Discovering and Helping Guide Christian Spiritual Progress

Leadership SummitSeptember 2010Grace Presbyterian Church

Welcome

Praise

Music not available tonight…

Prayers of praise

Tales of God’s Goodness

Testimony of God’s work•In your life

•In people around you

What has God done during the past few months that causes you

to be thankful?

Spiritual Care

Discipleship: following Jesus. Moving forward in our worship, understanding and imitation of Jesus.

LEADERS: help make growing disciples. How?

Knowing people and knowing God

Discovering where people are at

Offering what might help them move forward

Discovering Where People are At in their Christian Life

Categories of Unbelief

Categories of Maturing

Categories of Spiritual Difficulties

Assisting

Non-Believers: Love, Questions/Answers, Point toward the Gospel

Growing Believers: Essential Christian Disciplines, Core Truth (Gospel/ Bible/ Theology), Growing Fruitfulness, Community, Service, Resource

Difficulties: Counsel, Support, Prayer, Gentle Rebuke, Peacemaking

Gospel Imbalance

At the core, we experience spiritual pathologies when the Gospel (in all its fullness) is misunderstood or forgotten. We tend to fall off on one side of the gospel or the other and lead imbalanced lives, we weaken our assurance of salvation, resulting in spiritual pathologies. If the Gospel is “You are far more sinful than you ever dared imagine, yet in Christ you are far more loved than you ever dared hope,” we see that there are two basic kinds of spiritual pathologies: temptation and accusation.

In temptation, the holiness of God (the first half of the Gospel) is forgotten. This leads to a weak view of sin. In accusation, the grace of God (the second half of the Gospel) is forgotten. This leads to a weak view of mercy. The libertine on the one hand and the legalist on the other both experience spiritual difficulties. -Tim Keller

Gospel Imbalance

TEMPTATION

Heart and Satan tempts us

Too light a view of sin and holiness

Presumption, lack of conviction, lack of means of grace

Idols of comfort / power

Loss of assurance by violation of conscience

Remedy: Convince of the goodness of God and his holiness

ACCUSATION (GUILT)

Heart and Satan accuse

Too light a view of grace and love

Guiltiness, drivenness, discouragement, pride, judgment

Idols of approval / control

Loss of assurance by denial of forgiveness and grace

Remedy: convince of Christ’s substituting work, freedom from sin

A Church Culture of

Discipleship1. Membership2. Worship /Preaching /

Teaching3. Community Groups4. Prayer5. Ministry Teams6. Classes7. Deliberate Relationships

KEY: RELATIONSHIPS OVER PROGRAMS

Group Discussion

How can Grace Church to become more able to recognize people’s spiritual needs and assist them in growth?

Main Themes at Grace

Discipleship

Vision 2020 | 10th Anniversary

Communication

Prayer Time