How We Change

Overview

You need to change. 

It’s unlikely you have much objection to that statement, even though it’s pointed—and pointed right at you! Every one of us could name areas in our lives where we fall short. You, your spouse (if married), your kids (if a parent), your friends, your colleagues—even your Journey Group members!—could undoubtedly offer a catalogue of flaws, bad habits, and, well, sins.

Change is difficult, feeling even impossible. But there is hope. God promises to sanctify us—to make us holy, transforming us into Christ-likeness. As we dig into God’s Word, we see the answer. When we attempt to change our behavior without addressing its source, the endeavor proves fruitless. We’ll examine what Scripture says about the heart, and why the heart must be the center of our pursuit of true transformation.

In this Journey Section you will:

• Study what scripture says about our hearts and how God transforms us
• Practice pursuing each other’s hearts
• Search for the sin beneath the sin (What is our heart-level motivation?)
• Rest in the Lord’s work to transform and sanctify us

Author: Brandon Cooper

As a native of the Chicagoland area—born in Evanston, raised in Glenview—Brandon has a deep love of the culture and community of this city. He is the fourth of five children and is happy to have his entire family still living in the area. He attended the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), where he studied English Literature, before completing his Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School with an emphasis in Discipleship-Evangelism. He is the author of A Word to the Wise: Lessons from Proverbs for Young Adults. He and his wife served on the mission field in Bogotá, Colombia for seven years, giving him a deep passion for missions, Latin American culture, and the country where his first two children were born. Brandon and his wife, Amy, have four adorable daughters: Charis, Adiel, Ceely, and Brielle, and a son Callum. He loves literature and music and is an avid soccer enthusiast (Arsenal FC) and lifelong Chicago sports fan.