Welcome to
The Church of God
in Georgia

A Time for Renewal
by Dale Hoffman / Oak Park
Theme Scripture
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” Ephesians 4:23
Article
A story is told about a native Christian and a young missionary. The young missionary didn’t believe that the native Christian could possibly have a true understanding of the things of Christ since his culture and background were so drastically different from his own. To prove his point, he asked the native to explain what salvation through Jesus Christ meant to him.
The first thing that the native did was to dig up a worm. He then made a circle of sticks and twigs and set them on fire. He placed the worm on the ground in the middle of the circle. As the worm got dryer and hotter, he slowed and finally stopped moving.
Then the man picked up the worm and placed it on soft moist ground. The worm began to wiggle, a little at first, and then more and more. Then the worm dug its way into the soft moist ground. The native Christian then stated “This, Christ has done for me!” The young missionary learned a valuable lesson that day. It’s not about religion, but about a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ!
When we come to Christ, we are saved and given new life, but often the things of this world begin to crowd Christ out. We become burned out, stressed out, discouraged and overwhelmed. We feel like the little worm again!

I. Walking in Christ
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
- I can remember trying to walk in my dad’s footsteps!
- I would have to step as far as I could to place my feet in the prints he left in the soft dirt.
- We are created in God’s image!
Ephesians 4:17-24
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
- So, the more like Christ we are, the better off we are.
- Sometimes the tarnish of the world tries to rub off on us.
- Then it is time to set our eyes on Christ as our example!
- Paul in this passage explains this situation and tells us what to do!
II. Behavior Renewed!
Ephesians 4: 25-29
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
- Statistics show that in general, the behaviors of those who profess to be Christians are not very different from the behaviors of those who don’t profess Christ.
- In, other words, too many professing Christians haven’t allowed Christ to really transform their lives!
- Remember, we need to be less like the world and more like Christ!
- Paul contrasts the two, exhorting us to be like Christ in our behavior.
III. Attitude Renewed
Ephesians 4:30-32
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
- Now we’re getting to the bottom line.
- Sometimes our circumstances influence our attitude.
- Our attitudes begin to resemble the attitudes of people around us.
- Remember, Paul said, “But ye have not so learned Christ;” (Eph 4:20)
- Christ wants to renew our attitudes.
- Remember, God made us in His image.
- The more like Christ we are, the more we are the people that God intended for us to be!
CONCLUSION
Now that you have pushed your old self out of the way and gotten back to what God created you to be, get ready for the joy, peace and victory to come flooding back!
The Psalmist said, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Ps 51:12)
