“...Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2, NKJV)

Dear Friend,

Do you desire to see growth and transformation in your life? Do you want to go deeper in your relationship with God? Do you long to discover and fulfill your God-given purpose?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, then keep reading!

When you get born again, you received the spirit of Christ within you, and you become a completely new creation.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)

Your old ways have passed away and a new life has sprung forth within you!

Let’s face it—it doesn’t always feel that way in our thoughts, our body, or our emotions. When I got born again, I felt the exact same—or maybe worse because I finally saw how damaged I was. So, what really changed then?

Your spirit is what changed when you got born again. You can’t feel your spirit, which is why the Bible instructs you to renew your mind with the Word of God, so you can:

• Know God

• Understand His will

• Grasp the truth about who you are in Christ

The more you discover the truth in God’s Word, the more you will prove His good and perfect will for your life! This is how we experience the new life we've been promised in Christ.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2, KJV)

As you renew your mind by reading the Bible, God will speak to you, guide you, and reveal Himself to you in powerful and precious ways. He will guide you into His goodness and promises, and away from things that are harmful and destructive. A relationship with God and His Word will produce amazing growth and transformation in your life. You won’t have to wake up every day and think, “I have to grow. I have to change. I have to transform!” You will wake up, seek God, and transformation will happen automatically because of your relationship with God. Results aren’t up to you. The results are up to God.

So, when I talk about transformation, what exactly do I mean?

Well, if you look at my past, I was a drug addict for seven years and was at the lowest of lows. Homeless, depressed, suicidal, hopeless, bankrupt, and broken. My family had an intervention and told me that they loved me, that they were scared for me, and that if I didn’t change, then they couldn’t be part of my life anymore. While that may have crushed some people, it did the opposite for me. It was a wakeup call for sure, but more importantly, I saw that someone still had hope for my life. Their love and hope gave me courage to face my life; to climb out of the pit I had dug for myself; to admit that I was wrong, and do my best to make it right.

To look at my life today versus who I was then (over 13 years later) …I don’t even recognize the old me. God has transformed me from the inside out, and it was all because of relationship with Him, renewing my mind with the Word, and following the guidance of His Holy Spirit within me.

That’s what transformation means to me. Transformation is a change for good in your life that causes you to want to get out of bed in the morning and look forward to the day ahead.

To some, that might sound simple or lame, but for me, it was revolutionary.

Along the way, I had a lot of questions. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and understood what it meant to be a Christian, or I was suddenly ‘godly’ and had life all figured out. No, I had to learn, grow, and be open to changing. I had A LOT of questions like,

• What does it mean to be a Christian?

• What does it mean to have faith, and how do I live by faith practically every day?

• Can you really know God and have a personal relationship with Him?

Have you ever had these types of questions? If so, keeping asking them because God loves to answer our questions and reveal Himself to us in real ways.

One day at a time, I took the next step with God, and the Holy Spirit guided me into all truth—and continues to do so. He helped me to stop just reading the Bible, but to truly start believing it and putting it to work in my life. This is when everything changed.

Let my story encourage you that no one is too far gone. God is no respecter of persons, and what He’s done in my life, He will surely do in yours—and more. In fact, the Bible tells us exactly how to encounter God every day. It says in Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Search for God with all your heart (every day, in every area), and you will find Him. I’ve tested these Scriptures with my life that was hanging on a thread and I’m here to tell you that it’s true. The Word works if you will believe it and apply it to your situation. As we journey through Hello, New You, that is exactly what we’re going to learn how to do together.

In the weeks to come, we’re going to discuss everything from the love of God, to what it means to be a new creation in Christ, to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to hearing God's voice and understanding His guidance, to monitoring your words and thoughts, to the power of vision and a routine, and more! The purpose of this book is to help you discover the truth and apply it to your life in a simple, practical way. The things I share throughout the book are the most important things that God showed me in my journey to recovery, and they’ve guaranteed a lifetime of transformation in every area—not just one or two. Because of these things, God continues to guide me, show me His path for my life, and bring blessing and restoration in more ways than I can imagine. Get ready because He wants to do the same things for you!

If you enjoyed this teaching, tune into the Live Book Study where we went a lot deeper. You can watch the full video here!

Before our live book study next week, please read Chapter 1 and as you do, take time with these truths, meditate on them, and ask God how you can apply these things to your life. Ask yourself questions like, “Do I really believe this verse? Do I believe God will do this for me?” If not, ask yourself “Why?” Invite God into your heart, into this journey, and be open to His guidance, correction, and instruction.

Lastly, I encourage you to utilize the Moments of Reflection at the end of each chapter. This time of reflection is to help you go deeper with God’s Word and immediately apply the truths we discussed to your life. God is here, and He is going to help you transform your life so you can fulfill your destiny!

Partners, Greg and I are so grateful for you! We pray and believe that God is multiplying back to you abundantly what you have sowed into our lives so selflessly. Your financial gifts and prayers are nourishing us, helping us, and providing for us to fulfill God's calling for our life. Thank you. As Paul told His partners in Philippians 4, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (v. 19).

If you're new to our ministry, welcome! We look forward to getting to know you more! You can learn more about us here!

We are praying for you, that God's grace would enable and strengthen you, that you'd be drawn to His Word and hunger for the truth like never before, that you'd be free from all bondage and oppression, and that you'd walk in the light of His countenance and freedom all the days of your life. In Jesus' name, amen.

Talk to you next time!

Love you,
Erin

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