SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE

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1 SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE How to use this guide: On page 2 you will find a chart for rating how helpful you think the various spiritual disciplines described below might for you to grow in faith and fellowship with God and with other Christians. Avoid using this guide as a performance indicator. You are invited to look forward, not back on how you ve been going. Instead look forward to what might assist you to grow in faith. Also avoid using this guide if you are not yet a committed Christian. The Bible makes clear that salvation from God is based not on our religious acts or adherence to rules. Christ s saving grace is sufficient for all human beings who respond with repentance and faith. Our acts of devotion should be viewed as a thankful response and a desire to grow with God s help. You may also wish to add items to this guide. You can expand on the list of appropriate Bible passages in the right hand column of pages 3 7 as you wish to enhance this guide. You may also like to add further spiritual disciplines to the chart and share them with other members of the congregation. We have broadly, not strictly, categorized the list of disciplines under inward, outward and corporate. 1

2 SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Inward Outward Corporate Rating of importance 5= most 1= least (circle) Attending church service * Attending a bible study group * Confessing your sins * Devotions (Readings & Prayers) * Sharing Good News (Evangelism) * Fasting * Giving (Stewardship/Generosity) * Seeking Spiritual Guidance * Meditating on the Scriptures * Praying * * Praying * Quiet Time * Reading the Bible aloud in public worship * Taking time out for a silent or quiet retreat * * Serving others * Living simply * Singing songs of praise and thanksgiving * Escaping to a lonely place (Solitude) * Studying Christian teachings * Submitting oneself to others *

3 Brief descriptions of contemporary expressions of the spiritual disciplines of Christianity Attending Church Services (Corporate) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another (Heb 10:25). Across the nation today Christians are attending church gatherings less regularly than ever. And yet the Bible recognises that we need to be encouraged by others to remain faithful to God. The Apostle Paul s teaching on being part of the body of Christ helps us to see that all the parts of the body need to be together to function as one. The Word of God is our spiritual food for the body and we need to hear and respond to it together, regularly, to grow in faith and in ministry. It s not just about disciplined attendance, but about encouragement for you and others. Regular attendance often requires a reconsideration of other commitments first. 1 Cor. 12:13,14 1 Cor. 14:26 1 Cor. 11 Eph. 2:19-22 Attending a Bible Study & Fellowship Group Confession (Corporate) They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (Acts 2:46). Many significant periods of church history feature the commitment of Christians to meeting from house to house for small group fellowship. In fact, before Christians ever owned large buildings, the church was a collection of house groups. Even though in our time church is mostly thought of as large gatherings, small groups are a discipline that helps us to be what the Bible calls us to be. Fellowship in the New Testament describes a partnership that implies Christians must live together and share their God-given resources and skills in a close relationship. In our society, the weekly commitment to a home group bible study is a good way to facilitate this kind of partnership between Christians. In such a group we can learn to study God s Word, to pray, to serve others, and be encouraged in faith. The contemporary practice of Prayer Triplets might suitably serve this discipline too. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power." (James 5:16). When we genuinely confess to another, or to a group, it takes great humility. It helps us to recognise that we are not alone as Christians; public confession supplies a source of accountability. Corporate and public confession of sin, in conjunction with prayer, is a gateway to a new way of behaving and believing. In our setting today, this might best be a discipline practiced in a small group of committed Christians where there is an understanding of confidentiality, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. It is important that everyone understands that no mediator is required to make forgiveness possible, for Christ is our only mediator. Rom. 16:5 1 Cor. 16:19 Acts 4: Tim. 2:5 John 20:23 1 John 1:9 3

