Bill Longworth

JonathanVanderMey

KellyVanderMey

MichaelLabrecque

MichelleDearing

JimFletcher

JoshGabrielson

BrittneyWard

JeffZarn

ElizabethMaxey

KaylaBolduc

RhondaWilson

Anonymous

JeffDearing

MekaylaChildress

MelindaChildress-Dearing

JonathanMcGlothlin

DonnyWestervelt

StaceyMeehan-

Westervelt

RoniBoswell

Steve Robertson

TinaNunley

Culture andCulture and

(Change)(Change)

ChristChrist

All the right stuffAll the right stuff

Then 18 and…Then 18 and…

Great guyGreat guy

But…But…

Religious Church CultureReligious Church Culture

ProducesProduces

Treadmills and TowersTreadmills and Towers

What's the Problem?What's the Problem?

The Fall!The Fall!

Therefore…Therefore…

Changing outward Changing outward behavior alonebehavior alone

Means Means nothingnothing

Yet we are surrounded by a Yet we are surrounded by a Church CultureChurch CultureBent on producingBent on producing

Right behaviorRight behavior

ThatThat I experience change I experience changeIs less important thanIs less important thanHowHow I am changed I am changed

If anyone is in Christ, he If anyone is in Christ, he isis a new a new creation. Old things have creation. Old things have passed away. All things are passed away. All things are becoming new- 2 Cor. 5:17becoming new- 2 Cor. 5:17

IfIf in Jesus, process… in Jesus, process…

Living out of Death (old self)Living out of Death (old self)Produces DeathProduces Death

Living out of New Life (new creation) Living out of New Life (new creation)

Produces LifeProduces Life

Living out of DeathLiving out of Death

"It's about my behavior…""It's about my behavior…"

- Guilt or self-righteousness- Guilt or self-righteousness- Wrong focus- Wrong focus-- Self-Self-LimitingLimiting

Behavior ModificationBehavior Modification

I need to…for me, for God, for I need to…for me, for God, for someone elsesomeone else

I want to…I want to… ChangeChange

I try to…I try to…

Behavior Modification=Behavior Modification=What I want to do:What I want to do:

- For God- For God- For myself- For myself- For others- For others

Living out of death:Living out of death:

It's about what I doIt's about what I doHow I liveHow I liveMe!Me!

We live in a Church CultureWe live in a Church CultureBent on producing right behaviorBent on producing right behavior

Without consideringWithout consideringA changed heartA changed heart

Identity, Adoption- "Yes!"Identity, Adoption- "Yes!"

"So now I must do"So now I must doso I can stay in that love…"so I can stay in that love…"

"I'm not doing enough right- "I'm not doing enough right- so I can't be close to God…"so I can't be close to God…"

Identity, Adoption- "Yes!"Identity, Adoption- "Yes!"

"So now I must do"So now I must doso I can stay in that love…"so I can stay in that love…"

"I'm not doing enough right- "I'm not doing enough right-

so I can't be close to God…"so I can't be close to God…"

Focus:Focus:Me!Me!

Living out of New Life-Living out of New Life-"It's about God's grace, not my "It's about God's grace, not my behavior…"behavior…"

- Freedom- Freedom- Conviction and Prayer- Conviction and Prayer- Unlimited- Unlimited

Focus: Focus: Jesus!Jesus!

II don't go around feeling guiltydon't go around feeling guiltyI can't go around looking down onI can't go around looking down on

Living out of New Life:Living out of New Life:

Changed HeartChanged HeartWhich produces changed actionsWhich produces changed actions

I submit to Jesus=I submit to Jesus=

My desires…My desires… Change Change

I experience…I experience…

I praise God for…I praise God for…

Instead of what I want to do…Instead of what I want to do…What God wants to do:What God wants to do:

In meIn meFor meFor meFor my worldFor my worldTo To hishis glory glory

Jesus didn't Suffer, Die andJesus didn't Suffer, Die andRise on the 3Rise on the 3rdrd Day Day

To produce a better versionTo produce a better versionOf youOf you

Better Version:Better Version:

Treadmills- I gotta keep doing thingsTreadmills- I gotta keep doing things

Towers- I keep up appearances and Towers- I keep up appearances and look down on everyone elselook down on everyone else

……all of us who were baptized all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death…into his death…

We were therefore buried We were therefore buried with with him through baptism into death in him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, glory of the Father, we too may we too may live a new lifelive a new life- Rom. 6:3-4- Rom. 6:3-4

Death to self Death to self produces life the wayproduces life the wayGod intendedGod intended

When I stop saying, When I stop saying, "My way!""My way!"I experience his best…I experience his best…

ThatThat I experience change I experience changeIs less important thanIs less important thanHowHow I am changed I am changed

How do I change?How do I change?

