Intentional Living: Crafting Your Spiritual Journey
Summary
Good morning. Over the past few weeks, we've been exploring what it truly means to follow Jesus—not just as a casual observer but as a committed disciple. This journey involves becoming apprentices of Jesus, learning to be with Him, become like Him, and do the things He did. This transformation is a supernatural work initiated and completed by God, as Philippians 1:6 reminds us. However, we have a role to play in this process, much like the crippled man in John 5 and the lepers in Luke 17, who participated in their own miracles through acts of faith.
Our participation in this transformation involves adopting the practices of Jesus, such as prayer, studying the Word, Sabbath, generosity, and community. These practices create space for God to work in us, transforming us into His likeness. This isn't a self-help project but a lifelong journey of spiritual formation. To be effective partners with God, we need a plan—a "rule of life." This concept, though it may sound daunting, is essentially a framework for living intentionally in a way that aligns with our spiritual goals.
We all have a rule of life, whether we realize it or not. It's the routines and habits that shape our days. The question is whether our current rule of life is leading us toward the life we truly desire. By crafting a thoughtful, prayerful, and intentional rule of life, we can align our daily practices with our goal of becoming more like Jesus. This involves starting small, thinking about what to subtract from our lives to make room for God, and ensuring our practices are balanced and suited to our unique personalities and life circumstances.
Formation takes time and repetition. Just as learning a new skill requires practice, so does spiritual formation. We must trust that even when it feels like nothing is happening, God is at work in us. Doing this in community can enhance our journey, as we were created to grow together. As we embark on this journey, let's be intentional about our spiritual formation, crafting a rule of life that leads us to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do the things He did.
Key Takeaways:
- Intentional Spiritual Formation: Spiritual transformation is a partnership with God, requiring intentional practices that create space for His work in us. Just as we plan for important aspects of life like education and career, we must also plan for our spiritual growth. [39:42]
- Participating in Our Own Miracle: Like the healed man in John 5, we are invited to participate in our transformation. By engaging in practices like prayer and community, we do what we can, allowing God to do what we cannot. [33:02]
- Crafting a Rule of Life: A rule of life is a framework for intentional living, aligning our daily practices with our spiritual goals. It involves starting small, thinking about subtraction, and ensuring balance in our practices. [55:11]
- Formation Through Repetition: Spiritual formation is a slow process that requires repetition. Even when it feels like nothing is happening, consistent practice leads to transformation over time. [01:03:53]
- Community in Formation: Engaging in spiritual practices within a community enhances our growth. We were created to grow together, and shared practices can strengthen and encourage us on our journey. [01:11:26]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction to Following Jesus
