Embracing Spiritual Disciplines for Growth and Joy

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound journey of spiritual formation and the role of spiritual disciplines in our lives. We began by acknowledging the unique community we share, a fellowship that transcends physical boundaries and unites us in our shared spiritual journey. This community is a testament to the power of connection and shared experiences, even when we are separated by miles.

Reflecting on the teachings of Dallas Willard, we delved into the concept of spiritual disciplines not as burdensome obligations but as gifts that invite us to be at home with God. These practices are not about adding to our guilt but about experimenting with ways to foster change and growth in our spiritual lives. The disciplines are tools to help us overcome barriers that prevent us from living fully in the presence of God.

We also discussed the importance of recognizing the season of life we are in and how that influences our spiritual practices. For those overwhelmed by life's demands, such as young parents, the call is to find God in the midst of daily life rather than seeing these demands as obstacles to spiritual growth. Embracing the realities of our current season can lead to profound spiritual formation.

Moreover, we touched on the significance of joy and celebration as spiritual practices. Joylessness is a sin of omission, and the practice of celebration can be a powerful antidote. It's about finding moments of laughter and lightness, even in the mundane, and allowing those moments to draw us closer to God.

Finally, we emphasized the importance of solitude and serving others as key spiritual practices. Solitude allows us to listen to our souls and discern what we need in our spiritual journey. Serving others, especially the marginalized, not only changes us but also aligns us with the heart of God.

Key Takeaways:

1. Spiritual Disciplines as Gifts: Spiritual disciplines should be seen as gifts that help us be at home with God, not as burdens that add to our guilt. They are tools for overcoming barriers to living fully in God's presence. [05:58]

2. Embracing Life's Seasons: Recognize the season of life you are in and find God in the midst of it. Instead of viewing life's demands as obstacles, see them as opportunities for spiritual growth and formation. [21:46]

3. The Practice of Celebration: Joylessness is a sin of omission. The practice of celebration can be a powerful antidote, inviting us to find moments of laughter and lightness that draw us closer to God. [15:25]

4. Solitude and Serving: Solitude allows us to listen to our souls and discern our spiritual needs. Serving others, especially the marginalized, aligns us with the heart of God and transforms us. [28:03]

5. Rest as a Spiritual Discipline: God's desire for us is to be rested. Spiritual practices should not exhaust us but invite us into God's rest, aligning with Jesus' invitation to find rest in Him. [24:56]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:44] - Introduction and Community Connection
- [02:49] - Reflections on Spiritual Disciplines
- [05:23] - Dallas Willard's Influence
- [07:24] - Learning from Other Teachers
- [09:02] - Embracing Life's Unique Events
- [11:32] - Starting with Spiritual Practices
- [13:18] - Overcoming Barriers to Spiritual Growth
- [15:25] - The Practice of Celebration
- [19:18] - Seasons of Life and Spiritual Practices
- [21:46] - Embracing Life's Realities
- [24:56] - Rest as a Spiritual Discipline
- [28:03] - Solitude and Serving Others
- [33:32] - Solitude and Serving in the Church
- [37:44] - Closing Remarks and Announcements

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1. Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

2. Hebrews 4:9-11 (NIV) - "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience."

3. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) - "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"

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Observation Questions:

1. What are some of the spiritual disciplines mentioned in the sermon that are considered gifts rather than burdens? [05:58]

2. How does the sermon describe the role of community in our spiritual journey? [01:57]

3. What examples were given in the sermon about finding God in the midst of life's demands, especially for young parents? [21:46]

4. How does the sermon define joylessness, and what practice is suggested as an antidote? [15:25]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How might the concept of spiritual disciplines as gifts change one's approach to practicing them? [05:58]

2. In what ways can recognizing the season of life one is in influence their spiritual practices and growth? [21:46]

3. How does the practice of celebration help in overcoming joylessness, and why is it considered a sin of omission? [15:25]

4. What is the significance of solitude and serving others in aligning with the heart of God, according to the sermon? [28:03]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current season of life. How can you find God in the midst of your daily demands, and what specific spiritual practice could help you in this season? [21:46]

2. Consider a recent moment of joylessness in your life. How can you incorporate the practice of celebration to invite more joy and lightness into your daily routine? [15:25]

3. Identify a barrier that prevents you from living fully in God's presence. What spiritual discipline could you experiment with to overcome this barrier? [05:58]

4. Think about a time when you felt overwhelmed by life's demands. How can you embrace these demands as opportunities for spiritual growth rather than obstacles? [21:46]

5. Solitude is mentioned as a key practice. How can you create moments of solitude in your life to listen to your soul and discern your spiritual needs? [28:03]

6. Serving others, especially the marginalized, is highlighted as transformative. What is one way you can serve someone in need this week, and how might this align you with the heart of God? [28:03]

7. Reflect on the idea of rest as a spiritual discipline. How can you incorporate rest into your spiritual practices to align with Jesus' invitation to find rest in Him? [24:56]

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Disciplines as Pathways to God's Presence
Spiritual disciplines are not meant to be burdensome tasks that weigh us down with guilt. Instead, they are gifts that invite us to dwell in the presence of God. These practices, such as prayer, meditation, and fasting, serve as tools to help us overcome the barriers that prevent us from experiencing the fullness of life with God. By engaging in these disciplines, we open ourselves to transformation and growth, allowing God's presence to permeate our daily lives. The key is to approach these practices with a spirit of experimentation, finding what resonates with us and fosters our spiritual journey. [05:58]

"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 spiritual discipline can you experiment with this week to draw closer to God, and how can you approach it as a gift rather than a burden?


