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I started a series a few weeks back about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

Week 2 – We are Contributors. 

Week 3 – God Works in Community.

Week 4 – We keep it fun.

This week…Growth requires change.

“Growth requires Change and Change creates Growth.” – Dee Ann Turner VP of Corporate Talent at Chick-fil-A

Everything we do requires change.  And the more we facilitate change, we see growth.

From committing our lives to Jesus Christ, to the normal things in life. Marriage, family, school, jobs, if we desire to grow, it’s going to require change. If we embrace change, it will cause us to grow. Therefore, it can be said, change is a constant in our lives. And if we can remain flexible and teachable before God, not only will we experience change, but we’ll foster consistent growth.

Of all of the things that have happened during appointments in my office, there are very few things that will make me interrupt them and end the appointment right then and there. One situation, in particular, is when words like this are used:

“I’m not going to change.”

Why end the appointment? Because there’s no point going on. Without a healthy mindset that is open to change, we are really both wasting our breath. A healthy mindset is a teachable mindset.  A lack of teachability is a lack of humility. A lack of humility creates a culture of no change. No change is a place of stagnation. And stagnation leads to death.

It could be death of…

…your passion.
…your motivation.
…your hope.
…a relationship.
…a position.
…a ministry.

And we can either live with the inevitable result of stagnation or we can counteract the direction with the remedy for stagnation:

Change.

For those of you, like me, that don’t naturally embrace change, please note that change does NOT mean:

Something is broke.
Something is wrong.
Something is sinful.
Something is useless.
A massive shift in another direction.

Change doesn’t have a certain look or weight. In fact, the only consistent thing about change is that it is terribly inconsistent. Sometimes it’s a slight adjustment. Sometimes it is a massive shift. Think about how Jesus dealt with his disciples. There were moments of simple, slight change adjustments. Then there were moments where Jesus challenged their thinking and methodology with massive change to go into other directions.  Following Jesus requires changes both big and small. And the more flexible and teachable we are with Him, we’ll see greater growth in our lives.

In the Upper Room, Jesus washed the feet of his 12 followers. The bible says, 

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” John 13:6-9

I, personally, love the response of Peter. He didn’t fully grasp what was taking place. But his response was, “I’m not sure what you’re doing or what you’re changing, but don’t limit it to my feet. Wash/change every part of me.”

As yourself today, “Am I open to change and/or do I limit change?” Here at Kfirst, we believe that Jesus is what is sacred; everything else is in His hands to change and grow the way he desires. Like Peter in the Upper Room, we say “Lord, don’t stop with one area. Change what you want, when you want, and how you want. For your honor and for your glory.” 

We embrace change. It’s the only constant because Jesus is constant. And to follow Him is to embrace the changes he brings for personal and church community growth.