Mark 9:2-9
Your Story
Talk about a way that God has changed you. How has God made you better than you were before you followed God?
My Story and the Bible Story
God has changed my life in a lot of ways. For starters, I’ve never felt totally alone because I know that God is always with me. God has helped me get through some difficult times. God has helped me become kinder and gentler with others. God’s love changes us. It’s called “sanctification,” which means that we become more like Christ. When we follow God, God changes us to be more like Jesus. God helps us become more of who He created us to be. God has a way of changing us. God has a way of showing us things we never dreamed.
Read Mark 9:2-9.
Jesus transformed before the disciples’ eyes! He changed, and all of a sudden Peter, James, and John could see who he was. They could see his holiness. Instead of simply seeing the man, they saw Jesus: the Son of God. God transformed him right in front of them. Like many people who saw angels in dazzling white, these men were frightened. Jesus changed, and they weren’t sure what to do. But Peter knew that something amazing had happened. Jesus had changed, and Elijah and Moses, who had both been dead for a very long time, were in front of them. Peter wanted to stay on that mountain with a transformed Jesus and Elijah and Moses. They heard a voice say, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Jesus was transformed that day, but so were Peter, James, and John. They had seen the Lord, and they wanted to tell everyone. But Jesus told them to wait until it was time. When the time came, we know that Peter, James, and John told everyone about Jesus and all they had seen.
If we are willing, God transforms us and changes our lives. For some of us, that means God changes the things we do. For some of us, it means God changes the way we act. But whatever it is, God changes us. God transforms us. If we are willing, God will shape our lives so that everyone can see God’s love. God transforms us but doesn’t leave us. God tells us to go back down that mountain and tell others what He has done. Don’t be afraid to share with others how God has transformed and changed you.
Discussion and Prayer
- Ask your children about ways that God has changed them. Talk about changes you have seen in your kids that appear to be God’s work in them.
- Talk about how your family can share with others what God has done for each of you.
- Pray, thanking God for changing you. Ask God for help in sharing with others how you have been changed.
Rev. Jessica Asbell is the Minister to Children and Families at First Baptist Roswell, where she has been serving since 2012. She has written the children’s curriculum for Smyth & Helwys’s Annual Bible Study for the books of Daniel; Ezekiel; Luke; Jonah; 1 Corinthians; 1, 2, 3 John and Jude; Colossians; The Story of Israel’s Ancestors: Living toward a Promise; and Where Faith & Family Meet: A Book of Weekly Devotions. She has also written for CBF’s Spark and Form and for Affect in CBF’s fellowship! magazine. Married to Jonathan Oravec, Jessica reads every chance she gets.
