How to Change – Part 3: Lord of All

This sermon is the third in a series on change, based on Ephesians 4:22–24, which presents three commands: put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new self. The pastor affirms that one of Christianity's most powerful claims is that believers can genuinely and lastingly change. First Corinthians 10:13 is presented as a parallel foundation, asserting that God is faithful and will not allow His children to be tempted beyond what they are able to bear.

The pastor uses the analogy of a perfect gym coach to illustrate how God calibrates trials for each person: not so heavy as to injure, not so light as to leave one unchanged. God either removes the obstacle or raises the believer's capacity to overcome it—illustrated by the image of a rushing river and a rock: God either moves the rock or raises the water level. The story of Joni Eareckson is cited as a real-world example of how sustained endurance can transform suffering into spiritual depth and fruitful ministry.

The core of the sermon centers on the phrase 'renewed in the spirit of your mind.' The pastor explains this is not a middle step between putting off and putting on, but a continuous present process happening alongside both. The 'spirit of the mind' refers to the governing interior principle—the faculty of the soul that assigns value and beauty, what the Bible calls the imagination. The story of Achan in Joshua 7 illustrates the chain of spiritual failure: seeing, allowing the imagination to be captured by perceived beauty, then coveting, then acting wrongly.

The pastor emphasizes that true renewal happens when believers actively bring biblical truths into their imagination—what he calls 'preaching to yourself.' This includes meditating on the grace of redemption, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, and one's identity before God. When the Holy Spirit uses these truths to engrave them on the heart, the spirit of the mind is genuinely renewed, making it possible to truly put off and put on. Practical examples include overcoming bitterness by meditating on how much Christ has forgiven, and overcoming fear of rejection by anchoring one's peace in Christ alone.

The sermon closes with a call to both believers and seekers: every promise of change is contingent on belonging to God through repentance and faith in Christ. For those who have not yet come to Him, the first and most important change is to put off the old self for the first time by repenting and putting on the new self by receiving Him. For believers, the pastor's closing word is firm: you cannot say 'I can't,' because God has staked His integrity on bringing you through.