Refining Our Relationship With God III
Ready To Be Transformed

The transformation of our relationship changes who we are and what we believe. It also transforms how we live and what we pursue.

- Pagan Abram (later Abraham) believed God (Galatians 6:3) and became the “father of many nations”. (Genesis 17:5)
- Banished Jacob (Genesis 27:43) became a “prince” with the name Israel. (Genesis 32:28)
- Joseph, despised and hated by his brothers, became the ruler in Egypt “to save much people alive”. (Genesis 50:20)
- Moses the murderer became Moses the Deliverer. (Exodus 3:10)
- Gideon the fearful became Gideon the mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:12)
- Samuel the child became Samuel the Judge. (1 Samuel 7:15)
- David the shepherd became David the giant-killer
(1 Samuel 17:45) and king. (2 Samuel 7:8)
- Zacchaeus the dishonest tax collector became Zacchaeus the generous benefactor. (Luke 19:8)
- Peter the rough commercial fisherman became a “fisher of men”. (Matthew 4:19)
- Saul the self-righteous Pharisee and persecutor of Christians (Acts 9:1) became Paul the Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles. (2 Timothy 1:11)
- Not to mention The woman at the well in Samaria (John 4:1-42), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), the man possessed by demons living in the graveyard (Mark 5:1-20), Nicodemus (John 3:1-21; 7:50 ; 19:38-39) and many others.

Transformation
Merriam-Webster means - “a complete or major change in someone or something’s appearance, form, etc.”

Metamorphosis
Merriam-Webster means - “a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.”

Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Peter 1:3-9
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. 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. 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 whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

John 15:1-5
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus – The Vine
Father – The Gardener
We – The Branches

Look down on others who are different from us. - Appreciate how different God had made us.
Have a demanding spirit. - Giving spirit.
Are protective/selfish with our time, our rights, reputation. - Self-denying.
Expected to be served. - Motivated to serve others.
Driven to be recognized & appreciated. - Seeing it is a privilege to be used by God.
Wounded when overlooked. - Rejoice when others are lifted up.
Are quick to blame others. - Examined where they went wrong.
Are defensive when given feedback. - Receive feedback with open heart.
Are concerned with maintain an image & reputation. - Being real.
Are concerned about what others think. - Know all that matters is what God knows.
Confident in how much they know. - Feeling humbled by how much I have to learn.

Philippians 3:20-21
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, , who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies to that they will be like His glorious body.

We should value life transformation, not just information - our learning must lead to Christ-like living

Refining Our Relationship With God
1. Emotional Connection
2. Dare To Be Vulnerable
3. Ready To Be Transformed