How has Jesus changed you?
The Bible describes meeting Jesus as a life changing experience. Putting our faith in Him and receiving His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit is said to so drastically alter us as to render us “reborn”. That implies that the old person dies and is replaced with a new one. Sadly though we’re more inclined to be content to hear the Gospel and to take comfort in it’s message of mercy, and less to embrace a full commitment to a drastically changed life. Paul’s defense to the crowd that wants to beat him to death, helps us understand the way Jesus changes those who genuinely follow Him.
Scripture
Acts 22:1-29 ESV “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” [2] And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: [3] “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. [4] I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, [5] as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. [6] “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. [7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ [8] And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. [10] And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ [11] And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. [12] “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. [14] And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; [15] for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. [16] And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ [17] “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance [18] and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ [19] And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. [20] And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ [21] And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” [22] Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” [23] And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, [24] the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. [25] But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” [26] When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” [27] So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” [28] The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” [29] So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
Through the Scripture
The persecutor becomes the persecuted
Paul starts his defence with the same words as Stephen did. As Paul had gathered witnesses against Stephen, under the same false charges, so the exact same thin was happening to him. There is a deep acknowledgement that Paul had swapped places, changed sides.
Acts 22:1-2 ESV “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” [2] And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet.
Acts 6:12-14 ESV And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, [13] and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, [14] for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”
Acts 7:2 ESV And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
Acts 7:58 ESV Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
The legalist becomes the messenger of grace
Paul sees that the people who want him dead are just like he was before meeting Jesus. Their zeal to put him to death was the same zeal he had to put others to death. His training and life’s mission was the same. Instead of hating them for their hatred, he’s able to understand and empathise, because he now knows grace and is a minister of grace.
Acts 22:3-5 ESV And he said: [3] “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. [4] I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, [5] as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
Acts 20:24 ESV But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
The visionary becomes blind
Paul had a clear vision for his life he devoted it to the law and the punishment of those who he saw as law breakers. When Jesus meets him, he no longer sees, knows or understands things the way he used to. The vision is taken away and replaced, but for a time he’s just stunned and literally blind. He has to come to an end of what he thinks he knows, of why he thinks he exists, that’s the beginning of turning around.
Acts 22:6-9 ESV “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. [7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ [8] And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ [9] Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
John 9:39-41 ESV Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” [40] Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” [41] Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
The authority comes under authority, gains purpose
Paul had been used to being his “own authority” he was a driven independent man on a mission. We always hear of his plans and initiative, he exercises authority but doesn’t come under it. Now that all changes, Jesus now tells him what to do and where to go, Jesus has now given him a purpose. He is now a witness, and an eye witness at that. One who has seen and heard the truth first hand.
Acts 22:10-15 ESV And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ [11] And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. [12] “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, [13] came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. [14] And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; [15] for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. [16] And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Rejected by those who had accepted, and accepted by those who had rejected
Paul’s friends and supporters become his enemies and his enemies become his friends. When Jesus changes us he also changes where we belong, where we fit in and who helps us and who threatens us. A changed person also has the people around them changed.
Acts 22:17-21 ESV “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance [18] and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ [19] And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. [20] And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ [21] And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
1 Peter 4:14-16 ESV If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. [15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. [16] Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 ESV Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” [34] Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
The stuff that was wasted become useful
Along with all the changes, comes so many things that don;t necessarily change, but are now used for good and worthwhile purposes. Paul’s Roman citizenship by birth doesn’t change - but perhaps for the first time it becomes really useful. Everything that God designs into our lives will be used for His purposes, not our own. Wealth, education, influence and association, along with everything else become effective tools in God’s plan.
Acts 22:22-29 ESV Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” [23] And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, [24] the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. [25] But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” [26] When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” [27] So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” [28] The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” [29] So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
John 6:11-13 ESV Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12] And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” [13] So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
Daily Devotions
Monday: Trading Places - From Persecutor to Persecuted
Scripture
Acts 22:1-2 ESV - "Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you." And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet.