Day 2: Finding God in Every Season of Life
Recognizing the season of life we are in is crucial for our spiritual growth. Life's demands, such as the responsibilities of young parents or the challenges of a demanding job, should not be seen as obstacles to spiritual formation. Instead, they are opportunities to find God in the midst of our daily routines. By embracing the realities of our current season, we can experience profound spiritual growth and transformation. It's about seeing God's presence in the ordinary and allowing these experiences to shape our spiritual journey. [21:46]

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV)

Reflection: How can you embrace your current season of life and find God in the midst of your daily responsibilities?


Day 3: Joy and Celebration as Spiritual Practices
Joylessness is considered a sin of omission, and the practice of celebration is a powerful antidote. By finding moments of laughter and lightness, even in the mundane, we draw closer to God. Celebration is not just about grand events but about recognizing and appreciating the small joys in life. These moments of joy and celebration can transform our spiritual journey, inviting us to experience God's presence in new and profound ways. [15:25]

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4, ESV)

Reflection: What small moments of joy can you celebrate today, and how can these moments draw you closer to God?


Day 4: The Transformative Power of Solitude and Service
Solitude and serving others are key spiritual practices that align us with the heart of God. Solitude allows us to listen to our souls and discern our spiritual needs, providing space for reflection and growth. Serving others, especially the marginalized, not only transforms us but also aligns us with God's compassion and love. These practices invite us to step outside of ourselves and engage with the world in meaningful ways, fostering a deeper connection with God and others. [28:03]

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (Matthew 6:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate moments of solitude and acts of service into your week to align more closely with God's heart?


Day 5: Rest as a Spiritual Discipline
Rest is an essential aspect of spiritual formation, aligning with God's desire for us to be rested. Spiritual practices should not exhaust us but invite us into God's rest, reflecting Jesus' invitation to find rest in Him. By prioritizing rest, we create space for renewal and rejuvenation, allowing us to engage more fully with our spiritual journey. Rest is not just about physical relaxation but about finding peace and stillness in God's presence. [24:56]

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to prioritize rest in your life this week, and how can this rest draw you closer to God?

Quotes



Reflecting on the teachings of Dallas Willard, we delved into the concept of spiritual disciplines not as burdensome obligations but as gifts that invite us to be at home with God. These practices are not about adding to our guilt but about experimenting with ways to foster change and growth in our spiritual lives. [00:05:58]

I think a super important thing is um don't try to be heroic, and uh so start with something that's very doable. It's much better to um start with something smaller than you're actually able to do than to try to be heroic with it and be overwhelmed and to give up and feel like it doesn't work. [00:11:32]

If you suffer from joylessness, I was with five of us who went to college together get together for uh about a week every year and it's one of my favorite weeks of the year uh we just wrap that up on Monday. My very good friend Chuck was coming in from Atlanta and his flight got delayed for nine hours. [00:15:25]

I think the most important thing is to recognize actually for example if you have little kids, um you're going to be in a position where you're going to be uh experiencing you're going to be serving a ton and uh that can be deeply forming you're going to be worried about them a ton to be a parent is to be worried. [00:21:46]

God's desire for you is to be rested so however you think about however we think about practices or disciplines if we think about them as one more thing that's going to exhaust fatigue and drain us then somehow we're not looking at it in the way that they did the invitation is you know it just goes back to Jesus. [00:24:56]

I think this question is so important I remember thinking when our kids were little the word quiet and the word time and you want to put those two words together are you kidding me yeah and and one of the things I finally began to form in my mind to tell John is I feel like the pen for writing about spiritual formation. [00:28:03]

I think trying to find a concrete non-legalistic but genuinely life-giving transforming way of life is The Great quest in our day so to feel like as The Fellowship of the withered hand we're trying to do that together and learn together um is deeply meaningful to me so um thanks everybody. [00:33:32]

I think a really good thing is often something might be a spiritual discipline uh or practice in so far as it's a discipline or a practice I do it so that I can be changed so that I can be different yeah um however it can also be worth doing for its own sake even if it didn't bring about change. [00:37:44]

I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day or any day is merely another ambiguous and plotting 24 hours but rather a unique event filled if I so wish with Worthy potentialities I shall not be full enough to suppose that trouble and pain Are Holy evil parentheses in my existence. [00:09:02]

I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now even if I turn out to be wrong I shall bet my life on the assumption that the world is not idiotic neither run by an absentee landlord but that today this very day some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas. [00:13:18]

I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said there is Darkness without and when I die there shall be Darkness within there is no Splendor no vastness anywhere only triviality for a moment and then nothing Kilby goes on. [00:07:24]

I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what C.S Lewis calls their Divine magical terrifying and ecstatic existence I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this Century to usurp all my energies. [00:19:18]

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Transcript
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