- [03:15] - The Role of Spiritual Practices
- [06:45] - Participating in Our Own Miracle
- [10:20] - The Importance of a Plan
- [14:00] - Understanding a Rule of Life
- [18:30] - Intentional Living and Spiritual Goals
- [22:00] - Starting Small and Thinking Subtraction
- [26:00] - The Role of Community
- [30:00] - Formation Through Repetition
- [34:00] - Crafting Your Rule of Life
- [38:00] - Tools and Resources
- [42:00] - Encouragement to Begin
- [46:00] - Closing Prayer and Announcements
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
2. John 5:8-9 - "Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
3. Luke 17:14 - "When he saw them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed."
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Observation Questions:
1. What role does Philippians 1:6 suggest God plays in our spiritual transformation? How does this align with the sermon’s message about God initiating and completing our transformation? [35:38]
2. In John 5:8-9, what specific action did Jesus ask the crippled man to take, and what was the result of his obedience? How does this relate to the idea of participating in our own miracles? [33:02]
3. According to Luke 17:14, what did the lepers do to participate in their healing, and what was the outcome? How does this illustrate the concept of faith in action? [33:02]
4. How does the sermon describe the concept of a "rule of life," and what is its purpose in spiritual formation? [39:42]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How might Philippians 1:6 provide encouragement to someone who feels stagnant in their spiritual journey? What does it mean for God to complete the work He started in us? [35:38]
2. In what ways do the stories of the crippled man and the lepers demonstrate the importance of faith and action in spiritual transformation? How can these stories inspire us to take steps in our own faith journey? [33:02]
3. The sermon suggests that everyone has a "rule of life," whether intentional or not. How can identifying and crafting a conscious rule of life impact one's spiritual growth? [46:00]
4. What are some potential challenges someone might face when trying to implement a balanced rule of life, and how can they overcome these challenges? [01:01:00]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current "rule of life." Are there any unintentional habits that might be hindering your spiritual growth? What steps can you take to address these? [47:41]
2. Consider the practices of Jesus mentioned in the sermon, such as prayer and community. Which of these practices do you feel most drawn to, and how can you incorporate them into your daily routine? [35:38]
3. The sermon emphasizes starting small when crafting a rule of life. What is one small, manageable change you can make this week to create space for God in your life? [55:11]
4. How can you involve your community in your spiritual formation journey? What are some ways you can encourage and support each other in crafting and living out your rules of life? [01:11:26]
5. Think about a time when you felt like your spiritual practices were not making a difference. How can the concept of formation through repetition encourage you to persist in these practices? [01:03:53]
6. Identify one area of your life where you feel hurried or overwhelmed. What can you subtract from your schedule to create more space for rest and spiritual growth? [58:30]
7. How can you ensure that your rule of life is balanced and tailored to your unique personality and life circumstances? What adjustments might you need to make to achieve this balance? [01:01:00]
Devotional
Day 1: Intentional Spiritual Formation
Spiritual transformation is a collaborative journey with God, requiring deliberate practices that open our hearts to His transformative work. Just as we meticulously plan for significant life events like education and career, we must also be intentional about our spiritual growth. This involves setting aside time for prayer, studying the Word, and engaging in community, creating space for God to mold us into His likeness. By doing so, we align our lives with His purposes, allowing His supernatural work to unfold within us. [39:42]
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV)
Reflection: What specific spiritual practice can you intentionally incorporate into your daily routine this week to create space for God's transformative work in your life?
Day 2: Participating in Our Own Miracle
Transformation is not a passive experience; it invites us to actively participate in our own miracles. Like the healed man in John 5, we are called to engage in practices such as prayer and community, doing what we can while trusting God to do what we cannot. This partnership with God requires faith and action, as we step out in obedience and allow Him to work through us. By participating in our transformation, we become co-laborers with God in the miraculous work He is doing in our lives. [33:02]
"And he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed." (Luke 17:14 ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can take a step of faith today, trusting God to do what you cannot?
Day 3: Crafting a Rule of Life
A rule of life is a thoughtful framework for intentional living, aligning our daily practices with our spiritual goals. It involves starting small, considering what to subtract from our lives to make room for God, and ensuring our practices are balanced and suited to our unique personalities and life circumstances. By crafting a rule of life, we create a structure that supports our spiritual growth, helping us to become more like Jesus in our everyday lives. [55:11]
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV)
Reflection: What is one habit or routine you can adjust this week to better align your daily life with your spiritual goals?
Day 4: Formation Through Repetition
Spiritual formation is a gradual process that requires consistent practice and repetition. Just as learning a new skill takes time, so does our spiritual growth. Even when it feels like nothing is happening, we can trust that God is at work in us, transforming us over time. By committing to regular spiritual practices, we allow God to shape us into His image, trusting that each small step contributes to our overall transformation. [01:03:53]
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 ESV)
Reflection: What is one spiritual practice you can commit to repeating daily, even when it feels like progress is slow?
Day 5: Community in Formation
Engaging in spiritual practices within a community enhances our growth, as we were created to grow together. Shared practices can strengthen and encourage us on our journey, providing support and accountability. By participating in a community of believers, we experience the richness of fellowship and the power of collective spiritual growth. Together, we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds, becoming more like Jesus as a unified body. [01:11:26]
"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 actively engage with your spiritual community this week to encourage and be encouraged in your spiritual journey?
