May 31st 2020

Ben Hinks speaks at our online 10am (Central) service.

How We Change: Key Thoughts on HOW Practicing The spiritual disciplines ENABLE US TO posture our mind and body to access the Holy Spirit.

God graciously gives unearned and unearnable things to us! Yet, what we do makes the world of difference, even in full faith in Jesus. See 2 Peter 1:3-10, Galatians 6:7-10 or all of Romans 8 as examples. The spiritual disciplines are part of that; absolutely essential to growing in God. Practised regularly and healthily, they are ways to access the power and life of God; enabling grace, not earning it. They are the everyday “yes” opening the doors of our hungry souls to the pregnant invitations of a holy God, and they are practical ways to let Him fulfil His promises, one of which is our transformation.

A list of suggested spiritual disciplines:
• Communion
• Sunday gathering
• Bible
• Prayer and fasting
• Worship by singing
• Silence and solitude
• Sabbath
• Community
• Teaching
• Serving
• Simple living
• Celebration
• Grieving
• Confessions
• Secrecy
• Gratitude

7 points about spiritual disciplines. They are:
1) Scripturally-sourced – my whole list is found in Scripture; Jesus did them all.
2) Power sources – they don’t earn grace but position us to receive God’s power.
3) Repetitious and ordinary – learn to welcome God into the ordinary and repetitious.
4) Doorways – we must open the door to let God in to transform us.
5) Invitations – God invites us personally to know Him, to bless you and to be a blessing.
6) Shoes and Steps – there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Do what fits your personality, season of life and life circumstances.
7) Tools – the spiritual disciplines can help us with what we need; not what always fits or is easy.

How will you open the door today and take him up on His invite and go on to greater transformation? Some suggested resources to go deeper for yourself:
• Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster
• The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
• How to Pray, by Pete Grieg
• Lectio 365 App
• The Prayer Course Tool shed - https://prayercourse.org/toolshed/
• https://practicingtheway.org/