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How to Share Your Faith Using Transformers

Transformers - the pop culture cartoon, toy, and comic book phenons - have been around for decades. But prepare yourself for a new alien invasion! At a big screen near you this summer, you can meet the new, state-of-the-art, techno-wonder Autobots from Cybertron, and their arch-enemies the Decepticons. Prepare to watch these battling Transformers morph into a whole new level of robotic entertainment!

High schooler Sam Witwicky is pumped about the prospect of his first car. But the 1976 Chevy Camaro he lands is a beater - with a mind of its own. Sam is soon freaked by the car's behavior and finds himself a central character in a battle raging around him between the alien robots that have invaded his world. Sam's car is a Bumblebee, one of the good guy Autobots that are fighting to protect him in the midst of a 'transformer civil war'.

The war being waged in Transformers is the result of the robots' desperate search for the all-powerful 'life force' cube, known as the Allspark, which crashed to earth long ago. Add a layer of military involvement with a serious strategy for saving the world from the battling robots, and the unfolding adventure yields a colossal struggle between good and evil.

But shelve your Transformers movie, cartoon and toy images for a moment and think with me about what 'transformation' really is. To transform is to change in form, appearance or character. How cool is that? Who isn't intrigued by the prospect of totally changing from one thing to another?

In our appearance and image-obsessed world, it's easy to get caught up in thinking the right clothes, cars, cell phones or whatever will transform who we are by changing our appearance on the outside. After all, that's the pitch we get from marketers everywhere we turn. If you just buy this brand of clothes or just acquire that new tech toy - you will be cool, popular, beautiful, happy!

But the Bible challenges us with an alternate view of how to be transformed. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 puts it this way:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. (The Message)

Transformation is central to Jesus' message. He is all about changing us from the inside out with his transforming power! So take his radical message of change and new beginnings and talk to your friends about real transformation. Here are a few conversation starters to help you move the conversation toward God-talk:

  • Does your outer image match how you see yourself on the inside?
  • Do you ever wish you could transform yourself into a totally different person?
  • Ask your friends if they think it's harder to transform the inside or the outside of who you are? Describe how your relationship with Jesus has transformed you!
  • The battle between good and evil rages in Transformers. Ask your friends if they believe there's a real earthly battle between good and evil being waged. Share what you believe. For help explaining this, check out the GOSPEL Journey.

Transformers can be more than a fun summer diversion. Use it to open doors and talk with your friends about the real transformation that comes from knowing Jesus!