CHANGED & STILL CHANGING

******Welcome new people / Request to the congregation: I would like us to believe together for more people to come to church. But together we need to do something. We need to make room.

Right now we have the room for around 300-400 people to grow in our 8.30 and our 11:30 service. Here is what I would like to do. I want you to pray and consider making room in the 10am for new people to come to the 10. And you commit to coming to the 8.30 or the 11:30. The truth is at the 10am that is the service that its most likely the new or recently started coming are likely to attend - So would you consider praying for that?

The goal is to reach more people With the GOSPEL and see people WELCOMED into the Family of God.

Thank yoU!

(MIND SET - Part 2)

Ephesians 4:17–31 (ESV)

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

MindSet Part 2 : “Changed & Still Changing”

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Last week from romans 12:2 we began talking about the power of a RENEWED MIND. Its gods will for you to have the kind of spirirtual life where your MIND is renewed, It is made NEW. It gets a RENEWED so that you can be transformed. Able to by testing discern what is the will of God, what is acceptable.. what is PERFECT.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We talked about last week how our thoughts can run us down,.. but they can also be trained to CLIMB upwards

let me show you that verse:

Proverbs 15:24 NLT

24 The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind.

LAST WEEK WAS ABOUT THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND (go catch that message)

But this week… The reality is this: THE WAY YOU SEE CHANGE - HAS AN EFFECT ON THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND.

“Change”: Its to ALTER, To VARY, TO MODIFY…. To MAKE… or BECOME DIFFERENT.

CHANGE CAN BE A SMALL THING OR a TRANSFORMATION / A Complete Overhaul.

I wonder what your approach is to CHANGE?

Do you like change? Are you fearful of change?

Did you come to church today and park in the same parking spot you usually do?did you say hellow to the same 3-4 people you normally do… did you sit in the seat you normallyt do>?

CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE GO ON IN LIFE - WE OFTEN RESIST SOMEWHAT. We dont PURSUE IT AS MUCH.

Think about FAITH: We need a renewed mind that changes because if were not careful our approach to spiritial things, the things of God, Jesus CHrist can become change-LESS! “oh ive read that verse before” “of i know that song” “ive don the dinner paty thing before”

Well… if you’ve done all those things why arent you different?

Change is truly the one constant in life. Whether you thrive on change or try to avoid it at all costs, change can be daunting yet filled with opportunity. Things can change for the better or for the worse, but it’s always inevitable!

Everyone experiences change differently:

For some….It could feel new and exciting

For others…..It could feel scary and unpredictable.

It could fill your heart with worries of an unknown future.

It could make you feel nervous and unsure of your next steps.

I BIG PART OF OUR POSTURE TOWARDS CHANGE is in the MIND. our MENTALITY, Our MIND TOWARDS THINGS LIKE CHANF+GE

Ephesians 4:17 “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”

Here is a few things you gotta know about CHANGE - Especially as it relates to a renewed MIND:

1.I’VE CHANGED.

(Say it together) ...... But its true ---You have changed.

You have ALREADY Changed.

If you have encountered JESUS - And given your life to HIM> You are a BRAND NEW, SAVED BY GRACE. a NEW PERSON. Its a NEW DAY. A new REALITY.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

HE IS A NEW CREATION. HE - IS - NEW

LISTEN - there is something in here for you - to get you the confidence to believe for the transformation & the new and renewed mind. Because its happened.

You have changed.

You aren’t who YOU USED TO BVE!

Isn’t it great to think that you aren’t the person you used to be?

(i remember the person i used to be. He wasn’t much to write home about. Selfish, Prideful, Ambitious in the wrong way, wasn’t interested in this things of God, Lived according to the natural mind i had.)

But here is what happened - i met JESUS. I realized my NEED OF HIM. and i repented, asked for forgiveness and i asked him to come into my heart. and in that moment called salvation - i was changed.

