In this transformational second message of the gospel campaign series, Dr. Thomas delivers a masterful exposition of Paul's letter to the Colossians that cuts to the heart of American church culture. Addressing the fundamental difference between church membership and true discipleship, he uses Church of Christ principles of biblical authority and restoration of New Testament patterns to reveal the five essential elements that create lasting spiritual transformation when believers make "the shift."

The Colossian church faced polarizing issues including Gnosticism and family problems that were stopping their forward momentum with Jesus. Like many modern congregations, they had people who were spiritually confused and distracted from their mission. Paul's instrumental prayer response—praying that God would affect change on earth through heaven's power—provides a timeless framework for any congregation struggling with internal issues or individuals seeking to move beyond mere church attendance to authentic Christian living.

Dr. Thomas exposes how American church culture has created a dangerous distinction: people treating churches like shopping malls, looking for what meets their needs rather than asking how God can use their gifts for His glory. This consumer mentality produces members instead of disciples, voters instead of servants, and church attendees instead of people who have died to self and placed themselves under Christ's comprehensive rule.

The big idea: Your story has the power to change another person's story, but first you must make the shift from being a church member to being a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ. Even without material wealth, knowing Jesus makes your life superior to anyone living without Him—even trillionaires who don't know Christ have lives of lesser value than the poorest believer in God's kingdom.

The Superior Story of Every Believer: Understanding that your relationship with Christ gives you a story worth sharing, regardless of your economic status or worldly achievements.

"Even if you are not a millionaire, the fact that you know Jesus makes you better than anybody who doesn't know Jesus. Even if they are trillionaires... whatever you think you have is of lesser value than anybody in the kingdom who knows Jesus."

The Five-Step Solution for Spiritual Transformation: Paul provides a biblical framework for addressing church problems through prayer, being filled with God's word, character production, divine power, and resulting peace. Every congregation must follow this pattern to experience genuine shift from problems to power.

Prayer as Instrumental Power: Prayer isn't emergency requests but consistent plugging into heaven's power to affect change on earth. Just like electrical appliances need to be connected to work, disciples must be connected to God through sustained prayer to create transformation.

Word-Saturated Living (Pleroma): The Greek word "pleroma" means complete saturation—like the smell of cooking that fills every room of a house. Scripture isn't just for knowing—it's for character transformation. You must be infatuated with God's word, loving it more than daily sustenance like Job.

"The shift for any congregation to take place won't take place if you got a bunch of people who don't love God's word... Real shift is only going to take place when everybody in the family of God is infatuated and obsessed and in love with the word of God."

Discipleship Versus Membership - A Critical Distinction: There's a fundamental difference between treating church like shopping in a mall versus surrendering your life completely to Christ's comprehensive rule. Members vote on God's will; disciples surrender to it. Members get easily offended; disciples have died to self and can't be easily offended because "it's hard to offend a dead person."

"Real discipleship though is a choice that you have made. I'm sorry. It's a surrender that you have made where you said the moment you said this... he is the master and messiah. He is the prophet, priest and king. He is my lord and my savior."

Three Types of Divine Power: God provides strengthening power (dunamoo) for daily perseverance when discipleship gets tiring, creation power (dunamis) to make a way out of no way like speaking the universe into existence, and holding-together power (kratos) that keeps you from falling apart—illustrated through atomic structure where opposing forces are held together by God's power.

The Surgery of God's Word: Hebrews 4:12 reveals that God's word is living and active, doing spiritual surgery on your soul (essence of who you are), spirit (motivation for why you do what you do), joints and marrow (where and how you operate), and discerning thoughts and intentions. This power can reverse generational curses, addiction, and character flaws at subatomic levels.

Mutual Submission for Kingdom Effectiveness: The 85/15 problem where 85% of congregations are women but only 15% (men) are expected to do kingdom work creates impossible burdens. Biblical mutual submission mobilizes every gift for God's glory, following the pattern of the Godhead where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit function in perfect submission to each other.

Your Story as God's Catalyst: Recognizing that God uses transformed lives as the primary means of reaching others who are living in spiritual darkness and desperation.

"You recognize the power of your story to change another person's story, then not only will you appreciate and embrace what it means to step into the narrative of God, but you'll step into the narrative of God knowing that just like his story changed your story, he now wants to use your story to change another person's story."

The Death of Ego in Discipleship: True disciples ask "How can I help make Jesus famous?" instead of "What's in this for me?" When ego dies, Christ lives, and the result is purpose-driven ministry. Disciples don't get easily offended because you can't offend a dead person (Galatians 2:20).

