Real transformation: The Biblical View
Leader's introduction:
Studies:
I. The mystery in transformation: our work or God's?
II. The promise and goal of transformation
III. The heart of transformation: relationship with God
IV. A key to transformation: the renewing of our minds
V. Our minds: the battleground of transformation
VI. The crucible of transformation: suffering
Focus:
These studies unpack what the Bible has to say about real personal transformation: what is our hope, how does it happen, and how we can cooperate with God.
Suggestions:
Make a copy of each study for everyone in the group. Encourage them to write down their responses and keep them in a notebook for further meditation. If you invest in a 3-hole-punch you can hand them out notebook-real. Take time before each meeting to go through the study yourself, considering especially your personal application. Have a different person read each verse and comment on it before opening it up for general discussion. Today's New International Version was the one used in preparing these studies and the one used at church. Encourage people to look deeper than the "right answer," making it personal whenever possible. "What does this mean to you?” Encourage people to share about the areas in which they would like to see real transformation in their lives. Your honesty will help them to be honest. Keep pointing back to the importance of personally experiencing God's love and forgiveness as the key to transformation.
Prayer ministry ideas:
Take time to be silent and listen for what the Lord might want to add to the discussion. Take turns sharing these pictures or words. Pray for each other about specific areas where people would like to see transformation in their lives.
Follow-up assignment:
After the first week, tell people to pray about one area in which they are going to be praying for transformation in the weeks to come. Have them share these areas the next week and pair them up to commit to provide intercessory prayer support for each other for the remaining weeks.
Real Transformation: The Biblical View
Part I: The mystery in transformation: our work or God’s?
What does the word transformation mean? If you are honest, do you think that real transformation is possible for you?
I. The mystery: who makes transformation happen? (Phil.2:12-13)
Our part:
God’s part:
How does knowing what God is working towards help us to do our part?
II. Examples of our part/God's part
A. Doing good works (Phil.1:3-6)
Our part:
God’s part:
How does God's good work in us cause us to be good partners in the gospel?
B. Being pure (Phil.2:14-16)
Our part:
God’s part:
How does not grumbling or arguing lead to purity?
C. Reaching the goal (Phil.3:12)
Our part:
God’s part:
There is a deeper meaning here in Greek. The first "take hold" is "lambano” which means to take hold of and the second is "katalambano" which means to take hold of aggressively.
Which one is holding on the tightest?
D. Being conformed to Christ (Phil.3:17-21)
Our part:
God’s part?
What difference does it make where our mind is set?
E. Living in peace (Phil.4:4-9)
Our part:
God’s part:
What does it mean to have your heart and mind guarded?
Where have you experienced this mystery in your life? Do you usually err on the side of trying to do it all yourself or in being passive and waiting for God to make it happen?
Real transformation: The Biblical View
Part II: The promise and goal of transformation
How hard is it for you to imagine that you could be transformed, not just changing your behavior, but what drives you inside?
I. The Promise
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. II Cor.3:16-18
Where is our hope? What changes us?
What is the ultimate purpose of our transformation?
II. Two pictures of where we are headed
Consider these as descriptions of what God plans on doing in you rather than a to-do list that you have to accomplish.
A. Gal.5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Which one of these would you like to see growing in your life?
What is underneath your lack in this area?
B. I Cor.13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Cor.13: 4-8
How does this list challenge you in your love for others?
Consider that this is a description of God’s love for you. What in this list do you need to believe more about Him?
III. How are we going to get there?
Dear friends, now we are children of God, what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall we him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. I Jn.3:2-3
What promise do we have from God in these verses?
How do you think hope in Christ purifies us?
How does it change things to realize that the ultimate purpose of your transformation is to bring glory to Jesus?
Real transformation: The Biblical View
Part III: The heart of transformation: relationship with God
Why do you think God designed it so that our relationship with Him would be at the heart of our transformation?
I. Review
A. Spiritual transformation involves a mysterious combination of our “working out our own salvation” and God “working in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Phil.2:12-13
B. Spiritual transformation begins with us turning to the Lord and being able “contemplate him with unveiled faces” and will end when Christ appears and we “shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. II Cor.3:16-18
C. Spiritual transformation happens as we “have this hope in Him,” and thus “purify ourselves, just as He is pure.” I Jn.3:2-3
D. Spiritual transformation will result in us looking like Jesus: Some pictures of what this looks like are found in the “fruit of the Spirit”(Gal.5:22-23) and the description of love in I Cor.13. Note: this is a promise, not a impossible to-do list.
II. Experiencing God’s love prepares us for transformation
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Col.3:12-14.
How does God’s love prepare us for transformation?
III. Knowing the depth of God’s love frees us for transformation
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have. Confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” I Jn.4:16-18
How does fear get in the way of transformation?
IV. Remembering God’s provision and forgiveness fosters transformation
A. What has God provided for us for transformation?
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. II Pet.1:3-4
B. What role does our effort play in transformation?
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control perseverance; and, to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
C. What can keep us from being transformed?
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if any of you do not have them, you are nearsighted and blind, and you have forgotten that you have been cleansed from your sins.” II Pet.1:3-9
Based on these verses, how is our relationship with God the place where our transformation starts?
What role does our effort play?
How would you like to see your relationship with God improved?
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Real Transformation: The Biblical View
Part IV: A key to transformation: the renewing of our minds
What does renewal mean outside of a spiritual context? Have you ever felt personally renewed?
I. Offering our bodies and renewing our minds (Rom.12:1-3)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship.
What does it mean to offer your body?
Why is this a response to God’s mercy?
Why does this come before renewing your mind?
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
How do we conform to the pattern of this world? How does this relate to our minds? How does this connect with God’s will?
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
What does this mean? What does it add?
II. Setting our minds (Col.3:1-4)
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
How do you set your mind?
What difference does this make?
III. Thinking about such things (Phil.4:8-9)
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – is anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me – put it into practice. And the God of peace with be with you.
What things are these?
What is the connection between thinking and practice?
What is the promised result?
IV. Listening to the Holy Spirit (I Cor.2:10-12)
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit within? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
How do we receive this help from the Spirit?
What is it God wants us to understand?
V. Being of one mind (Rom.15:5-6)
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does our attitude of mind towards each other have to do with being of one mind (a charge often seen in the Bible)?
What is the chief reason for us to be of one mind?
In what specific areas do you think your mind needs to be renewed?
What are the lies that you are believing that keep you where you are?
What could you do to begin to see renewal in this area of your mind?
Real Transformation: The Biblical View
Part V: Our minds: the battleground of transformation
What is involved in a battle? Why do you think our minds are a battleground?
I. Recognizing the battleground
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Rom.8:5-7
What are the two possibilities for our minds?
What are the two results?
How does the state of the mind affect our relationship with God?
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen Rom.1:25
What is the truth?
What is the lie?