Reflection
Paul begins his defense with the exact same words Stephen used before being stoned to death—with Paul himself overseeing the execution. Now the tables have turned. The persecutor has become the persecuted. This is not merely ironic; it reveals the profound nature of transformation in Christ.
True change in Jesus is not about improving your environment or circumstances. It is about being so radically altered that you trade places entirely—from darkness to light, from death to life, from judgment to grace. Paul once stood watching Stephen die for faith in Jesus. Now Paul stands ready to die for that same faith. This is not behavior modification or environment adjustment. This is resurrection—the old person dies and a new one is born.
When Jesus changes us, He does not simply make us better versions of ourselves. He makes us entirely new creations. The evidence is not subtle improvement but dramatic reversal. What we once loved, we now hate. What we once pursued, we now flee. What we once destroyed, we now build. This is the testimony of genuine conversion: we have traded places with who we were.
Supporting Scriptures
Acts 7:2 - And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
Acts 7:58 - Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Acts 6:13-14 - And they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place."
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Application
Consider your life before Christ and your life now. Have you traded places, or have you simply adjusted your behavior? True conversion is not about becoming a better version of yourself—it is about becoming someone entirely different. This week, examine whether you have experienced genuine transformation or merely improvement. Ask yourself: What did I once love that I now hate? What did I once pursue that I now flee? What did I once destroy that I now build?
The world believes people change when their environment changes—that if you put someone in a better situation, they will become better. But Christianity teaches the opposite: when Jesus changes a person, that person begins to change their environment. You are not a product of your circumstances. If Christ is in you, you are a transformer of circumstances. Stop waiting for your environment to change you. Allow Jesus to change you so radically that you transform your environment.
Prayer Points
Ask Jesus to show you areas where you have merely improved behavior rather than experienced genuine transformation.
Pray for the courage to embrace the death of your old self and the resurrection of the new.
Confess ways you have believed that changing circumstances would change you, rather than trusting Christ to change you first.
Ask God to give you the testimony of one who has truly traded places—from darkness to light, from death to life.
Thank Jesus for the radical, resurrection power that makes new creations out of dead sinners.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Tuesday: From Legalism to Grace
Scripture
Acts 20:24 ESV - But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Reflection
Paul's entire identity had been wrapped in the law. He was educated by Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He was zealous for God, pursuing righteousness through perfect obedience. He wielded the law as a weapon, binding and imprisoning those he deemed lawbreakers. His vision for life was enforcement—if he laid down the law harshly enough, aggressively enough, with enough authority, people would change.
Then Jesus met him. And everything shifted from law to grace. Paul did not abandon truth or righteousness, but he discovered that the law could not produce what he thought it could. The law exposes sin; it does not cure it. The law shows us we need a Savior; it does not save us. Paul moved from being a minister of condemnation to a minister of grace.
This transformation is evident in how Paul addresses the murderous crowd. He does not stand in judgment, calling them stupid or insane. Instead, he says, "You and I are the same." He sees them through the lens of grace—people who are exactly where he once was, desperately needing what only Jesus can give. When our hearts change from legalism to grace, we stop seeing people as projects to fix and start seeing them as souls to love. We stop wielding truth as a weapon and start offering it as bread to the starving.
Supporting Scriptures
Acts 22:3-5 - I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women.
Romans 3:20 - For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Galatians 2:21 - I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Titus 3:5 - He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Application
How do you approach people who are sinning or struggling? Do you wield truth as a weapon, trying to enforce righteousness through harsh words and aggressive confrontation? Or do you extend grace, recognizing that you were once in their position and only Jesus' mercy saved you? Legalism believes that if we enforce rules strictly enough, people will change. Grace understands that only Jesus changes hearts.
This week, examine your approach to righteousness. Are you trying to produce change through enforcement, or are you testifying to the grace that changed you? When you see someone caught in sin, do you respond with "How could you?" or with "I understand—I was there too, and Jesus rescued me"? The shift from legalism to grace is evidence that Jesus is transforming you.
