Intentional Spiritual Formation: Becoming Like Christ Daily

1. "Formation in general is really the forming of your character. It's the forming of your heart, your motivations, your desires. We are all being formed and shaped by one thing or another, whether we realize it or not. This is not a Christian thing. This is not just a Christian idea. Every person is being formed by what is around them. We are formed by our relationships. We're formed by what we watch on TV, or what we listen to, what we study, what we read. We are formed by our culture. We are formed by who we spend time with, the way we spend our time. All things are shaping and forming us every single day." [34:40] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "So spiritual formation then, and the kind that we are going to be talking about as part of this series and always in this church, is that we want to be formed to be more like Christ. That is the goal. That is the aim. That is what we are working for daily. That is what we hope when we spend time in God's presence that we will be formed and we will be changed and be more like Christ. We're talking about being changed and transformed in our inner heart, in our character, that we would have his heart, his character, his motivation, his desires." [35:10] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "We need to be intentional in this then if we want to become more like Christ. We have to think about our habits and our practices. We have to think about our influences, our time. And if we don't think about this and we're not intentional, it doesn't mean that formation isn't happening. It is still happening. It just means that we might be being formed by accident by the things around us that we never really thought or intended to have an influence on our lives." [36:10] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Offer your whole lives to God. This is why I've been really clear that this is an invitation that we are talking about. It's an invitation to come and practice the way during the week with us. It's an invitation to discipleship because the reality is this is not an obligation. Paul says, in view of God's mercy. He wants them to know fully what Christ has done. To see the mercy and the sacrifice of God and to respond and worship by giving their lives to Him." [38:10] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "Think back on your testimony of why you're here today. Think back on what God has done in your life. That is what should motivate us in response to God's love to us to live out of love for Him. And then it says this in verse 2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Again, it's such intentional language because Paul knows if we don't make an intentional effort to be conformed to Christ then the default is that we will be conformed to whatever else. There's no gap. Something will fill it." [39:10] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "We are talking about what it looks like to follow Jesus in our everyday, ordinary lives. And you know what? I guarantee that there is enough in your everyday, ordinary life that God would use for spiritual formation to make you more like Christ. What about that annoying person at work? How do you think they could be refining your character right now? Or that job that you're not really enjoying? How could God be working in you to form you to be more like Christ and your perseverance for showing up every day with a good attitude?" [41:40] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "You know, sometimes we look at the Bible studies we do or the prayer meetings that we attend as the spaces where God is forming us to be more like Christ. And these things are really important. They are really important. But we are told to take our everyday, ordinary life and to place it before God as an offering because these are the places where we really see how God is forming us and how God is changing us, how God is working on us." [42:10] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "People want to know how they can grow with God and they often think that it's by leading a Bible study or serving in the ministries here. That's what they often ask me. How can I serve? How can I do something in some sort of position of leadership that will feel like it's important? Well I would encourage you to grow with God by applying your faith to your whole life. You would grow more sweeping the floors putting the chairs away and cleaning the toilets than anything else I guarantee it." [45:10] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "There used to be a really great song by Casting Crowns. It was a band when I was growing up and it was called The Slow Fade. Not this Slow Fade, it was just Slow Fade I think. And it went like this. It said it's a slow fade when you give yourself away. It's a slow fade when black and white turn to grey. And this is the reality and I don't mean walking about black and white with loads of big opinions about everything right? We aren't far away from God overnight is what it means. It's a slow fade because we make choices don't we? Daily choices every single day. Small choices that make us more and more comfortable in the world and more and more uncomfortable in church." [46:41] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "We are refined by being in a church with people who are different from us. We're refined by being fully and wholly in a place for a long time we really see God doing a deep work. We are refined by the differences, we're refined by the annoying, we're refined by the people we don't understand, we are refined by the frustration and allowing God to work in the midst of it, being committed to working in the midst of it and growing together in difficult times in love and that is not easy but when we allow God to work he moves in incredible ways." [55:17] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)