4 Devotional Bible Reading (Inward) Evangelism (Outward) Fasting (Inward) "If you love me, you will obey what I command. (John 14:15) When we want to know and serve Christ, we will also want to know more and respond more to the Word of God in the Bible. The Holy Spirit is promised by Jesus to lead us into truth and to bring to mind the teaching of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is both the one who inspired the writing of the Scriptures, and the one who gives us understanding of God s will as revealed in them. It follows that should we become disciplined in devotional reading we give great opportunity for God s Spirit to be at work in us to increase our knowledge of God. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Pet 3:15) Jesus made it clear to his disciples that they were to be his witnesses throughout the world, and to the extent that we have a testimony of God s grace to share, each of us can learn how to let others know about the good news of Jesus Christ. Some personalities are more easily suited to telling others. Some people s stories are more interesting and effective than others in highlighting the grace of God. But each of us can develop a better pattern of communication and ensure that the gospel is shared clearly and without shame. Attending an Alpha Course or something similar can help us to think more clearly about what to share and who to tell. "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do (Matt 6:16) Fasting (going without food for an extended period, but not from water, or abstaining from other pleasures or essentials) gained a bad reputation due to excessive ascetic practices in the middle ages, however, it is mentioned often in the Bible. In our society we are told very specifically how we must manage our diet and it seems we cannot function without filling our stomachs. The practice of fasting can help us get in touch with our urges and senses and perhaps to respond to God with spiritual hunger (for man cannot live by bread alone ). Jesus never commanded fasting as a necessary pattern of following him, but seemed to expect that his followers in the 1 st century would do it. Fasting can help us want to depend on God rather than our own self-sufficient capacity to provide seemingly everything our hearts desire. Fasting can also give us a sense of expectant waiting for the bridegroom to come; the return of Jesus Christ at the end of all things. People on medication should seek advice from a G.P. before extending their fast too much. John 15:26 2 Peter 1:20,21 2 Tim. 3:14,15 Col. 2:6,7 Acts 1:8 Matt. 28:20 Acts 8:4 Rom. 10:9-15 Matt. 6:16 Matt. 9:15-18 Luke 2:37 Acts 13:2 4

5 Giving/Stewardship (External) Guidance (Corporate) Meditation (Inward) It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 10:35) Stewardship is about more than money. Stewardship involves managing wisely all of the assets that God has entrusted us with. How are we going to use our time, talents, and money to bring the greatest glory to God? Giving a tenth of the first-fruits of the produce of the farm or business (tithing) was the requirement of the Old Testament law to teach and order the society with the recognition that God gives all that we have. Those of us in the post-new Testament church can see the full extent of God's abundant grace. Our appreciation of such wonderful grace will drive us to give far beyond the requirements of the law and to begin with the understanding that all we have is to be brought under God s Lordship and to be used for His glory. Learning to redistribute our wealth in a small group can be a good first step. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us (Acts 15:28) Today there is a glut of advertisements in the personals for private mentors, guides, spiritual directors, clairvoyants, and the like. People want to know their personal destiny for every aspect of life. Although the Holy Spirit does give guidance through dreams, miracles, people, etc. in the Bible accounts, the New Testament letters show us that in the church there is a way that the Scriptures and the Spirit can guide us as a group or church to know what to do in a particular situation. To be guided we need to be together under the teaching and direction of the Word of God and open to God in prayer and discussion. Acts 15 describes a time when the church in Jerusalem needed to discern an issue critical to the spread of the Gospel. Paul and his band of co-workers consulted God in prayer for direction in their missionary endeavours. In these matters we can expect God to help us find direction. Most importantly, there is no guarantee of detailed guidance about life in the Bible, only the assurance that we can trust God with our future when we have faith in Jesus Christ. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. (Phil. 4:8) This is not the same as the processes of detachment made famous by TM in the 20 th century. This practice is instead aimed to help us come to know the mind of God on matters of life and to enable our minds to pray the thoughts of the Bible more readily in our daily living. The Psalms display a dedication to meditating on God s Word so that it really is known and absorbed into one s mind and actions. Some Christians find it helpful to have a structure to this practice including certain posture and environment conditions like a quiet or peaceful setting. The idea is to find what helps you to concentrate on God s mind and to put aside the busyness of the day for a time. Acts 4: Cor. 9:17 Matt. 25:14-30 Matt. 25: Cor. 8 & 9 Gal. 6:9-10 John 16:13 Acts 13:1-4 1 Cor. 14:26-33 The Psalms Song of Solomon Proverbs John

