Spiritual Disciplines

Drawn from a rich heritage, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will guide you through a carefully selected array of disciplines. By illustrating why the disciplines are important, showing how each one will help you grow in godliness, and offering practical suggestions for cultivating them, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will provide you with a refreshing opportunity to become more like Christ and grow in character and maturity. Now updated and revised to equip a new generation of readers, this anniversary edition features in-depth discussions on each of the key disciplines.

When we mistake spiritual disciplines for to-dos, time slots on our schedule, or Instagram-able moments, we miss the benefits of Christ's continual and constant work for us. In Ragged, Gretchen Ronnevik aims to reclaim spiritual disciplines as good gifts given by our good Father instead of heavy burdens of performance carried by the Christian. Only when we recognize our failures to maintain God's commands do we also realize the benefit of our dependence on his promises. Gretchen uses this distinction on law and gospel, presented throughout Scripture, to guide readers through spiritual disciplines including prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and discipleship among others. Despite our best efforts, the good news is that spiritual disciplines have less to do with what we bring before God and more about who Christ is for us, not only as the author but also as the perfector of our faith.

Maybe you long for a more intimate prayer life or deeper insight from God's Word but just don't know how to get there. Or maybe you want to learn about new spiritual disciplines like visio divina, unplugging or attentiveness. In Spiritual Disciplines Handbook Adele Calhoun gives us directions for our continuing journey toward intimacy with Christ. While the word discipline may make us want to run and hide, the author shows how desires and discipline work together to lead us to the transformation we're longing for—the transformation only Christ can bring. Instead of just giving information about spiritual disciplines, this handbook is full of practical, accessible guidance that helps you actually practice them. With over 80,000 copies in print, this well-loved catalog of seventy-five disciplines has been revised throughout and expanded to include thirteen new disciplines along with a new preface by the author. Mothers, fathers, plumbers, nurses, students—we're all on a journey. And spiritual disciplines are for all of us who desire to know Christ deeply and be like him. Here is direction for our desire, leading us to the ultimate destination: more of Christ himself.

The Spiritual Disciplines Pamphlet explains the classic spiritual disciplines that help us follow Jesus: Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, worship, solitude, and evangelism. The Spiritual Disciplines Pamphlet makes an excellent handout or Bible study on Christian maturity for a small group or Sunday school class. It addresses questions such as: What does it mean to be Jesus' disciples in the twenty-first century? Do spiritual disciplines look different in an electronic age? How can spiritual disciplines be a joy, not a legalistic burden? Includes an explaination and advice on these Spiritual Disciplines: • Bible Reading/Study • Prayer • Fasting • Worship • Service • Solitutude • Discernment • Evangelism Each Spiritual Discipline includes: • Examples from people in the Bible • Tips for getting started • How each discipline helps us to have a Christ-focused life Discussion Questions • Scripture Reading: Read two of the Bible passages from the list on page 5. In your opinion, what is the message of these passages? Read the section on “The Disciplines Today.” Some people love to read the Bible; others see it as a challenge. What ideas might work for those who struggle? • Prayer: Read one of the Psalms listed at the top of page 6 and pick one other Bible passage in that section. What is the writer of the Psalms expressing in his prayer? Is he being honest with God about his emotions and problems? In what way does this change your view of prayer? What attitude should we have? What kinds of prayers should we avoid? Pick one of the ideas in “The Disciplines Today” and share how you might apply it. • Fasting: Choose two of the passages at the top of page 8 to read. Why did these people choose to fast? Now look at the quote. How can we keep our focus on the right thing? Fasting is one of the most neglected of the Spiritual Disciplines, but it is excellent for teaching us self-control. Look at the tips. How might you practice the discipline of fasting? • Worship: People worship in many ways as we can see from the biblical examples at the top of page 9. Which of these suit your personality and circumstances the most? Look at the first point under “The Disciplines Today.” In practical ways, how can we develop the right attitudes? When we worship in a group, the experience is often different from our private times of worship. What are the benefits of each? • Service: Jesus could have forced and bullied everyone into obeying him. Yet he did not. He chose to be a servant. Pick one of the passages from the Biblical Basis section at the top of page 10, and explain how Jesus' leadership is different from the kind of leadership found in the world today. Read the tips on page 10. How will you serve others in a way that imitates Jesus? • Solitude: Many biblical leaders sought to be alone with God. Pick one of the examples on page 11 and note anything of interest to you. If you are the type of person who likes having a lot of noise in your life, how do you practice solitude? What are the benefits of going off by yourself and praying and resting? • Discernment: Look at the examples of biblical discernment at the top of page 12. Read both of the last two bullet points in the Biblical Basis section. What does discernment mean and how does it look today? Some people seem to have the spiritual gift of discernment, but all believers can be more discerning in general. Why is it important to discuss issues with other believers? • Evangelism: Read all of the points at the top of page 13. What did Jesus teach? Look at the tips. What do you see as the most important? It is often easiest and most natural to share your own story with close friends. Do you ever sense an opportunity to discuss spiritual matters? Perfect for discipleship or small groups.

Spiritual disciplines connect us to the God who wants to transform our souls. We discover these time-tested practices in the Bible as we look at the everyday ways Jesus related to God. These companion studies and exercises will help you to explore sixteen core practices. Three segments on each practice (a total of forty-eight sessions) allow space to go beyond superficial understanding and to begin to live in a new way. Jan Johnson, a seasoned writer in both the areas of spiritual formation and Bible study, has created a unique mix of inductive Bible study, guided meditation and transformational exercises spanning all the styles of learning and offering something for everyone. You can use this book effectively on your own or with a group. Discover what it means to live in the grace and light of God's transforming presence. Also available: The Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies series of eight titles offers these studies in six-week guides with notes for leaders included. Explore silence service secrecy prayer listening Bible study Scripture meditation community submission reflection confession fasting simplicity worship celebration

This updated companion guide to Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (see description below) takes you through a carefully selected array of disciplines that will help you grow in godliness. Ideal for personal or small-group use. Drawn from a rich heritage, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will guide you through a carefully selected array of disciplines. By illustrating why the disciplines are important, showing how each one will help you grow in godliness, and offering practical suggestions for cultivating them, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will provide you with a refreshing opportunity to become more like Christ and grow in character and maturity. Now updated and revised to equip a new generation of readers, this anniversary edition features in-depth discussions on each of the key disciplines.

At your salvation, your spirit was renewed, but your soul and body was not changed. Spiritual Disciplines are given to us by God. They provide a way of sowing to the Spirit and they help you put off the “old man” and put on the “new man” (see Ephesians 4:22-24). By doing this, you “renew” your soul so it will agree with your renewed spirit. As the saying “means to an end” goes, the Spiritual Disciplines are the “means,” while the “end” is intimacy with God. By exercising the Spiritual Disciplines, we are helped to mature spiritually and are put in a place where God can work within us to transform us. If we truly want to walk with God, we will exercise the Spiritual Disciplines. Spiritual Disciplines are for everyone to use and should be a natural part of a Christian’s life, as natural as breathing. In this book, the eleven main Spiritual Disciplines – Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Submission, Confession, Solitude, Service, Guidance, and Worship – are described as well as how to apply them in today’s world. The author’s first two books are A Young Person’s Guide to Christianity and A Christian Understanding of Deception – Gaining an Appreciation of How satan Uses Deception.