August 13, 2023 • Jesse Smith, Josh Cagle, Mark Shetler
Here are some ideas to practice the spiritual discipline of prayer:
o Use the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (making your requests).
o Join the Prayer Ministry on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Room 200 at the church for a time of praying with other believers.
o Keep a prayer journal, listing both prayer requests and answers to prayer.
Some suggestions for practicing the discipline of fasting include:
o Doing a partial fast by not eating any solid food for a day or a particular period of time.
o Doing a partial fast by skipping just one meal.
o Doing a partial fast by not eating meat on a certain day of the week.
o Cut out all caffeine or all processed sugar for a week as a partial fast.
o Doing a full fast by only consuming water for a day or a period of time.
Please note:
o We strongly suggest you consult your physician before participating in any form of fasting.
o When fasting, allow the discipline of giving something up to remind you to take time to pray throughout the day.
The following are ways you can practice the discipline of meditation with scripture:
o Read a verse or a short section of scripture multiple times.
o Read it aloud multiple times.
o Read it slowly, phrase by phrase.
o Memorize a passage of scripture that specifically speaks to you.
Here are some ways you can practice meditation through nature:
o Take a walk through nature and ask God to speak to you through that time.
o Find a quiet place to sit in a park or your backyard. Look at the flowers, trees, and sky and think about how creative and powerful God is.
o Before going to bed, take a few moments to walk outside and look up at the moon and stars. Contemplate how big and powerful the Lord is to create the whole universe.
o Intentionally use your senses to connect with God. Listen carefully to the birds singing or the waves of the ocean crashing on shore. Smell the roses. Pet a dog or a cat. Feel the bark of a tree. Taste honey and read Psalm 119:103. Look at the towering mountains or at the intricacies of a leaf.
Celebration
August 6, 2023 • Mark Shetler
Below are some ideas for practicing the spiritual discipline of celebration.
· Keep a “celebration” journal for one month. Before going to bed, read Philippians 4:8 and write down three things that happened during the day which are a cause for celebration.
· Plan a Jubilee Dinner. Invite friends and family to gather together asking each one to be prepared to give a testimony of a way they have experienced God’s grace in their lives in the past year. Make it a party and ask everyone to bring their favorite party food. Buy some paper party hats and hang some streamers to make it extra festive.
· Plan a Matthew Meal (see Matthew 9:9-12) and invite people into your home that are very different from you, people you have never shared a meal with before, and just ask them to share their story. Close by celebrating each story and asking if anyone has something they would like you to pray for.
· Send an Un-Birthday card to someone you really care about. Celebrate who they are and what they mean to you.
· Make or buy some cookies (decorations are an added plus) and take them to work, to school, to the light rail station, or to a neighbor’s house and tell the recipients to have a happy day.
· Memorize Revelation 21:1-5 as a way to regularly remind yourself that no matter what difficult situations you might be facing right now, something much better is to come.
Sabbath, Solitude, and Silence
July 30, 2023 • Josh Cagle
1. Practicing Sabbath:
-Schedule it
-Include time in scripture and prayer
-Do things that bring life and delight
-Stop from the regular demands of life
-Turn off your devices for a period of time
2. Practicing Silence and Solitude:
-Have a quiet place
-Leave your phone out of reach and on silent
-Start small
-Go for a walk
-Sit in moments of silence
Submission, Service, and Confession
July 23, 2023 • Mark Shetler
Here are some ideas for practicing the spiritual disciplines of submission, service, and confession:
· To focus on the spiritual virtue of humility, print James 4:10 and Luke 14:11 on a card and place it where you will see it daily for a week. Each time you see it, prayerfully read the verses and ask the Lord to help you grow in humility and in the corresponding spiritual disciplines.
· If you want to practice the spiritual discipline of submission, set aside some time to pray and journal, answering the following questions:
o In the last month, when have I demanded my own way or been frustrated when I have not gotten my own way?
o Am I fearful of submitting to others because of any abusive situations in my past? If so, have I sought appropriate support or professional counseling? Do I truly believe there is such a thing as healthy submission?
o How could I be a better spouse, parent, child, employee, friend, or ministry partner if I learned to lovingly submit and put others ahead of myself?
· If you want to practice the spiritual discipline of service, pray about ways you could serve other believers at the church, at home, at your workplace, or in your neighborhood. Consider filling out one of the volunteer forms on this app and try out a new way of service to the body of Christ. Or do a random act of kindness to someone without letting the recipient or anyone else know what you did for them.
· If you want to practice the spiritual discipline of confession, ask the Lord to help you have confidence to do so and to guide you into a healthy, encouraging relationship for this. You may want to ask to speak confidentially with a pastor, a Growth Group leader, or a trusted friend who is spiritually mature. For some situations, it may be necessary to join a support group like Celebrate Recovery where you can find others who understand your hurt, habit, or hang up.
Study of Scripture
July 16, 2023 • Josh Cagle
Practices to Engage Scripture
1. Set a realistic goal
2. Create a plan
a. Time and place
b. Bible reading plan
c. Have an approach to the Bible
-SOAP-Scripture; Observation; Application; Prayer
-Repetition; Concentration; Comprehension; Reflection
3. Listen to Scripture
4. “Through the Word” App
Worship
July 9, 2023 • Mark Shetler
Here are some ideas for practicing the spiritual discipline of worship:
· Set aside some time at home this week to play some favorite worship music and sing along.
· Take a walk and thank God for what nature reveals about His character.
· As a family or as an individual, pick a psalm to read out loud. Maybe read it in a couple of different translations. Some suggested passages are Psalm 8, 23, 27, 46, 100, 103, 121, 145, and 150.
· After reading a couple of the psalms, write your own psalm, thanking God for specific things He has done for you and worshipping Him for some of His specific attributes.
· Try a different posture in worship such as kneeling, lifting of hands, or holding hands palms up. In that position, tell Jesus why you love Him.
· Make a list of at least a dozen reasons why God is worthy of praise.
· Draw a picture symbolizing some of the Lord’s qualities for which you want to praise Him.
