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Become like Jesus: Abounding in Love
Week Five Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” |
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Become like Jesus: Faithfulness
Week Four Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” |
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Become like Jesus: Slow to anger
Week Three Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” |
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Become like Jesus: Grace
Week Two Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” |
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Become like Jesus: Compassion
Week One Exodus 34:6-7 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” |
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Be With Jesus: Gratitude and Thanksgiving
Week Twelve Luke 17:11-19 11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” |
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Be With Jesus: Fasting - Solidarity with the Poor
Week Eleven Isaiah 58:5-8 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. |
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Be With Jesus: Fasting - Deepening Our Prayers
Week Ten: Psalm 63:1O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. |
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Be With Jesus: Prayer - The Prayer of Intercession
Week Six: Matthew 6:10 10 Your kingdom come, your will done, on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is the word become flesh and has restored the shattered line of communication between God and humanity, so that we can live out, once more, our purpose as authoritative intercessors bringing heaven to earth. |
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Be With Jesus: Prayer - The Prayer of Petition
Week Five: Matthew 6:11 11 Give us today, our daily bread. Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. |
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Be With Jesus: Prayer - The Prayer of Confession
Week Four: Psalms 139:23-24 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Be With Jesus: Prayer - The Prayer of Adoration
Week Three: Psalms 145 - A psalm of praise. Of David. 1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty--and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b] 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works-- and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. 11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.[c] 14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. |
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Be With Jesus: Prayer - The Prayer of Silence
Week Two: Psalms 46:10 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” |
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Be With Jesus: Prayer -The Good Portion
Week One: Luke 10:38-42 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Do What Jesus Did: Ambassadors of the King
Week 6 Practice: Evangelism Intercede. The first practice of evangelism is to carve out a consistent time in your day completely dedicated to “laboring in prayer” for the lost, otherwise known as, intercessory prayer. So look over your schedule, identify a good time for prayer (long or short), set an alarm as a reminder, and begin to pray! And not just generally, but pray specifically! Intercede for an individual or a few individuals. Pray for them by name. Let the Spirit fill your heart with the Father’s longing and compassion for this person. Evangelism starts with prayer. Befriend. “Go and make disciples.” Let the world know of their true, rightful, saving, and reigning King. In other words, go and disciple others into the Kingdom of God. But to personally disciple others into the Kingdom, we need more than just altar calls, gospel tracts, and radio preachers, we need to take the time to develop relationship. To actually befriend the lost. By doing this, we imitate Christ, who was “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” So, does someone come to mind whom you can befriend or grow closer with for the salvation of their soul & for the glory of the Kingdom? Keep in mind, this has to be a God thing! Don’t force it. Don’t make them your project to fix. But as the Spirit leads, genuinely invest into this individual with the personal, pursuing love of God in Christ. Before you even share the good news, you need to show the good news. Embody the good news. Live in such a way and love them in such a way that the gospel is already seen before it’s heard. Share. As the Lord gives opportunity, begin to share the faith and the good news of God’s Kingdom. Let the Lord provide the opportunity, don’t try to create it for yourself. And as you walk in obedience by sharing the word of Christ with them, observe their response. Notice their body language, listen to their voice, look at their eyes. Is there a softness? A curiosity? A humility? A hunger to know more? Are they asking questions? These responses serve as your invitation, your “green light” to keep on sharing. But if their walls fly up, their guard goes up, and they begin to change the subject, then pause and practice patience. Continue to pray and wait for another opportunity. Sometimes we picture evangelism looking like a short gospel presentation followed by an immediate response and a quick prayer for salvation. But more often than not, evangelism looks more like playing the long game. Maybe it’s a season long, decade long, or even life long investment. And maybe salvation doesn’t take the form of a singular, before and after kind of moment, but rather, a journey someone embarks on until they realize that they too have come under the reign and rule of King Jesus like you have! Sometimes evangelism looks more like discipleship. “Go and make disciples.” Do What Jesus Did; Royal Fruits
