Change

Intro: When is the last time you took an inventory of your life and examined your heart! Is your spiritual life changing for the best? Lets look at what God says about change.

I. God desires change for us. Romans 8:29  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
How much like Jesus are you? God our Father is continually working in our lives to conform us into the image of Christ. That's His purpose for all of us. To live our lives more like Jesus and handle our problems more like He did, and be victorious over every situation in life. Father God wants the best for all of us. We must give up our way of doing things and obey His word, only then can we be assured God will help us with a new outlook on life and it's problems. He will give us the strength and power we need for each day to live for Jesus. Everything we need to change is found in Him and Him alone. We will never find spiritual change in this world around us, in better circumstances, or human relationships. The things in the world are constantly decaying because of the curse of sin and death. Nothing here below can make us more like Jesus.

II. Change begins when we face the truth about ourselves. Lamentations 3:40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord. Take a good look at your life. Are you closer to the Lord today than you were last year at this time? Have you gotten sidetracked? Are you troubled within? Are you weary and heavyhearted of life; feeling threatened, defenseless, helpless and overwhelmed with life's problems? Are you depressed and anxious about things? Tired of dealing with it all? Wishing you could get away from it all? Are you relying on yourself to solve all of life's problems? Do you keep making the same old mistakes in you life? If you keep doing things the same old way, you will wind up with the same old results. That's why change is necessary. For real change to take place, we must face the truth about ourselves! Have we let things come between us and the Lord? We must turn back to Him to change!

III. Change begins within you. Col. 1:27 To His saints God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. May we tap into this gold mine of power and peace that is deep within us, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This scripture reminds us that Christ Himself lives in us by His Spirit. He resides in the deepest depths of our being. He is in an constant union with your spirit. We must learn to surrender to the power of His Spirit within us if we hope for a change in our lives and to be able to overcome life's problems the way God intends for us to do. As you let Jesus' Spirit help you change whats inside you and how you respond to life's problems, you'll alter their outcome. Then you won't be continually burdened down by your situation in life. Col. 3:15 says to “let the peace of God rule in our lives.” Notice the word let. The choice is up to us believers: we do not automatically experience the peace of God. We are to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. When we read God's word and pray with the focus of our attention on Him, His peace will reign in us. The word "rule" means to act as an umpire. The peace of God is to be the umpire, the deciding factor in all our relationships, circumstances, and situations of life. As we let the peace of God rule in our hearts, we will become more like Jesus. Col. 3:16-17 says “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly” and allow it to become a part of us, then we will respond to life's situations in Christ's wisdom and power, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. As we allow Christ's Spirit within to bear His fruit in our lives daily, we will be conformed more and more into the image of Christ.

Invitation: To make a change in our lives, we must know Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Do you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Is His Spirit living within you? If not the bible says that today is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you and help you to handle all of life's problems and troubles.

His Spirit within you will begin to conform you into the likeness of Christ.