Remember: you cannot make yourself righteous through rule-keeping, and you certainly cannot make others righteous that way. Only grace transforms. Only Jesus saves. Your job is not to enforce the law; it is to testify to the grace of God.
Prayer Points
Confess areas where you have tried to produce righteousness through legalistic enforcement rather than grace.
Ask God to help you see others through the lens of grace—as people who need Jesus, not projects to fix.
Pray for the humility to remember that you are where you are only because of grace, not superior obedience.
Request the Holy Spirit's help to extend to others the same grace you have received from Christ.
Thank Jesus for rescuing you from the futility of trying to save yourself through law-keeping.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Wednesday: From Vision to Blindness to New Sight
Scripture
Acts 22:6-9 ESV - As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
Reflection
Paul had clarity. He knew exactly who he was, what his purpose was, and where he was going. He had a vision for his life—devoted to the law, committed to punishing lawbreakers, certain of his righteousness. Then Jesus knocked him off his horse and blinded him. Suddenly, the man with the clearest vision could not see anything at all.
This is how transformation often works. Before Jesus can give us new sight, He must take away our old vision. We must come to the end of what we think we know, why we think we exist, and what we believe about ourselves. We must be stunned into blindness—realizing that everything we thought was right was actually wrong, that our clarity was actually delusion, that our certainty was actually arrogance.
In that darkness, something beautiful happens. We become teachable. We stop relying on our own understanding and start asking, "What shall I do, Lord?" We stop directing our own steps and start waiting to be "told all that is appointed for us to do." Paul's physical blindness was a picture of his spiritual transformation. He had to lose his vision so Jesus could give him true sight.
Supporting Scriptures
John 9:39-41 - Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains."
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Application
Have you been knocked off your horse yet? Or are you still riding confidently forward, certain of your vision, clear about your purpose, sure of your righteousness? Sometimes the kindest thing Jesus can do is blind us—to strip away our false certainty and force us to ask, "What shall I do, Lord?"
This week, identify areas where you are still relying on your own vision rather than asking for His. Where are you charging ahead with your plans, your understanding, your certainty? What would it look like to surrender that clarity and admit, "Lord, I don't know. I can't see. Show me what You want"? The moment you stop trusting your vision and start trusting His voice is the moment genuine transformation begins.
Prayer Points
Ask Jesus to show you areas where you are relying on your own understanding rather than His leading.
Pray for the willingness to have your false certainty stripped away so you can receive true sight.
Confess specific ways you have been confident in your own vision rather than seeking His.
Request the humility to admit when you are spiritually blind and need His light.
Thank God that He loves you enough to knock you off your horse when you are heading in the wrong direction.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Thursday: From Self-Authority to Submitted Obedience
Scripture
Acts 22:10 ESV - And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'
Reflection
Paul had been his own authority. He made his own plans, pursued his own mission, exercised power over others but submitted to no one. We always hear of Paul's initiative—his drive, his independence, his self-directed zeal. He was a man on a mission that he had chosen for himself.
Then Jesus knocked him down and gave him a new question to ask: "What shall I do, Lord?" Not "What do I want to do?" or "What do I think is best?" but "What shall I do, Lord?" And Jesus' answer was revolutionary: "You will be told all that is appointed for you to do." No longer would Paul direct his own steps. No longer would he be his own authority. From that moment forward, Jesus would tell him where to go, what to do, and why he existed.
This is one of the clearest signs that Jesus is changing someone: they move from being their own authority to coming under His authority. They stop asking, "What do I want?" and start asking, "What do You want?" They stop making demands and start taking orders. This is especially difficult for those who struggle with authority—who do not let anyone tell them what to do. But submission to Jesus' lordship is not optional for Christians. If He is not your Lord, He is not your Savior.
