Igniting Your HeartThrough Spiritual Disciplines

“With Practice (Discipline) one can take the chapters of the Holy Scripture and use it as a pocket lighter to kindle

a flame in the heart”-Martin Luther

40 Days of Lent-a Time of Renewal-a Time to Turn away from Sin and Turn to Christ

Turn from Sin. Turn to Christ, our Savior• Paul said, “I consider everything a loss because of the

surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…I want to know Christ…becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Phil 3:8-11)

We all want to be like Christ, but how?

Paul says, “Train yourself to be Godly.” I Timothy 4:7

* Discipline* Practice* Diligence* Self-Control* Self-Restraint* Repetition* Preparation

Loving Lent

* Discipline isn’t Drudgery* Helps us live with Delight and Dedication* “For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2

Spiritual Disciples/Practices are found in Scripture

* Fasting Isaiah 58:4-6

* Prayer (Jesus taught disciples)

* Meditation (Psalm 1:2 In his law does he meditate day and night)

* Simplicity and Solitude (Jesus gathered no possessions)

* Submission and Service (Jesus sought God’s will and obeyed)

* Celebration (Much of Psalms is celebration for the wonderful works of God)

Call for People with Deep Spirituality

* Curse of our age is superficiality/surface thinkers* Needing instant satisfaction is a spiritual problem* Don’t need more intelligent people* Or gifted people* There is a desperate need for Deep people

Richard Foster Celebration of Discipline

Many Issues of Today are Spiritual Problems

* Over-eating, over-spending, over-anything* Anger, anxiety, jealousy, fear, pride, arrogance* Substance abuse, spouse abuse, child abuse, violence, bad language, * Apathy, laziness, and on and on

Will Power

* So we muster up will power to overcome these bad habits* If we succeed in doing it ourselves we might be in more trouble because now we worship our own will power* But soon we begin the habit again* Without God, there is no lasting change

Spiritual Disciplines Open the Door to God’s transforming Grace

* Inner righteousness is a gift from God* We want to work on the outside* But we need to be transformed on the inside* God is the inside worker

Spiritual Disciplines are divided into 3 areas

* Inward—fasting, meditation, prayer

* Outward—Simplicity, solitude, submission, service

* Corporate—Confession, worship, guidance, celebration

Fasting“Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason; and others have utterly disregarded it. ----John Wesley

* Why do we disregard it?* If we don’t have 3 square meals and snacks we might starve* In our culture it is a positive virtue to satisfy every appetite. * We see no value in denying ourselves* Seems like something fanatics would do

Biblical Fasting Who’s Who* Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Jesus, and many others

* Modern Fasters: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney,

What Does the Bible Say?*Zech. 8:19 Held 4 regular fast days a year.

*2 Cor 11:27 Paul felt that Freedom was being able to fast 2 times a week

*Matthew 6:16 Jesus says, “When you Fast.” Not if you fast

*Matt 9:15 The day will come when the Bride groom will be taken from them, and they will fast. (Many believe this is for us, until Christ returns)

*Fasting reminds us that we are sustained “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Biblical Fasting * Purpose is Spiritual not physical * Is abstaining from food, not water* Fasting a meal, a day, a week, or longer* Daniel Fast is abstaining from rich foods/drinks for 21 days* Doctors permission* Read, read, read before beginning* Purpose is to draw closer to God, not to feel a pride in your accomplishment* Fasting is Feasting on the good things of God

Do we want to fire up our spiritual

lives? Begin including Spiritual

DisciplinesIn the rhythm of our lives