Embracing Transformation: A Lenten Journey of Growth

 

Summary

As we approach the season of Lent, it's a time to reflect on transformation and spiritual growth. Lent offers a unique opportunity to delve into the dimensions of our being—our thoughts, feelings, will, body, and relationships—and seek transformation in these areas. This journey aligns with the teachings of Dallas Willard, who emphasizes doing the next right thing and trusting God with the outcomes. It's about living without the burden of outcomes and instead focusing on becoming the kind of person who naturally desires to do the right thing.

Transformation requires a vision of life with God, a solid intention to follow Jesus, and the means to achieve this transformation. These means are not mysterious; they are found in the life of Jesus, the scriptures, and the community of believers. It's about changing our inner being to reflect the thoughts, feelings, and habits of Jesus. This change is a gift of grace, but it requires our active participation through practices, relationships, and experiences.

Spiritual practices, or disciplines, are not about earning God's favor but about gaining the freedom to do the right thing at the right time. They are divided into practices of abstinence and engagement, helping us address sins of commission and omission. Relationships are another vital means of growth, providing support, accountability, and opportunities to practice love and vulnerability. Experiences, especially suffering, are formative, teaching us endurance and reliance on God.

As we enter this season, it's crucial to recognize the unique opportunities for growth in our current life circumstances. Whether it's through parenting, work, or other life stages, each offers a chance to lean into God's transformative work. As we begin this journey on Fat Tuesday, let's commit to doing the next right thing and trust God to guide us through.

Key Takeaways:

1. Transformation Through Vision and Intention: True transformation begins with a compelling vision of life with God and a solid intention to follow Jesus. This vision and intention naturally lead us to seek and apply the means to achieve this transformation, guided by Jesus' life and teachings. [02:40]

2. The Role of Spiritual Practices: Spiritual disciplines are not about proving our spirituality but are means to gain the freedom to act rightly. They help us address sins of commission and omission, strengthening our ability to live in alignment with God's will. [05:31]

3. The Importance of Relationships: Relationships are crucial for spiritual growth, providing support, accountability, and opportunities to practice love and vulnerability. Engaging with others, including those who challenge us, helps us grow in our faith and understanding. [08:02]

4. Learning Through Experiences: Experiences, especially suffering, are formative in our spiritual journey. They teach us endurance and reliance on God, shaping our character and deepening our faith. [08:42]

5. Embracing Life's Seasons: Each season of life offers unique opportunities for spiritual growth. By recognizing and embracing these opportunities, we can lean into God's transformative work, whether through parenting, work, or other life stages. [10:44]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Introduction to Lent
- [01:09] - Doing the Next Right Thing
- [01:49] - Becoming the Right Person
- [02:40] - Vision and Intention
- [03:22] - Means of Transformation
- [04:09] - Practices and Spiritual Disciplines
- [05:44] - Sins and Practices
- [06:27] - Abstinence and Engagement
- [07:23] - Importance of Relationships
- [08:42] - Formative Experiences
- [09:22] - Cross-Cultural Experiences
- [10:18] - Embracing Life's Seasons
- [11:23] - Conclusion and Encouragement
- [11:50] - Closing Remarks

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 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."
2. James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
3. Galatians 6:2 - "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

#### Observation Questions
1. What are the different dimensions of our being that the sermon suggests we should focus on for transformation during Lent? [00:41]
2. According to the sermon, what is the role of spiritual practices or disciplines in our spiritual growth? [05:31]
3. How does the sermon describe the importance of relationships in our spiritual journey? [08:02]
4. What types of experiences are mentioned as being formative in our spiritual growth, and why are they significant? [08:42]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of "doing the next right thing" align with the idea of living without the burden of outcomes? [01:21]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual practices provide freedom rather than being a means to earn God's favor? [05:31]
3. How might relationships with others, including those who challenge us, contribute to our spiritual growth according to the sermon? [08:02]
4. What role does suffering play in shaping our character and deepening our faith, as discussed in the sermon? [08:42]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a current life circumstance that offers a unique opportunity for spiritual growth. How can you lean into God's transformative work in this area? [10:44]
2. Identify a spiritual practice you can incorporate into your daily routine. How might this practice help you gain the freedom to act rightly in challenging situations? [05:31]
3. Consider a relationship in your life that provides support and accountability. How can you nurture this relationship to further your spiritual growth? [08:02]
4. Think of a recent experience of suffering or challenge. How did it teach you endurance and reliance on God, and how can you apply these lessons moving forward? [08:42]
5. What is one "next right thing" you can commit to doing this week, trusting God with the outcome? [01:21]
6. How can you embrace your current season of life, whether it's through work, parenting, or another stage, as an opportunity for spiritual growth? [10:44]
7. Identify a person in your life who challenges you. How can you practice love and vulnerability in your interactions with them this week? [08:02]

Devotional

Day 1: Vision and Intention for Transformation
True transformation begins with a compelling vision of life with God and a solid intention to follow Jesus. This vision and intention naturally lead us to seek and apply the means to achieve this transformation, guided by Jesus' life and teachings. Transformation is not a passive process; it requires an active commitment to align one's life with the teachings of Jesus. This involves a conscious decision to pursue a life that reflects the values and character of Christ. By setting a clear vision and intention, individuals can navigate their spiritual journey with purpose and direction, trusting that God will guide them through the process. [02:40]

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)

Reflection: What specific vision of life with God do you feel called to pursue, and what intentional steps can you take today to align your life with this vision?


