For the next few weeks, we are going to talk about change. We will be looking at it from a more individual level instead of a corporate level. To introduce this topic, let’s ask a few questions.
For those who are around 60 years old, what have you seen as the biggest changes in your life? 30 to 59 years old? Under 30 years old?
Some of the changes we have seen is significant. But not only physical changes (i.e. technology explosion) but emotional, spiritual, and relational changes as well. What is obvious, everything is changing constantly. There is movement, and by definition movement requires change.
So we have to ask, what is driving change? So as we ponder the changes around us, how we can impact the change we see, how God is working, the best place to start is with us.
We will use as the scripture we will use for our basis on our discussion regarding change. In the next few weeks, we will see how God is growing us into His people, and how it will apply in our own lives.
3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (ESV)