Who is the Holy Spirit? What is his role? Does our understanding of the Holy Spirit really matter that much when it comes to following Jesus and living the Christian life? Romans 8 shows us the difference in living in our power versus living in the power of the very person of God who fills the church, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. When we understand how Christ has served us, we can’t help but want to serve others with the love and service of Christ. We have the mind of Christ, so we seek to intentionally bless others because we have been blessed by the King. As we serve others for the glory of God, we realize that it is Christ Jesus whom we serve.

We were all designed to be in service. Rebellion against God does not negate our nature, it merely distorts it. When you turn away from the right Master, you enslave yourself to another. As a servant, who or what do you serve?

When we talk of Jesus, which Jesus are we speaking of? What does it mean to say that Jesus died for us and rose again? It has to matter who this Jesus is in order for his death to have any meaning in our lives thousands of years later. Who do you say he is?

Idolatry in our churches. What else would we discuss on a Thursday morning drive?

The way we treat one another is evidence of how we believe we have been treated by God. If we know the love of God, we will walk in His love, loving others as He has loved us. The depth of our love for Jesus, expressed in our love for one another, is an indicator of how well we are acquainted with God’s love for us in Christ. Jesus' love for us was sacrificial, abundant, and life-giving.

In Jesus Christ we have a new identity as God’s beloved Children who do not need to look elsewhere to find loving acceptance or satisfaction—it is rooted in the electing love of the Father, the finished work of the Son, and the present witness of the Spirit.

What does it mean that God is a Father? In week two of our Transformed series we look UP to see that God is a Father who has eternally loved His Son, Jesus Christ, and shares that same love with His people. Because God is a Father, he is always loving and life-giving. The most amazing display of His Fatherly love is demonstrated in the sending of His Son to be the Savior of the world.

This new teaching series, "Transformed," is all about getting a right perspective of who God is and what God has done--transforming how we view who we are and transforming how we live out our lives. In other words: how we view and relate to God (Up) transforms us (In), which shapes how we relate to others (Out).  We believe that the greatest way we can do that is to look at how God has revealed himself to us as God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit.

Paul concludes his letter with a reminder of our utter dependence on the Spirit, the work of Christ, and how our lives are to be for the glory of the Father. Through His love displayed, which could not be corrupted by our rebellion, we can now walk in a love that is also incorruptible.