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Table of Contents

I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 3

II. Fruit of the Spirit Self-Assessment………………………………………….. 7

III. Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines…………………………………………. 11

IV. Week One: September 2nd – 9th

Love & the Discipline of Solitude……………………………………..

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V. Week Two: September 10th – 16th

Joy & the Discipline of Prayer…………………………………………..

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VI. Week Three: September 17th – 23rd

Peace & the Discipline of Confession………………………………..

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VII. Week Four: September 24th – 30th

Patience & the Discipline of Study……………………………………

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VIII. Week Five: October 1st – 7th

Kindness/Goodness & the Discipline of Service………….……

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IX. Week Six: October 8th – 14th

Gentleness & the Discipline of Submission………………………

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X. Week Seven: October 15th – 21st

Faithfulness & the Discipline of Worship…………………………

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XI. Week Eight: October 22nd – 28th

Self-Control & the Discipline of Fasting……………………………

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XII. Prayer Page 79

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the Christian Education Committee. This dedicated team did the research, writing and prayer support that made this Along the Way series possible. They are:

Coleman Long, Chair Rebecca Boggs Gary Harris Laura Holt Allyson Keffer Jeremy Reese Paul Short Kristen Tucker

Jayne Davis, Staff

Resources

The following resources provided invaluable formative guidance in the shaping and production of this material:

The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard

The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

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Fruit of the Spirit Fall 2012 Discipleship Emphasis

Introduction

DATE FRUIT TEXT SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE September 9th Love 1 John 3:16-24 Solitude September 16th Joy John 2:1-11 Prayer September 23rd Peace Mark 6:30-34 Confession September 30th Patience Ephesians 3:14-21 Study October 7th Kindness/Goodness Romans 12:9-21 Service October 14th Gentleness 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Submission October 21st Faithfulness 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Worship October 28th Self-Control James 3:1-12 Fasting

A Life That Bears Fruit

“Gives room to others to make mistakes.”

“Stays calm in difficult situations because his eyes are fixed on Jesus.”

“Is in control of his tongue.” “Is known for her giving and gentle spirit.”

We all want such things to be said of us. They are evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit at work in our lives – love, peace, self-control, gentleness. Just as a garden doesn’t simply spring up on its own and produce fruit, we need to be intentional if we want to see the Fruit of the Spirit grow plentifully in our lives.

Connection Between Fruit & Discipline

This series, Cultivating Lives That Bear Fruit, focuses on our desire to see the Fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives and the need for spiritual disciplines/habits to cultivate an environment where such growth is nurtured.

This material is a sampler of spiritual disciplines.

Our Goal is to encourage and help one another to incorporate spiritual disciplines into an ongoing lifestyle habit.

Nobody likes the word “discipline.” Put the word “spiritual” in front of it and it can be intimidating! But spiritual disciplines, or habits, are foundational to the whole spiritual life. The Fruit of the Spirit, the thoughts and behaviors we want to see, are not within our control to produce; they are the work of the Holy Spirit in us and through us, aided and encouraged by the practice of the disciplines. Jesus had the FRUIT but he practiced the DISCIPLINES.

Disciplines cultivate the Thoughts (whatever is honest, pure, true – think on these things (Phil. 4:8)) and Actions which make room for Fruit to grow. By practicing and developing spiritual habits, we want to change our “First Thought” or our “First Action” impulse to become more Christlike.

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We have paired a ‘fruit’ and a discipline each week, not suggesting a cause and effect relationship between the two, but simply making a connection. For example, in solitude we empty ourselves before God, coming with nothing to give, nothing to say, simply believing that we are loved and accepted and forgiven and that God desires to be with us. Out of this experience of belovedness comes our capacity to see and love others as God loves them, unconditionally.

Format of this Material

Each week of the material begins on a Monday with five daily exercises/devotions on that week’s spiritual discipline. These are simple practices. The Saturday devotion is on the ‘fruit’.

The written Sunday School lesson is on the ‘fruit’ and that week’s Scripture passage. As a part of the Teacher’s Guide, there will be some group discussion and practice of that week’s spiritual discipline as well.

There are other components to the material, including:

a Self-Assessment, to discern: o where God is producing a particular fruit in abundance in your life right now and

how God may want to use that, and o where there is a scarcity of a particular fruit and what barriers you may be putting

up that prohibit the Spirit from growing that fruit more in their lives right now.

a daily Prayer Page (p.79), to keep in front of you in prayer what you are hearing from God about areas he wants to be at work and what disciplines seem to be a helpful fit for you.