Day 2: Freedom Through Spiritual Practices
Spiritual disciplines are not about proving our spirituality but are means to gain the freedom to act rightly. They help us address sins of commission and omission, strengthening our ability to live in alignment with God's will. These practices, such as prayer, fasting, and meditation, are tools that enable believers to cultivate a deeper relationship with God. By engaging in these disciplines, individuals can develop the spiritual strength needed to overcome temptations and live a life that reflects the teachings of Jesus. The focus is not on the practices themselves but on the transformation they facilitate, allowing believers to experience true freedom in Christ. [05:31]

"Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV)

Reflection: Which spiritual practice can you incorporate into your daily routine this week to help you gain freedom in a specific area of your life?


Day 3: Relationships as a Means of Growth
Relationships are crucial for spiritual growth, providing support, accountability, and opportunities to practice love and vulnerability. Engaging with others, including those who challenge us, helps us grow in our faith and understanding. Through relationships, believers can experience the love of Christ in tangible ways and learn to extend that love to others. These connections offer a space for mutual encouragement and growth, allowing individuals to practice forgiveness, patience, and compassion. By investing in relationships, believers can create a supportive community that fosters spiritual development and deepens their faith. [08:02]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

Reflection: Identify one relationship in your life that could benefit from more intentionality. How can you invest in this relationship to foster mutual spiritual growth?


Day 4: Learning Through Life's Experiences
Experiences, especially suffering, are formative in our spiritual journey. They teach us endurance and reliance on God, shaping our character and deepening our faith. Life's challenges provide opportunities for believers to grow in their trust and dependence on God. Through these experiences, individuals can learn valuable lessons about perseverance, humility, and the power of God's grace. By embracing the lessons that come from life's trials, believers can develop a resilient faith that is rooted in the knowledge of God's unwavering love and faithfulness. [08:42]

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge or trial you have faced. What lessons did you learn about God's character and your own faith through this experience?


Day 5: Embracing the Seasons of Life
Each season of life offers unique opportunities for spiritual growth. By recognizing and embracing these opportunities, we can lean into God's transformative work, whether through parenting, work, or other life stages. Every phase of life presents distinct challenges and blessings that can contribute to spiritual development. By being attentive to the lessons and opportunities present in each season, believers can grow in their understanding of God's purpose for their lives. Embracing the present moment allows individuals to fully engage with God's transformative work and experience the fullness of life in Christ. [10:44]

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 ESV)

Reflection: Consider the current season of your life. What unique opportunities for spiritual growth does this season present, and how can you embrace them with intention and gratitude?

Quotes


If you want to know how do I follow Jesus, real simple word from Dallas Willard: do the next right thing that you know to do, and then expect God to bail you out, whatever that is. Be helpful to somebody, experience contentment, express gratitude, enjoy the presence of God, ask God for help, ask God for wisdom. [00:01:13]

Trying really hard to do the right thing when everything inside me wants to not do it is a miserable way to live and it doesn't work. And so Dallas writes we need a vision, a compelling picture of what life with God in his kingdom looks like, and then we also need an intention. [00:02:29]

The vision and solid intention to obey Christ will naturally lead to seeking out and applying the means to that end, and fortunately we don't have to wonder what means or methods are. We have rich guidance from Jesus, his life, the scriptures, and the people of Jesus. [00:02:55]

If I intend to obey Jesus, I must intend and decide to become the kind of person who would obey. That is, I must find the means of changing my inner being until it is substantially like his, pervasively characterized by his thoughts, feelings, habits, and relationship to the Father. [00:03:38]

Practices or spiritual disciplines, they're sometimes called, when I first read Richard Foster's book, the Celebration of Discipline, it lists 12 different disciplines, practices for the spiritual life. I did not like that book. I already felt guilty about the only two things I knew I was supposed to do: pray and read the Bible. [00:04:49]

The purpose of practices always is just freedom to be able to do the right thing in the right way at the right time. So they are a gift, they are a means of grace. And if you're wondering like what practices might be helpful to me, one way of thinking about it is that classically sins tend to get divided up into two categories. [00:05:31]

Engaging in practices is a real important means for spiritual growth. Relationships are another really important method or means for spiritual growth. I need a spiritual friend, I need somebody that I can talk about my temptations and struggles and aspirations and soul with. [00:07:21]

I need folks where I'm in fellowship with. I don't disclose everything to them, but I learn to love by being with them. I learn to be vulnerable, I learn to be accountable. I need to be with people who are different than me, and often when I'm sharing my faith with somebody who is not a believer, I discover God is more important to me. [00:08:03]

Experiences, now these are not the same thing as practices or disciplines because I cannot make these experiences happen, but they come and they're very formative. Maybe the most important one is suffering. When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your life, suffering produces endurance if we allow it. [00:08:42]

As painful as suffering is, I'm so grateful for what I have been learning through it. Guidance, the direct action of the Holy Spirit on my life, wisdom, or the conviction of sin, okay, that's something God does for me. I don't initiate that, it's an experience, but it's very formative. [00:08:57]

Work is a very important experience and very often involves suffering, and as I learned to work together, practice what Dallas would call job discipleship in my work, I get formed. And really there are as many spiritual practices, as many means or methods for growth as you can be as creative to think up. [00:09:41]

Recognizing what are the sins that I wrestle with, what are the practices that will help me with them, what's my season of life right now, and how do I lean into my season of life and view it as a help and not a hindrance to my spiritual growth. [00:11:04]

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Transcript
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