Embracing Discipline for Spiritual Growth and Faith

 

Summary

Discipline is a word that often evokes a sense of dread, yet it is a crucial element in our spiritual journey. Much like the physical discipline of exercise, spiritual discipline is something we may initially resist but ultimately appreciate for the growth it brings. Discipline is the friend we hate to see coming but are grateful for once it leaves. It facilitates progress and prosperity in various aspects of life, including our spiritual walk. However, it requires delayed gratification, doing what we ought to do now so we can enjoy the benefits later.

In our series "Faith Full," we explore how to fuel our faith in a world that often feels empty. Jesus' invitation to "follow me" is not just about belief but about living a life that reflects deep, abiding faith in God. This faith is not merely intellectual; it is active and transformative, impacting every area of our lives. It is about waking up each day and asking, "What would I do if I were confident that God is with me?"

To cultivate this kind of faith, we need to engage in private spiritual disciplines. These include daily devotions, percentage giving, and corporate worship. Daily devotions involve setting aside time to read Scripture and pray, allowing God to speak into the complexities of our lives. Percentage giving challenges us to trust God with our resources, prioritizing His kingdom over our financial security. Corporate worship reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, experiencing God's presence in a unique way when we gather with other believers.

These disciplines are not just about routine; they are about fostering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They help us maintain a connection with God that is both intimate and transformative. As we engage in these practices, our faith grows stronger, and our confidence in God deepens. What begins as sheer discipline can become a lifestyle that is life-changing and life-preserving.

Key Takeaways:

- Discipline, though initially resisted, is essential for spiritual growth. It requires delayed gratification but ultimately leads to progress and prosperity in our spiritual lives. [04:27]

- Jesus invites us to a life of active faith, not just belief. This faith is about following Him and living in a way that reflects our trust in God, impacting every area of our lives. [06:46]

- Private spiritual disciplines, such as daily devotions, percentage giving, and corporate worship, are crucial for growing our faith. They help us maintain a personal relationship with Jesus and align our lives with God's will. [13:23]

- Percentage giving is a faith issue, not just a financial one. It challenges us to trust God with our resources and prioritize His kingdom over our financial security. [24:49]

- Corporate worship is essential for experiencing God's presence in a unique way. It reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves and helps us maintain a sense of community and shared faith. [33:16]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - The Nature of Discipline
[01:29] - The Love-Hate Relationship with Discipline
[02:18] - Motive and Outcome
[03:39] - Discipline as Life-Changing
[04:45] - Faith Full Series Introduction
[05:13] - Active Faith in Everyday Life
[06:01] - Beyond Belief: Following Jesus
[07:42] - The Life of Faith
[08:22] - What Fuels Enduring Faith?
[09:38] - Five Faith Catalysts
[11:54] - Private Spiritual Disciplines
[13:52] - Personal Relationship with Jesus
[15:28] - The Internal and External Aspects of Faith
[17:38] - The Personal Side of Christianity
[19:01] - Daily Devotions
[24:49] - Percentage Giving
[33:16] - Corporate Worship
[36:23] - 30-Day Challenge: Embrace Spiritual Disciplines

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
2. Luke 5:16 - "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 - "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

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Observation Questions:

1. How does the sermon describe the relationship between discipline and spiritual growth? [01:39]
2. What are the three private spiritual disciplines mentioned in the sermon, and how are they defined? [19:01]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus' invitation to "follow me"? [06:01]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of delayed gratification in the context of spiritual discipline? [04:27]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does it mean to have a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ," as emphasized in the sermon? How does this relate to the practice of private spiritual disciplines? [14:02]
2. How does the sermon suggest that percentage giving is more about faith than finances? What implications does this have for one's spiritual life? [24:49]
3. In what ways does corporate worship contribute to experiencing God's presence, according to the sermon? How does this differ from individual worship? [33:16]
4. How does the sermon connect the practice of daily devotions with the development of a deeper faith? [19:25]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current spiritual disciplines. Are there areas where you feel resistance, and how might you overcome this to experience growth? [01:39]
2. The sermon challenges us to ask, "What would I do if I were confident that God is with me?" How can this question shape your daily decisions and actions? [07:42]
3. Consider your approach to giving. How might adopting a percentage giving mindset change your relationship with money and trust in God? [24:49]
4. How can you incorporate more intentional time for daily devotions in your routine? What specific steps will you take to make this a priority? [19:25]
5. In what ways can you engage more deeply in corporate worship to enhance your sense of community and shared faith? [33:16]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to practice delayed gratification. How can spiritual discipline help you in this area? [04:27]
7. How can you ensure that your faith remains active and transformative, rather than just intellectual? What practical steps will you take to live out your faith more fully? [06:46]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Discipline for Spiritual Growth
Discipline is often met with resistance, yet it is a vital component of our spiritual development. Just as physical exercise strengthens the body, spiritual discipline fortifies our faith. It requires us to delay gratification, choosing to do what is necessary now to reap benefits later. This process, though challenging, leads to progress and prosperity in our spiritual lives. By embracing discipline, we open ourselves to growth and transformation, ultimately becoming more aligned with God's purpose for us. [04:27]

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you have been resisting discipline? How can you take a step today to embrace it and trust in the growth it will bring?


Day 2: Living a Life of Active Faith
Jesus calls us to a life of active faith, not just mere belief. This faith is about following Him and living in a way that reflects our trust in God, impacting every area of our lives. It is about waking up each day with the confidence that God is with us, guiding our actions and decisions. This transformative faith goes beyond intellectual understanding, inviting us to embody our beliefs in our daily lives and interactions. [06:46]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively demonstrate your faith in your daily routine today? What specific action can you take to reflect your trust in God?