Accountability Trios. The goal of the material is to develop spiritual habits in our lives. Like any other habit, be it exercise or diet, we are far more successful if we have others to walk the journey with – both for encouragement and to hold us to doing those things we say we want to do. Trios can be formed with two friends, through your Sunday School class, or we can assign you to a trio. Trios can meet whenever it is convenient for the three of you each week. We are also going to offer a time on Wednesday nights for trios that want to gather then during the eight weeks of the study.

You Can Do This!

How to Maximize this Experience:

Commit yourself to focusing on your spiritual life during these two months. Nothing worth doing come simply or easily. Just as a physical exercise routine or changes in our diet take time and effort to develop, so it is with our spiritual life. Make a commitment to God to put your discipleship before him and allow him to shape and transform you in ways that will help you to live more deeply for God and others.

Take the Self-Assessment (p.7). Be prayerful about it. Allow it to become a time and tool for God to show you where he is at work, and where and how he wants to be at work in your life.

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Do the Daily Exercises/Devotions. Remember, as with most things in life, what you get out of this study all depends on what you put in to it. If you can’t do each day’s devotion, be sure to do the daily exercise marked with an asterisk (*) as well as the Saturday devotion on the fruit for that week. These will be talked about in Sunday School and are the exercises we will be encouraging the whole congregation to participate in.

Participate in Sunday School. While the development of spiritual habits is an individual experience, we are learning together in community.

Participate in an Accountability Trio. For eight weeks, commit to get together with two other people each week to encourage each other as you seek to develop new habits. There will be an opportunity during CrossTraining for trios that want to meet on Wednesday nights.

Pray. The whole focus of this experience is to deepen our relationship with God and to live as disciples who more and more resemble the One that we follow. Use the Prayer Page as you are instructed throughout the study. Keep it in front of you each day as you pray. It will remind you of what you are learning, what God is telling you and what you need help and strength to do.

Let’s Get Started!

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Fruit of the Spirit Self-Assessment

The Fruit of the Spirit is evidence of God at work in our lives; it is the harvest that God desires to produce in us. When God’s love and joy and peace are evident in our lives, others come to see God in us and experience God’s presence through us. We do not produce the Fruit; the Holy Spirit does that. But we are responsible for creating an environment in our lives that gives the Holy Spirit room to work through prayer and service and other spiritual disciplines.

Read the descriptions below of how we can recognize the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Rate yourself honestly on the presence of each of the Fruit of the Spirit in your own life right now on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 means this is the way I act today, 1 means I have a long way to go in this area.

In rating ourselves, we are not trying to measure how ‘good’ we are. In fact, the more we draw closer to God, the more our ‘scores’ may go down because we become aware of our shortcomings and how much more fruit we desire to see in our lives. Instead, we are seeking to be attentive to what God is wanting to grow in us right now. This is a ‘Point in Time’ assessment.

We want to pay attention to a high ‘score’ because God is clearly at work in producing that particular fruit in our lives and must certainly have a purpose for which he wants to use it that we need to pay attention to.

We want to pay attention to a low ‘score’ because there may be thoughts or behaviors in our life that God wants to draw our attention to that are preventing the Spirit from being able to cultivate that fruit in our lives right now.

___ LOVE God always comes first in my life. I see people the way Jesus would see them, even if we do not get along. I am not typically critical or judgmental of others. I am deeply compassionate, especially for the lost and the lonely, people on the fringe, the

weak and the poor. I give a lot of room to others to make mistakes. I don’t hold grudges or keep a record of wrongs. I give selflessly of my time and money, sometimes till it hurts. I gladly go the extra mile. I do not think about revenge or getting people back. Forgiveness often comes easily for me.

___ JOY

I am more inclined to speak words of gratitude than complaint. I laugh often and easily. I am able to choose joy in times of frustration or difficulty. I do not use the challenges of life as a reason not to have joy. Others would say that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” I am quick to see the brighter side of things. When things don’t turn out the way I want them to, I remain strong and positive and trust

that God has better plans.

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___ PEACE My heart and mind are typically at rest in God. I am rarely troubled or anxious for very long. Others would describe me as a content person. I stay calm in disturbing situations because my eyes are fixed on Jesus. My relationships are healthy and life-giving. Whenever relationships are strained or broken I take the initiative in moving toward

healing and restoration. I am honest with myself and others about my shortcomings and am quick to confess them. I am willing to be a peace-maker, no matter what the cost.

