Embracing Spiritual Practices for Transformation and Grace

Devotional

Day 1: Spiritual Practices as Channels of Grace

Spiritual practices like prayer, Sabbath rest, and reading the Bible are not just religious duties but channels through which we experience God's grace and transformation. These practices help us slow down and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. By engaging in these practices, we create space for God to move and work within us, transforming our hearts and minds. They are not about earning favor with God but about positioning ourselves to receive His grace and love.

When we look at Jesus' life, we see that He often withdrew to pray, observed the Sabbath, and engaged with Scripture. These practices were integral to His ministry and relationship with the Father. As we incorporate these practices into our own lives, we too can experience the transformative power of God's grace. It's about being intentional in our spiritual formation and allowing these practices to shape us into the likeness of Christ. [37:35]

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV): "For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.'"

Reflection: What spiritual practice can you incorporate into your daily routine this week to create space for God's grace and transformation?

Day 2: Everyday Activities as Spiritual Disciplines

Even mundane tasks and challenging responsibilities can become spiritual disciplines if we offer them to God. Activities like preparing meals, caring for loved ones, and even driving to work can be transformed into moments of grace and spiritual growth. When we approach these tasks with a heart of service and gratitude, we invite God's presence into our everyday lives.

By offering our daily activities to God, we acknowledge that every moment is an opportunity to connect with Him. This perspective shifts our focus from merely completing tasks to experiencing God's presence in all that we do. It reminds us that our spiritual life is not separate from our daily life but intertwined with it. [38:25]

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Think of a mundane task you do regularly. How can you offer this task to God and invite His presence into it today?

Day 3: The True Sign of Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual maturity is not measured by how disciplined we are in our practices but by how loving we become. The goal of spiritual practices is to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did, not to earn points or showcase our spirituality. True spiritual maturity is reflected in our ability to love others as Christ loves us.

As we engage in spiritual practices, we should focus on the transformation of our hearts and minds. These practices are meant to draw us closer to Jesus and help us embody His love and grace in our interactions with others. It's not about perfection but about progress in becoming more like Christ. [41:04]

1 John 4:12 (ESV): "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

Reflection: Reflect on your spiritual practices. Are they helping you become more loving and Christ-like? How can you focus more on love in your spiritual journey?

Day 4: Starting Where We Are

It's important to start with small, manageable practices that we can do now, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the need to achieve spiritual perfection. Simple acts like keeping the Sabbath or reading a Psalm can prepare us to live and love like Jesus. Starting small allows us to build a sustainable rhythm of spiritual practices that can grow over time.

By beginning with small steps, we can gradually incorporate more practices into our lives without feeling overwhelmed. It's about making intentional choices that align us with God's presence and peace. These small practices can have a significant impact on our spiritual growth and help us develop a deeper relationship with God. [42:17]

Zechariah 4:10 (ESV): "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."

Reflection: What small, manageable spiritual practice can you start today to draw closer to God?

Day 5: Intentional Spiritual Formation

By being intentional about our spiritual formation, we can make both big and small changes in our lives. While some changes require willpower, others, like not worrying or forgiving, need the transformative power of spiritual practices. Intentional spiritual formation involves making conscious choices to align our lives with God's will and purpose.

As we commit to intentional spiritual formation, we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. This process requires patience and perseverance, but it leads to lasting transformation. By focusing on both the big and small changes, we can grow in our faith and become more like Christ. [44:41]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to be more intentional about your spiritual formation? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform this area?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we gathered to worship and reflect on the importance of spiritual practices in our lives. We began by acknowledging God's presence and offering our praise and worship. We then moved into a time of prayer, claiming the service for God and seeking His peace amidst the challenges we face. The focus of our reflection was on the small but significant detail in Mark's Gospel about Jesus' habit of praying early in the morning. This led us to explore various spiritual practices that Jesus modeled, such as prayer, Sabbath rest, reading the Bible, solitude, and community.

We engaged in an interactive activity with the children, where they helped illustrate these practices through images and words. This exercise highlighted how these practices are not just religious duties but means of grace that open us up to God's transforming power. We discussed how even mundane activities and challenging responsibilities can become spiritual disciplines if offered to God.

The sermon emphasized that spiritual practices are not about earning points with God or showcasing spiritual maturity. Instead, they are about being with Jesus, becoming like Him, and doing as He did. We were reminded that while we may not be able to stop worrying or change our hearts through sheer willpower, we can start with small, intentional practices that align us with God's presence and peace.

We concluded with a call to slow down and simplify our lives, making room for these practices. By doing so, we can live a life full of love and intentionality, following Jesus' example. We then moved into a time of Holy Communion, reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice and our call to live in His love and grace.

