Transformative Change: Growing in Christlikeness Together

Devotional

Key Takeaways

  • 1. The Gospel is the Foundation of Change True transformation begins not with our effort, but with God’s initiative. He chooses, adopts, and loves us before we could ever change ourselves. The Spirit’s work of sanctification starts at salvation, reminding us that we are changed because we are saved, not the other way around. This truth frees us from striving and anchors our hope in God’s faithfulness. [31:32]
  • 2. Christlikeness is the Goal, Not Self-Improvement The aim of our spiritual growth is not to become merely “better people,” but to be conformed to the image of Christ. God uses every circumstance—joys and sorrows alike—to shape us into the likeness of His Son. This process, called sanctification, will one day culminate in glorification, when we are finally free from all sin and suffering. [36:23]
  • 3. Small Steps Matter in God’s Kingdom Change often feels overwhelming, but God calls us to take the next step, however small. Like the British cycling team’s “1% gains,” incremental growth over time leads to significant transformation. Even the smallest acts of obedience—what may feel like “little rocks”—can have a ripple effect for generations. [52:31]
  • 4. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact The spread of the gospel and the overcoming of evil in the world is not reserved for the “spiritual elite.” God’s strategy is to use ordinary believers living ordinary lives, doing good work and speaking good words. The faithfulness of past generations, often in unseen ways, has brought the gospel to us; now we are called to continue that legacy. [47:19]
  • 5. Hope Anchored in God’s Promise, Not Circumstances In a world marked by lawlessness, violence, and suffering, it’s easy to slip into despair or rage. Yet, God stepped into our brokenness through Christ, promising that evil and death do not have the final word. Because of this hope, our good work—no matter how small—matters deeply, and we can stand firm, trusting that God will bring His work in us to completion. [48:16]

Bible Reading

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (ESV) —
> 13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
> 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
> 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
> 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
> 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Observation Questions
  1. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, what is the starting point or foundation for our change as followers of Jesus?
  2. In verse 14, what does Paul say is the ultimate goal for believers (“so that you may obtain…”)?
  3. What does Paul pray for the Thessalonians in verses 16-17, and how does this relate to the idea of “good work and word”?
  4. In the sermon, what analogy did Pastor Mike use to describe how God initiates our salvation and change? ([22:44])
Interpretation Questions
  1. The passage says we are “saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” What does it mean that sanctification starts at salvation, and how is this different from trying to change ourselves by our own effort? ([22:44])
  2. Pastor Mike said, “We are not saved because we have changed; rather, we are changed because we have been saved.” Why is this distinction important for how we view spiritual growth? ([31:32])
  3. The sermon described the goal of change as “Christlikeness,” not just self-improvement. How does this change the way we think about what God is doing in our lives, especially during hard times? ([36:23])
  4. The “good” of our change is so that we can do good works and speak good words that spread the gospel. Why do you think God chooses to use ordinary people and small acts of obedience, rather than just big, impressive ministries? ([47:19])
Application Questions
  1. Pastor Mike shared how easy it is to get discouraged by the slow pace of change, or to think change is only for “new” or “younger” Christians. Have you ever felt like you’re too old, too stuck, or too far along to really change? What would it look like to take just one small step forward this season? ([22:44])
  2. The sermon emphasized that the foundation for all true change is the gospel, not our own effort. Are there areas in your life where you’ve been trying to “fix yourself” instead of trusting God’s work in you? What would it look like to surrender those areas to Him this week? ([31:32])
  3. The goal of change is to become more like Christ, not just a “better person.” Is there a specific circumstance—good or bad—that God might be using right now to shape you into Christ’s image? How can you respond to Him in that situation? ([36:23])
  4. Pastor Mike told the story of his mom’s friend throwing little rocks at her window to invite her to church, which eventually led to generations of faith. Who in your life could you “throw a little rock” to—maybe a small invitation, a word of encouragement, or a simple act of kindness? ([47:19])
  5. When you look at the brokenness and lawlessness in the world, do you tend to slip into despair, anger, or apathy? How does the hope of Christ’s return and God’s promise to finish His work in you help you stand firm and keep doing good? ([48:16])
  6. The British cycling team improved by just 1% at a time, leading to huge results over time. What is one “1%” change you could make in your walk with Jesus this week? How can the group encourage you in that step? ([52:31])
  7. As a church, we’re being invited into a season of intentional growth. What is one area—spiritual, relational, or practical—where you sense God calling you to take a next step? How can you make that step specific and realistic? ([51:46])

Sermon Clips

God chooses us, not because we are all stars or that we deserved or earned to be on team Jesus, but he chooses us. He puts us on the team and then now starts to work in us, teaching us, changing us, showing us how to live life on team Jesus. And he is faithful to do that work until the day of Christ, until the day that Jesus comes back. [00:31:02] (31 seconds)  #ChosenAndChangedByGrace

Here we are, eight guys, right, coming from all walks of life, just all different backgrounds, whatever, and here we are, we're sitting in the middle of Kapolei on an island literally in the middle of the ocean, and here we are in 2025 and we are studying the word, we're praying together, we're being encouraged and strengthened in the Lord with one another, we're fellowshipping, we're connecting. It just occurred to me that man, here we are, and the fact that we're sitting there at our secret spot, it hit me that it's a result of brothers and sisters that have come before us, brothers and sisters in the Lord centuries before us even who realized that the good of their change wasn't just to be a good person but it was to do good gospel work. [00:41:23] (57 seconds)  #LegacyOfGospelWork

My mom, she's 92 years old, just saw her this past week, 92, and when she was a little girl, she had one of her friends in the neighborhood used to come around to her house to her bedroom window every Sunday morning and she, this little girl would pick up little rocks and throw it at my mom's window to wake her up, wake her up to bring her to Sunday school. Little rocks. My mom would get up and go to Sunday school. At some point my mom gets saved. She gets saved, she shares the gospel with my dad, me and my sister. To this day my sister and I love Jesus and follow Jesus, but it started with little rocks, little pebbles being thrown, waking up my mom, taking her to church. See, the good of our change, and we think yeah, it's got to be big and splashy, but man, sometimes it's just little rocks. It's just little rocks of change, little rocks of doing good gospel work, and God uses these things. [00:43:47] (79 seconds)  #ChurchOvercomesEvil

Because of Jesus, the day it is coming where everything sad will become untrue, when wrongs are made right, when every tear will be wiped away, when death itself is destroyed. And because we have this hope and promise that God, who entered death and violence himself, will one day fully and finally conquer it, because of this, it tells us that our good work matters, no matter how small the pebble. It matters. It matters. It doesn't feel like it, but it does. [00:49:15] (44 seconds)  #IntentionalChangeMatters

We need to intentionally change. We need to intentionally grow, because our islands and the world need to hear and believe the good news of Jesus. And we see that it starts with all of us committing to go all in with God's work, God's good work that he's doing in our lives. [00:51:02] (21 seconds)  #OneStepAtATime

Let's remember, as we talk about change over the next couple of months and beyond, that the ground for our change is the gospel. The goal of our change is Christlikeness. And the good of our change is so that the good news can be spread throughout our islands and beyond. And it all starts with a next step. [00:53:19] (23 seconds)

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