Life Transformation Introduction
The Meaning & The Method: An in-depth guide
(Feel free to listen or read as suits your need, or listen and follow along—however, there’s a little extra commentary in the audio)
What is a Life Transformation Group?
A Life Transformation Group is an intentional gathering of believers seeking to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the study of God’s Word, and applying it to all parts of life.
In simplest terms, it is a discipleship group.
This particular resource was designed to be used as a supplement/encouragement/reminder for an in person with a group of ladies at my church (hey, NTC ladies!). However, I wanted to have the materials accessible to some of our members who are unable to participate in person, and I thought—why not also have it available to others who may be looking for a plan to go deeper into the Word? If that’s you, may I encourage you to follow along here, but also to find a partner to participate with you if you can? (Preferably someone you can have some real face-time with for the accountability portions). Welcome to the LTG community! (subscribe at the end)
To be a disciple means to be a learner. To be a disciple of Jesus means to be a student of Him and of His ways, learning to be like Him in all we do. The great commission given in Matthew 28 tells us to make disciples. Making disciples is far more than evangelism and making converts. Jesus said it’s teaching people to observe (or keep) all he has commanded.
The life of a disciple is a life committed to following Jesus Christ, learning His ways, and walking in them ourselves.
Being a disciple is not merely about calling ourselves Christians but intentionally living as one who is transformed by Christ and devoted to His ways, not the world’s.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, disciples seek to be transformed more and more into Christ’s likeness. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29)
Discipleship involves passing on His Ways to others and includes practical steps for application.
The biblical term “disciple” comes from the Greek word mathētēs, meaning “learner” or “follower.”
Learn more about biblical discipleship: What is Biblical Discipleship? Definition & Biblical Examples
Many churches or ministry leaders offer various forms of Life Transformation Groups, so to differentiate from others that might operate with slightly different methods, let’s break down how this group is defined and the methods we’ll use:
The foundation for this Life Transformation Group is based on the following beliefs and scriptures:
Scripture instructs us to be transformed by renewing our minds:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
Our minds are renewed as we fill them with God’s truth through consistent, persistent, and intentional study, memorization, and application.
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” Deuteronomy 11:18
Transformation happens as we learn and then apply:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22
God has provided all we need for life and godliness—he has given us the gifts of His Word, His Spirit, and His People to help us in this faith journey:
His Word:
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16
“The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.”
A.W. Tozer
His Spirit:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13
His People:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
*See also: Ephesians 4:14, 1 Peter 2:6, Matthew 28:18-20
Why participate in a Life Transformation Group?
Many believers long for a deeper relationship with God, and desire to make progress in walking out their faith in everyday situations. Yet, many of us struggle with living out what we say we believe. We know spending time in the Word is vital to abiding in Christ, but sometimes we rush through it in order to simply check off the box and fulfill that “requirement” for that day. Technically, we’ve completed it. But it might not be translating to how we live. We haven’t let it transform us.
Or, maybe we get frustrated because as much as we want and try to read the Bible, we struggle to understand it, so we turn to Christian books or podcasts that feel easier to digest instead.
Maybe we just don’t know how to interpret what we read in God’s Word, so we rely on others to interpret it for us. Outside materials aren’t wrong to use, but they should always be a supplement, not a substitute. We do need to learn how to “rightly divide” scripture for ourselves and “study to show ourselves approved.” (2 Tim. 2:15)
⁕This space offers a method for learning how to do this, as well as a community of believers to encourage us when the going gets tough, help keep us on track, and offer accountability for applying what we learn to our daily lives.
Why do we use accountability questions?
Being accountable to others helps us gain character, have integrity, and live our lives on purpose. When we open ourselves up to being asked vulnerable, yet crucial questions, we are more likely to be intentional with our daily choices and behaviors. It also fosters deeper, more authentic relationships and often results in faster, more lasting transformation.
It’s hard to flourish in isolation. When we keep our struggles to ourselves, trying to “power through” or hide our sins and weaknesses, their power over us grows. However, when we give voice to these things to other trusted believers, the power over us diminishes. We gain the support, encouragement, and prayers of fellow followers that will help us persevere and overcome.
Transformation usually requires a plan, a process, (both of which are provided here) and— accountability.
Accountability is critical for keeping us on track in our walk of faith.
We need the Body of Believers. We need each other. We are not designed to do life alone— and Christians are admonished to not give up meeting together, to love one another, encourage, admonish, rejoice with, weep with—and help hold one another accountable to the standards God has given us. We are to do life with one another!
See: Intentional Accountability: A critical key for transformation (An LTG Foundation)
A Life Transformation Group is a space for us to do these things intentionally. And hopefully, we take what we learn here and spread it—inviting others to live daily in The Word, to be led by the Holy Spirit, and to walk with His people toward godly transformation.
Our Main Goals:
Develop a solid, biblical foundation
Grow in knowing & loving God and His Word/Ways, & being led by His Spirit
Grow in the “one-another” ministry of encouragement & accountability in community with His People
Scriptural basis:
Proverbs 25:12; 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:8-12; Romans 14: 13-23; 2 Corinthians 12:19-13:6; Galatians 6: 1-6; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 4:9-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 5:15-16; Hebrews 3:13
The Process:
In the interest of not reinventing the wheel,
We will be using the following Bible Study Steps from Everyday Faithfulness, by Glenna Marshall–
*You will need a Bible (a Study Bible is recommended), and a notebook/pen.
You can download a free printable PDF of the steps and watch a video with a detailed description of the method here.
*Future LTG posts will also have a break-down of weekly and daily steps
It’s important to read Scripture both broadly and deeply.
Think of the Bible as a forest (one cohesive book (the forest) made up of 66 individual books (the trees). Only taking time to look at one tree does not mean we are familiar with the entire forest. On the other hand, if we just jog rapidly along a winding path through the forest, never stopping to admire the specific bark pattern on individual trees, or notice the pinecones or bird’s nests nestled within, or the mushrooms peeking out from the base, we’ll never know the forest intimately. We’ll fail to understand the ecosystem and many symbiotic relationships that make the forest come alive.
Similarly, to fully understand the whole counsel of God’s Word, we must meander through individual books, dissecting the treasures found in that “tree,” ask questions, ponder, and apply. But we also need to take that jog through the whole book, so we are familiar with the whole, beautiful forest. (Bible in a Year, etc.)
In this group, we will take the meandering approach. Here’s the plan:
The 5 Ps for Sound Study:
We will also be filtering our study through the 5 P’s that author and Bible teacher Jen Wilken has laid out:
Digging Deeper: If you want to go deeper into her methods, see her video series: How to Study the Bible- Jen Wilkin's Method, or grab a copy of her book, Women of the Word
This may sound like a lot, but it’s really not! Taken a day at a time, it’s quite manageable—and dare I say, transformational!
*I’ll be sending more bite-sized weekly steps, encouragement, accountability questions, and options to go deeper.
→ A printable version of the Life Transformation Group handouts can be accessed here.
Please Note:
The Life Transformation Group is a subset/section of “The One Necessary Thing"
If you only want to receive LTG posts, you can toggle off The One Necessary Thing posts in your account settings after subscribing: https://theonenecessarything.substack.com/account