Transform
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, a beautiful thing happens with our identity, we are a new creation in Him. The change in identity is real but it’s not often realized. The change God desires for us is to be like Jesus. To make what is now real about us, that we are new creations in Jesus, realized in our daily lives. The question is, how do we do this? Over the next seven weeks we’ll be exploring the nature of transformation; What is it? How does it happen? What does it take to transform?
Transform | Oct. 8, 2023
Over the next seven weeks we’ll be exploring the nature of transformation; What is it? How does it happen? What does it take to transform? It’s likely there’s something each of us would like to change about ourselves. We want to change. We want life to be different. We long for more. But we get stuck, tired, likely followed by feelings of shame and frustration when no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to actually make the change we long for.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, a beautiful thing happens with our identity, we are a new creation in Him. The change in identity is real but it’s not often realized. The change God desires for us is to be like Jesus. To make what is now real about us, that we are new creations in Jesus, realized in our daily lives. The question is, how do we do this?
In his book “Spirit of the Disciplines,” Dallas Willard writes about a “Golden Triangle” of transformation. Based on that, Pastor Dale proposed a theory of how people transform that will be used as a guide throughout the series.
In this week’s message, Pastor Dale unpacked how the above diagram will be used as a guide and provided an overview of each area highlighted in the triangle. Our Father in Heaven has invited us to be transformed. Why? So that the repetitive lies we have believed can be opposed and to realize our real identities in Him.
Transform | Oct. 15, 2023
This morning as Pastor Dale continued our new series, Transform. Last Sunday Pastor Dale proposed a theory of transformation based on this triangle:
Last week we looked at the area of Truth. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, we encourage you to do so at calvarylg.com/teaching. This morning, Pastor Dale took us through community. For many of us, what we believe to be true is influenced by how much we want it to be true and how the community around us reinforces that belief. Because of this, it matters what we say to each other. The words of community are always transforming someone, whether by creating a place for them to be honest or creating a space for them to continue to pretend.
Communities following the way of Jesus experience joy by practicing vulnerability in telling and listening to people’s life stories.
Communities following the way of Jesus hear the cries of the distressed and wounded and respond with active compassion.
Communities following the way of Jesus, transform into an instinctive bias toward acts of grace, peace, mercy, and goodness for everyone.
As individuals, we each have a role in our community and how as followers of Jesus, we can impact the transformation of our community. There is much to unpack in this topic and we invite you to go deeper and join us on Tuesday nights to discuss and learn together about the nature of transformation. The group follows and builds on the Sunday teachings, leveraging materials from "Practicing the Way" by Pastor John Mark Comer. Learn more and rsvp at calvarylg.com/courses.
Transform | Oct. 22, 2023
"If you or I had never been to a church and had read only the Old and New Testaments, we would have significant expectations of the Holy Spirit in our lives … If we read and believed these accounts, we would expect a great deal of the Holy Spirit. He would not be a mostly forgotten member of the Godhead whom we occasionally give a nod of recognition to, which is what He has become in many churches. We would expect our new life with the Holy Spirit to look radically different from our old life without him.”
- Francis Chan, Forgotten God
This morning we were blessed to hear from Pastor Dale as he taught on the Holy Spirit. In the triangle of transformation theory that we are using as a guide for this series, the Holy Spirit is at the center.
There are some communities of believers where the focus is on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Scriptures. It's not that they don't believe in the Spirit, they just want to keep Him within the pages of the Bible. There are also communities of believers where the overwhelming focus is on the activity and visible works of the Spirit. They see amazing acts of healing, deliverance, renewal and they can also become separate from theology, doctrine, and scripture. As Jesus shared with the “Woman at the Well,” it’s always intended to be “Spirit and Truth.” The question Pastor Dale posed, is it possible to embrace the Bible as Truth, have a deep rich theology, and live an active Spirit-led life that is filled with the wonders and works of the Spirit?
We went through a wonderfully large amount of scripture today. For those who weren't able to grab a handout in person, you can find the verses here. A few key takeaways from the teaching, the Old Testament was an age of visitation by the Spirit. The prophets of the Old Testament saw “There was coming an age where the Spirit would live in the people of God”. When we turn the page from the Old Testament to the New, it begins with the Spirit and a prophet preparing a way for the Lord and a womb for the Lord. Luke 1:15, "he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born." As we go through the New Testament we see the habitation of the Holy Spirit breakthrough.
God through His Spirit lives in us. It transforms us if we allow it to be unleashed through obedience, servanthood, and open-handedness. The same thing Jesus experienced at his Baptism, a declaration of identity and intimacy, is what the Spirit does within each of us. The Holy Spirit declares our identity and cultivates intimacy with our Father.
The invitation to each of us, minister to each other:
Pray with and for each other.
Express words of truth, blessing, and accountability to each other.
Say to yourself “I have the Holy Spirit within me. Who does He want me to minister to today?”
Transform | Oct. 29, 2023
We were blessed to hear from Pastor Dale as he taught more on the Holy Spirit. In the triangle of transformation theory that we are using as a guide for this series, the Holy Spirit is at the center. To be transformed, we need the Holy Spirit.
