Forty people gathered with Body of Christ Fellowship at Vaughn’s Chapel for this week’s Sabbath service. From our morning study in Matthew to Everett Mounts II’s message from Romans 12, the day’s central question was clear: Are we merely collecting information about Christ, or are we allowing God to transform our lives?

Morning Bible Study: Recognizing Fruit

Skip Martin continued Harmonies of the Gospels, Parts 18–19, beginning in Matthew 7:15–20. The group considered Jesus’ warning about false prophets and His instruction that a tree is known by its fruit.

A fruit tree does not always produce perfect fruit, and one flawed piece of fruit does not necessarily mean the whole tree is rotten. In the same way, human beings are imperfect. That truth does not excuse error, but it should guard us against becoming eager fault-finders. Our responsibility is to slow down, examine what has happened, and prayerfully consider where error entered and where truth lies.

The discussion included lessons drawn from the Worldwide Church of God split. Michael added that those who come in sheep’s clothing may appear to be just like everyone else while carrying a very different agenda. Because we cannot see another person’s heart, appearances alone are not enough. Over time, the fruit a person produces reveals far more than outward presentation.

The study continued through Matthew 7:21–23 and Matthew 8:2–4, challenging everyone to pair discernment with humility and to let obedience—not appearance alone—test the claims we encounter.

Worship and Scripture

Joseph Hoffman opened the main service in prayer, and Reda led the congregation in worship. Together we sang:

• Thrive
• Days of Elijah
• Above All
• Go Light Your World

Devan read Matthew 9:9–12. Jasmine and Devan led the children’s class, giving our younger congregation members time to learn and grow together.

Main Message • Everett Mounts II

Be Transformed, Not Merely Informed

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Everett began with one of the most important distinctions in the Christian life: the Gospel does not merely improve people—it transforms them. A person may know facts about Christ, attend church, learn Christian language, and memorize Scripture without surrendering the heart. Genuine faith is more than information. It begins an inward work that changes who we are.

Faith begins what works cannot accomplish

Drawing from Ephesians 2:8–9, Everett emphasized that salvation begins by grace through faith, not by human effort. Saving faith is not simply agreeing that God exists; it is placing our trust in Jesus and surrendering our lives to him. God forgives, adopts, gives His Spirit, and begins changing the believer from the inside out.

Jesus does not leave people as He finds them

Zacchaeus moved from dishonesty to restitution. Peter’s fear became courage. Mary Magdalene became a devoted follower, and Paul went from persecuting believers to carrying the Gospel. Their stories remind us that no one is outside God’s transforming power.

Fruit is evidence of life

Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “By their fruits you will know them.” Fruit does not create life; life produces fruit. In the same way, good works do not manufacture salvation. They grow from a life in which God is already at work. Transformation does not mean instant perfection. It means real progress as God continues to shape His people.

Transformation requires surrender and a renewed mind

Willpower alone cannot accomplish what God’s Spirit does. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, believers are transformed into Christ’s image by the Spirit of the Lord. That work calls for daily surrender and the steady renewal of the mind through God’s Word, prayer, worship, fellowship, and obedience. The more our thinking is shaped by Christ, the more our living begins to reflect him.

A transformed life becomes a testimony

Faith changes the way husbands and wives treat one another, the way parents raise children, the way neighbors love neighbors, and the way we respond under pressure. Trials can become God’s workshop, producing patience and spiritual maturity. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—cannot be convincingly manufactured. It grows as God works within us.

Everett reminded us that the world does not merely need stronger arguments; it needs transformed believers. People may ignore a sermon, but a genuinely changed life is difficult to dismiss. Our greatest testimony is not how much we know, but how clearly others can see Christ’s character growing in us.

The message closed with hope. No past is too broken, no heart too hard, and no life beyond God’s ability to restore. Transformation continues throughout the believer’s life, and God remains faithful to finish what He begins.

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

A Prayer for the Week Ahead

Father, renew our minds and shape our lives. Help us release the habits, fears, and desires that keep us conformed to the world. Fill us with Your Spirit, grow Your fruit in us, and let our words, choices, and relationships testify to Your transforming power. Comfort those who grieve, strengthen those facing illness or treatment, guide those entering new seasons, and help us faithfully carry one another’s burdens. Amen.