Supporting Scriptures
Acts 22:14-15 - And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.'
Luke 6:46 - Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Application
Who is the authority in your life? Do you make your own plans and ask God to bless them, or do you ask God for His plans and obey? Do you tell Jesus what you want Him to do for you, or do you ask Him what He wants you to do for Him? The movement from self-authority to submitted obedience is one of the clearest evidences of genuine conversion.
This week, examine the decisions you are making. Are you directing your own life and asking Jesus to rubber-stamp your plans? Or are you genuinely asking, "What shall I do, Lord?" and waiting for His answer? Surrender is not a one-time event; it is a daily discipline. Each morning, you must choose whether you will be your own authority or submit to His.
Prayer Points
Confess specific areas where you have been your own authority rather than submitting to Jesus as Lord.
Ask Jesus to help you move from telling Him what to do to asking Him what He wants you to do.
Pray for the grace to wait for His direction rather than charging ahead with your own plans.
Request the Holy Spirit's help to submit daily to Jesus' lordship in every area of your life.
Thank God that His plans for you are better than anything you could design for yourself.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Friday: Changed People, Changed Places
Scripture
Acts 22:17-21 ESV - When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' ... And he said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'
Reflection
Paul thought his friends would remain his friends. He had studied with them, grown up with them, shared everything in common with them. Surely they would listen to his testimony about Jesus. But Jesus warned him: they will not accept you. Your friends will become your enemies, and your enemies will become your friends. You will be sent far away, to people you once despised, and they will become your family.
This is one of the most painful aspects of transformation in Christ: when Jesus changes you, the people around you change too. Not because they transform, but because you no longer fit where you once belonged. Those who loved you may now reject you. Those who accepted you may now despise you. And those you never imagined befriending may become your closest companions.
This happens because when Jesus changes us, we become different. We no longer share the same values, pursue the same goals, or find joy in the same things. The disconnect is not always dramatic—people do not always shout, "Leave me alone, Jesus freak!" Sometimes it is subtle. But if Jesus is genuinely changing you, you will find that some relationships drift away while new ones form. The people who are drawn to you will change because you have changed.
Supporting Scriptures
1 Peter 4:14-16 - If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.
Matthew 10:34-37 - Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother... Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.
Application
Have your relationships changed since following Jesus? If not, ask yourself whether you have truly been transformed. Genuine change in Christ inevitably affects who you spend time with, who accepts you, and who rejects you. This is not about being judgmental or abandoning people; it is about recognizing that when you change, compatibility changes.
This week, examine your relationships honestly. Are you still trying to maintain friendships that pull you away from Jesus? Are you holding onto acceptance from people who despise the One you claim to follow? Conversely, are you embracing the new family God is giving you—people who love Jesus and therefore love you? Let go of relationships that corrupt your walk with Christ, and embrace the community of believers God is placing around you.
Prayer Points
Ask God to give you wisdom about which relationships to nurture and which to release.
Pray for the courage to accept rejection from those who cannot accept your transformation in Christ.
Confess any ways you have compromised your walk with Jesus to maintain certain friendships.
Request that the Lord would surround you with people who love Him and will encourage your growth.
Thank God for the new family He gives to those who follow Jesus.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Saturday: God Wastes Nothing
Scripture
John 6:12 ESV - And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost."
Reflection
Paul was born a Roman citizen—a privilege he probably wondered about his whole life. Why am I, a highly qualified Jewish Pharisee, born with Roman citizenship? What value does that have? For years, it seemed like an odd detail, perhaps useful for gaining influence or avoiding certain troubles. But when Paul stood chained between Roman soldiers, about to be flogged, his citizenship suddenly became invaluable. It opened doors, granted him audiences, and ultimately enabled him to reach Caesar's household with the gospel.
This reveals a beautiful truth about God's character: He wastes nothing. Every detail of your life—the privileges you were born with, the skills you developed, the experiences you had (even the painful ones), the education you received, the places you have lived—everything is material God can use for His purposes. Things you thought were wasted, God will redeem. Gifts you misused for selfish ambition, God will redirect for His glory. Even the horrific things that happened to you, God will not waste.
