Your Formation: Conformed or Transformed? (Counter Formation — Lesson 1)

Pastor Matt Hodge (Discipleship Pastor) - ​​​​​​​​Romans 12:1-3 (Romans 3:9-28; 5:1-5 & 19-21; 6:1-2 & 12-15; 8:1-6 & 28-39;12:1-5; Galatians 4:19; 1 John 3:1-2)   You are being formed. The question is, what is forming you? In this opening lesson, we explore what it means to live as people who are being shaped by God’s mercy. From our identity in Adam to our new life in Christ, from the pull of the world to the power of the Holy Spirit, and from individual growth to life in the body of Christ, we see that spiritual formation is not self-improvement but the ongoing work of God making us like His Son. This message lays the foundation for understanding discipleship not as behavior management, but as a lifelong process of grace-driven transformation. So today we ask and attempt to answer these questions: What is forming you, and who are you becoming because of it?   Summer Teaching Series: Every day, we are being shaped by the world, the culture around us, and even the people closest to us. Formation is happening whether we notice it or not, and left unchecked, it can pull us away from God’s design for our lives. This 10-week series explores how to recognize what is shaping us and how to live intentionally as followers of Jesus. Through discussion, reflection, and practical teaching, we’ll discover how to grow in Christ and influence the world around us for Him. Join us and learn to live with purpose, aware of how God is forming you.   Counter Formation :: Shaped by Jesus in a World of Conformity  Lesson 1: Your Formation: Conformed or Transformed?   I. Christian Formation Begins with Salvation A. we are born deformed & dead in our sin B. we can be saved & transformed by grace through faith II. Christian Formation is Motivated by Love III. Christian Formation is Empowered by the Holy Spirit IV. Christian Formation is a Journey of Growth V. Christian Formation Happens in Community VI. Christian Formation is for the Glory of God   Lesson 1 - Notes