Week 4 Practice: Keep in step with the Spirit This week our practice is to “walk by and keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25), for he alone is the one who powerfully produces the fruit of love in our lives, making us look more and more like the King we follow. And we can walk by and keep in step with the Spirit by putting into practice three things: Repenting, Remaining, and Recognizing. Repent. In greek, repentance is metánoia and it means a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transformation of outlook, renewed vision. So the practice of repentance is the act of realigning my mind to the mind of Christ. It’s the act of surrendering my earthly thoughts before God & setting my mind once again on the truths & realities of heaven (Rom. 8:6, 12:2). So, when you find yourself losing sight of Jesus in your thoughts, say a short re-centering prayer to set your mind back on the Spirit of God and his presence and power at work in you. Remain. To remain in any healthy, ongoing relationship, we give the person we’re in a relationship with our time and our attention. So when it comes to our relationship with the Holy Spirit, do we give him our time and do we give him our attention? These two things help us remain in the Spirit as a branch remains in and is connected to a vine (John 15:1-2). 1) Can you carve out time in your schedule to sit, be still, and fellowship in the presence of the Spirit this week? 2) And when you’re up and about, on the move, and busy with “life,” how can you keep the Spirit on your mind? Recognize. Keeping in step with the Spirit means going where he goes, not where we want to go. It means joining in on what he’s doing, not what we want him to be doing. So do we have the eyes to recognize where and how he’s at work using all things for our good and transformation (Rom. 8:28-29)? 1) Ask the Spirit how he’s using your circumstances to grow his fruit in your life (bad traffic, tight finances, challenges at work, etc). 2) Ask the Spirit how he’s using your acts of service to grow his fruit in your life (helping at Kids Town, sacrificing for your spouse, doing the dishes, etc.). 3) Ask the Spirit how he’s using and redeeming your suffering to grow his fruit in your life (sickness, experiencing loss, persecution). Do What Jesus Did: Royal Gifts
Week 3 Practice: Know & Grow Your Gifting The first practice is to know your gifting. And the place to start is always in prayer with the Lord. Then, begin praying into what your community group spoke over you. Lastly, take an online test and share with your group the results you received. The second practice is to grow your gifting. Similar to exercising at the gym, we need to “exercise” our gifting in order to grow in it! This is why Paul said “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Rom. 12:6a). So be available unto the Lord this week, keeping a prayerful and watchful eye for opportunities to use your gifting for the good of others and for the glory of God. Also, consider signing up to serve on Sunday mornings with Kids Town, Hospitality, etc! What a great and safe setting to put into practice your spiritual gifting. Do What Jesus Did: Bringing the Kingdom
Week 2 Practice: The King Jesus Gospel This week’s practice is to personally and privately know, rehearse, and memorize the gospel! This could look like prayer and contemplation, reading scripture, or verbally declaring the gospel and your allegiance to King Jesus. Also, here are two resources that can help you! 1) Read and begin to memorize the Apostles Creed. This is a gospel creed! 2) Put on and listen to the song “We Believe” by the Newsboys. It’s gospel! The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. Do What Jesus Did: Bringing the Kingdom
Week 1 Practice: Kingdom Community Most Christians (I would hope) know what they’re saved from and rescued out of, but how many Christians really know what they are saved for and brought into? Here’s the reality: if we follow the King, then we belong to a Kingdom. To separate Jesus from the church; to follow Jesus but never enter into fellowship with the people of Jesus is the attempt to separate the inseparable. It’s like wanting a head without a body, a big brother without a family, a marriage without a spouse, or a King without a Kingdom. So here’s this week’s practice: (Re)enter into Kingdom community! - This might look like going to a Laurel Community Group - Or it might look like giving a person of faith a phone call. - Or grabbing a coffee, going on a walk, or having dinner with someone. - Or taking the next step of reconciliation with a brother or sister. - Or gathering with the larger church family on a Sunday morning. - Or reaching out to a mentor or confidant if you’re struggling. Become Like Jesus: Joy
Week 13 Practice #1: Be with Jesus. Is there a place, a time of the day, an environment you can customize, an alarm you can set that helps propel you into the presence of God? Do you want to grab a bible, a journal, a candle, a prayer list? Maybe we try breathing deeply, finding a restful posture, opening our hands (and hearts). Maybe instead of doing most of the talking, we become quick to listen. Let the Lord quiet you with his love, fill you with his peace, and sing songs of joy over you. Practice #2: Confession. Lines from Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity Cleanse me from my sin I have sinned & done what is evil in your sight Let me hear joy & gladness Let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. True repentance is always followed by and infused with great joy. Repentance, which is the act of realigning our minds and lives to Christ and his Kingdom, leads to life and peace. And no matter