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Key Takeaways

1. Spiritual Practices as Means of Grace: Spiritual practices like prayer, Sabbath rest, and reading the Bible are not just religious duties but channels through which we experience God's grace and transformation. They help us slow down and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. [37:35]
2. Everyday Activities as Spiritual Disciplines: Even mundane tasks and challenging responsibilities can become spiritual disciplines if we offer them to God. Activities like preparing meals, caring for loved ones, and even driving to work can be transformed into moments of grace and spiritual growth. [38:25]
3. The True Sign of Spiritual Maturity: Spiritual maturity is not measured by how disciplined we are in our practices but by how loving we become. The goal of spiritual practices is to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did, not to earn points or showcase our spirituality. [41:04]
4. Starting Where We Are: It's important to start with small, manageable practices that we can do now, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the need to achieve spiritual perfection. Simple acts like keeping the Sabbath or reading a Psalm can prepare us to live and love like Jesus. [42:17]
5. Intentional Spiritual Formation: By being intentional about our spiritual formation, we can make both big and small changes in our lives. While some changes require willpower, others, like not worrying or forgiving, need the transformative power of spiritual practices. [44:41]
### [44:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:45] - Prayer for the Church
[19:03] - Claiming the Service for God
[25:09] - Jesus' Morning Prayer Routine
[25:58] - Children's Interactive Activity
[36:32] - Spiritual Practices of Jesus
[39:01] - Everyday Activities as Spiritual Disciplines
[41:04] - True Sign of Spiritual Maturity
[42:17] - Starting with Small Practices
[44:41] - Intentional Spiritual Formation
[46:35] - Group Discussion
[62:16] - Practicing the Sabbath
[69:14] - Reflecting on Sabbath Practices
[70:21] - Simplifying Our Lives
[72:24] - Preparing for Communion
[74:31] - Holy Communion Liturgy
[91:08] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
[93:40] - Fellowship and Celebration

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What specific detail about Jesus' morning routine does Mark 1:35 highlight?
According to Matthew 11:28-30, what does Jesus promise to those who come to Him with their burdens?
In Psalm 46:10, what does God command us to do, and what is the result of this action?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Mark included the detail about Jesus praying early in the morning in his Gospel? How does this detail help us understand Jesus' priorities? [25:09]
How can everyday activities, such as preparing meals or driving to work, become spiritual disciplines according to the sermon? [38:25]
The sermon mentioned that spiritual practices are not about earning points with God but about becoming more like Jesus. How does this perspective change the way we approach spiritual disciplines? [41:04]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current daily routine. What small, intentional practice can you incorporate to align yourself more with God's presence and peace? [42:17]
Think about a mundane task you do regularly. How can you offer this task to God and transform it into a moment of grace and spiritual growth? [38:25]
Identify one spiritual practice (e.g., prayer, Sabbath rest, reading the Bible) that you find challenging to maintain. What steps can you take to make this practice a regular part of your life? [37:35]
The sermon emphasized the importance of starting where we are. What is one small, manageable spiritual practice you can start this week? How will you ensure you stick to it? [42:17]
Reflect on a recent situation where you felt overwhelmed or worried. How can you use spiritual practices to find peace and trust in God during similar future situations? [43:51]
The sermon called us to slow down and simplify our lives. What is one activity or commitment you can reduce or eliminate to make more room for spiritual practices? [01:10:21]
How can you involve your family or community in practicing spiritual disciplines together? What benefits do you think this communal approach might bring? [28:14]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "When we read the accounts of Jesus' life in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we see him doing certain things over and over. Things like teaching people about God, healing the sick, and doing miracles. But we also see him take time to rest on the Sabbath, read the Bible that he knew, which of course was what we know as the Old Testament, be alone to pray, and spend time with his friends, his community." [36:32] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "These spiritual disciplines, there are three important things to remember about them. First of all, they're not a sign of spiritual maturity. They don't show how grown up we are in our faith. Being disciplined and doing them day by day or week by week or however regularly, you do them, is important and it's good. But being loving is the real sign of growing spiritually. They're not about earning points with God. We do them because we love Jesus and we want to be like him, not because we have to." [40:26] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The good news is, as we follow Jesus' apprenticeship program, He will slowly but surely transform each of us into a person of love. And this is why I believe we are really, be under attack at the moment because this is where the rubber hits the road like i said last week by doing these things we get closer to god." [45:26] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Following Jesus today means working really hard to live more slowly so that we can focus on what's really important. As we work through this material and what we're doing, what God's calling us to, it's not about adding more to our lives. It's about actually doing less so we can spend more time with Jesus." [01:10:21] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "It may be actually taking some things out that we enjoy to be able to spend time with God. But as Ken said to us, it's also doing some of those things that we really find joy in. Going out with friends, meeting someone for coffee, you know, or whatever. Being with the people who will bring you joy and bring you closer to God. So it's not about making our lives more complicated. It's about making them simpler. Living at a pace that's full of love." [01:11:28] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "The nine things that we have seen this morning that we've talked about what we call spiritual practices. And they're habits based on how Jesus lived. When we practice them, they give us time and space to feel God's presence and change us from the inside. They slow our life down and open us up to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In the words of John Wesley, they are means of grace." [37:35] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Even the mundane activities that take up most of our time, most of our lives, like preparing and eating meals, playing video, sorry, doing the washing, washing the car, walking, for those who are energetic, going for a run. Even driving to work can be spiritual disciplines, channels for God's grace and power, transforming power." [38:25] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The goal isn't just to do these practices. It's to be with Jesus. It's to become like Jesus and do as he did. Let me give you an example. Jesus told us to do things like not worry, be patient, and love others. And we all do that all the time, right? Yeah, right. We might not be able to do all those things yet. But the practices help us start with what we can do now." [41:04] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The biggest challenge that we have when trying to grow spiritually is finding the time. At least I know that is for me. We're so often so busy, so tired, and caught up on our phones and computers that are not working. So it's hard to focus on our spiritual life." [01:10:21] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So let's start that right now by putting everything away and pausing. Even your notebooks that you've been working on, I know, just put them down. You don't need to record anything. God will bring it back to mind. Pause and take a few moments with God. To quietly ask him to help you to slow down. To ask him what he wants you to drop out of your life so that you have room for a life with him." [01:12:24] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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