Don’t Neglect Your Worship | Part 2

Last week we highlighted the importance of being intentional about the “renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:1-2). We does this mean? It means we can’t sit back and neglect reading God’s word. We can’t sit back and neglect prayer. We can’t sit back and neglect surrounding ourselves with the Jesus-centered community of brothers and sisters, the church. We can’t take our spiritual lives for granted.

One of the ways we intentionally seek to renew our minds is to engage in “spiritual practices” or “spiritual disciplines” that help root us deep in our identity in Christ and provide the means in which we grow in our communion with God. In fact, we believe that true discipleship flows out of gospel-given identity and is developed through the cultivation of spiritual disciplines, which expresses itself in joyful obedience to King Jesus! And just remember: spiritual practices themselves don’t transform us—God does! In his grace and love, he transforms us by the power of his Spirit through spiritual practices.

…spiritual practices themselves don’t transform us – God does!

Let me briefly explain some of these spiritual practices and encourage you to chew a bit on some head/heart/hands questions to go deeper (due to time and space, I’ve only listed five of the practices):

BIBLE INTAKE:this includes all the ways we take in Scripture. From Bible reading to Bible memorization, knowing God’s word—through study, meditation, memorization—we become rooted in God’s true Story which shapes us as God’s missional people.

FASTING: this is an act of willing abstinence from food, drink, or both, for a period of time for the purpose of deepening one’s dependency on the Lord in prayer.

GRATITUDE:this is a discipline of intentionally orienting ourselves to be full of thanksgiving for the smallest to greatest provision from God to us.

PRAYER: this is conversation with God that allows us to become aware of his presence, nearness, and goodness in a way that continually transforms us. This is a posture of creaturely humility—of utter reliance upon God. Prayer is a response to God, who is alive and ever present. Eugene Peterson puts it this way: “Prayers are tools that God uses to work his will in our bodies and souls. Prayers are tools that we use to collaborate in his work with us” (Eugene Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer, p.2).

SABBATH:this is a period of time dedicated to withdrawing from the normal activities of life and work in order to come back to our spiritual center, which is the place where we connect with God.

Again, there are more spiritual practices that we can engage to draw us deeper into the love of God. Consider creating space this week to practice a few of these disciplines and then use the following questions to reflect on what it looks like to present your body as a “living sacrifice” to the Lord.

HEAD (What I think):

• What needs to change about how I think about God and others?
• What is distorted about my thoughts toward God? Toward others?
• What would transformation look like in my thoughts?

HEART (What I believe):

• What of my affections toward God and others are conformed to the world?
• What is distorted about my love toward God and others?
• What would transformation look like in my affections?

HANDS (How I respond in words and deeds):

• What parts of my speech are conformed to the world?
• What do I say that is harmful?
• What fears prevent me from speaking the truth in love when needed?
• What is distorted about the ways I serve others?
• What fears, lies, or idols prevent me from serving God and others fully?
• What would transformation look like in my words and service?

I’d encourage you to get with another trusted believer (in your Missional Community, Mentor Group, Bible Study, etc.) and work through these questions together. Discipleship in community is key to spiritual development, growth, and transformation.

Know that I am alongside you in this discipleship journey! I’m praying for the Spirit of God to renew you and transform you more and more into the image of our glorious God!

-Pastor Wade