Day 3: Cultivating Faith Through Private Spiritual Disciplines
Private spiritual disciplines are essential for nurturing our faith and maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus. Practices such as daily devotions, percentage giving, and corporate worship help us align our lives with God's will. Daily devotions allow us to connect with God through Scripture and prayer, while percentage giving challenges us to trust Him with our resources. Corporate worship reminds us of our place within a larger community of believers, experiencing God's presence in a unique way. These disciplines are not mere routines but pathways to a deeper, transformative faith. [13:23]

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Reflection: Which private spiritual discipline do you find most challenging to maintain? How can you incorporate it into your life this week to deepen your relationship with God?


Day 4: Trusting God Through Percentage Giving
Percentage giving is more than a financial decision; it is a matter of faith. It challenges us to trust God with our resources, prioritizing His kingdom over our financial security. By giving a portion of our income, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from God and that He will provide for our needs. This act of faith not only supports the work of the church but also strengthens our trust in God's provision and care. [24:49]

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What fears or hesitations do you have about percentage giving? How can you take a step of faith today to trust God with your finances?


Day 5: Experiencing God's Presence in Corporate Worship
Corporate worship is a vital aspect of our spiritual journey, offering a unique experience of God's presence. It reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves, fostering a sense of community and shared faith. Gathering with other believers allows us to worship collectively, encouraging and uplifting one another. This communal experience strengthens our faith and deepens our connection with God, reminding us of His love and grace. [33:16]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you engage more fully in corporate worship this week? What steps can you take to connect with your faith community and experience God's presence together?

Quotes

Discipline, you know this. Discipline facilitates progress. There's no progress without discipline. This is true personally, professionally, academically. It's true corporately. It's true nationally. And discipline facilitates prosperity, financially, relationally, and even physically, but, and here's the rub, right? Discipline requires delayed gratification. And you all know what delayed gratification is. It's doing what we ought to do now, so we can do want to do later. [00:04:09]

Jesus was so clear in the first century that his goal and his agenda for his first century followers and for his 21st century followers is that we would be people of great faith, but not faith that resides in our head, just things we believe, but faith that's an active, gritty, in the real world, in the family, at business, at work, in the neighborhood kind of faith, faith that shows up when we show up, faith that changes things, faith that confronts things, which explains Jesus' early invitation, which was to follow me. [00:04:57]

Jesus did not invite us to simply believe things about Him or to simply even believe things about God. He invited us into a lifestyle that reflects deep abiding faith in our Father in heaven, because belief alone, if it just stays right in your head, it actually creates feeble, frail and fragile faith. Faith that is easily broken, faith that is easily lost. In fact, this is one of the reasons that some of you have lost faith, or some of you are losing faith. [00:06:31]

And for the first time in my life, I began to read the Bible. For the first time in my life, I began to pray, not reactionary prayers like God, please help me find a parking spot, and God, please don't let that be true. God, please let him call me back. Not those kinds of prayers. For the first time in my life, I sat down, I cleared out some space, I cleared out some time, and I sat down for the first time and I really began to pray. [00:12:00]

He would say, "Andy, the most important thing in the world, the most important thing in the world is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ." I heard this, my whole life. "Andy, the most important thing in the world is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ." And what he meant is this, that it's not about church, and it's not just about learning, and it's not just about principles, and it's not just about applications. There is a personal, intimate side to this. [00:14:01]

If there's not the internal part, if there's not some sense of you and God, you and your heavenly Father, you and the scriptures, you and prayer. If there's not some something personal about it, what happens over time? Over time, we lose the sense of personal connection. And when that happens, it just becomes routine. It becomes somewhat corporate. It can grow cold. We can become cynical. We can become judgmental. [00:15:36]

The personal side of Christianity is what releases the kingdom of God in your life personally. Big church word, let me say it a different way. The personal side of Christianity, intimate side of Christianity, is what releases God's rule in our lives. It allows us to answer the question and forces us to grapple with the question, is Jesus really the Lord of my life, or is this just something I believe if I was to be quizzed? [00:17:42]

Daily devotions, percentage giving and corporate worship. Now when people tell their story, or if you were to tell us your story, you would not use these phrases. You might use this top one, but not these other three, these other two. But essentially, these are the things that come up over and over, a personal devotional life. People talk about when they finally decided, okay, I'm going to become a proactive percentage giver. They had to wrestle that to the ground. [00:19:00]

And as we wrestle with this one, here's what we discover. And many of you have discovered this. It's not even about money. It's about priorities. It's about our confidence in God. It's about our faith in God. Jesus said this, and it seems so cavalier when he said this, especially to people living on the edge of starvation, in some cases. He says, hey, look, do not worry, saying, what are we gonna eat? What are we gonna drink? What are we gonna wear? [00:25:05]

Giving, giving, exercise percentage upfront, pre-decided disciplined giving, it exercises our faith because it involves letting go of what we are most inclined to put our confidence in rather than God. This is why it's a faith thing. It's not even a money thing. Jesus was so brilliant on this. I mean, it's so brilliant. He says, look, you can't two kings. Can't have two bosses, can't have two Lords. The word he used is you can't have two masters. [00:28:00]

Something happens personally when we gather corporately. It just does. There's a group dynamic that has a personal, private impact, and you've experienced this. You've experienced this sometime in the singing. You've experienced this sometime in just a story that's told. During 2020, Sandra and I kept saying to each other, I miss church, I miss church, I miss church. And what were we saying? We weren't missing the building. I have a key to the building. [00:33:30]

There is an aspect of the Christian faith that I can not experience apart from you. And we're all part of this community, but we have to choose to participate in the community. We have to choose, and at some point, at some time, it feels a little bit like a discipline. But it's a reminder every time we get together, you know what it's a reminder of? That God is up to something bigger than you that includes you. [00:35:46]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?