How Do We Change?
Change is something we all want — but few of us understand.
In the message How Do We Change?, Pastor CJ Ward tackles one of the most important questions every follower of Jesus must wrestle with: what actually causes a person to change? While many of us believe change is possible, we often rely on the wrong methods to produce it.
Through the book of Habakkuk and the teachings of Jesus, this message reveals that real transformation doesn’t come from willpower alone — it comes from encountering God in the right way.
Big Idea
Lasting change happens when we see Jesus for who He really is.
Miracles, crisis, and inspiration all play a role in transformation — but inspiration rooted in a true vision of Jesus is the change-agent God most often uses to reshape our hearts and lives.
Message Summary
Pastor CJ begins by asking a simple but profound question: What causes someone to change? Drawing from Scripture, psychology, and lived experience, he identifies three primary catalysts for transformation:
Miracle — God intervenes directly and powerfully.
Crisis — Pain or rock-bottom moments force change.
Inspiration — Seeing something so compelling that it motivates a new way of living.
While miracles are acts of God and crises are often unavoidable, inspiration is something we can intentionally cultivate. When we place ourselves in positions to truly see Jesus — through worship, Scripture, community, and service — our desires begin to change.
This teaching connects transformation directly to serving. We were created to live beyond ourselves, and yet sin bends us inward. When we stop serving, it’s not a discipline problem — it’s a vision problem. We haven’t seen Jesus clearly.
Habakkuk’s prayer becomes the model response: “I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds. Lord, repeat them in our day.” When we see who God is and what He has done, inspiration leads to action — and action leads to change.
Key Scripture Reference
Habakkuk 3:1–2
Habakkuk reflects on God’s past faithfulness and asks Him to move again. Awe leads to prayer, and prayer leads to change.
Habakkuk 1:12
God sometimes allows crisis as a means of correction, not punishment — always for a redemptive purpose.
Mark 10:45
Jesus models the life we were created for: serving others rather than being served.
Philippians 2:5–8
Seeing Jesus’ humility and sacrifice reframes our selfish ambition and inspires transformation.
Genesis 1:26–28
Humanity was created with purpose, influence, and responsibility — designed to serve and steward God’s world.
Why This Message Matters
If we want to become the people God created us to be, we must stop relying on guilt, pressure, or crisis to produce change. Transformation flows from inspiration — and inspiration flows from seeing Jesus clearly.
When we see Jesus:
Serving becomes natural
Selfishness loses its grip
Worship becomes a response, not an obligation
Change becomes inevitable
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