The core of an authentic follower of Jesus is not simply obeying what God says but actually enjoying God. Transforming is not just adding Jesus to our lives but collapsing into Jesus as our life. This is what the Spirit does. He puts the spotlight on Jesus.
We know there is a struggle between our flesh and our Spirit. Paul gives us these words, "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." Galatians 5:17.
As we looked at the expanded text of Galatians 5:13 - 6:3, Pastor Dale made the following observations.
The Flesh and Spirit cannot be co-pilots. One is always in charge.
This cannot be done alone. Community is a must.
If it's not a struggle, it's possible you do not have the Spirit in you.
It is not that you have lost your salvation. It means you may never have been saved; that you've been doing this all on your own. We can never lose the presence of the Spirit, but we can lose the power of the Spirit. If there was one takeaway from today's message that Pastor Dale wanted us to hear, it is that we no longer have to do this on our own.
What then, is “Life in the Spirit?” It is submitting to Holy Spirit inside of you. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16. It is letting Holy Spirit direct you. When we yield to the Spirit, others benefit from our lives. To make a difference, for our lives to have the impact we desire, requires we flip the “this is what I want" to "how will others benefit from what the fruit of the Spirit is developing in me?"
Transform | Nov. 5, 2023
This morning, we were blessed to hear from our friend Pastor Steve, who began diving into our third corner of the triangle of transformation that we are using as a guide in this series, practices. Practices do not save us. Rather, they tune our hearts to hear from our Father. One of the practical ways we do this as followers of Jesus is to put into practice what Jesus did, and that is to pray.
One of the most well-known passages in Scripture, the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4), is a central prayer for followers of Jesus. As we look at the prayer, three observations can be made.
Prayer is Access. God desires a relationship with us, and through Jesus, we have access to the Father.
Prayer is an Alignment. When we pray, we open our hearts to Him so that our will and desires can be submitted and realigned to those of our Father.
Prayer is Authority. To pray in Jesus' name is powerful, and when we do so, we are claiming the reigning authority of God's Kingdom.
The question becomes, how do we put this into practice?
Pray first. What would it look like to pray before taking action?
Talk with God, not at God. When you pray, allow time and space for our Father to respond.
Borrow prayer. When we don't know what to pray, we can borrow prayers from the saints who have gone before. One place to begin is the book of Psalms.
A prayer card was provided to help guide you through different options to integrate this practice into your life. For those who were unable to attend in person, a card will be available in the chapel lobby next Sunday, and we invite you to take one. You can also access a digital version below.
Transform | Nov. 12, 2023
It was a blessing to come together with you this morning, engage with our Heavenly Father, and hear from Danny as he taught us about the practice of fasting. When we talk about fasting as a spiritual practice, it is abstaining from all food for a period of time, not as an end to make us more holy, but as a means to make room for the holiness of God to settle on our bodies. When we fast, four things are happening in our bodies.
Breaking the habit of pursuing personal fulfillment through pleasure
Revealing what’s in our heart
Re-ordering our desires
Drawing on the power of God to overcome sin
Fasting has long been considered one of the most powerful disciplines to free our body and soul from the chains of sin and the prison of shame. Fasting can be seen throughout the Old Testament and is mentioned more than 30 times in the New Testament. If we needed any more evidence as to why we should fast, we have it. Our Savior modeled this practice for us.
To get practical, Danny provided steps as to how we can step into this spiritual practice:
Start small. Put your body into a state of discomfort and use that discomfort to propel you into connection with God
When you feel hungry – Pray. The prayer card made available last week can be used to get started.
Do this in community. Fast with your spouse, significant other, friends, or community group.
A fasting card was provided to help guide you through different options to integrate this practice into your life. For those who were unable to attend in person, a card will be available in the chapel lobby next Sunday, and we invite you to take one. You can also access a digital version below.
When we actively deny the way of the world, the desires of the flesh, and focus those desires toward God we are entering into a deeper holistic experience with God through his Spirit, and it’s in those spaces that transformation happens.
Transform | Nov. 19, 2023
This morning Pastor Dale brought our Transform series to a close as he taught on the practice of Sabbath. Sabbath is practicing the rest that Jesus invites us into. It was created in you internally as a God-placed rhythm or desire in your life.
Sabbath is a weekly period of time...
Where you don’t produce
You don’t instruct
You don’t compete
It’s a weekly rhythm where you live in such a way that “God will have to take care of the world without you for a few hours.”
The idea is to resist the artificial urgency of our days and lean into not worrying about tomorrow. It is an act of regular and intentional trust in God’s rule on Earth. When we practice this purposeful pause, we make room for God to take up residence in our individual lives and communities. And when we do this, we take part in the new creation story, setting the stage for God to make his dwelling place once again on Earth.
A sabbath card was provided to help guide you through different options to integrate this practice into your life. There's also a fantastic resource from a ministry called Practicing the Way which has a four-week experience around Sabbath. To learn more, visit practicingtheway.org/sabbath.
If you would like to join a group to learn and practice this gift from God, simply email info@calvarylg.com and write “Sabbath Practice.” For those who were unable to attend in person, the three practice cards from the series will be available in the chapel lobby next Sunday, and we invite you to take them. You can also access a digital version of the sabbath practice card below.
