Changed into His Image*

*A tool used to disciple God's people written by Jim Berg

The "coloring book" visuals were developed as a tool to communicate the principle being taught. 

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The ministry of the church is laid out in Eph. 4:12-16.  It is to be a place where God-called and Spirit-gifted leaders help the saints mature "for the work of the ministry."  This is clearly a call to disciple the flock.  The edification ministry of the local church is a discipling effort - helping believers make biblical change toward Christlikeness.

Parenting, when understood biblically, is

basically a discipling relationship.  The mission is NOT to merely raise a "good kid."  The little bundle of joy is essentially a pagan.  A parent's biblical mission is to evangelize him and then equip him for usefulness to Christ, which in essence, is discipleship. 

Ref: Ephesians 6:4

Biblical discipleship is not primarily a program.  It is a certain kind of relationship between two believers with a specific spiritual goal in mind.  Discipleship is helping another believer make a biblical change toward Christlikeness - helping others in the sanctification process.  It is the spiritual parenting Paul spoke of in

Galatians 4:19.  Ref: I Timothy 4:15-16

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

II Timothy 2:15

Sanctification is the word used to describe the Bible's teaching about how we are "sanctified" or made holy.  Once a person becomes a Christian, God begins a process in him that changes him to become more like Christ in his attitudes, ambitions, and actions.  God will use many things to accomplish this change, including temptations, trials, the local church and friends.  

Ref: Romans 12:1-2

A person's likeness to Christ is not something that happens all at once.  It is a process of change that the Bible calls "growth."  Terms like "change" and "grow," "becoming like Christ," and "biblical change," are all referring to the Bible doctrine of Progressive Sanctification. 

Ref: Romans 12:1-2

The hot water doesn't create the taste in the teacup; it merely reveals or draws out what is in the teabag already.  Like the hot water, the pressures around us merely draw out of our heart what is already in it.  We cannot blame the water for the taste in the cup.  The contents of the "Me" bag determine the flavor of the "tea." 

Ref:  Galatians 5:22-25

As believers, we can no more please and serve God effectively in our own strength, than a farmer can pull a plow in his own strength.  The bulldozer enables him to carry out his work in the field.  He could say, "Yet not I, but the bulldozer did it for me."  Without the bulldozer, he would be helpless to get any serious plowing done.  Ref: Galatians 2:20

God is the environment of man.  Man cannot solve his problems his own way.  The Amazonian way will not work in the city.  By the same token, man's own way will not work in God's world, and the man - believer or unbeliever - who attempts to live independently of the knowledge and ways of God is experiencing a "break with reality."  Ref:  Acts 17:28

A lost connection requires that the number be re-dialed.  Fellowship with God is blocked by the sin of going our own way in some aspect of life.  The connection is restored upon our repentance.  Once restored to fellowship with God, we have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with God. 

Ref: Luke 10:38-42

Mortifying a motorcycle's forward motion involves 3 actions:

1) Letting up on the throttle

2) Applying the brakes

3) Disengaging the clutch

When we mortify the deeds of the body - kill their action by dealing with the indwelling sin that motivates them - we have mortified the flesh or killed the influence - not its existence - on us at the moment.

Ref: Romans 8:13

Hammering nails into the fence represents our uncontrolled anger towards others.  Removing the nails represents our repentance.  Nails are harder to remove than drive and the scars in the fence never heal. 

It was anger that put Christ on the cross.

Ref: James 1:19-20