If with Christ you died...why, as if If with Christ you died...why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations- “Do not you submit to regulations- “Do not

handle, Do not taste, Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch...”- according to human touch...”- according to human

precepts and teachings?precepts and teachings?

These have indeed an These have indeed an appearanceappearance of wisdom in promoting self-made of wisdom in promoting self-made

religion…but they are of religion…but they are of no value no value in stopping the indulgence in stopping the indulgence

of the fleshof the flesh- Colossians 2:20-23- Colossians 2:20-23

The problem with The problem with Behavior ModificationBehavior Modification

Is that it never touchesIs that it never touchesThe desires that caused The desires that caused the original actionsthe original actions

God's solution= God's solution= TransformationTransformation

I appeal to you therefore, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to brothers, by the mercies of God, to

present your bodies as a living present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable sacrifice, holy and acceptable

to God, to God, which is your which is your spiritual worshipspiritual worship

Do not be Do not be conformedconformed to this to this world, but be world, but be transformed by the transformed by the

renewal of your mind, renewal of your mind, that by that by testing you may discern what is testing you may discern what is

the will of God, what is good and the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfectacceptable and perfect

- Romans 12:1-2- Romans 12:1-2

Conformed= Conformed= external changeexternal changeThat never touches the heartThat never touches the heart

Transformed= Transformed= internal changeinternal changeThat changes everythingThat changes everythingIncluding behaviorIncluding behavior

Religious Rules-Religious Rules-No value No value against the lusts against the lusts of the fleshof the flesh

God's Transforming Power-God's Transforming Power-TransformedTransformed by renewal of your mind= by renewal of your mind=Changed heart and lifeChanged heart and life

UFC UFC Peter vs. ZaccheusPeter vs. Zaccheus

Peter came up and said to Jesus, Peter came up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin “Lord, how often will my brother sin

against me, and I forgive him? As against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”many as seven times?”

I'll keep count.I'll keep count.I'll modify my behavior.I'll modify my behavior.

I'll give them more chances!I'll give them more chances!

Jesus said to him, “I do not say Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but to you seven times, but seventy-seven times…"seventy-seven times…"- Matt. 18:21-22- Matt. 18:21-22

"You'll know your heart has "You'll know your heart has changed when you stop counting. changed when you stop counting. And start looking for ways to And start looking for ways to forgive and show grace. And not forgive and show grace. And not until…"until…"

ThatThat I experience change I experience changeIs less important thanIs less important thanHowHow I am changed I am changed

ZaccheusZaccheus

Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”times the amount.”

I'm not gonna beI'm not gonna beThat person anymoreThat person anymore

I believe in youI believe in you

Jesus said to him, Jesus said to him, “Today “Today salvation has come to this salvation has come to this house,house, because this man, too, is a because this man, too, is a

son of Abraham. For the Son of Man son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”came to seek and to save the lost”

- Luke 19:8-10- Luke 19:8-10

Salvation has comeSalvation has comeHis heart has been changedHis heart has been changed

Resulting in Resulting in changed actionschanged actions

One guy wanted toOne guy wanted toChange his behaviorChange his behaviorAnd Jesus rejected itAnd Jesus rejected it

Another guy had his heart changedAnother guy had his heart changedAnd it changed his behaviorAnd it changed his behaviorAnd Jesus accepted itAnd Jesus accepted it

The difference?The difference?

- What - What I I will dowill do- What - What God God hashas done done

And And is doingis doing in me in me

Living out of Death Produces:Living out of Death Produces:

- Hypocrisy and Pride (Tower)- Hypocrisy and Pride (Tower)- Exhaustion (Treadmill)- Exhaustion (Treadmill)- Lack of Peace and Joy- Lack of Peace and Joy- Lost Opportunities to Worship- Lost Opportunities to Worship

Religion can't celebrate the grace Religion can't celebrate the grace of God in our lives- it's too busyof God in our lives- it's too busy

Trying hard to be better than Trying hard to be better than While making everyone else feel While making everyone else feel bad about themselvesbad about themselves

I have come I have come that you may have that you may have life life and have it to the full- Jesusand have it to the full- Jesus

He must deny himself, He must deny himself, take up his take up his crosscross and follow me…- Jesus and follow me…- Jesus

ThatThat I experience change I experience changeIs less important thanIs less important thanHowHow I am changed I am changed

Jesus came to save youJesus came to save youFrom your Treadmills and TowersFrom your Treadmills and Towers

Are you on the Treadmill?Are you on the Treadmill?

Up on the Tower?Up on the Tower?

Burned by religionBurned by religion

So you threw Jesus and his peopleSo you threw Jesus and his peopleOut the window with it?Out the window with it?