For our final service of the year, we are visited again by guest speaker Robb Brewer! As we are soon to enter the new year later this week, Dr. Robb dives into a teaching called “Levels of Change” about how we need to change 5 different things in our lives when confronted with obstacles. 

Every believer can overcome in 2020 by understanding how Jesus works through five levels of change.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. /// Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

Now, the first level of change is our ENVIRONMENT. We can change our environment, where we reside in various places of our lives that we can control. However, this isn’t always the answer to problems, for example divorcing and then marrying someone new to change the environment won’t change who you are, and you very well may be the cause of some issues. This is where the second level comes in: BEHAVIOR. Behaviors are everything we think, feel, and do. Whenever we don’t like one of these aspects as influenced by outside sources in comparison to ourselves, we shift our environment to better fit our behaviors, but this can limit us if we aren’t living under the authority of Christ and pursue selfish desires instead. This limits our CAPACITY to be effective in the environments of our lives, and limits our BELIEFS which should be focused on God and ourselves. We are presented every day with evidence from sources that are lies about God and His character, and we must balance everything against scripture to make sure we know exactly who God is. We also spend every day asking the question “who am I,” trying to determine our identity and purpose in this life, many times focusing on the wrong things like our friends, bank accounts, or jobs to hear an immediate and temporary “well done” rather than aligning ourselves with Christ for an eternal salvation and grace of “well done good and faithful servant.” This comes full circle to our IDENTITY and how we see ourselves. When we look back at Galatians 2:20, we understand exactly what needs to be done: we must be crucified with Christ. We have to die to ourselves, and live in Christ instead! 

When we live under the lordship of Christ, our IDENTITY aligns with Him (I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me). If we want to experience powerful and everlasting change in 2020, we MUST start here. Now when our identity is in Christ, our BELIEFS fall in line to remain in faith (The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God). He gave the CAPACITY to fulfill these beliefs in our lives (who loved me), changing our BEHAVIORS to mirror God’s love and grace (gave himself) and filling every ENVIRONMENT we reside in for His glory (for me). Too often, we attack these steps in reverse order as presented above, starting with changing our environment first rather than our identity, starting with for me rather than setting our identity in Christ and allowing HIM to transform us! To experience true and lasting change this year, we must go to Christ first and fall under His authority, then the things around us will change.

Today’s Scriptures:

• Galatians 2:20

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