Create Deep Life Change Culture

Create Deep Life Change Culture

A deep life change culture is essential for creating a culture hospitable to Soul Care. As explained below, the key processes involved are anointed teaching, true community, and the presence and power of God:

1.     Anointed teaching: Before leading people down the paths of wisdom you’ve traveled; you have to integrate the truth of God into your life. When you do this, a newfound authority will create an atmosphere of breakthrough for other people since a Spirit-saturated atmosphere is conducive to life change. You have authority in the areas where you walk in victory.  

“Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?” He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high (Luke 24:32,45-49 The Message).

2.     True community: You were created in the image of God. God has lived in perfect community for all eternity as expressed through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has modeled for us what we should be about in our own lives: community with others. When we have community, it can provide an open and honest atmosphere for us to walk together in God’s light.

3.     The Presence and power of God. Jesus’ central message is about the gospel of the Kingdom of God. It reverses everything that went wrong when sin entered the world and restores the way things were intended to be. When Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, He cast out demons, healed the sick, and fed the hungry. His victory over sin gave Him power over the effects of sin (Matthew 10:1; 17:17; Luke 10:17). Proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom includes power to overcome the effects of sin and destroy the devil’s works (1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 1 John 3:8).

Gary Thomas wrote, “Jesus chased out ignorance, defeated the demonic, and released the ill and oppressed. In other words, as Jesus walked, hell broke apart at his feet. Jesus and hell could not occupy the same spot. So, wherever Jesus went, hell was dismantled. Together, His life and teaching provide a clear goal—seeing hell break apart at our feet and the coming forth of the kingdom of God” (Gary Thomas, Seeking the Face of God: Strength Your Walk with God By Exploring the Faith of Our Spiritual Ancestors, pg. 19).

Here's how you can increase God’s presence and power in your life and ministry: understand the message of the kingdom and know that the demonstration of power is normal in the Kingdom; persevere in pursuing God, preach the truth of the gospel of the Kingdom, and pray for the Kingdom to come on earth as it does in Heaven with much suffering; don’t quench the Spirit; don’t despise prophetic utterances holding fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22);  earn how to hear God’s voice; and carry a greater sensitivity to God’s presence in your life.

Ingredients of Deep Life Change Culture

To establish a deep life culture, you must dismantle your old ways of trying to grow spiritually through being “religious.” This means rejecting a religious culture that is all about duty checklists and not being real or honest about the bondage and shame attached to your family history. You also must stop being afraid of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, trusting in His authentic activity around you.

Jesus challenged us in Matthew 9:16-17 to “pour new wine into fresh wineskins.” We can do this by creating a deep life culture of grace. Share openly, honestly, and vulnerably; confess sin; walk in the light with God and others; and live freely in Christ. Be helpful and don’t cause anyone to stumble.

Also, create a deep life culture that equips the saints to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). For example, teach how to hear God’s voice and break people into groups of three where they listen for a word from God for each other to gain practical experience. Teach people how to pray for the sick by doing it yourself. Many times, we tell people what to do but don’t equip them how to do it. We want leaders who display a heart for God more than competencies. Good teaching and programs alone won’t produce deep life change. Only God can change the human heart. When Jesus shows up, Kingdom work materializes (John 15:5).

Lastly, create a deep life culture built on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Just before challenging His hearers to ask for the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13, Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). If you want to become a bold witness for Christ and secure in the Father’s love, the Scripture says you need to be filled with the Spirit. You will prophesy when walking in the fullness of the Spirit. As Acts 2:17-18 says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy . . .” When our lives are marked by God’s presence, we hear God’s voice. He often speaks so you can relay a message to someone for their benefit. One of the easiest and most effective ways to witness is to look for the divine intersection point—where Jesus’ life-changing work in us intersects with what another person needs Jesus to do for them. So, if you are not seeing the power of the Holy Spirit displayed in your life, then begin to pray, fast, and seek His face until you do.

Implement Deep Life Change Culture

Partnering with God is often a strange combination of the supernatural and the natural. The supernatural is walking in the fullness of the Spirit, hearing God’s voice, and seeing God’s power. Dialoguing with people enables them to ask questions so they can buy into deep life cultural change.   

A deep life change culture is rooted in the Word and mobilized on mission to prevent the healing culture from being sick and ingrown. This means that soul issues like identity, repentance, breaking family sin patterns, healing hurts, overcoming fears, and breaking demonic strongholds (described in the book, Soul Care) must be dealt with. This will enable the flow of the Spirit for freedom and fullness in Christ. Only God changes hearts when we access the presence and power of God.

That is why we need to create experiences that reinforce the culture and develop people. Jesus created experiences that went beyond teaching. He cast out demons, healed the sick, and equipped and trained the disciples to do the same Kingdom ministry. He released and empowered them to do the works of the Kingdom. They came back and reported to Him what they did, and He coached them. This experiential equipping environment was essential for deep life culture crafting. As Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

This is why Sync with God was created. It is designed to train people in the full counsel of God (Genesis to Revelation) so the Holy Spirit can do His work.  

“But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’ (John 16:13-15, The Message).

I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, . . . for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. . . . I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:20,27,29-30).

Will you enter a deep life change culture with us?