___ PATIENCE

I am able to wait gracefully. Those who know me best would describe me as a patient person. I rarely jump to conclusions and typically think before speaking or making judgments. When others fail or fall, I see it as an opportunity to help them or build them up, not as a

frustration or annoyance. I accept people as they are. I keep my composure and my cool in the face of opposition and discouragement. I am persistent in whatever I do. I am not irritable or easily angered. I have a high tolerance for frustration.

___ KINDNESS

I am always ready to lend someone a helping hand, even if I’m busy. I go out of my way to encourage and affirm others. I pay attention to people. I am a good listener. It makes people feel good and at ease to be around me. I am quick to turn thoughts of bitterness or anger over to God. I have a deep respect for others. I typically think of others first. I have a forgiving spirit.

___ GOODNESS

I am caring of All. I think others are drawn to me because of my generosity to them and others, especially

nonbelievers. I have something operating deep inside of me that makes me want to give to children and

adults alike. I am quick to offer my time, talents, or money to benefit others, and do not spend excessive

amounts of time evaluating what the minimum acceptable gift would be. Others think I am more interested in giving than receiving. I spend more time searching where God wants me to use my gifts than of the ways the

recipients might misuse those gifts I am cognizant of the blessings in my life and want those blessings to overflow to others.

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___ FAITHFULNESS I am dependable and good to my word. I consider fidelity to be of the highest importance with my spouse, family and others to

whom I make commitments. I am truthful with God in my daily walk. I try to speak clearly and do not try to deceive others or spin the truth in interpersonal

relationships or business. I make the same decisions and actions even when I think no one is watching. I am Honest.

___ GENTLENESS (MEEKNESS)

I deal with people very kindly, gently and with love. I am able to work in “lowly” places when I think God leads me to there. In tense situations I’m still able to speak the truth with grace. I am submissive to God. I am more likely to pick up others when they fail me than to point out their failures. Others around me would use words like fair, reasonable and equitable to describe me.

___ SELF-CONTROL

My actions and decisions are not swayed by bad habits. I am not impulsive or excessive. I have the same discipline in my private life as I do in public. I talk to God when I am tempted. I am in control of my tongue. I don’t eat too much, drink too much, work too much, sleep too much, abuse substances,

seek sins of the flesh, or play too much. I am diligent in things that matter in life like my spiritual journey, family and giving, and I

don’t allow sin to distract me from that focus. The Fruit of the Spirit that God is producing most abundantly in my life right now (highest ‘score’) is: _____________________________________ Prayer focus: How does God want to use the abundance of this fruit in your life?

The Fruit of the Spirit that appears to be least present in my life right now (lowest ‘score’)is:

_____________________________________

Prayer focus: Notice which statements in the description of the fruit caused you to give yourself a low score. How might God be wanting to address those thoughts or behaviors in your life?

For the next eight weeks, make these two questions the focus of your daily prayer time. Pay attention to how God provides opportunities each day to use the fruit that is being produced in abundance right now and to practice thoughts and habits that help to cultivate the fruit that is least present right now. Act on those opportunities. Write down things that you learn about yourself and how God is at work along the way. Turn to page 79 and write the two Fruit of the Spirit you named above on your Prayer Page. Use the Prayer Page each day during your prayer time.

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Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness” - 1 Timothy 4:7 What is our vision of ourselves relative to becoming more Christ-like and fully devoted Disciples of Christ? Do we have a clear picture of what that looks like and what we have to do to be transformed into that image? What are the fruit of the Spirit and what is our role in the production of those fruit? We, by observation and experience, know that becoming proficient at anything requires dedication and practice. If we want to play the guitar like Andres Segovia, we have to practice the disciplines necessary to play the guitar. If we want to become a professional athlete, we have to practice the disciplines required for a particular sport. If we want to be a productive farmer, we have to apply appropriate agricultural practices.

The inner transformation required to make us more Christ-like requires the practice of spiritual disciplines. It requires intention, dedication, and practice of the spiritual disciplines so that we can open ourselves to the grace of God. We can only produce the fruit of the spirit and the good works of Christ by being fully attached to the vine and God’s grace.

Richard Foster in his book, The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, speaks to the work of the disciplines:

The apostle Paul said, “he who sows to his own flesh will from flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8). A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is to provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. That is the way with the Spiritual Disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit. The Disciplines are God’s way of getting us into the ground; they put us where something can be done. They are God’s means of grace. The inner righteousness we seek is not something that is poured on our heads. God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we are placed where He can bless us.”