6 Prayer (Corporate) Quiet Time (Inward) Solitude (Inward) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Tim 2:1-2). Many of us become familiar with personal prayer and clearly this is a discipline that can accompany many of our Christian activities. But there is also a discipline of praying with others for others. This is often called intercession and can often be practiced in the setting of a church service or a small group. However, we can learn to become more dependent upon God and more concerned for others (isn t that what the 2 Great Commandments are about?) when we spend time with other Christians in prayer. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matt 6:6) Jesus seems to have introduced us to the Quiet Time originally in his daily devotion to His Heavenly Father. He often withdrew to a quiet place to pray to God. There is a danger of becoming somewhat mechanized and legalistic in the practice of quiet time. Some Christians find making a dedicated quiet time a great way to factor into the rest of the day a dependence on God. Sometimes, devotional notes or Bible passages can assist in focusing on God s truth and directing prayer. Mark 1:35 Luke 11:1 1 Tim. 2:1-4 Philippians 4:4-7 Mark 1:35 Luke 5:16 Acts 10:9 Simplicity (Outward) "God made man simple; man's complex problems are of his own devising" (Ecc 7:29, JB). We live in a busy, gadget-centered, consumer cult world. The fact that you are reading this page means that you probably have access to technology such as computers. In such a high-tech world, the idea of simplicity can be extremely foreign. God calls us to allow Him to supply all of our needs, and all the rest will take care of itself (Matt 6:25-34). He calls us to lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Tim 2:2), that He might be glorified. Reassessing what can be shared with other Christians rather than personally owned by you is a good start. Learning to share generously with more needy people is another step towards this goal. Reducing and balancing one s diary commitments and redirecting our work to that which glorifies God and builds community is another step. A change of location can also be of assistance by retreating to a place removed from the competing interests of our normal world for a brief time of reflection and reassignment of our priorities and commitments for the sake of God s Kingdom and Glory. Phil. 4:11,12 Heb. 13:5,6 Deut. 8:6-20 Matt. 6:28-34 James 4:

7 Service (Outward) Submission (Outward) Singing songs of praise and thanksgiving (Corporate) Study (Inward) whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matt 20:26). I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:15) Jesus made it clear that we need to learn a new order and it is not in our nature to submit to another and lose control of our lives. Placing oneself under the authority of another is good practice for serving Jesus and learning that we don t have to get our own way. Getting our own way is the cause of so much division, we need much development and grace in this area. Serving in a team within the church is a good start to learning this knew way of life which Jesus said every follower must undertake. sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16) The Psalter is the hymnbook of the people of Israel and many, if not most, of the psalms were probably set to music. A whole section of them appear to have been for singing in the assembly of God s people to give praise and thanks to God; to pray to God; and to tell of his mighty works and teach about God. This practice is still a common way to draw the hearts and minds of Christians towards God and His Grace and to express our thanks. We learn to be more engaged with our whole emotions to God when we sing, and we stand in the tradition of saints past, and even with the heavenly choirs. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17) The Psalms encourage meditation upon God s thoughts but also to know the very facts of God s dealings with people in history and his precepts ; God s laws and commands. Paul, the Apostle was able to discuss, argue, and teach with the Scriptures as his basis of understanding how God reveals himself in the world. And we should expect to grow in maturity if we seek not baby s milk but the meat of a more sufficient diet of spiritual learning. There are many ways to begin: with the help of study notes from Christian teachers; reading the teaching of Christian scholars; going to classes; using study notes and commentaries; and more. Luke 9: Peter 4:10 Matt. 20: Cor Chron. 29:10ff The Psalms Rev. 5:9-14 e.g. s see Psalm 119 & Proverbs. Read Ephesians 4:17-5:21 or James. Read Matthew chs. 5-7 & test your ethics, or Romans 1-8 to appreciate God s grace 7

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