The Unexpected Divine: Rethinking God in John's Gospel – Transformative Actions, Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast (S3E20)
Feb 01, 2026
Summary
What does transformation look – for our faith, our church, and our world? In this episode of Perspectives: FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy Robinson and Brittany Juliette Hanlin continue the sermon series The Unexpected Divine with a deep, progressive Christian reflection on John 1:12–13. Together, they explore what it truly means to become children of God—not as a static identity, but as a lifelong, outward-facing process of transformation.
Detail
What does transformation look – for our faith, our church, and our world? In this episode of Perspectives: FUMCSD Pastors Podcast, Revs. Trudy Robinson and Brittany Juliette Hanlin continue the sermon series The Unexpected Divine with a deep, progressive Christian reflection on John 1:12–13. Together, they explore what it truly means to become children of God—not as a static identity, but as a lifelong, outward-facing process of transformation.
Through Scripture, lived experience, and historical context, the female pastors talk about faith the takes action. What happens when transformation doesn’t mean perfection but movement, justice, and change? This episode invites you to wrestle with:
- Transformation as an action, not just a belief.
- Awareness fatigue and why knowing isn’t the same as doing.
- The Kingdom of God as social, political, and spiritual renewal.
- Justice being central to the will of God.
- Whether Jesus himself experienced transformation.
- The tension between the will of God, the will of humanity, and the will of flesh.
- The limits of dualistic theology (spirit vs. flesh, sacred vs. secular).
Continue the conversation with these reflection questions:
- What does it mean to become children of God?
- What does transformation look like in your life?
- How does your life reflect the will of God, as you know it?
Join the conversation by sharing this episode, reflecting with someone you trust, or connecting with the Perspectives community online through Patreon and in person at the weekly Convergence Discussion Group.
Short on time? Here are some meaningful timestamps to help you plan your lisenting.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome & Introduction
02:40 What does “transformation” mean in Christian life?
08:40 Being moved by the world without conforming to it
12:30 Intentional, circumstantial, and ultimate will
16:30 “To become” – Incarnation, transformation, and being children of God
18:45 Was Jesus transformed?
23:00 Awareness, exhaustion, and why outrage alone isn’t transformation
29:45 The limits of dualistic theology
32:52 Reflection questions & closing