Dallas Willard in his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, endorses the importance of the spiritual disciplines:

“My central claim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing – by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live. We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities he engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of his Father. Jesus was the most disciplined Man who ever lived and yet the most joyful and passionately alive. He is our example of discipline.”

So what are the Spiritual Disciplines practiced and exemplified by Jesus? Numerous books have been written that identify and define Spiritual Disciplines and provide examples of their practice. Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline is probably one of the most read and endorsed for its Biblical authenticity and attention to the disciplines practiced by Jesus. Foster breaks his description of the Spiritual Disciplines into three categories (inward, outward, and corporate). The following is a short summary of the primary disciplines identified by Foster.

Inward Disciplines

Meditation – silent contemplation on the word of God and God’s creation Prayer – Conversations with God that include sharing, asking, and active listening

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Fasting – abstaining from eating or other activities to center on God Study – disciplined reading that includes understanding, interpreting, and evaluating of the Bible, commentaries and spiritual literature. Study can be an outward discipline as well as we discuss our studies with others.

Outward Disciplines

Simplicity – focus on the real priorities in life and avoid or reduce the distractions that make us lose focus on seeking the Kingdom of God. Learn to appreciate the beauty and gift in simple things. Solitude – finding a quiet place and time to be alone with God. Submission – surrender to God and his will over self. Service – putting other needs above our own and practicing selfless service, service with humility, service in secret done not for self recognition but for the good of the recipient and thanksgiving to God.

Corporate Disciplines

Confession – admitting our mistakes both to God and others and asking for forgiveness. Being honest about our shortcomings and seeking help when needed. Worship – preparing for sharing in the worship of God with others of like faith. Sharing in the sacraments with a community of believers. Guidance – seeking guidance from other believers. Celebration – joyful experiences with other Christians through fellowship and expressions of thanksgiving, laughter, sharing, and love for one another.

Each week, over the course of this study on the Fruit of the Spirit, you will find a more complete summary of each of these Spiritual Disciplines and helpful suggestions and exercises for putting them into practice. The following resources have been used in the preparation of this material and are an excellent source for more information on spiritual disciplines: The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

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Week One: Love & The Discipline of Solitude

September 3-9, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of LOVE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

God always comes first in my life. I see people the way Jesus would see them, even if we do not get along. I am not typically critical or judgmental of others. I am deeply compassionate, especially for the lost and the lonely, people on the fringe, the

weak and the poor. I give a lot of room to others to make mistakes. I don’t hold grudges or keep a record of wrongs. I give selflessly of my time and money, sometimes till it hurts. I gladly go the extra mile. I do not think about revenge or getting people back. Forgiveness often comes easily for me.

God loved us first and God loves us best. All of our other relationships, however deep and sacred they are, are still not God's first love. They will never be perfectly unconditional or thoroughly life-giving as God's first love is. They simply can't be, because we are human. But we give thanks that we get to imitate God's love and do our best to be bearers of it.

You are God's beloved child. God loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing you do or don't do can make God love you less. You are written on God's heart.

The fruit of godly LOVE in our lives comes from the freedom we find as we rest in God, assured of our own belovedness. It is the freedom that comes when we know we are enough – enough for God, enough for others, enough for ourselves. LOVE is the ability to get outside of ourselves and give room to others to be; to experience the unconditional acceptance that being God’s beloved brings.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight

in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Such a love does not always come naturally or consistently of our own power or will. Such a love comes from creating space for God within us and allowing God’s love to flow through us. We are not capable of such love on our own.

We chose the discipline of solitude to help us make room for God’s love in us. In solitude we rest before God, empty, with nothing to give, no words to impress, no titles to demand respect. In solitude we accept God’s acceptance of us; we sit before God, believing that he wants us there. In solitude we shut out all the other voices. We are still. We know that God is God. And it is enough.

When we know we are accepted, we can accept others. When we know we are forgiven, we can forgive others. When we know that we have nothing to prove to be valued and loved by God, we can offer the same grace to others. We can love, not with conditional, flawed human love, but with the unconditional love of God.

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The Discipline of Solitude

“Come away by yourselves to a lonely place” - Mark:1:35 Description: Solitude should not be confused with loneliness. It is better to think of solitude as a sanctuary. It can be found in a “lonely place” and it can be found in a noisy crowd. If you really want to see the discipline of solitude at work, just pay close attention to the actions of Jesus, especially when he was faced with key decisions, crisis, or needed rest from a weary schedule. He found time in his day and a place to spend time alone and in private conversation with God. Sometimes it was on the water, sometimes it was in the hills, sometimes it was in a garden, and sometimes he simply withdrew mentally from the crowds and the disciples. For him, it was a time of quiet renewal of both his spirit and his flesh.

