You Need God’s Help to Change

[You Need God’s Help to Change]( Current Teaching Series [Resetting My Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [You Need God’s Help to Change]( By Rick Warren — 04/04/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB) Doing a reset in your life is not something you can do with just human energy. Only God can produce that kind of a transformation in your life. Think of it like this: Someone could make a law that says, “No more prejudice. No more racism. No more bigotry.” But no law is ever going to turn a bigot into a lover. Only God has the power to do that—because it requires an internal change, and only God can produce a truly lasting transform in our hearts. In the same way, you can tell yourself that you’re ready to change, that you want to change, that you can change, and that you will change. But nothing will ever happen—nothing that lasts or has eternal significance—without the help of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Zechariah 4:6, “‘You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD All-Powerful” (NCV). Just like you can’t transform yourself into a tiger or a leopard, you can’t transform yourself to be like Christ. You can’t change your life on your own power. Willpower is not enough. You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight, and you’re not going to eliminate them overnight either. It’s going to take time. In fact, it’s going to take the rest of your life! It’s a slow process. And on your own, you won’t have enough patience and endurance to finish strong. But there’s good news. The Bible promises, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18 TLB). Making changes involves a lifelong process that requires the power of Holy Spirit. As the Spirit works within you, God transforms you into who you were created to be and makes you more and more like him. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours. When he wants a mature oak tree, he takes 60 years. Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree? God wants you to grow into an emotionally mature, spiritually strong, happy, and healthy woman or man of God. It won’t happen quickly. But it will happen with the help of the Holy Spirit. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - When have you tried to make a big life change on your own power? What was the result? - Why do you think God wants some changes in our lives to take longer? - Sometimes the best steps we can take toward a reset are small ones. What small step will you take today to make a change in your life that will help you become the person God wants you to be? How will you need to rely on the Holy Spirit, even in that first small step? What is your choice about Jesus? The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). 
If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, start with this prayer: “Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day. "I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen." If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [You Need God’s Help to Change]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get The Purpose Driven Life Graduate Edition when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Graduation is a time of honoring the hard work of the past—and celebrating the potential of the future. It’s the perfect time to remind a graduate that God created them, loves them, and has a plan for their life. That’s why Pastor Rick created a special resource just for graduates called, The Purpose Driven Life: Selected Thoughts and Scriptures for the Graduate. This beautiful gift book encourages graduates with these key biblical truths: • You were planned for God's pleasure • You were formed for a family and community • You were created to become like Christ • You were shaped for serving God • You were made for a mission [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Resetting My Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: How to Prepare for a Life Reset Message 2: Changing Always Starts with Choosing Message 3: Making the Hard Changes in Me [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States