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This keeps me growing - Ben
Sermon Summary
Ben teaches that as followers of Jesus, we are already saved from slavery to sin but are called to grow and be transformed into Christlikeness through abiding in Him and practicing spiritual disciplines like Sabbath, living as a community on the journey toward the promised land.
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Beginning a new year and a new focus on growth, the teaching draws a straight line from Israel’s Exodus to the everyday life of a follower of Jesus. Israel’s story unfolds in three movements: rescued from Egypt, formed in the wilderness, and brought into the promised land. That same arc frames Christian life: those who belong to Jesus are truly freed from the slavery of sin, yet still live “in between,” not yet in the fullness of the promised future. God did not usher Israel straight from rescue to Canaan; he led them the “roundabout way” to reform a people who could live with him. Likewise, freedom can be instantaneous, but salvation is a lifelong journey of becoming a different kind of person.
Jesus is presented as both Redeemer and Roadmap—the fulfilment of the Law and the living pattern of a fully human life. The New Testament calls this transformation into Christlikeness “metamorphosis,” a Spirit-driven reshaping from one degree of glory to another. This work is God’s, yet Christians can adopt practices that place the soul in the Spirit’s path. These are not a ladder to earn grace, but a trellis that helps grace bear fruit.
John 15 provides the centre of gravity: abiding in Jesus is the nonnegotiable condition for fruitfulness. Intimacy precedes productivity; apart from the Vine, branches wither. One concrete practice commended for abiding is Sabbath—recovered not as a rule to perform, but as a weekly rhythm that forms trust, humility, gratitude, and worship. Sabbath is summarised as stop, rest, delight, and worship: ceasing from production; choosing truly restorative activities; enjoying God’s gifts with gratitude; and keeping the day holy—set apart for God’s purposes, not merely as a day off. This countercultural pause resists the identity of output and re-centres life in God’s sufficiency.
Testimony highlighted how a simple, consistent Sabbath has created space for the Spirit, fostered peace and contentment, and positively influenced every other practice of abiding. The invitation is practical and hopeful: examine how you abide, identify what needs strengthening, and experiment with practices that help you stay attached to the Vine. Followers of Jesus are not called to wither but to grow—and growth comes as abiding presence becomes a lived pattern.
Key Takeaways
1. Already freed, not yet home:
Salvation liberates from sin decisively, yet life still unfolds in the wilderness between rescue and promise. Accepting this “in-between” reframes expectations: God forms people over time, not just in moments. Hope grows when formation is honoured as a journey, not a shortcut. Living as a pilgrim cultivates patience, courage, and joy along the way.
2. Transformation is Spirit-led metamorphosis:
The Christian life is not behaviour polish but a deep reshaping of being, from the inside out. The Spirit changes what we love, not only what we do, conforming us to the image of Christ. This is gradual—“from one degree of glory to another”—yet real and observable. Our role is consent and cooperation, not control.
3. Abide to bear lasting fruit:
Fruitfulness is never the product of frantic effort; it is the overflow of attachment to Jesus. Abiding names a relational stance—remaining, receiving, staying close—that becomes the root system of a life. When abiding is primary, fruit comes without self-assertion or anxiety. Apart from the Vine, even good activity dries out.
4. Sabbath resists production-driven identity:
Ceasing from work one day a week declares that worth is received, not achieved. Sabbath becomes a weekly practice of trust—letting the world spin without your contribution—and a protest against hurry and scarcity. Stopping makes room for rest, delight, and worship to rehumanize the heart. Over time, the soul learns to run on grace, not adrenaline.
5. Practices posture us, not earn grace:
Spiritual disciplines are not currency to purchase God’s favour; they are habits that open us to the Spirit’s transforming presence. Like Israel’s commands after rescue, practices teach how to live as an already-saved people. Used rightly, they aim at communion, not performance. The measure is not how much is done, but whether love grows.
Daily Hope Devotionals
Day 1: Already Freed, Still on the Journey Home
Scripture:
Exodus 13:17–18 NLT
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus, the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.’https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
In Jesus, you are truly free from the slavery of sin, yet you and the world are not the promised land—at least not yet. God often leads by the “roundabout way,” not to punish, but to form a people who can carry his presence well. The space between rescue and fulfilment is where you learn to live as God’s community, ruled by Jesus rather than by circumstances. Trials still show up, but they no longer rule you; Christ does. Trust his timing and walk the long road with hope, learning a promised‑land kind of life even before you arrive.
Reflection:
Where do you sense God choosing the longer road for your good, and what single step of obedience will align you with his guidance this week?
Prayer:
God, just as You led Your people by a roundabout way through the wilderness, help me to trust Your path for my life. Give me patience and faith to walk with You through every season, learning to live as Your child in this world. Amen.
