Help God! I want to change. Part 6

Want to Change Overview

In this sixth installment of the Help God I Want to Change series, the pastor delivers a compelling and pastoral message on the urgent necessity of personal transformation for every believer. Drawing from the parable of the sower in the Gospels, Genesis 3, Hebrews 4, Luke 5, 1 Corinthians 15, and Proverbs, the message establishes that human beings are created like the ground itself, capable of producing whatever seeds are planted within them. The Word of God, described as an incorruptible seed in 1 Peter 1:23, is the only force capable of producing lasting and genuine change in a person’s life. The pastor uses vivid illustrations, including the story of Peter’s miraculous catch of fish, the mighty men of David, and a powerful real-life account of a faithful minister from Togo, to demonstrate that submitting to wise counsel and continuing to hear God’s voice are essential to entering His rest. The message closes with a sobering exhortation drawn from Proverbs 13:20 and Matthew 7: the associations we choose will either build our lives on rock or sand. Change is not optional for the child of God, it is the very pathway to a richer relationship with Him and a greater eternal inheritance.

Want to Change Outline

• 0:00 – Introduction: Everyone Needs to Change: The pastor opens the series recap by establishing that all people struggle to change, and that God uniquely created humanity, as adam formed from adama, capable of growth and transformation through the seed of the Word.
• 8:30 – The Word of God as Incorruptible Seed: Drawing from 1 Peter 1:23, the pastor explains that being born again means receiving an incorruptible seed. He references UCLA studies showing measurable growth in people who consistently read their Bible.
• 18:00 – The Parable of the Sower Revisited: The pastor revisits the parable of the sower, explaining how the enemy’s primary goal is to steal the Word of God before it can take root, and how distractions, problems, and prosperity each threaten fruitfulness.
• 28:00 – Entering God’s Rest Through Obedience: Hebrews 4:9-11 and the account of Israel in the wilderness anchor a teaching on the sabbath rest of God, showing that entering His rest requires continually hearing and obeying His voice rather than relying on personal toil.
• 37:30 – Peter’s Miraculous Catch and Our Corruption: Luke 5:1-11 provides the central narrative: Peter’s reluctant obedience and his subsequent cry of unworthiness illustrate how human corruption instinctively pushes away the presence of God even in moments of divine blessing.
• 46:00 – Choose Your Associations Wisely: Grounding from 1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20, and Proverbs 2:11-13, the pastor exhorts listeners to evaluate their relationships. Evil company corrupts good habits, and surrounding oneself with wise people is a biblical strategy for transformation.
• 54:00 – David’s Mighty Men: From Distress to Valor: The story of the cave of Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 illustrates how men who were in debt, distress, and discontent became mighty men of valor by submitting to David’s leadership, contributing billions in today’s figures toward the temple.
• 1:01:00 – Personal Testimonies and Final Exhortation: The pastor shares the moving story of a Togolese minister who gave up everything to serve God, and closes with the Tom Brady leadership illustration, calling every listener to reach out, be teachable, and pursue change before it is too late.

Scripture References

1 Peter 1:23, Genesis 3:17-19, Hebrews 4:9-11, Hebrews 3:8-11, Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:31-34, Psalms 14:1, Proverbs 9:6, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 2:11-13, Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 3:10, 1 Samuel 22:1-2, Psalm 90:12

Key Takeaways

• Every human being is created like the ground itself, capable of producing whatever seeds are planted, which makes guarding your heart with all diligence an absolute spiritual priority.
• The Word of God is an incorruptible seed according to 1 Peter 1:23, and consistent exposure to Scripture produces measurable, lasting change that no human willpower alone can achieve.
• Entering God’s rest as described in Hebrews 4 is not passive but requires an ongoing commitment to hear His voice and act on it, replacing toil-driven living with faith-driven obedience.
• Peter’s response of unworthiness when the miracle came in Luke 5 reveals a pattern of corruption in every human heart that instinctively distances itself from God precisely when He draws near.
• The associations you choose will either build your life on an unshakeable rock or on sand, and Proverbs 13:20 makes clear that a companion of fools will be destroyed regardless of personal intentions.
• Men who were in debt, distress, and discontent became David’s mighty men of valor because they willingly submitted to someone wiser than themselves, proving that transformation is always available to those who reach out.
• God loves every person exactly as they are, but He loves them far too much to leave them unchanged, because growth in His Word deepens intimacy with Him and increases both present and eternal inheritance.