"When you are a disciple... every single person who makes up the family is looking to ask the question, 'How can I help to make Jesus famous? What can I do to make Jesus famous?'"

Discipleship Multiplication Mandate: Every mature believer must pour into others following 2 Timothy 2:2. Men should mentor young men in work ethic and biblical manhood. Women should follow Titus 2 principles mentoring younger women. Everyone should share practical life skills rather than privately being blessed while fellow church members struggle with problems they could help solve.

Character Change That Pleases God: You can't treat spiritual transformation like an Amazon purchase—it requires the meeting of two rivers (God's knowledge and your obedience). Character formation happens when you read God's word, take steps to obey what you've read, and experience your mind aligning with God's mind through consistent engagement with scripture.

 

About Prayer:

• Are you praying instrumentally (asking God to affect change on earth through heaven's power) or just making emergency requests?

• How consistent is your prayer life in addressing the problems you face?

About God's Word:

• Do you love God's word like Job - more than your daily sustenance?

• About Prayer:

• Are you praying instrumentally (asking God to affect change on earth through heaven's power) or just making emergency requests?

• How consistent is your prayer life in addressing the problems you face?

• When you pray for others, are you asking God to move them or asking God to fill them with His word so they can change their own behavior?

About God's Word:

• Do you love God's word like Job—more than your daily sustenance—or is Bible study just another church activity?

• Are you infatuated and obsessed with scripture, looking forward to Bible class and personal study?

• When you engage with God's word, are you letting it do surgery on your thoughts and intentions?

• What generational patterns or character flaws do you need God's word to reverse in your life?

About Discipleship vs. Membership:

• Are you easily offended when things don't go your way in church, or have you died to self?

• Have you truly placed yourself under Christ's comprehensive rule over your thoughts, decisions, and spending?

• Do you ask "How can I help make Jesus famous?" or "What's in this for me?"

• Are you treating church like a mall, shopping for what meets your needs, or asking how God can use your gifts?

• What areas of your character need the transforming power of God's word?

• Are you letting God's word discern the difference between your thoughts and your intentions?

• How are you different today than you were five years ago due to God's word working in your life?

• What "two rivers" (God's knowledge and your obedience) need to join in your spiritual walk?

About Church Health and Mutual Submission:

• Are you functioning as a disciple who mobilizes gifts for God's glory?

• How might mutual submission improve your congregation's effectiveness in reaching the lost?

• What gifts are you withholding that could strengthen the body of Christ?

• Are you contributing to the 85/15 problem by not using your abilities for kingdom work?

About Your Story and Discipleship Multiplication:

• How has Jesus changed your story from what it was without Him?

• Who specifically needs to hear how Christ has transformed your life?

• What practical life skills or spiritual insights do you have that could help others in your congregation?

• Are you pouring into the next generation according to 2 Timothy 2:2 and Titus 2 principles?

About Making the Shift:

• What specific shift do you need to make from membership to discipleship?

• Are you ready to surrender areas of your life you've been withholding from Christ's comprehensive rule?

• What would change in your church if every member made this shift from voting on God's will to surrendering to it?

• How can you move from being a consumer of church services to a contributor to kingdom work?

About God's Power in Your Life:

• How have you experienced God's "keep on keeping on" power during difficult seasons?

• When has God shown His creation power by making a way out of no way in your circumstances?

• What areas of your life need God's holding-together power to keep you from falling apart?

• How does understanding God's atomic-level control over creation affect your trust in His ability to hold your life together?

About Character Formation:

Are you infatuated and obsessed with scripture, or do you see Bible study as just another church activity?

About Discipleship vs. Membership:

• Are you easily offended when things don't go your way in church?

• Have you truly died to self and placed yourself under Christ's comprehensive rule?

• Do you ask "How can I help make Jesus famous?" or "What's in this for me?"

About Character Formation:

• What areas of your character need the transforming power of God's word?

• Are you letting God's word discern your thoughts and intentions?

About Church Health:

• Are you functioning as a disciple who mobilizes gifts for God's glory?

• How might mutual submission improve your congregation's effectiveness?

About Your Story:

• How has Jesus changed your story from what it was without Him?

• Who needs to hear how Christ has transformed your life?

About Making the Shift:

• What specific shift do you need to make from membership to discipleship?

• Are you ready to surrender areas of your life you've been withholding from Christ?