When Jesus changes you, He does not discard who you were; He redeems it. Your personality, your talents, your background, your experiences—all of it becomes useful in His hands. The same skills you once used for destruction, you will now use for building. The same influence you once wielded for selfish gain, you will now steward for God's kingdom.
Supporting Scriptures
Acts 22:25-28 - But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?"... The tribune answered, "I bought this citizenship for a large sum." Paul said, "But I am a citizen by birth."
Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Genesis 50:20 - As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Application
What parts of your life do you think are wasted or useless? Perhaps you have education you are not using, experiences that seem pointless, or privileges that feel like burdens. Maybe you have painful chapters you wish you could erase. This week, surrender all of it to God—the good, the bad, the confusing, the painful. Ask Him to show you how He might redeem and use what you thought was wasted.
Stop saying, "God can't use that part of my life." He can and He will. The horror of your past, the privileges of your birth, the talents you have squandered—He wastes none of it. When you see Him begin to use what you thought was useless, you will know Jesus is changing you. You will witness the miracle of redemption—not just of your soul, but of every detail of your life.
Prayer Points
Thank God that He designed every detail of your life with purpose, even things you do not yet understand.
Ask Him to show you how He can use parts of your story you thought were wasted or irredeemable.
Confess any bitterness or regret you have been carrying about your past, your experiences, or your circumstances.
Pray for eyes to see how God is already redeeming and using things you thought were lost.
Thank Jesus that He is in the business of gathering fragments, that nothing may be lost.
Full Sermon at Family Church Online
Sunday: The Evidence of Real Change
Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Reflection
The message of transformation is not a checklist for behavior modification. It is a description of what happens when Jesus genuinely changes a person. We have examined the evidence in Paul's life: from persecutor to persecuted, from legalist to minister of grace, from self-directed visionary to blind follower, from his own authority to submitted servant, from accepted by enemies of Jesus to rejected by them and accepted by His people, from wasting his privileges to watching God use them for eternal purposes.
This is not a call to try harder to be different. This is an invitation to examine whether you have been genuinely changed. Christianity is not about improving yourself or adjusting your environment. It is about being so radically transformed by Jesus that you become a new creation—the old person dies, and a new one is raised to life.
If you have been comfortable with simply hearing the gospel and taking comfort in its message of mercy, but have not embraced a drastically changed life, today is the day to ask Jesus for real transformation. Do not settle for being a better version of yourself. Ask Him to make you entirely new. The change may be slow, but it will be consistent. And as you watch the evidence accumulate over months and years, you will be able to say with confidence: Jesus has changed me.
Supporting Scriptures
Ezekiel 36:26 - And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 1:6 - And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:9-10 - Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Application
This week, conduct an honest self-examination. Look for the evidences we have studied: Have you moved from legalism to grace? Do you submit to Jesus' authority rather than being your own? Are you compelled to witness about what you have seen and heard? Have your relationships changed? Is God redeeming and using parts of your life you thought were wasted?
If you see these changes, thank God! They are evidence that Jesus is transforming you. If you do not see them, do not try harder to produce them. Instead, cry out to Jesus for genuine conversion. Ask Him to do what only He can do—kill the old person and raise a new one. Pray not for the strength to improve yourself, but for the grace to be remade entirely. Then watch for the evidence. It will come—slowly, surely, consistently—as Jesus changes you from the inside out.
Prayer Points
Ask Jesus to show you honestly whether you have experienced genuine transformation or merely behavior modification.
Confess any ways you have been content with hearing the gospel without embracing a radically changed life.
Pray for real conversion—the death of your old self and the birth of a new creation in Christ.
Thank God for His patience with your slow but steady transformation.
Request the Holy Spirit's ongoing work to complete what He has begun in you.