LESSONS OF FAITH FROM JOSHUA
Lesson 8 : Giants of Faith: Joshua and Caleb
8.5 Changed by Contemplation
Transformed by Gazing on Jesus
Introduction
Transformation is a word many associate with effort, discipline, or self-improvement.
But the Bible shows a completely different way: a transformation that does not come from ourselves, but through quiet, intentional meditation on Jesus Christ.
Just as mirror neurons shape our behavior through observation, our hearts are transformed when we behold Jesus—His life, His love, His character.
The heroes of faith inspire us—but Jesus is our standard, our center, our goal.
Whoever looks at Him is transformed. Not suddenly, but surely. Not loudly, but deeply.
This lesson invites us to ask:
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What shapes my thoughts daily?
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What fills my heart?
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How can I be inwardly renewed by what I behold?
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Bible Study – The Power of Contemplating Christ
1. Fixed on Jesus – The Orientation of Our Faith
Hebrews 12:1–2
The Letter to the Hebrews paints an impressive picture: A great cloud of witnesses surrounds us—heroes of faith like Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
But the true center of the race of faith is Jesus. He is not only the goal but also the starting point—the author and perfecter of faith.
Verse 2 says:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…”
This “fixing our eyes” is not a fleeting glance but a constant focus.
Just as a runner concentrates on the finish line, we are called to spiritually focus on Christ.
He endured the cross because of the joy set before Him—our salvation.
Thought:
When we look to Jesus, pain, temptation, and doubt lose their power. We see how faithful He is—and that enables us to remain faithful.
2. Transformed by Beholding
2 Corinthians 3:18
This verse describes one of the deepest spiritual truths of the New Testament:
“We all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image…”
What does this mean?
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“Unveiled face” reminds us of Moses, who covered his face after seeing God’s glory.
In the New Covenant, there is no veil anymore—through Jesus we have free access to God. -
When we behold Jesus—through study, prayer, or worship—the Holy Spirit works a transformation within us.
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It is a process (“from glory to glory”), not a one-time experience.
The verse does not say: “Try hard to become like Jesus”—but:
“Be transformed by beholding Him.”
This transformation happens not through performance, but through closeness, relationship, contemplation.
Everyday example:
Just as a child who spends time with parents adopts their way of speaking and behaving, so we are changed by the constant presence of Jesus.
3. Two Forces – Two Paths
Romans 12:1–2
Paul presents us with a daily decision:
Do you want to conform to the world—or be transformed by God?
He writes:
“Present your bodies as a living, holy, pleasing sacrifice to God… and do not conform to this world…”
Two opposing forces shape our lives:
a) The World – Shaping from the Outside
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Advertising, media, and society shape our thinking.
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They tell us what is “important”: success, beauty, achievement, self-fulfillment.
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This influence is subtle but constant.
b) The Holy Spirit – Transformation from Within
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God’s Spirit begins with our thinking: He renews our understanding, values, and perspective.
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This change happens through relationship, not external pressure.
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In the end, we can recognize God’s will—the good, pleasing, and perfect.
Important:
God does not demand blind conformity—He invites us to transformation.
It begins with one step: offering our lives as a living sacrifice.
4. Meditation Instead of Hurry – Spiritual Maturity Takes Time
Our society is fast, loud, and superficial.
But spiritual transformation happens through slow, steady meditation.
Psalm 1 shows: The righteous person is like a tree planted by water—because he “meditates on God’s Word day and night.”
So it is here: Whoever meditates on Jesus becomes like a tree that bears fruit at the right time.
Practically:
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One verse a day can change more than one chapter without reflection.
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It’s not about quantity but depth.
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Ask yourself:
What does this verse tell me about Jesus? How does it change my heart?
5. Neuroscience Meets Spiritual Truth
As neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni said about mirror neurons:
We are shaped not only by what we do, but by what we observe.
The Bible said this long ago:
“By beholding the glory of the Lord, we are transformed…” (2 Cor 3:18)
Science confirms what Scripture reveals:
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People are shaped through relationship.
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Spiritual transformation begins with beholding, not acting.
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: How are we changed when we focus on the life of Jesus?
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Looking at Jesus shifts our focus from ourselves to the cross, grace, and truth.
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His life shows what love looks like—patience, dedication, courage.
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The more we behold Him, the more we become like Him—not by force, but through quiet transformation.
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The glory of Christ we see by faith shapes our character.
Question 2: Which two processes work in opposite directions in our lives? How do we give room to the right one?
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The world tries to press us into its mold—through consumerism, self-centeredness, and ideals of success.
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The Spirit of God works from within—renewing our thinking, giving new perspectives, spiritual priorities.
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We give room to the right process by offering our lives to God, meditating on His Word daily, and letting Him shape our thoughts.
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It requires a conscious decision not to conform to the world but to open ourselves to the Spirit.
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Spiritual Principles
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Transformation does not begin with doing, but with beholding.
