WithoutWax.tv by Pete Wilson | Tag Archive | spiritual transformation
Tag Archive - spiritual transformation

One Of The Greatest Challenges In Contemporary Christianity

June 15, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 26 Comments

I believe one of the most obvious challenges in contemporary Christianity is we mistakenly assume that information automatically translates into transformation. However, knowing something is true does not in and of itself ensure that the truth will make a significant difference in our lives.

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

We have more access to great information than ever before.

  • Unbelievable Bible study tools available on the internet for stinkin’ free.
  • Phenomenal messages from the world’s best pastors one click away, thanks to podcasts.
  • In-depth and engaging bible studies adorning the shelves of bookstores all across America.

So what’s the problem?
We have to find a way to transfer all this incredible information that we know in our minds to our hearts so it can be lived out. We have to find a way to, as James puts it, “look intently into.” The word for “looks intently into” (parakypsas) literally means “to stoop down” in order to have a good close look.

Here’s my two cents. In order to “stoop down” you have to “slow down.” There’s not a crisis of information, but of transformation. And the greatest enemy of transformation, in a word, is hurry.

So slow down, stoop into God’s Word, actually do what it says, and see if the transformation doesn’t follow.

A Journey Marked By His Grace

May 9, 2011 in Parenting, Spiritual Growth with 38 Comments

 

Growing up I had a Sunday School teacher that was quite fond of reminding us that we were all a work in progress. While I can’t absolutely prove it I’m pretty sure she had a song that went a long with this concept.

I really wish spiritual transformation wasn’t such a process. I’m tired of making the same mistakes over and over. I’m done with being lured in by the same temptations.

The other day my oldest son, Jett, chose to make a few decisions that were less than smart. He had once again been caught directly, and in my opinion, purposefully disobeying something we had engaged in lengthy conversations about.

I was right to be upset and disappointed in his decisions, but my reaction was equally as devastating. I responded in anger saying things to him in a tone and spirit that were quite hurtful. Plain and simple I had lost my temper with him.

About 15 minutes later I sat there on the edge of his bed. With his face buried in his pillow crying, I asked him to forgive me for the way I had responded to him.

I couldn’t help but feel defeated. This wasn’t the first time I’ve had to ask him to forgive me for losing my temper with him. Shouldn’t this be something I have control over by now? Shouldn’t I be mature enough to control my emotions? Why do I have to continue to hurt the people around me that I care so much about with my sin?

I’m in no way making excuses for my behavior but, I’m learning that you can’t microwave spiritual formation. We want the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness to be evident tomorrow. But I think there is a reason that Jesus likens our spiritual growth to trees (Jesus said, ‘I am the vine and you are the branches’). Because it’s a process and sometimes a slow one.

But this is the incredible beauty that God has called us to. It’s not a flawless process but a journey marked by His grace. It’s not a stale existence characterized by a mindless existence simply waiting for eternity. Not even close. We’ve been invited to connect with God each and every day as He brings about this incredible transforming process in our lives right in the midst of this beautifully broken world.

Cookie Cutter Souls

September 23, 2009 in God, Leadership, Religion with 55 Comments

For far too long the church has had an unhealthy and unrealistic expectation that all people should be at the same place at the same time.

I love this quote from “When The Heart Waits” by Sue Monk Kidd,

“If all souls developed in cookie-cutter fashion, we would have spirituality by duplication rather than by waiting and transformation.”

In so many different ways we often communicate…

Everyone should be happy. (But at times even Jesus was sad.)

Everyone should be balanced. (But doesn’t God speak to us in our seasons of imbalance.)

Everyone should be serving. (But didn’t Jesus commend the woman who just sat at his feet.)

Everyone should relate to God in the same way. (But isn’t Scripture full of examples of different people relating to God in different ways.)

These expectations have done immense damage to the body of Christ.

We need to help people begin to understand that God can and will meet them in the midst of whatever season they may find themselves.

We need to help people begin to understand that God can and will work differently in your life than He has worked in my life.

I don’t have all the answers, I just know souls don’t develop in cookie-cutter fashion and churches were never intended to become factories which cranked out people who would be at the same place at the same time.

Continue The Conversation (SYNC-Part 2)

June 9, 2008 in Church Planting, Cross Point Church, God, Leadership, Preaching, Religion with 54 Comments

Welcome back to Continue The Conversation where we take a snippet of Sunday’s message and create a conversations out of it.

This weekend we continued our new series entitled SYNC. In this series we are talking about spiritual transformation. Yesterday, I talked about the importance of solitude and the dangers of hurry.

I had to confess that my life is often dominated by hurry in such a way that in reduces my chances for Christ to be formed in me. I suffer from a sort of “Hurry Sickness” that I first heard about from John Ortberg.

So how do you know if you suffer from “hurry sickness”?

  • You might suffer from it if your a chronic multi-tasker that tries to drive, text, eat, and put on make-up at the same time.
  • You might suffer from this disease if you tend to make up mock games with your kids like “who can eat breakfast the fastest”, just so you can get out the door.
  • You might suffer from this disease if you can’t sit still for more than five minutes without creating a list of things you need to be doing, so you will feel productive.

Hurry is addictive. It’s so addictive that I often find myself hurrying even when I don’t need to. And the problem might not be what you think it is.

I used to think that I hurry because I have a busy job with a lot of responsibilities. I used to think I was always in a hurry because I have a busy social life and 3 little boys that are constantly on the go.

The truth is, I choose hurry. And I choose it because of what it does to my ego. Hurry makes me feel important. Hurry gets my adrenaline going. Hurry keeps me from having to slow down to see and hear the truth about my inner life.

And the sad reality is until I slow down, Christ will never be truly be formed in me. See you can’t microwave spiritual transformation.

John 15:4-6

How about you? Do you suffer from “hurry sickness”? Is hurry keeping your from “abiding” in Christ?

*A watercooler post.

Continue The Conversation (Week 1 of Sync)

June 2, 2008 in Church Planting, Cross Point Church, God, Leadership, Preaching with 73 Comments

One of the downsides to preaching is the lack of participation. I can’t stand to be a talking head. So, one of the things I want to try to do on the blog is to take a part of Sunday’s message to discuss here. This is a great opportunity for you guys to interact, comment, question and continue the conversation that we start on Sundays at Cross Point.

I hope you will feel free to participate whether you were there or not. So here we go…

In yesterday’s message I said, “I hear Christians all the time saying they think one of the problems with the world is that we just simply want too much. We want this and we want that. I don’t agree. I think in reality we want too little. I think most of us have settled. I think we have settled for a mediocre version of life. I think we have settled for a mediocre version of life where we chase after such frivolous things like money, and success and power, and applause.”

Last night someone sent me this great quote from C.S. Lewis where he said..

Our Lord finds our desire, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

I went on to say…”It’s almost like we have forgotten that spiritual transformation is possible. It’s possible that Christ can be formed in us. It’s possible to love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived. It’s possible, but first we must want that. We must want that more than we want anything else in this world.”

I followed by admitting that I’m not really sure I want this more than anything else. I would like to say I do, but I think I would by lying. If you looked at where I spend my time and my energy, you would come to the unfortunate conclusion that there are many things in this world I want more than Christ being formed in my life.

How about you? Do you want too little? Have you settled? Do you want this more than anything this world has to offer?

Let’s discuss,

Pete