A Summer of Personal Reformation

Reformation. That's not a word we use often, but it has to do with re-forming something that already exists. Ideally, it is re-forming it in a better, more desirable manner. What we call the "Reformation" of the 16th century didn't create the church or the gospel or the Bible, but it significantly re-formed what many people thought about each of these.

This summer we're preaching a set of sermons that all fit together around this broad topic of Personal Reformation. These three mini-series' are brief and practical, and for each one we have selected a book to recommend if you want to go deeper on the particular topic. None of the books is over 200 pages, and all of them would be great reads for you devotionally or for your families over a meal.

The first series starts next week and wrestles with the question, "How Can I Change?" The technical term for this is sanctification, which means the progressive process of becoming more holy (i.e., sanctified). The Latin for "holy" is sanctus, so the word is less random than it might appear.

Sam Hodges mapped out this sermon series for us. We'll begin on May 29th with a look at Romans 6:1-14 and the way the cross makes change possible—and even necessary. Then Phil on June 5th will examine the role of the heart in our growth in holiness from Matthew 15:10-19. On June 12th we'll look at the war within our hearts between desires of the Spirit and desires of the flesh from Galatians 5:16-26. John on June 19th will unpack Romans 12:1-2, one of the great texts on the role of renewing our minds in order to become more holy. Sam will finish out this series on June 26th with a look at Ephesians 4:17-32 and the behaviors we are to "put off" and "put on."

A book to help you go deeper in this area is Tim Chester's You Can Change. Chester has done an excellent job navigating the mysterious world of our hearts in a clear and compelling way. He has also given us clear steps to go deeper and further in our Christian walk.

The second series in July will be a four-week look at the book of Jonah. This small book packs a wallop as it dramatically lets us see both the gracious salvation of the Lord and the sinful prejudices of our own heart. Jonah is both the hero and the villain of the story, who both shows us what we are to do and what we are to avoid. If you want a way to let its message sink deeper, check out Sinclair Ferguson's Man Overboard! Ferguson captures the message of Jonah in a concise and insightful manner.

The third series will be five weeks (late July through August) on the Bible so that we can have some clear convictions about what it is to us. The Bible is authoritative, necessary, sufficient, clear, and a delight, and we'll take a sermon to unpack each of these. Ricky Wright will be preaching on Psalm 1 as part of this series. A book to go along with these sermons is Kevin DeYoung's Taking God at His Word. DeYoung is at his typical self in this book: funny, insightful, informed, culturally aware, and clear. As with the other two works, this would make a great personal or family read.

Consider making this summer a time to emphasize your spiritual growth. These three sets of sermons can help you do that, along with these book recommendations. Maybe grab a brother or sister in your home group or the church and ask to read through one of these books together.

Daniel