Spiritual Alignment
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
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There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
Spiritual Training and Growth is for Everyone!
Spiritual Training and Growth is for Everyone!
We are meant to grow in faith, understanding, holiness and commitment.
God intends the Disciplines of the spiritual life to be for ordinary human beings: people who have jobs, who care for children, who wash dishes and mow lawns. In fact, the Disciplines are best exercised in the mists of our relationship with our husband or wife, our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbors. (Richard Foster)
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”
What keeps you from training for godliness?
Determination Cannot Transform You
Determination Cannot Transform You
Righteousness and transformation is a gift from God
Righteousness and transformation is a gift from God
For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Practicing disciplines can put you in a position for something to occur
Practicing disciplines can put you in a position for something to occur
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
What would you like to be put in the position for?
The Inward Rhythms
The Inward Rhythms
Meditation
Meditation
Listening to God’s Word so we can recognize His voice and become more intimate with Him.
Listening to God’s Word so we can recognize His voice and become more intimate with Him.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Do you have difficulty hearing God’s voice? Explain.
Prayer
Prayer
It’s a learning process
It’s a learning process
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
A Few Types of Prayer
Scripture
Intercession
Fasting
How often do you pray for yourself? Others? God’s will?
What kind of results do you get when you pray? Do you think anything needs to change?
Contemplation
Contemplation
Creates awareness of God’s presence in my life
Creates awareness of God’s presence in my life
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Silence & Solitude
Examen
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
Why do you think it’s uncomfortable and/or difficult to practice silence and solitude?
Study
Study
Concentrated attention to move the mind in a certain direction
Concentrated attention to move the mind in a certain direction
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Study requires:
repetition
concentration
comprehension
reflection
humility
“The mind will always take on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates.” (Richard Foster)
Next Steps
Next Steps
Memorize one of the verses from today
Take a serious inventory of what I invest my life in by order of time and money
Make a commitment to practice at least one inward rhythm this week