Heart Change: The Core of True Transformation
Published: Mon, 08/11/25
Updated: Mon, 08/11/25
Sessions Include:How People Change, Lesson #1 How People Change, Lesson #2 How People Change, Lesson #3 How People Change, Lesson #4 How People Change, Lesson #5 How People Change, Lesson #6 How People Change, Lesson #7 How People Change, Lesson #8 How People Change, Lesson #9 How People Change, Lesson #10 How People Change, Lesson #11 How People Change, Lesson #12 How People Change, Lesson #13 How People Change, Lesson #14 How People Change, Lesson #15 How People Change, Lesson #16 Why Study Books?My church recently transitioned to using books as curriculum in our Sunday School. The reason is simple. My life has been profoundly influenced by the reading of books. I don’t think my life has ever been changed by any curriculum piece I have ever read. Ever. I have actually surveyed a number of groups I have taught over the years, asking: Has your life ever been changed by any curriculum? The most common response is for people to laugh out loud. Our first study was the Bless book by Dave and Jon Ferguson. It is a great study on relational lifestyle evangelism. About half-way through the the study, we did a survey to help determine what we would study next. No one wanted to go back to the curriculum. Not. One. Person. The #1 choice for what to study next was a tie:
We will be studying these two books over the next year and a half or so. Here is what Amazon says about Ortberg’s book: The Me I Want to Be will help you discover spiritual vitality like never before as you learn to "live in the flow of the spirit." Why does spiritual growth seem so difficult? God's vision for your life is not just that you are saved by grace, but that you also learn to live by grace, flourishing with the Spirit flowing through you. And this book will show how God's perfect vision for you starts with a powerful promise: All those who trust in God "will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Pastor and best-selling author John Ortberg first helps gauge your spiritual health and measure the gap between where you are now and where God intends you to be. Then he provides detailed tasks and exercises to help you live in the flow of the Spirit, circumventing real-world barriers - pain and sorrow, temptations, self-doubt, sin - to flourish even in a dark and broken world. As you start living in the flow, you will feel:
God invites you to join him in crafting an abundant and joy-filled life. The Me I Want to Be shows you how to graciously accept his invitation. I have just completed a new, 22-week study of John Ortberg’s book, The Me I Want to Be that we will be using in my church. (I had previously done a 7-week study.) I have always thought that using books as a curriculum would be a good idea, and I have written a lot of book studies over the years. One of the things that actually using books as curriculum caused me to realize has to do with cost. By writing a study on every chapter of this book, instead of my previous study that had a lesson for every section, the cost drops to below what we were paying for curriculum. Better curriculum. Cheaper cost. Win. Win.
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Heart Change: The Core of True Transformation Why is it that so many Christians struggle with the same sins, frustrations, and fears year after year? In How People Change, Paul David Tripp and Timothy S. Lane tackle this question, offering a profound truth: real change begins in the heart, not with external behavior modification. At its core, their book teaches that gospel-centered transformation is only possible when we address the deeper desires, beliefs, and motivations that drive us. Tripp emphasizes that much of what we call "change" is actually superficial. We try harder, adopt new habits, or make resolutions, but these efforts rarely address the root problem. Real change doesn’t happen when we tweak our actions; it happens when the gospel reshapes our hearts. This shift requires us to ask difficult questions: What do I love most? What am I afraid to lose? What am I really living for? The authors explain that our hearts function as worship centers, constantly pursuing something to satisfy and fulfill us. Often, these things become idols—good things we’ve elevated to ultimate importance. For example, a desire for success, while not inherently wrong, can morph into an idol that drives us to overwork, neglect relationships, or compromise integrity. Addressing the idol, rather than merely the behavior, is the key to genuine change. Tripp and Lane argue that the gospel is uniquely suited to transform our hearts. The gospel doesn’t just tell us what to do—it tells us who we are. In Christ, we are loved, forgiven, and empowered to live differently. This identity frees us from the need to find our worth in success, approval, or control. It realigns our desires, pointing us toward God as the ultimate source of joy and satisfaction. A critical aspect of heart change is understanding the interplay of circumstances, responses, and beliefs. Tripp introduces a helpful visual: the "heat, thorns, and fruit" model. Heat represents the trials and challenges of life, which are inevitable in a broken world. Thorns are our sinful responses to these circumstances, like anger, fear, or bitterness. But the gospel invites us to bear fruit—a godly response rooted in faith and dependence on Christ. The key difference lies in what’s happening at the heart level. Heart change isn’t a solo effort; it’s deeply relational. The book highlights the importance of gospel community in fostering transformation. Through relationships marked by honesty, grace, and truth, we help each other identify idols, apply Scripture, and grow in Christlikeness. True change is messy, slow, and often painful, but it’s also deeply rewarding. Tripp and Lane remind readers that while change is a process, it’s also a promise. God is committed to transforming His people into the image of Christ. This transformation isn’t about trying harder—it’s about trusting deeper. The gospel invites us to surrender our hearts, not just our actions, and to let God do the work only He can do. In a world obsessed with self-help and quick fixes, How People Change offers a refreshing, gospel-centered vision of transformation that begins—and ends—with the heart. If you would like to explore this new study, it is available on Amazon, as well as part of Good Questions Have Groups Talking |