Quotes
"And for us, one way we practice, we participate in the miracle of our formation is through our faith. And that's through following these practices of Jesus, like finding a daily prayer rhythm and spending time in the word, Sabbath, generosity, service, mission, communion, community, fasting. These practices, what do they do? They slow our lives down. They open our lives up to God and they create time. They create space for God to do this transformational work in us. Again, as we do what we can do, God does in us what we can't do. He makes us more like Jesus." [00:33:52] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Most of us plan for every important thing in our lives, except our spiritual formation. And that, that one thing. For some reason, we just kind of, I guess it'll be fine, right? I guess it'll be okay. I guess it'll take care of itself. Your spiritual formation is way more important than your education or your career or your money or your time or whether or not your kid becomes a pro athlete. It's way more important. Nothing is more important than becoming like Jesus because becoming like Jesus means that we're going to flourish. It means that we're going to be what humans were created to be. We're going to thrive. We're going to matter." [00:39:09] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Formation is slow, and it might seem like monotonous work sometimes. It might seem like it's not, I mean, it's just not, is it even happening? You know, I keep doing this thing. Is it even working? I planted an oak tree. in my backyard a couple of weeks ago and I was sitting on my back porch like I guess three days after I planted and I thought, what the heck? You know, I've been watering it. How long is this going to take? It looks the same now as it looked two days ago. It's an oak tree. It's got 500 years from now it'll look different but this is the kind of work that we're doing. Sometimes it feels like it's not happening. Sometimes it feels like it's not going to happen but it is happening and it is going to happen. It's just slow." [01:04:58] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Historically, a rule of life was designed to hold the Jesus community together around these shared rhythms and around these shared practices of spiritual formation. So following a rule in community can change everything. We were, this is what we're made for. You guys get that, right? God created us to be certain ways, right? He created us to be together. He created us to do life together. We're like herd animals, right? We're creatures. We're created to be together. And so following a rule in community can make it better. So imagine like praying is cool, but praying together is amazing, right? Worshiping by yourself is awesome. If you're singing worship in the shower, I'm sure it sounds fine." [01:09:55] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"God intentionally created these practices. He could have made them anything. He could have made them anything. Jesus intentionally modeled specific activities for our formation. That's why we say he's our model, right? If we do them, they work. Even if we don't see it. Even if we don't feel anything. So just don't give up. Don't give up. Just ask for help from the Holy Spirit. That's what I do with the solitude thing. Jesus, help me be still. Help me not look at my watch. Help me not talk. Help me just be still for a minute. And just, we have to practice. That's what their practice is, right? We have to practice the practices that..." [01:09:02] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Let's just craft our own rule of life, and we can tweak it and work on it and refine it as we go, but we have to start. We have to start. So this week, we've been having like a spiritual practice every week, right? This week, let's write what will be the first draft. How about that? It'll be the first draft of our own personal rule of life. So John Mark Homer gives some great... tips on that. I'm going to give you some quick tips. If you're going to write your rule of life this week, they're going to come pretty fast. Number one, start small." [00:55:11] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Tip number two, think subtraction, not addition. Think subtraction, not addition. You have to take out, it's like a budget, right? You got to take out more than you put in. And it's really tempting to write out your rule as a list of a thousand things that you're going to do. And that's, it's not, that's not terrible, but for most of us, it would be at least as helpful to write out a list of things that we would want to increase your time. So if you're not going to do so that we can create space for these healthy practices, so that we can create space for the things that do transform us. So this isn't about adding stuff to your calendar." [00:57:18] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Tip number five. There is no formation without repetition. There is no formation without repetition. If you've tried to learn a sport, if you've tried to learn an instrument, you know this. There is no formation without repetition. And I'm telling you, the hard cold fact is Christ-like practices become habits that transform us into the likeness of Jesus, but not overnight." [01:04:35] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"And as you're drafting yours, as much as possible, and when it is possible, do it in community. And that can be with one friend. That can be with your family or your group or your Bible study. Someday we will work through this as a whole church. Someday we'll write a rule of life for our church and that's gonna be really fun and really messy and take a really long time. But that's okay. I mean, it's worth it. It's worth the trouble and the effort and the messiness and the time to know that through these practices of Jesus, through crafting a rule of life and being intentional about our spiritual formation, we're partnering with God." [01:11:26] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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