your sin, remember, there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Can you weave in confession during your time(s) of prayer? Is there a brother or sister in Christ, a mentor, or a spiritual leader that you want to open up to sometime this week? Is there someone in your life that you wronged and need to ask for their forgiveness? After taking these steps of confession, let the Lord restore your joy!! Practice #3: Obedience John 15:9-12, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” When we distrust and disobey the Father, we end up piercing ourselves with many sorrows. But when we walk in obedience according to the truth, we are filled with joy. So what has God been telling you to do, but you’ve been reluctant and resistant in doing it? It’s time to go for it with the help of the Holy Spirit! Bring others into this for some accountability and encouragement. Practice #4: Thanksgiving 1 Thess. 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Before you make prayers of petition, make prayers of adoration and thanksgiving. Praise God for who he is and thank him for all he’s done, is doing, and will do. Can you establish set times of prayer (ex: 6a, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm) just to thank him? Can you journal your thankfulness so you can look back and see the faithfulness of God in your life? Become Like Jesus: Worship
Week 12: "Proskyneo" & "Latreia" If worship is a way of life, a posture of the heart, then we need to proskynéō God in order to properly latreía God as his royal and redeemed priesthood no matter where we go, who we’re with, and what we do. That being said, our practice is to go to your “inner room” and pray the Lord’s Prayer throughout this week. This prayer helps us worship God for who he is and what he does AND equips our whole selves as a living sacrifice ready for service, which is our spiritual worship! Become Like Jesus: Suffering & Transformation
Week 11 This week’s practice is to come to a place of surrender so we can receive from God whatever he has for us in the midst of our trials and troubles. So, as you spend time with the Lord this week, try to include the following:
Become Like Jesus
Week 10: Generosity Become Like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 9: The Persecuted PRACTICE #1: This week, try reintroducing a practice that we taught on during the fall (slowing down, silence & solitude, sabbath). Say “no” to something, create margin, silence your phone, set an alarm to remind you to pray, do whatever it takes to abide in the loving presence of Jesus this week. In the teachings of Jesus and the instructions of the Apostles, we are told to love our enemies, pray for our persecutors, and bless those who curse us. Why? Because God does not delight in evil - both the evil done to us by the wrongdoer AND the evil we can have in our heart towards the wrongdoer. So we love, pray, and bless as a way of removing the unseen log in our eye and uprooting the bitterness that can so easily grow in our heart. PRACTICE #2: Begin to pray for those who have opposed & persecuted you: -Start by opening your heart to God. See who the Lord brings to mind. -Give to Jesus, our Sympathetic High Priest, the pain they caused you. -Let the Shepherd feed you, the Physician heal you, & the Father love you. -Now begin to pray this part of the Lord’s prayer, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Remember how the Lord forgave you. How much more are we to forgive others? Feel free to stay on / repeat this step. If you’ve forgiven them, now begin to bless them. Remember, God is merciful and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 8 Practice: The Peacemakers Looking at the life and ministry of Jesus, as well as the instructions and encouragements we have in the epistles, hospitality is a valued practice. Below are a few ideas to get you started as you brainstorm and pray through your next step in hospitality. Be sensitive to what God is inviting you into in this season of your life. Remember, aim to start where you are, not where you think you “should” be. “Entry-Level” Practice: Take your first step into hospitality by inviting a neighbor, coworker, friend, etc. on a walk, for a cup of coffee, or for lunch. “Base” Practice: Consider adopting a monthly rhythm of hospitality by opening up your home and preparing your table. If you’re willing, yet find this challenging, then begin to pray, ‘Lord, help me to see my home not as mine, but as a gift you’ve given me for the furtherance of your Kingdom.’ “Reach” Practice: Looking to expand your practice of hospitality? Then try scheduling a weekly night for having guests at your table. Remember, we don’t practice hospitality just to “check the box.” Rather, we embrace this practice as a means of transformation by the Spirit so we can look, live, and love more like Jesus. Our other desire for hospitality should also be to see neighbors become friends and friends become family in Jesus. Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 7 Practice: The Pure in Heart This week’s practice is to repeat these 5 steps / movements during our time of prayer and personal reflection. These steps include: Revelation (search me) Reflection (what are you showing me) Confession (confess sin & receive grace) Adoration (praise God for who he is) Petition (ask God for his power to obey) So set a time of day, find a setting, grab your tools (journal, bible, etc), and prayerfully fix your eyes on Jesus. Remember, purity isn’t the absence of sin as much as it is the presence of Jesus. Worship is how we fight our battles! Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 6 Practice: Righteousness, Justice & Mercy 1) Our practice this week is to pray daily for the least, the last, and the lost.
