Transformation Looks Like Encountering the Glory of God | Shabaka Williams

There's a difference between feeling God's presence and actually encountering Him — and most of us have settled for the first one. In this message, Shabaka Williams walks through Israel's wilderness journey and Moses' own request in Exodus 33 — "show me your glory" — to make the case that real transformation doesn't come from familiarity with church, but from repeated, genuine encounters with God. Drawing from Isaiah 6, where the prophet is undone in God's presence, and 2 Corinthians 3, where Paul describes believers being changed "from glory to glory," Shabaka unpacks why so many Christians feel stuck even while doing all the right things — reading, praying, serving — and what actually moves someone from one level of spiritual maturity to the next. He traces the pattern through Moses' face-to-face relationship with God, Joshua's refusal to leave the tent, and the disciples entering the cloud at the Mount of Transfiguration, landing on a simple, practical challenge for building a daily life of devotion rather than a once-a-week feeling. If you've been doing all the spiritual disciplines and still feel like nothing's changing, this message names why — and points to what's actually missing. Plan your visit at clf-church.com. CHAPTERS 0:00 – Undone: When God's Presence Changes Everything 3:12 – The Real Definition of Transformation 7:05 – What Baptism in the Holy Spirit Actually Means 17:08 – Every Time God's Glory Showed Up 20:05 – Presence vs. Genuine Encounter 24:53 – The Man Who Wouldn't Leave the Tent 31:47 – Moses' Bold Request: Show Me Your Glory 35:28 – From Glory to Glory 39:05 – A Simple Practice for Staying Full 45:07 – Why Some People Stay Stuck 48:24 – The Mountain Where Everything Became Clear 58:42 – An Invitation to Respond