Want to Change Notes

Humanity Created to Grow and Produce

The pastor draws a striking connection between the Hebrew words adam and adama, meaning man and ground or soil. Just as the earth produces whatever is sown into it, human beings are designed to produce according to what is planted in their hearts. This is precisely why Jesus commanded believers to guard their hearts with all diligence, because out of the heart flow all the issues of life. The corruption that entered at the Fall enslaved humanity to the five physical senses, causing feelings to override faith. Restoring the primacy of God’s Word over personal feelings is presented as the foundation of every genuine transformation.

Why Consistent Bible Reading Changes You

Referencing a UCLA study conducted over ten years, the pastor highlights measurable differences in personal growth and character between those who read their Bible regularly and those who do not. Jesus declared that His words are spirit and life in John 6:63, meaning the Word of God carries a living, transforming power that goes beyond intellectual knowledge. The pastor expresses genuine concern over the number of Christians who refuse to engage with Scripture, noting that whatever a person allows into their life will grow and eventually dominate. Reading the Bible is not a religious duty but the primary mechanism through which an incorruptible seed takes root and changes a life from the inside out.

Peter at the Boat: A Mirror of Every Believer

The account in Luke 5:1-11 serves as one of the most vivid illustrations in the sermon. After a night of fruitless labor, Peter reluctantly obeys Jesus and hauls in a catch so large the nets begin to break. Rather than responding with gratitude or repentance for his earlier doubt, Peter’s immediate reaction is to cry out for Jesus to leave him. The pastor identifies this response as the voice of corruption speaking, the same tendency that caused Adam to hide from God in the garden. This pattern, where human shame and unworthiness drive a person away from God at the very moment of His greatest nearness, is one every believer must recognize and consciously resist.

The Danger of Misguided Associations

First Corinthians 15:33 stands as a cornerstone of this section: do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good habits. The pastor is careful to clarify that avoiding unbelievers entirely is not the goal; the call is to speak truth and life into those relationships rather than passively absorbing their influence. The illustration of a married person who continues to socialize in environments that sow seeds of divorce makes the principle strikingly practical. A frazzled soul, described using the analogy of an unfinished afghan coming undone at the ends, cannot hold itself together when storms arrive. The solution is to seek out wiser, spiritually rooted people and remain genuinely teachable in their presence.

David’s Cave and the Power of Covenant Leadership

First Samuel 22:1-2 recounts how David gathered to himself men who were in distress, in debt, and discontented. Rather than being pulled down by their dysfunction, David became their captain and introduced them to the principles of covenant living. The transformation was so profound that these same broken men later contributed the equivalent of over nine billion dollars in gold and hundreds of millions in silver toward the construction of the temple. The pastor uses this story to illustrate that no one is beyond change, but change requires two things: a leader with spiritual substance to follow, and a willingness to submit humbly rather than insisting on personal knowledge or independence.

Reaching Out Is Your Responsibility

The sermon closes with a repeated and urgent exhortation: nobody is going to chase you down. Just as the men in distress had to leave their circumstances and walk to the cave of Adullam to find David, every person who genuinely desires change must take the initiative to reach out. The pastor draws on the story of a faithful Togolese minister who chose the call of God over the demands of his wife, and on the example of Tom Brady transforming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by modeling a winning mentality, to show that proximity to proven, committed leaders accelerates transformation in ways that no amount of self-effort or borrowed book knowledge ever can. The call is clear: be willing, be humble, and reach out today.

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