Paul exhorts Christians not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are united with Christ and God is conforming us to his image. We are conformed to the image of Jesus as we follow in his footsteps. We are united with him in his arrival, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and eventual return. His life is the mold that God uses to transform his people. One day, when we see the Lord, our transformation will cease, and we will be completely like him.

It is no accident that the transforming renewal of God happens first in our mind. More than anything else, our thoughts determine our attitudes, actions, and words. It is profoundly important to attend to the renewal of our minds. If we want to see transformation, it will begin in our thoughts.

Renew my mind, kind Father, and transform my life.

The church patterns our life together on the story of Jesus in hopes that together we will be conformed to his image. As we make the yearly journey through Christ’s story, his life becomes the pattern of our shared life. The story of God in Christ gives structure to our ongoing discipleship.

~ Ryan Carter, Guard the Good Deposit: The Great Tradition for the Whole Church. Wichita: TUMI Press, 2019. pp. 48-49.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Live as Ambassadors, John 13.12-20

Book Reading
Anizor and Voss, Representing Christ