A key to real transformation

Earlier this year Rick Warren wrote on preaching as it relates to my favorite verses in the NT. Here are a couple of highlights:

Behind every sin is a lie I believe
At the moment you sin, you’re doing what you think is the best thing for you. You say, “I know God says to do that, but I'm going to do this.” What are you doing? You believe a lie. Behind every sin is a lie. Start looking for the lies behind why people in your church act the way they do. When you start dealing with those, you’ll start seeing change.

If you want to change people radically and permanently, you have to do it the New Testament way. You have to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Just telling people, “You need to stop smoking … You need to stop doing this … You need to stop doing that …” isn’t going to work. You’ve got to help them change their belief pattern.

I struggle in my preaching to help members of the congregation not only to behave themselves, but to be transformed. Changing our beliefs--so that we really believe what God says about himself and us--is a critical step of that transformation.