Ephesians 2:4–6 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

SO YOU ARE CHANGED

but you gotta:

2.I CAN KEEP CHANGING.

You have changed.

You can changed

But you have to KEEP CHANGING!

We are SAVED… but we are also BEING SAVED (changing still)

2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV)

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

You HAVE CHANGED>.. YOU NEED TO KEEP CHANGING - BUT HERE IS THE THING: but you doN’T have tO.

You could not. You could just say no. Thats your choice - Reemember the make up? We are body soul spirit. Mind will & emotions. Thats the paradigm you might find yourself

What are some of the reasons we don’t change?

Change is uncomfortable

Change is difficult

Change means new learning - i gotta figure out something NEW

Change brings forth the unknown - into my reality

Change requires FAITH.

We can say things like:

Well thats just how its gonna be for me / Im just like this now / This is just WHO I AM

How do I agree to change?

You have to seek for it - SEEKERS FIND. IF YOUR NOT LOOKING FOR CHANGE YOU WONT FIND IT!

You have to Understand its IMPORTANT FOR YOUR GROWTH / IF YOUR NOT GROWING, YOU MIGHT NOT BE CHANGING ANYTHING?

Whats the old saying “Change is a good as a holiday or vacation” /

BE WILLING - be willing to embrace change in your life.

Become a person who welcomes CHANGE! Who understands its part of my journey that im changined but im still changing!!!!

3.CHANGE UNLOCKS MY DESTINY

Write this down: Change in ME, Unlocks the destiny FOR ME” You have to step into your future but its going to take a decision tlo change!

God will send the CHANGE agent to you - but will you change?

Moses - He changed. He listened to His FATHER in LAW Jethro & what did HE do? he Changed!

Exodus 18:24 ESV

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

The rich young ruler - The bible says He didNOT Change.

Mark 10:20–21 ESV

20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

These are just two examples - But it illustrates the point - one changed. One didnt!

WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Change Unlocks DESTINY!

There were people Jesus’ ENCOUNTERED who DID change. And there were people who JESUS encountered who DID Change.

Your BEST future can only happen if you are willing CHANGE.

You have to be TRANSOFMED. Its a process of changing!

2 Timothy 1:8–9 ESV

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

This is what God does. He saves and he CALLS.

SOMEONE that did drastically change is two people who wrote the parts of our bible that weve been reading for the past two weeks.

the first being PAUL - He was at Odds with JESUS and the Gospel & on the Road to damascaus in a MOMENT he was Blinded thrown off his horse and had an ENCOUNTER so severe that He was radically changed and went onto be the greatest apostle that ever lived - wrote 2/3’s of the new testament and too the church to the gentiles & to the known world. All from a moment of CHANGE.

and the second being JOHN: Who at one point was included as one of the SONS of THUNDER! But listen to what He wrote towards the end of his life:

1 John 4:17 ESV

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

OUr primary mission in life is to BE LIKE CHRIST.

What does change do?

it brings you (even if ts just ONE STEP) closer to the destiny that God has for you which is to become MORE LIKE CHRIST!

but change will unlock other things also

It will bring new opportunities - You will see things with your eyes that are only possibe to see because you changed the way you think

Your MIND is different… so you start to SEE things differently.

You have experienced a RENEWED… a MADE NEW Mind.

and this can happen OVER

and OVER

and OVER AGAIN…

Ive changed

I can keep changing (but its a choice)

Change unlocks destiny & purpose

...

and all this is possible because....

4.JESUS NEVER CHANGES

The person who changes us he himself never changes - because the GOAL is that we TRANSORM to become LIKE CHRIST.

He remains the same:

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

This was GODS PLAN ALL ALONG - That he would make for us the unchangeable one who we are to become

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (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.

As you walk through life here is the best part - JESUS is the same yesterday today and forever. he is the immovable steadfast force

the shepherd who doesnt leave

the one who wont bail on you

the one who as you change, as you confform into his image - He will always be with you

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”