Spiritual Formation at Grace | 9:00 | Pastor Jim Barnes, Spiritual Formation Pastor

The gathering opened with an honest invitation: come before God without pretense, because he already knows what is in the heart. With a new year as backdrop, the call was for genuine transformation—not self-repair—but the kind only Jesus brings, moving people from darkness to light and from death to life. Spiritual formation was clarified as God’s work of changing his children into the likeness of Jesus through the Spirit. At Grace, that vision takes shape through environments deliberately designed to help people connect with God and with others so they might become more like Jesus in every area of life.

Three complementary group types serve that aim. Small groups cultivate spiritual friendships—the ordinary yet essential context where prayer, Scripture, and shared life help believers persevere and grow. Bible studies focus the whole time on the text—training men and women to read the Bible well, to grasp context and the storyline of redemption, because God’s people are people of the Book. Care groups meet the real brokenness of life head-on: addiction, trauma, anger, people-pleasing, and relational wounds, offering truth-in-love and a path toward restoration. None of these is “better” than the others; each may be the right next step in a different season. One person may need to pause Bible classes to finally face childhood trauma; another might step from long-term recovery into deeper biblical literacy. Alongside these pathways are connection opportunities and a four-week Discover Grace class that helps newcomers explore beliefs, gifts, serving, and membership.

A case study in Matthew 14 shows how Jesus actually forms people. Stage 1: Encounter—Jesus makes the first move toward his disciples and brings gospel words, “Take heart. I am. Do not be afraid.” Our first move is surrender. Stage 2: Enthusiasm—new faith often bursts with zeal, though knowledge and self-awareness lag; Jesus still says, “Come.” Stage 3: Experience—trials expose what confidence concealed; fear surfaces, religion drops, and the heart prays simply, “Lord, save me.” Stage 4: Enlightenment—Jesus rescues and corrects, producing double knowledge: a clearer vision of who he is and a truer grasp of oneself. The cycle repeats, deepening worship until hearts say, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Spiritual formation is not private; whole-life change requires community. These groups do not transform anyone; they create space for the transforming presence of Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus initiates every true change. Transformation begins with Christ moving toward sinners, not with sinners muscling toward Christ. Recognizing this disarms self-reliance and frees a posture of surrender: “I can’t, but you can.” When the Spirit awakens and draws, the appropriate response is trust, not technique. Surrender is not passivity; it’s aligning with the One who already stepped toward you. [59:30]
• 2. Spiritual zeal needs wise formation. Early enthusiasm is a gift, but zeal without knowledge can mask blind spots and mixed motives. Jesus doesn’t crush youthful faith; he invites it into reality where it can mature. Formation slows our pace enough to learn Jesus himself, not just his work, so desire is shaped into durable faithfulness. [62:52]
• 3. Trials surface what mastery hides. Tests expose what confidence conceals—fear, doubt, anger, or control—that won’t surface in calm water. God uses these walls, not to shame, but to reveal the heart he intends to heal. Seeing the truth about ourselves becomes the doorway to deeper dependence and more honest discipleship. [67:11]
• 4. Honest, simple prayers move heaven. When the storm strips away performance, the heart prays without polish: “Lord, save me.” Jesus answers these small, raw prayers because they are real, and reality is the place he meets us. Recovering simplicity in prayer revives communion far more than elaborate words or perfect phrasing. [70:01]
• 5. Formation requires community and practices. Whole-life transformation isn’t private work; it matures in shared rhythms of Scripture, prayer, confession, and support. Spiritual friendships, Bible literacy, and care for brokenness together create a sturdy trellis for growth. Community doesn’t replace the Spirit’s power; it is the Spirit’s ordinary context for change. [74:23]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [31:25] - Honest invitation to seek God
• [33:07] - Group launch and why groups
• [38:40] - What spiritual formation means
• [40:30] - Small groups: spiritual friendships
• [42:45] - Bible studies: people of the Book
• [45:39] - Care groups for real brokenness
• [48:45] - Choosing groups for your season
• [50:11] - Discover Grace and next steps
• [52:57] - Case study: Peter and formation
• [59:06] - Stage 1: Encounter with Christ
• [62:21] - Stage 2: Enthusiastic beginnings
• [66:33] - Stage 3: Tests reveal the heart
• [70:56] - Stage 4: Enlightenment and worship
• [74:23] - Formation needs community

Bible reading

Matthew 14:22–33

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 14:22–33, who initiates the key movements (sending the disciples, coming to them on the water, rescuing Peter)? Note the “immediately” moments and what Jesus does.
2. What three short statements does Jesus speak in verse 27, and how do those words meet the disciples in their fear?
3. What exactly does Peter ask (“Lord, if it is you…”) and what one-word command does Jesus give in reply?
4. According to the group overview, what are the distinct aims of small groups, Bible studies, and care groups? [40:30]

Interpretation questions

1. Matthew 14 shows Jesus making the first move toward his disciples, not the other way around. What does that reveal about how true change starts in a person? [59:30]
2. Peter’s words, “Lord, if it is you… command me to come,” mix real faith with limited understanding. What might this teach about early zeal that still needs wise formation? [01:04:16]
3. The wind and waves exposed Peter’s fear. What do trials tend to pull to the surface that calm waters can hide? How might that exposure be an act of mercy rather than shame? [01:07:11]
4. Jesus rescues Peter and then corrects him (“O you of little faith…”). How does rescue plus correction grow a clearer vision of Jesus and a truer grasp of oneself? [01:11:24]

Application questions

1. Where are you working hard to “self-fix”? What would it look like this week to open your hands and say, “I can’t, but you can, Jesus”? Take one concrete step of surrender there. [01:00:46]
2. Is your pace outrunning your formation? Name one area where enthusiasm is high but understanding is thin. What specific next step will help you slow down and learn Jesus (e.g., pausing a commitment, joining a Bible study, seeking counsel)? [01:05:36]
3. Name a current “wind” you’re facing. What emotion is surfacing (fear, anger, control, despair)? Craft a simple prayer you can actually say when it hits—something like, “Lord, save me.” When will you pray it this week? [01:10:01]
4. Think back to your last hard season. Name one thing you learned about Jesus and one thing you learned about yourself. How will those two truths shape a specific obedience step in the next seven days? [01:12:02]
5. Which group is the right next step for your season—small group (spiritual friendships), Bible study (becoming people of the Book), or care group (facing real brokenness)? Why that one? Put a date on your calendar to act. [48:11]
6. If you tend to slip in and out on Sundays without connecting, what is one action you will take this month to build spiritual friendships (text an invite, visit a small group, linger to meet someone new)? [42:17]
7. If you’re newer, are you ready to explore Discover Grace to learn beliefs, gifts, serving, and membership? What’s the one barrier in your way, and how will you address it this week? [50:11]