Practicing the Way - The Way of Prayer & Fasting

Introduction

Setup: Over the next few weeks we are going to Kick off our Year with a series on Spiritual formation. We are calling it “Practicing the Way.” So that I don’t plagiarize here, I gotta give credit to the fact that I am taking a lot of this information from Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. Over the next few weeks I want to talk about 3 simple things. This idea, I think breaks down our walk with Jesus into an easily understandable format. Being a Christian is all about following Jesus. We say that a lot, but what does it actually mean? Here’s what we are going to say a lot over the next few weeks. Following Jesus is this: We Are to Be with Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.

Be With Jesus

Become Like Jesus

Do What Jesus did

That’s it..that’s the whole goal of this thing called Christianity. Plain and simple. Be with Jesus, become like Jesus, do what Jesus did.

All of this happens through what we are going to call Spiritual formation. In Christian context that is the process of your life being formed or shaped to look and act more like Jesus.

Illustration:Imagine your life is like this play-dough. It is being molded and shaped into something.

The Question is what are you being shaped into and what is shaping you?

So, here is the question I want us to start out with -

What are some things that have shaped your life?

What has made you who you are?

What are some of your habits that shape you each and every day?

What is shaping and forming the way you think about the world?

Take about 2min, turn to your neighbor and discuss this.

The problem with most of us is that we are shaped UNINTENTIONALLY.

The problem with most of us is that we are shaped UNINTENTIONALLY.

Christians believe that you ought to have a set of practices, a set of disciplines that help INTENTIONALLY form and shape you to be more like Jesus.

Christians believe that you ought to have a set of practices, a set of disciplines that help INTENTIONALLY form and shape you to be more like Jesus.

What you do is shaping who you are.

Every habit is shaping you in some way…As a Christian, do I have in place habits that form me to be more like Jesus?

So, over the next few weeks we are going to talk about these habits.

What are some of the habits that shape us to be more like Jesus?

We want to call these habits a Rule of life.

When you think “Rule” don’t think some sort of like rigid agreement.

The Idea of a “Rule of Life” is like a trellis that holds up a vine. Without it, the vine can’t grow correctly.

A “Rule of Life” is just a set of principles and habits that you live by that hold your life up. They are habits that allow you to Be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.