Spiritual Disciplines: Chapter 1

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life: A Study Guide Based on the Book (Warm-Up)

1. Describe a time when you disciplined yourself in order to reach a specific goal, or when you did not discipline yourself and failed to reach a specific goal.

2. In the past, how have you felt about Spiritual Disciplines such as Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, and fasting? Be honest.

3. What single purpose unites the Spiritual Disciplines? (Colossians 2:20–23, 1 Timothy 4:8)

4. What does 1 Peter 1:15–16 say about the importance of holiness in believers’ lives?

5. Spiritual Disciplines. Rather than externally coming from people and/or circumstances, this catalyst works from the inside of our lives and goes outward. Also, God grants us more choice regarding our involvement with this catalyst than with people or circumstances. Describe a time when God used your prayer time or Bible meditation to change you from the inside out.

6. According to the text, as we place ourselves in the Spiritual Disciplines in order to seek communion with God, “His grace flows to us and we are changed.” Describe a time when you sought God and His grace flowed into you and changed you.

7. “The gold of Godliness isn’t found on the surface of Christianity,” states the text. “It has to be dug from the depths with the tools of the Disciplines.” Think back on your activities last week. Were you able to use the tools of the Disciplines to dig for the “gold of Godliness”? If yes, what steps will you take to maintain your discipline? If not, what steps can you take to practice Spiritual Discipline this week?

8. Read 2 Peter 1:3–6. Why must self-control persevere before the mature fruit of Godliness ripens?

9. These days “denying oneself” is not a popular viewpoint. How does what Jesus said in Luke 9:23 relate to the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines?

10. Why is self-control one of the most evident marks of being Spirit-controlled? (See Galatians 5:22–23.)

11. What practical steps are you willing to take this coming week to begin building more Spiritual Discipline into your life?

Intro

Discipline is something I think men are uniquely equipped to understand

We are also uniquely equipped to disdain discipline

We can desire the regulations and the “this is what you do” guidelines disciplines provides

We also are stubborn and think we know the best way and its our way

Discipline is something that plays a pivotal role in our lives as men

Will we get off the couch and discipline our bodies

Will we turn off the movie close out the computer sight throw the computer away !!!!!

Will we put down the phone to talk with our wives

Will we get down on the floor and play with our kids

These are all things that require us to discipline ourselves why?

Because we are self serving and lazy at our roots

Let’s be honest with each other what do we do really want to do

Gratify ourselves and do what we want what feels good!!!!

Now in this room I see men who have disciplined themselves

This isnt the story for all of you

Some of you are to be commended for your pursuit of godliness

Some of you have disciplined yourselves and christ like fruit has been bourne out of you life

and to you I would say excel still more

Continue to discipline yourself because we know that we will not be complete until Christ returns

To those of you who might not be as spiritually disciplined

Who may be professing christians but as whitney says “are so spiritually undisciplined that they seem to have little fruit and power in their lives”

Look to those men as examples

But also commit yourselves to discipline

MEN!!!!! we must be disciplined we must pursue christ likeness

Read Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

We must deny ourselves

Denying ourselves is the first step in spiritual discipline

But it doesnt stop there

If i stand here and tell you to deny yourself because its good you wont believe me

and just like 6 year old kevin this rules will seem like impositions as opposed to things we enjoy

In fact what Whitney says is true

“Discipline without direction is drudgery”

Often we fail at disciplining ourselves of denying ourselves because we lack the direction

We dont pickup the second part of what Jesus is saying here

“take up your cross daily and follow him”

We fail at disciplining ourselves because we havent got the right direction

We think oh I must be disciplined then I will be loved

I should read my bible more because that will help things go well in my life

If I pray here then I can get that promotion or the job I’m trying to get

This is like never brushing your teeth till you walk into the dentist office

You are faking discipline or not being disciplined often because you dont understand the goal

God is not a magic genie that we must make happy

God is not an atm machine that we put deposits in and take out as we need

God is our creator the one who kniot us together in our mother womb

The one who numbers the hairs on our head

The one who has given a way to salvation through his son Jesus

And once we realize what he has done for us our only rsponse is to be obedient to him

Our goal becomes clear

Our direction becomes clear

So we then will know why we discipline ourselves

Our response to what God did for us is our direction

So discipline wont be a drudgery but a joy

We willingly pick up our cross daily and follow after Jesus because everything else pail in comparison

Some of you men in here have lost something due to your lack of discipline and now you have more desire to discipline yourself

But that will fade without the realization of Jesus has done for us and a desire to follow after him above all else

You want to deny yourself but to what end to regain what was lost or because of a desire to be obedient to your messiah your savior Jesus

Dont mishear me

I am not saying and I think Whitney makes this clear

We cannot on our own decide to discipline ourselves and all of the sudden we are good at spiritual disciplines

In fact he is even being careful to say that to achieve Christlikeness is a work that only Chist will do “when he appears

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

If you are a true Christian you will be conformed to the image of Christ

This is a work of the spirit in our lives

it will happen

So if it will happen why read this book as whitney says why discipline ourselves

It’s commanded

We are to live in obedience to Christ and his word

If you are a true beliver you will want to do this

Read 1 Peter 1:15-16

1 Peter 1:13–16 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We are called to be holy

to be set aprat

to be different

1 Timothy 4:7 ESV

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

We are commanded to train ourselves for godliness

Control what you can control

Whitney talks about

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life The Spiritual Disciplines—The Means to Godliness

Actually, God uses three primary catalysts for changing us and conforming us to Christlikeness, but only one is largely under our control

People

Circumstances

and disciplines

The one that is largely under our control

We may not get to choose the people or circumstance that come into our lives

But we can control

How we take in our bible

Our Prayer

Our worship

Our Evangelism

Our Service

How we steward what god has given us

Our stewardship

When and if we fast

How much time we spend in silence and solitude

what we write and record about how the Lord is working in our lives

and what we are choosing to learn

These are the spiritual disciplines we will cover in this book

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Chapter One: The Spiritual Disciplines … for the Purpose of Godliness (v. Raymond Edman)

I will maintain that the only road to Christian maturity and Godliness (a biblical term synonymous with Christlikeness and holiness) passes through the practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. I will emphasize that Godliness is the goal of the Disciplines, and when we remember this, the Spiritual Disciplines become a delight instead of drudgery.