Today’s guest post comes to us from Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Pastor to Young Professionals at Richland Creek Community Church.

Okay, the title is a bit overly dramatic. The one who can really change your life is Jesus, from the inside out, from now to eternity, by his power and not yours.

Dallas Willard had this right (okay, he had a lot of things right): Grace is opposed to EARNING, but it is not opposed to EFFORT.

We do nothing to earn salvation. But we do seek to grow in knowing Christ, loving him, and serving him with greater effectiveness. Understanding this, I would like again to say here are 7 words that can change your life:

WHAT YOU DELIBERATELY PRACTICE GROWS INCREASINGLY STRONGER.

I know, an overuse of adverbs. But these matter. It’s not just practice, it’s deliberate, intentional practice. You don’t grow like bamboo, you grow more like an oak. It takes time. But you will get stronger.

In fact, you already are. If you find yourself daily growing annoyed or frustrated at the news cycle, your social media feed, or the obvious brokenness around us, you will practice being frustrated, lashing out, and judging people. And judging yourself. You are probably getting better at it.

But if you intentionally and deliberately choose to practice joy in the gospel, daily reminding yourself of his grace, you will grow stronger in joy. If you deliberately practice gratitude, you will become more grateful.

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Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

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About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.