and what we offer to God and others. As we navigate through life, we must be mindful of the choices we make, as they shape our character and influence our spiritual journey. [01:08]

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, ESV)

Reflection: What is one internal change you feel God is prompting you to embrace today, and how can you take a step towards it?


Day 2: Choices Shape Our Spiritual Alignment
Our lives are a series of choices that continuously shape who we become. Each decision we make either aligns us with God or distances us from Him. This ongoing process is significant, as it determines the central part of our being. It is essential to be intentional about our choices, recognizing their impact on our spiritual alignment. By seeking God's guidance in our decisions, we can ensure that we are moving closer to Him and His purpose for our lives. [04:23]

"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made. Did it bring you closer to God or pull you away? How can you make more God-aligned choices in the future?


Day 3: Discovering the Reality of God's Kingdom
Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is not about following a set of rules or striving to be good on our own. It involves dying to our old selves and discovering the reality of God's kingdom. This journey is about transformation and renewal, allowing us to experience the fullness of God's love and grace. By prioritizing God's kingdom, we open ourselves to a deeper understanding of His righteousness and the abundant life He offers. [07:20]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What old habits or mindsets do you need to let go of to fully embrace the reality of God's kingdom in your life?


Day 4: Righteousness as a Path to Love, Joy, and Peace
Righteousness is about developing a character that allows us to live in God's kingdom, experiencing love, joy, and peace. It is not a burden or obligation but a grand invitation to seek God's presence in every moment. By cultivating righteousness, we align ourselves with God's will and open our hearts to His transformative power. This path leads to a life filled with divine love and peace, enriching our relationship with God and others. [09:32]

"And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever." (Isaiah 32:17, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively seek God's presence in your daily life to cultivate a character of righteousness?


Day 5: Letting Go to Experience God's Love and Peace
Letting go of regrets and fears allows us to be present and grateful, experiencing God's love and peace. This change is not something we do alone but something we discover as we seek God's kingdom. By releasing the burdens of the past and embracing the present moment, we open ourselves to the flow of God's love and peace, like living water nourishing our souls. This journey requires trust in God's plan and a willingness to surrender our anxieties to Him. [10:37]

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one regret or fear you need to release today to fully experience God's love and peace? How can you surrender it to Him?

Quotes

"Change is inevitable in our lives quite recently I was with nine friends, together we all went to college together many many decades ago and we used to have summer breakfast periodically over the years and this first one we'd had in more than a decade with the nine of us who were there because we went to school together it's easy for us to think yeah we're still pretty much the guys that we were when we went to college or uh in the early years after that but actually we changed quite dramatically." [00:01:21]

"It would be fascinating wouldn't it if the changes that take place on the inside of us in our character were as visible were as clear as the changes that take place outside of us those are the ones that we notice and we will often praise you look good or comment on when somebody else is gone but that's temporal and finite does not really matter." [00:02:27]

"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you the part of you that chooses into something a little different from what it was before that's happening right now and right now and right now and taking your life as a whole with all your innumerable choices all your life long, you are slowly turning this Central thing, either into a Heavenly creature or into a Alice creature." [00:04:23]

"Now that can sound quite overwhelming to us we wonder well, how do we make progress in this and the danger is that we when we talk about character or acquiring virtue it just becomes this kind of external do it yourself look at how good I'm becoming project if you've ever read The Once and Future King about King Arthur Lancelot is this character where he is almost obsessed with look how righteous I am becoming and it actually makes himself righteous and self-absorbed and a less good character somebody that nobody wants to be around." [00:05:24]

"The only way to go about doing this is actually to die to that old natural self this is not a do-it-yourself project to try to become a better person Benjamin Franklin wrote one time about trying to acquire one at a time I think it was 16 or 17 different character virtues we're going to talk about different virtues but this is not about how do I work harder and harder I can't, he can, I think I'll let him." [00:07:20]

"This is really about discovering the reality of the kingdom of God and beginning to experience it starting with my body my aging decaying oatmeal eating older gentleman body and yours whatever you eat and whatever age it is inside that body something's going on and the Eternal invitation is offered to us once more Jesus put it like this this is such a fascinating statement seek first the kingdom of God." [00:08:05]

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, no, uh when he names those two items seek the kingdom of God in his righteousness they go together, they're like salt and pepper at the tables you know you're never supposed to pass the salt without passing Peppers everybody knows how to find them both you cannot look for the kingdom of God without also looking for his righteousness because righteousness has to do with that kind of character that enables me to live in God's kingdom." [00:09:16]

"Righteousness if we understand it rightly it's that old word that describes what it is that makes somebody good from the inside like Dr Hawthorne who we love so dearly righteousness is what I begin to experience when I live in the kingdom of God love and joy so today so today as we begin this journey towards the discovery of the kind of character that God created for you to live in to look for the kingdom of God every time you think about it don't let it be a burden it's not an obligation it's not a list of rules." [00:09:48]

"It's not showing everybody what a deeply religious spiritual person you are it's not that kind of thing just uh it's the grandest invitation anybody will ever have look for it in this moment right now God worry what are you saying to me right now God how can I speak in this moment God how can I listen in this moment, how can I be with friends sitting around a table remembering a wonderful teacher years ago and be filled with gratitude and filled with joy and filled with lightness of spirit and God how can you release me from regret over all the bad choices I've made since then and God how can you Release Me From Fear about the ways in which my body or my circumstances are decaying how can you help me find the Kingdom right here and then I breathe in love." [00:10:23]

"This is not something that we do on our own this is what we discover so that it begins to well up and Bubble Up Inside you like Springs of living water coming out of your belly, seek first today from one moment to the next the kingdom of God in his righteousness so that central part of you that changes every time you choose or that you do not choose can be growing into a Heavenly thing I can't, he can, I think I'll let him, let the change today be really good, get after it." [00:11:07]

"By the time your head hits the pillow tonight I promise you you will be different you will be one day's worth of different you will have changed from today and beyond that by the way when you string all the days of your life together what you end up with is a character is the formation of a soul and that is what matters most and that's what you and I have to offer to God and to other people." [00:00:43]

"One of the problems when we think about character virtue what we're going to be talking about today we just think of it as an external exercise and following rules Lewis says people often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says if you keep a lot of rules I reward you and if you don't I'll do the other thing who says I don't think that's the best way of looking at it." [00:03:58]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?