- This is a line from the Lord’s Prayer: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” - This is a prayer from St. Francis: “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek; To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 5 Practice: Hungry & Thirsty 1) Spend time in the Scriptures. Read your bible! Prepare your heart, read slowly, reflect on what you read, respond (prayer, journaling, etc.), and rest. 2) Spend time in prayer. You can feast upon Jesus by communing with him in prayer. If you don't know what to prayer, you can start with the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. 3) Spend time in community. You can feast on the presence of God in the family of God. Where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, he will be there! Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week4 Practice: The Meek 1) This week we want to grow in awareness of meekness. That being said, take some time to enter into prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you land on the “meekness scale.” 2) There are two extremes that most of us are inclined towards. Where do you tend to land? Fearful, passive <---------------------> harsh, angry, 3) Meekness is grounded in godly desire and obedience, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and usually lands somewhere in the middle of the scale represented above. Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 2 Practice: Those Who Mourn 1) Open up to a friend, a spiritual leader, or your church group about your sorrow. Please don’t try to bottle it in and suck it up. Allow others to come alongside you and help you walk through the process of grieving. 2)Hold onto the promises of God. Spend some time this week reading, personalizing, and praying through some of God’s promises. Sorrow, sin, pain, and brokenness will end. Death itself will be swallowed up. May the hope of eternity give you the strength to put one foot in front of the other. Become like Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Beatitudes
Week 1 Practice: Poor in spirit Pray the Jesus Prayer. One way to humble yourself is to received mercy. By praying the Jesus prayer we are receiving mercy. "Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". Through out the day as the business and heartache of the day builds on you, under your breath say this prayer. Write the prayer down and put it in places you will see to remind you to pray. The term sinner isn't a term to trash you or make you feel bad, but is an acknowledgement that we have sin in us and that we sin. It isn't a description of your position, but a fact that we all wrestle with sin. This prayer can be very liberating and life giving to acknowledge that we need a merciful God. That we serve a merciful God. "Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." |
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Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Sabbath
Week 4 Practice: Worship 1) Practice a light and life-giving version of what the ancients called "fixed-hour prayer. All that means is you pause two to three times during your Sabbath to pray. There are many forms of prayer, but I want to encourage you to pray prayers of adoration. Reflect and rest in God’s goodness, be in awe of who God is, and thank him for all that he has done. The most ancient and, for many people, the most helpful way to do this is by praying a psalm. You can also do this by listening to worship music or praying with a friend or going on a walk in nature – the options are endless. The goal is to spend your Sabbath in greater awareness of and communion with God. To be loved by the Father and to love the Father in the Spirit of adoption. 2) Identify two to three practices by which you enjoy God and do them. It’s key to discover what the spiritual writer Gary Thomas calls your “spiritual pathway;” the way you are uniquely wired to enjoy God.For you this could be time alone in stillness, or it could be throwing a party with your family or community. It could be going on a hike, creating art, or reading a book by the fire. It could even be a project on the property if done in the right spirit and if the goal is to be with Jesus as you do this project. If you’re having a hard time thinking discerning if an activity is a good fit for your Sabbath practice, I encourage you to use our four movements of Sabbath as a rubric to filter what you choose to do.: Stop, Rest. Delight, and Worship. Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Sabbath
Week 3 Practice: Delight 1) Plan a sabbath feast. Ideally, do this together with the people around you, such as your group or your family. Whether it’s 20 people or just one or two close friends, plan out a meal together. Cook or order your favorite foods. Don’t forget this is an incredible chance to practice hospitality. Reach across the lines that divide our society. Jesus’ dream is for our dining room tables to look as diverse and beautiful as the Kingdom of God! Here are a few recommended rituals for you to practice as you enjoy a Sabbath meal:
Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Sabbath
Week 2 Practice: Rest Remember, all four weeks of this practice build on each other. Stopping is the first important step to practicing the Sabbath.
Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Practicing the Sabbath
Week 1 Practice: STOP 1) Pick a Time to Sabbath and give it a try. There are three basic options: 1) Christian Sabbath on Sunday 2)Traditional Sabbath – Sundown Friday till sundown Saturday 3)Midweek Sabbath 2) Start Small. If 24 hours is too much for you right now, that’s okay. Start with a half day or even a few hours. Remember this isn’t a performance, it’s practice. 3) Pick a beginning and ending ritual. Traditionally, Sabbath would start with the Kiddush which you would light candles, pray, and eat a sabbath meal with family and community. And end by praying and sharing highlights of your Sabbath. You can do exactly this or something else. Be Creative! 4) Pick one to three Sabbath activities to enter into the spirit of Sabbath. Examples include Lighting candles, blessing the children, eating a sabbath meal, expressing gratitude, signing, worshiping with your church, walking, napping, making love to your spouse, reading scriptures, being still before God, spending time with family, friends, and community. This is not a to-do list but a list of optional practices that can usher you into the sweetness and goodness of God’s rest. Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Silence & Solitude
Week 4 Practice: Lectio Divina 1) Prepare to meet with God. Turn your phone off and leave it in another room. Get comfortable and calm your body. 2)Read (lectio). Read the passage slowly and carefully. Take your time, pay close attention to each word. When your focus is drawn to a particular word or thought, pause momentarily and reflect. 3) Reflect (mediatio). Upon completing the passage, return to the beginning and read again. Allow the text to connect with you personally. Think through the following questions: What do I need to know, or be or do in light of the text. What does this mean for my life today? 4) Respond (oratio). Talk to God about your experience. Have a conversation with the Holy Spirit - He is your Teacher, Counselor, and Friend. 5) Rest (contemplatio). Pause to sit in God’s presence. Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Silence & Solitude
Week 3 Practice: Cast your Cares 1) Put away your phone or any other distractions. 2) Begin with a breathing prayer. 3) Let yourself feel. Name “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of your emotional state. Don't run away from what you’re feeling. In the Father’s presence, face each emotion head on. Let yourself feel it, deeply. 4) Ask yourself the Elijah question: “What are you doing here?” Is there anything God is trying to say to you through these emotions? 5) Get it all off your chest. Give what you’re feeling to God - the good, the bad, & the ugly. The point isn’t to be polished, but to be honest. Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Silence & Solitude
Week 1 Practice: Be Still 1) Put away your phone or any other distractions, settle into your time/place, and get comfortable. 2) Begin with a breathing prayer. Inhale and exhale slowly. Breathe out your scattered thoughts and anxieties in prayer to God. 3) Spend a few minutes "abiding in the vine". Notice God's presence around you and in you. Welcome the peace, joy, and love from the Holy Spirit. Pray. If you want, open your mind to receive God's voice/word for you. Don't feel like you have to "do" any particular thing, just relax and be with Jesus. 4) Close by slowly praying through the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Slowing
Week 3 Practice: Slowing is Spiritual 1) Submit yourself to something or someone that makes you slow down. This could be: Deciding not to pass a driver who is going 5 under. Choosing to wait in the longest line at the grocery store. Visiting someone you know is a talker. :) Asking someone how they are instead of rushing off. 2) As you’re practicing the spiritual discipline of slowing, welcome the presence of God. Look at the creation around you– the landscape, the people. Give thanks. Make intercession. In a moment where you’d normally be rushing to get to the next thing; just be with Jesus. Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Slowing
Week 2 Practice: Eliminate Hurry Before we seek to pattern our lives after the pace and practices of Jesus, we must first ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives. If we try to add new practices and habits before removing our old practices and habits, the new will only fizzle and fade over time. 1) Track how you spend your time. It might help to write down what you do in a day, week, & month. 2) Bring everything that you do & how you spend your time to the feet of Jesus in prayer. Have it all, Lord. 3) Ask the Lord what to continue & what to cut, what was needed for a season but not for this season? Be with Jesus: The Spiritual Discipline of Slowing
Week 1 Practice: Soul Check Remember, we are holistic, integrated, complex beings formed from dust and made into the image of God. This week's practice is to carve out time to pray, process, and journal the current state of your: Thoughts (what occupies/dominates your mind) Emotions (feelings that are surfaced or suppressed) Heart/Soul (your deep identity, inner being) Will/Volition (your actions, decisions, and habits) Body (sleep, stress, diet, exercise, abuse, care, etc.) Relationships (how are you treating others?) |