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What we constantly look at shapes our being.
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Worldly influence comes from the outside—spiritual transformation from the inside.
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Only the Holy Spirit can truly renew us—when we open ourselves to Him.
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Jesus is the center of spiritual maturity. Without Him, all striving is empty.
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Application in Daily Life
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Take daily focused time to meet Jesus in the Word—not just reading but meditating.
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Filter your influences: What you hear, see, and consume shapes your inner life.
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Ask yourself: “How would Jesus act here?”
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Seek fellowship that strengthens and inspires you spiritually—people who also look to Jesus.
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Make a conscious decision against conformity to the world—in thoughts, lifestyle, priorities.
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Conclusion
The deepest form of transformation does not happen through programs but through a Person—
the person of Jesus Christ.
Whoever beholds Him is changed.
Whoever surrenders to Him is renewed.
Whoever stays near Him is freed from the pressures of the world.
Our task is to look, to marvel, and to remain.
The rest is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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Thought of the Day
“We are not changed by what we do—but by the One we behold.”
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Illustration
“In His Mirror”
The Story of a Quiet Transformation
Chapter 1: Silicon Shadows
San Francisco, California.
Kyle Ramsey was 31, a software engineer, a full-blooded techie, someone whose identity depended on efficiency.
He lived on the 32nd floor of a designer skyscraper, drove a Tesla, worked for a rising AI start-up—and had no time for God.
Or rather: no connection.
His childhood in Texas was full of religious rituals, but in college he turned away.
God was slow, invisible—everything Kyle didn’t want.
But in recent months something strange had happened.
Successful, yes. But restless.
He often stared at the ceiling at night.
Questions he thought were long dead resurfaced:
“Who am I without this job?”
“What remains when everything burns?”
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Chapter 2: The Book in the Subway
It was a rainy Tuesday morning when Kyle took the BART, as always.
Next to him sat an old man with a handwritten, messy notebook—yet with an intensity that unsettled Kyle.
Suddenly the man asked:
“Do you know the One I behold every day?”
Kyle blinked. “Who?”
“Jesus. I write about Him. I look at Him. For 42 years.”
Kyle could have laughed, but something held him back.
The man handed him a note. It read:
“2 Corinthians 3:18 — Behold Him.”
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Chapter 3: Reluctantly Curious
That evening, Kyle googled the Bible verse:
“We all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord and are being transformed…”
He shook his head. Could contemplation really change someone?
His whole life was built on performance.
But that sentence—there was something to it.
Reluctantly, he installed a Bible app.
He read in the Gospel of John.
Only five minutes.
But something stayed.
Jesus seemed… real. Direct.
Not a religious hero but someone who saw, loved, confronted.
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Chapter 4: The Mirror Begins to Work
Three weeks passed. Kyle began reading every morning for 15 minutes—with a black coffee in hand.
He observed Jesus:
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how He spoke to the outcasts,
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how He did not wait for applause,
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how He remained humble despite power.
Something changed in Kyle—not spectacularly, but noticeably.
He stopped yelling at his intern.
Listened to his sister.
Felt compassion for a homeless man he normally avoided.
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Chapter 5: Resistance from Within and Without
People noticed.
Colleagues joked:
“So, our Messiah is rediscovering faith?”
His boss called him in: “You’re calmer. Almost too calm. Everything okay?”
Kyle nodded. Inside, a battle raged.
One part wanted to keep looking at Jesus—the other feared losing himself.
He remembered Romans 12:2, which he had recently read:
“Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
He understood: This change was not just a feeling—it was a decision.
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Chapter 6: The Point of No Return
One weekend Kyle drove alone to the Sierra Nevada—away from the city, away from noise.
He took only water, a sleeping bag, and the New Testament.
At night, under the stars, he prayed—for the first time in 15 years.
Not loudly. Not religiously. Just honestly:
“Jesus… if You’re real—transform me.
I can’t live like this anymore.”
He fell asleep with tears—not of pain, but of new hope.
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Chapter 7: The New Gaze
Months passed. Kyle wasn’t perfect—but different.
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He didn’t just read about Jesus—he meditated on Him.
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His decisions began to be shaped by grace and truth.
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He recognized that transformation comes not through pressure but through nearness.
He joined a small house church.
Taught teenagers to code.
And one day a colleague said:
“I don’t know what you’ve done, but… you seem like someone who’s finally grounded.”
Kyle smiled.
“I stopped looking into the mirror of this world.
And I found Jesus.”
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Epilogue: The Man in the Subway
Almost a year later, Kyle saw the same old man again.
This time he spoke first:
“I did it. I beheld Him. And He changed me.”
The man nodded—with a smile that said more than a thousand sermons.
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Final Thought on the Story
Transformation does not happen through religious duty—but through relationship.
Whoever beholds Jesus becomes like Him.
Not overnight.
But day by day—from glory to glory.