Day 2: Abide in the Vine to Bear Fruit
Scripture:
John 15:4–5 (NLT)
‘ “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Growth in a changing world comes not from striving, but from staying close to Jesus. Abiding is the quiet, stubborn choice to arrange your life around his presence in prayer, Scripture, and loving community. Apart from him we wither; connected to him we grow and bear lasting fruit. Fruit isn’t forced; it is the natural outcome of life flowing from the Vine into the branches. Choose closeness over hurry, and let his life flow through you.
Reflection:
Choose one time of day to pause for 10 minutes with Jesus; when will it be, and what will you do to remain attentive?
Prayer:
Father, You have called me not to wither but to grow, to flourish amid the changes of this world. Help me to consistently orient my life around You, growing in faith and love. Amen.
Day 3: Formation by Grace, Not Earning God’s Favour
Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
You are saved by grace, not by practices; yet grace invites you into practices that open space for the Spirit’s transforming work. Think of disciplines as postures, not payments—trellises that help the Vine’s life climb, not ladders you climb to reach God. The Spirit reshapes you from an old, enslaved pattern into a new creation with Jesus on the throne. Freedom may happen in a moment, but salvation unfolds across a lifetime of being reformed into Christ’s image. Rest in grace and cooperate with the One who changes you.
Reflection:
Which practice in your life tends to slip into performance mode, and how could you approach it this week as a simple way of receiving rather than proving?
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, come and work in me, not because I deserve it, but because You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun in me. Help me to embrace the spiritual practices that position me to be transformed, not as a way to earn Your love, but as a way to stay connected to Jesus. Amen.
Day 4: Sabbath: Stop, Rest, Delight, and Worship Weekly
Scripture:
Exodus 20:8-10a (NLT)
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
Sabbath is a weekly act of trust in God’s care: you stop producing and let him be God. You choose rest for body, mind, and emotions, stepping off the treadmill of urgency. You practice delight—enjoying good food, creation, friendship, and the gifts already given—with gratitude rather than grasping. And you worship, setting the day apart unto the Lord so it becomes holy, not just a day off. In a culture that measures worth by output, Sabbath becomes resistance, humility, and joy.
Reflection:
If you were to mark out a 24‑hour Sabbath this week, what start and end times will you set, and what two ‘delight’ activities will you plan?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the gift of Sabbath—a time to stop, rest, delight, and worship. Help me to cease my work and trust in Your provision. Teach me to rest physically, mentally, and emotionally, to delight in Your blessings, and to worship You with a grateful heart. Amen.
Day 5: Transformed From One Degree of Glory
Scripture:
Matthew 17:1–2 (NLT)
Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
Spiritual growth is not merely learning new ideas; it is a change of shape, a holy metamorphosis. As you behold Jesus, the Spirit gradually aligns your inner life with His, and what is hidden begins to shine through the ordinary. Israel had to be reshaped from slaves into a people ruled by God; you, too, are being reshaped into Christlikeness. This is patient, luminous work—steady, Spirit-led, and deeply hopeful. Keep your eyes on Jesus and welcome his transforming presence.
Reflection:
Name one specific area where you sense the Spirit inviting change in shape (a habit, a reaction, a rhythm). What small step will you take to cooperate with that transformation this week?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my example and the law fulfilled. Help me to be like You in character and love, reflecting Your image in this broken world. May I be renewed daily, growing into the fullness of who You created me to be. Amen.
Day 6: The Journey of Transformation
Scripture:
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.’
https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
The Israelites were freed from slavery quickly, but it took them forty years to journey to the promised land. Like the Israelites, we are called to be shaped and reshaped, moving from who we were to who God wants us to be. Paul’s words in Romans echo this idea. We are not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. This transformation is a process, powered by the Holy Spirit, that changes us from the inside out. It’s about becoming more like Jesus every day, growing in faith, love, and obedience.
Reflection:
What part of your life needs renewing? How can you open yourself more to the Spirit’s work of transformation? Remember, this is a journey, not a race. God is patient and faithful to complete the work He has started in you.
Prayer:
Father, help me to be honest about where I am and where I need to grow. Give me the courage to seek Your help in areas I struggle with. Help me to be open to the Holy Spirit’s work in my life. Amen.
Day 7: Dwelling in the House of the Lord Forever
Scriptures:
Psalm 23:6 (NLT)
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.https://www.biblegateway.com/p...
Devotional:
This is a beautiful promise of eternal life and intimate fellowship with God. But this promise also shapes how we live now—in the space between freedom and the promised land. We are called to live as God’s people here and now, reflecting His presence in our daily lives. This lifelong journey of spiritual formation is our way of dwelling in God’s house today.
Reflection:
Let this truth encourage you: dwelling in God’s house is not just a future hope but a present reality as we abide in Him, grow in grace, and live out His love in the world. May we embrace this journey with joy and faithfulness.
Prayer:
Father, I thank You for receiving me into Your family, Your house, Your Kingdom. Thank You that this blessing is for now, as well as forever, and that I get to experience this transformation journey with You. May I never lose the wonder of Your grace and favour to me. Amen.
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