Transforming Lives Through Generosity and Partnership with God
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the GROW initiative, a journey of generosity aimed at transforming our lives to be more like Jesus. This initiative is not just about raising funds for the church's mission but about cultivating a spirit of generosity that mirrors Christ's own. Today marks a significant milestone in this journey, as we encourage everyone to make their first contributions and commitments, symbolizing our collective effort to further God's work.
We explored the concept of transformation through the lens of a familiar biblical narrative: Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. This story is a powerful reminder of Jesus' ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Just as He transformed water into wine, He seeks to transform our lives into something rich, meaningful, and full of purpose. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a divine work that requires our partnership with God.
The mirror analogy was used to illustrate how we often see imperfections in our spiritual lives. These reflections can be daunting, but they are also opportunities for growth. Jesus invites us to look into this mirror with faith, knowing that He is at work within us, removing the "wrinkles and moles" of our spiritual lives. Our role is to say yes to His transformative work, listen to His guidance, and yield to His will.
Transformation is a partnership between us and God. While He does the heavy lifting, we are called to participate actively by being open to change, listening to His voice, and yielding to His direction. This process involves a holy dissatisfaction with where we are, coupled with a joyful contentment in what God has already done. It is about being grateful for the present while yearning for more of Jesus in our lives.
As we continue this journey, let us remain connected to Jesus, the true vine, who empowers us to bear fruit. By staying close to Him, we can experience the abundant life He promised—a life full of joy, purpose, and peace.
Key Takeaways:
- Transformation Through Partnership: Jesus transforms our lives from ordinary to extraordinary, much like He turned water into wine. This transformation is a divine work that requires our active participation. We must say yes, listen, and yield to His guidance, trusting that He will complete the work He began in us. [29:59]
- The Mirror of Self-Reflection: Looking into the mirror of our spiritual lives can be daunting, revealing imperfections and areas needing change. However, these reflections are opportunities for growth. Jesus invites us to face them with faith, knowing He is at work within us, transforming us into His likeness. [25:17]
- Holy Dissatisfaction: We should maintain a holy dissatisfaction with our current spiritual state, coupled with a joyful contentment in what God has already done. This balance keeps us grateful for the present while yearning for more of Jesus in our lives, driving us to grow and transform continually. [21:38]
- Listening to God's Voice: God speaks to us in various ways—through His Word, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit. We must cultivate the discipline of listening, being still before Him, and allowing His voice to guide us in the transformation process. [41:10]
- Yielding to God's Will: Yielding is a crucial part of transformation. It involves surrendering our desires and plans to God's will, trusting that He knows best. As we yield, we allow Him to work in us, transforming us into people of joy, purpose, and peace. [52:54]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - Introduction to the GROW Initiative
- [05:30] - The First Big Give
- [08:45] - Prayer and Reflection
- [12:00] - The Mirror Analogy
- [15:30] - Spiritual Self-Reflection
- [21:38] - Holy Dissatisfaction
- [25:17] - Facing Our Spiritual Mirror
- [29:59] - Jesus' Transformative Power
- [31:52] - Partnering with God
- [35:00] - The Role of Faith and Obedience
- [38:02] - The Process of Transformation
- [41:10] - Listening to God's Voice
- [52:54] - Yielding to God's Will
- [01:04:21] - Closing Prayer and Commitment
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 2:1-11
- Philippians 1:6
- John 15:5
---
Observation Questions:
1. In the story of Jesus turning water into wine, what role did the servants play, and how did their actions contribute to the miracle? [29:59]
2. According to Philippians 1:6, who is responsible for beginning and completing the work of transformation in believers?
