• Home
  • Statement Of Faith
  • Contact Us
  • Services
    • Schedule
  • Sermons by Occasion
    • Sunday Evening Message
    • Special Meetings
    • Sunday Morning Message
  • Sermons by Minister
    • Allen Myers
    • Anthony Gingerich
    • Ben Miller
    • Brian Yoder
    • Calvin Yoder
    • Carl Heatwole
    • Dale Eby
    • Dan Freed
    • Daryl Witmer
    • Delvin Yoder
    • Dr. Nolan Byler
    • Duane Nisly
    • Edward Yoder
    • Eli Yoder
    • Eric Oberholzer
    • Freeman Miller
    • Gabriel Yoder
    • Galen Yoder
    • Glenn Horst
    • Ivan Weaver
    • Jake Troyer
    • Japheth Stauffer
    • Jay Rohrer
    • Jeff Yoder
    • Jerrill Schrock
    • Joe Miller
    • John D Martin
    • John Waldron
    • Josh Good
    • Ken Ranck
    • Kyle Stoltzfus
    • Leon Yoder
    • Lowell Yoder
    • Mark Yoder
    • Melvin Lehman
    • Merle Burkholder
    • Merle Yoder
    • Michael Yoder
    • Milo Zehr
    • Nathan Bange
    • Nathan Good
    • Phil Beiler
    • Raun Schrock
    • Rich Bowman
    • Ricky Bowman
    • Sam Troyer
    • Sonny Yoder
    • Steve Yoder
    • Wayne Schrock
    • Wesley King
    • William Byler

Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA

A Conservative Christian Church (and podcast)

Growing and Changing

August 14, 2016

https://bmcgladys.com/wp-content/uploads/SermonAudio/2016/2016.08.14-growing-and-changing-milo-zehr.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:09 — 9.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | TuneIn | RSS

We are all changing. There is no such thing as “staying the same” or “being static.”

The choices we make today, the things we are doing today become habits. Whatever this is it takes as long to change the thing as it did to grow it.

People are not math problems. The things that affect change in our lives are not numbers in a math problem. It would be nice at times if life and change would be a math equation, but it isn’t.

That being said there are definitely factors that contribute to who we are, as we are, the way we are. These are the things that have to change if we want to change.

Most of us have intended to grow and change all of our lives. The reality is that most people struggle to “do it,” we all struggle to change.

The Bible talks about growing and growing up.

Areas that are involved in changing.

  • The desire to change.
  • Cooperating with God and what he wants to do.
  • Surrender to Jesus.
  • Doing something about our thoughts, feelings and attitudes.
  • The beliefs we have and hold.
  • What feels true to us.
  • The commitments we’ve made.
  • The choices we make, and the things we base those choices on.
  • The memories we chose to remember.

Do we need to change?

No matter where we are in life we all can grow.

Sometimes we are very blind to our own needs. There is a good chance though that those around you have a better view about how you are doing and the needs you have.

Ephesians 4:22-24

There are many stories in scripture told that are very summarized. We get the big picture of things but we don’t get all the nitty gritty details.

In some respects change is more about what God does than what we manage.

1 Corinthians 1:10 – These were a sinful bunch, yet Paul refers to them as saints. Set apart and belonging to God. Being a child or daughter of God… not sinless perfection, having arrived at a sinless state.

We do need to change. But there is hope because Jesus is alive, he rose from the dead.

A desire for something to be different.

John 5:5-9 – Jesus asks the man if he’d like to be healed. The man replies that he can’t get into the water by himself.

Do we want to change? We don’t usually change unless we really really want to.

A cooperative effort between us and God.

Philippians 2, 3, Romans 6

Most people cannot change themselves. People cannot change unless God is working.

It is fairly easy to feel hopeless about other people who don’t change. Paul is saying, I believe that God will continue to work in you.

We don’t always know whether or how God is working, but he is always working. God is working and we work out what God works in.

Growth and change requires surrender to Jesus.

Luke 9, 13 – This isn’t about “saving myself.” Surrender is about yielding myself to Jesus. My thoughts. My feelings. My attitude. My whatever.

Surrender to Jesus is letting go of our commitment to keep ourselves alive apart from Jesus.

This is a process and journey that will go on all throughout life.

Related Sermons:


  1. Childlike vs Childishness – Growing and Maturing
  2. Growing Old Gracefully
  3. Growing Up A Church
  4. Jesus First Myself Last and Others in Between
  5. Jesus – The Same Today and Forever

Filed Under: Milo Zehr, Sunday Morning Message Tagged With: 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, John, Luke, Philippians, Romans

Search the Site

Subscribe to the Podcast

Apple PodcastsAndroidRSS

Sermons by Preacher

Brian Yoder Calvin Yoder Carl Heatwole Dale Heisey Dan Freed Delvin Yoder Duane Nisly Edward Yoder Eli Yoder Gabriel Yoder Galen Yoder Glenn Horst Ivan Weaver Jake Troyer Jeff Yoder Jerrill Schrock John D Martin John Waldron Josh Good Ken Ranck Leon Yoder Lowell Miller Lowell Yoder Mark Yoder Melvin Lehman Merle Burkholder Michael Yoder Milo Zehr Nathan Bange Nathan Good Nathan Zook Phil Beiler Raun Schrock Rich Bowman Ricky Bowman Sam Troyer Sonny Yoder Special Meetings Stephen Gingrich Steve Yoder Sunday Evening Message Sunday Morning Message Uncategorized Wayne Schrock Wesley King

Sermons By Reference

1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Timothy Acts Colossians Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Exodus Ezekiel Galatians Genesis Hebrews Isaiah James Jeremiah Job John Joshua Judges Leviticus Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Proverbs Psalm Psalms Revelation Romans Ruth Titus
BMC | Site by EY-PHOTO-WEB