Growth Points: Let God Transform You

The Journey Continues.

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
-Romans 12:2

Back in May, when God gave me the idea for this series, I had no idea where it would take me. And here we are, at the final growth point. (Although a God-fearing Christian never stops growing.)

If I could sum up what I’d like you to take away from this series, I’d put it in the words of Albert Einstein…

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.”

The goal of this series was to instill that truth in both of us. Christians can be men and women of success, but they should most importantly be men and women of value – godly value.

Today’s growth point is…

Seeing as this graphic is now complete, you’re welcome to download, save, or share it!

The crux of growing in our walk with God is letting Him transform us. More than reading Scripture, more than going to church, more than conquering sin, God needs to transform us. We can do all these things, yet it won’t save our souls. Only God’s power can do that.

If you’ve already said “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation, you’re in. His transforming power is working within you already. If you haven’t said “Yes” to Him, I’d encourage you to ask someone you trust to lead you in that direction. It’s a decision you will never regret.

In His Words…

In Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus says,

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

Being transformed – or sanctified – by Christ isn’t an overnight process, but it is a journey we’re all on. By obeying His commands and getting to know what He values, we move ever closer to becoming like Christ. Just think, that wouldn’t have been possible if He hadn’t come to Earth. We can never aspire to be like God, because…He’s immortal. But we can aspire to be like Christ, because…He came to earth as a human being (who was simultaneously divine).

When I talk about becoming like Christ, I mean it in two ways. First, we need the actions of Christ. Second, we need the attitude of Christ. As we wrap up this series, I want you to focus on both.

Allow me to finish with a final growth point on both topics.

Room to Grow.

1. The Actions of Christ

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
-James 2:14

I love knowing God better. Yet a Christian’s walk cannot stop there. We also need to live it out in our actions. I didn’t attach this verse to frighten anyone; I did it to encourage you. Many of my closest moments with God happen when I’m living for Christ with my actions. For example: serving at church, working at camp, getting baptized (two weekends ago), writing this blog, recording this podcast, etc.

If your mind is spinning and you’re thinking, “But I have no idea how to serve God with my actions,” allow me to help. It starts with living out the virtues of Christ (such as the Fruit of the Spirit). The biggest leap you can take is to avoid placing your value in the things the world says bring value. Only God brings lasting value.

After that, I’d encourage you to sit down and ask Him this question…

How can I add value to those around me?

A quick story from my life: I used to be a “productivity” nut. Every day, I’d schedule it into my reminders to ‘Read a chapter in a book, listen to a podcast, or watch a productivity video.’ This wasn’t a bad thing, but eventually, I overloaded my mind with intake. One day, my brain snapped. I slumped on the couch, pulled out my phone…and watched the last productivity video I’d view for a long time.

This video was about focusing on your output more than your input. That day, I told myself I’d sit down and not get up until I’d listed 10 ways I could use my gifts and talents to add value to someone else’s life. Eight months later, and I can say with absolute confidence that it worked wonders.

So if you want to pull a Samuel James, ask God how you can demonstrate the actions of Christ by adding value to someone’s life.

2. The Attitude of Christ

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
-Philippians 2:5

Naturally, your actions will hinge on your attitude. Jesus’ miracles were beautiful, but it was His character that shone even brighter. It’s the attitude of Christ that will draw others to Him…not always the actions.

Jesus was caring, compassionate, committed, selfless, and focused. These traits will appeal to almost anyone in the modern world: whether it’s a potential employer, potential date, potential friend, etc. Jesus could’ve lived a hermit-style life, locked up in a monastery. He could’ve been like John the Baptist, conducting His ministry in the desert. But He didn’t. He conducted His ministry with people so we could see His character firsthand.

Jesus wanted us to see and copy His attitude. Beyond drawing people to you, living this life will draw you to God. So ask Him…

How can I value others by showing them the attitude of Christ?

I pray you’ve seen a pattern in my growth point action steps: bringing your questions to God. My job is not to flood your mental inbox with so-called hacks and formulas; my job is to turn your gaze back to Christ. Ask Him what He wants for your life. You’ll get far better advice than what I’m giving you.

In Summary.

Letting God transform you boils down to letting Him mold you into the image of His Son. By exemplifying the actions and attitude of Jesus, you will grow in your love for Him. You’ll also find that every area of your life is impacted, for His glory. From there, step by step, you can show others that you value them – because Christ first valued you. If you want to read another of my posts about transformation, you can click here. I can’t wait to continue on this journey with you!

Next week, I’m kicking off a four-week Advent series to wrap up the year. Each week in December, we’ll look at Jesus’ birth from the perspective of one of the major players. By the end, I hope we’ll see how God uses unexpected people for His glory. Then on New Year’s Eve, I hope to wrap up the year with a special post and podcast episode recapping 2025 (and potentially dropping another major announcement).

If you have content suggestions or ideas to make WLF better, please leave a comment or reach out through the contact page. God bless you! But first, I have one more announcement…

All-New: PDF Downloads

If you’ve ever thought, “Hey, I’d love to download Samuel’s posts, but taking fifteen screenshots kinda sucks”, then I have a solution. Starting next week, I’ll attach a link at the end of each post, enabling you to download the full post as a PDF. Plus, I did some fun formatting in Word. (And don’t worry, I wouldn’t have written two years’ worth of weekly blog posts only to infect your device with malware now.)

As Paul said in Galatians 2:20,

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”