3. What does Jesus mean when He says, "I am the vine; you are the branches" in John 15:5, and how does this relate to the concept of transformation discussed in the sermon? [52:54]
4. How does the mirror analogy used in the sermon illustrate the process of self-reflection and spiritual growth? [21:38]
---
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the miracle at Cana demonstrate Jesus' power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and what does this reveal about His character? [29:59]
2. What does it mean to have a "holy dissatisfaction" with one's spiritual state, and how can this attitude drive personal growth and transformation? [25:17]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that transformation is a partnership between God and believers, and how does this partnership manifest in daily life? [31:52]
4. How can believers cultivate the discipline of listening to God's voice, and why is this important for the transformation process? [41:10]
---
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt like the "water" in your life was transformed into "wine." What role did your faith and actions play in that transformation? [29:59]
2. Identify an area in your spiritual life where you feel a "holy dissatisfaction." What steps can you take this week to address this and seek transformation? [25:17]
3. How can you actively participate in the transformation process by saying "yes" to God's work in your life? What specific actions can you take to listen and yield to His guidance? [38:02]
4. Consider the mirror analogy from the sermon. What "wrinkles and moles" do you see in your spiritual life, and how can you address them with faith and action? [21:38]
5. How can you stay connected to Jesus, the true vine, in your daily life to ensure you are bearing fruit and experiencing the abundant life He promised? [52:54]
6. Think of a specific way God has spoken to you recently, whether through His Word, circumstances, or the Holy Spirit. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience? [41:10]
7. What is one practical step you can take this week to yield to God's will, even if it means surrendering something precious to you? How can this act of yielding lead to transformation? [52:54]
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation Through Divine Partnership
Transformation is a divine work that requires our active participation. Jesus transforms our lives from ordinary to extraordinary, much like He turned water into wine. This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a partnership with God. We are called to say yes, listen, and yield to His guidance, trusting that He will complete the work He began in us. As we engage in this partnership, we open ourselves to the abundant life Jesus promised—a life full of joy, purpose, and peace. [29:59]
John 15:4-5 (ESV): "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to actively partner with God for transformation? How can you begin to say yes to His work in that area today?
Day 2: Embracing the Mirror of Self-Reflection
Looking into the mirror of our spiritual lives can be daunting, revealing imperfections and areas needing change. However, these reflections are opportunities for growth. Jesus invites us to face them with faith, knowing He is at work within us, transforming us into His likeness. By embracing this process, we allow God to remove the "wrinkles and moles" of our spiritual lives, leading us to a deeper relationship with Him. [25:17]
James 1:23-25 (ESV): "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: What spiritual imperfections do you see when you look into the mirror of your life? How can you invite Jesus to transform these areas today?
Day 3: Cultivating Holy Dissatisfaction
We should maintain a holy dissatisfaction with our current spiritual state, coupled with a joyful contentment in what God has already done. This balance keeps us grateful for the present while yearning for more of Jesus in our lives, driving us to grow and transform continually. By embracing this holy dissatisfaction, we remain open to the ongoing work of God in our lives, allowing Him to lead us into deeper spiritual maturity. [21:38]
Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a holy dissatisfaction with your spiritual life while remaining grateful for what God has already done? How can this drive you to seek more of Jesus today?
Day 4: Listening to God's Voice
God speaks to us in various ways—through His Word, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit. We must cultivate the discipline of listening, being still before Him, and allowing His voice to guide us in the transformation process. By tuning our hearts to His voice, we can discern His will and follow His direction, leading us to a life of purpose and peace. [41:10]
1 Kings 19:11-12 (ESV): "And he said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper."
Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to listen for God's voice? What steps can you take to ensure you are attentive to His guidance today?
Day 5: Yielding to God's Will
Yielding is a crucial part of transformation. It involves surrendering our desires and plans to God's will, trusting that He knows best. As we yield, we allow Him to work in us, transforming us into people of joy, purpose, and peace. This act of surrender is not a one-time event but a daily choice to trust in God's perfect plan for our lives. [52:54]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
Hey, today's a big day for the GROW initiative. If you're new with us, you may not know about this, but for the last several months, we've been really working on what we're calling the GROW generosity initiative. And it's been about two things. The primary goal has been for each of us to become more like Jesus by experiencing generosity. And then the secondary goal is we're trying to raise like seven or eight million dollars to continue the ministry of the church and do some new things. And so it's been a really exciting time and a fun time. And today's kind of like the culmination of all that. Today we're calling the first big give. [00:15:52] (31 seconds)
I hope you didn't come for that. And I hope you didn't just come to church today because it's Sunday. And, you know, that's what we do when we go to church. And we go through the motions. And we check a box. And we eat a donut. And then we get back to our previously scheduled life. I hope that's not why you came to church today. I hope, and I think Jesus hopes, that you came to church today because you've decided to follow Jesus. [00:21:05] (25 seconds)
And I hope that wherever you are in your walk with Jesus, you're taking your own spiritual formation seriously. And that you are maybe slowly, but you are shaping your life around being with him and becoming more like him. And if you are, you know that sometimes that means putting a mirror in front of our lives. [00:21:38] (25 seconds)
And if you put a mirror in front of your life and in front of your walk with Jesus and you hate what you see, don't despair. Because Jesus wants to work with you on that. He wants to take away some of the wrinkles and body hair of your spiritual life. He wants to remove the mole from your soul. How's that? That goes on a t-shirt. That goes on a t-shirt today. Jesus removes the moles from our soul. [00:22:03] (28 seconds)
Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see the anger and greed and lust and ego and selfishness of the world is rubbing off on me more than I feel like I'm rubbing off on the world. Do you ever feel that? Is that what's in your mirror? Or maybe what's in your mirror is sin or fear or anxiety or depression or shame. And it just feels to you like quicksand. Like the harder you fight it, the more it just sucks you in. Maybe that's what's in your mirror. [00:24:57] (39 seconds)
And I think a great place to be is this holy, happy, faithful, joyful, content, dissatisfaction with where we are. Grateful for what Jesus has done for us and what Jesus is doing in us and even through us. Thankful and happy and content, but wanting more. Always wanting to grow more like Jesus. Always wanting more love and more purpose and more passion and more power and more joy. [00:26:59] (31 seconds)
So this story definitely, I think, can help us know Jesus more because it shows us something really important about Jesus. It shows us the thing that the disciples saw that day that verse 11 told us is what made them believe in Jesus. And what they saw was, and I think what we can see is, that Jesus has a power that we don't. That as the creator, he has a power nobody else has. [00:29:35] (24 seconds)
He is like super natural, right? He is above the world. He's above the laws of the world. He didn't improve the water. He transformed the water into something completely new and different and better. I think we can see something important in this story about who Jesus is, and that is he can transform things. Another thing, I think it's really cool that Jesus let those servants participate in the miracle, you know? And they're just, they're just there working. [00:30:04] (32 seconds)
And really, one of the greatest blessings and kind of biggest surprises in my life is that he includes us in his plans. That he includes us in these, just like those servants. We follow his instructions, and he does miracles. It's like we obey, and he transforms. So how can this story help us follow more closely? I think we can know him better just by seeing that he transforms, and that he tends to include us in his plans. [00:32:26] (34 seconds)
The good news is that Jesus wants to transform you, and he wants to change that person and that life that's in your mirror. And he wants to transform you to make you more like him. He wants to change your life from ordinary and plain to extraordinary and meaningful and delicious, just like he transformed the water to wine. Jesus can, and he wants to transform you. [00:34:49] (31 seconds)
So our part is not easy, but our part is pretty simple. We say yes, we listen, and we yield. That's it. That's the transformation process. God is at work in us, right? Giving us the power and the desire to do what pleases him. He's at work in us. It's a supernatural transformation. You can't make it happen, but he does it in partnership with us. [00:38:30] (29 seconds)
And in that power, we say yes, and we listen, and we yield. And he does what only he can do. He transforms us. He changes us into people of joy and purpose and passion and power and peace and love. He transforms us into people like Jesus. Let's pray. [01:03:22] (32 seconds)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?