A lot of us live noisy lives characterized by endless tasks, meetings, traffic jams, crowded shops and restaurants, radio, television, internet searches, and radios or ipods. It is hard to find a quiet place and a time to be alone with our thoughts. Even when we find some “alone” time our thoughts are racing to what has happened and what needs to happen next. It becomes harder for us to be still and hear the whisper of God. “Be still and know that I am God” is just another verse that we read and ignore. Jesus knew that he needed time for intimacy with his Father, a little one on one time, quality time. He found ways to withdraw from others, physically and mentally, so that he could be alone with the Father.

Fruit: The fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity, compassion, and love for others and a better understanding of ourselves. The practice does not lead us to the life of a hermit but rather draws us back to others with a renewed interest in their lives and their needs and into spirit led and spirit filled interactions.

Practice: Foster suggests several opportunities and times for practicing solitude and silence. They include:

Early morning quiet time before others arise and the day begins Late night time when others have gone to bed Time alone in the car during traffic jams, long stop lights, or on long drives Walks on the beach or in your neighborhood

Use of a special chair or room in the house (this will have to be recognized by other family members)

Visit to a park Use of a church sanctuary Retreat Centers Whatever place and time you are able to find, enjoy the time of being alone and quiet. Enjoy the sounds and the experience of just being. Listen without speaking for the quiet voice of God. Expect to hear it or feel it. Jesus found time each day, it was that important.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Love & the Discipline of Solitude

Monday, September 3rd - Solitude

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you,and they will lift you up in their

hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written:

‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” - Matthew 4:1-11

Most of us find it difficult to be alone for any length of time, especially to wrestle with our own thoughts. We look for opportunities for shallow living, for diversions from those things that trouble us or confuse us. Certainly Jesus had concerns about his calling, his purpose, and how to act faithfully. He did not run from those thoughts or seek the company of others as a means of diversion. He chose to immerse himself in a lonely place to confront his demons and uncertainties. It was in that lonely place that he met his demons and put them to rest. It was in that lonely place that he truly learned and embraced God as the provider of all his needs. It was in that lonely place that he drew clarity about his mission and ministry and the faith to step out boldly.

Our challenge this week is to identify a place in your house, neighborhood, church, or park, that you can retreat to and not be disturbed. Start to be aware of the presence of God and reflect on anything that might be threatening your walk with God. Ask God to help you defeat these threats. Journal the results of these sessions.

Tuesday, September 4th - Solitude

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” - Matthew 14:13-14

Jesus had just heard about the cruel death of John the Baptist and needed some time by himself. As usual, he had a tough time getting away and finding a solitary haven for some mental and emotional healing. His compassion for others overruled his need for “quiet time”. We are very much the same. The business of life and the needs of others often prevent us from getting away to our quiet place. Sometimes that is ok as responding to the needs of others can be a pleasant distraction and often changes our perspective on the negative events. Sometimes it just what the doctor ordered. Remember that our time in solitude is not for running away but for preparing ourselves to fully engage in the business of life and more importantly the business of God.

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As we practice this important discipline, discernment will be necessary to know when it is best to stay and deal with a problem, or to step out of the chaos for a while to get guidance on the best path forward. Pray today for that kind of discernment.

* Wednesday, September 5th - Solitude

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” - Mark 1:35

Finding solitude was so important to Jesus that he often rose early to get away and spend time with God, the Father. He knew that once the day started, his time would be in much demand and opportunities for quiet time alone would be scarce. Making time for silent prayer and listening to God were central to maintaining his connection, his oneness with God. What do we do first thing in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, hop in the shower, check our email, or dial in the weather channel? Most of us spend our first moments of the day thinking about what we have planned for the day and beginning our preparations for those events. Jesus prepared for the day as well, but he understood the importance of preparing his spirit by listening to God and staring into the face of God.

Try setting your alarm 15 to 30 minutes early this week. Get up before anyone else and find a quiet time for your morning devotion. Keep that time sacred and do not allow thoughts of the day or previous day to enter in. Just sit at the foot of the Savior, offer your prayers of thanks and seek guidance for the day. Remind yourself to return to God throughout the day for a little refreshment.

Thursday, September 6th - Solitude

“Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” - Mark 6:45-46

At the end of a very busy day, Jesus sought out a time for solitude. This was his way of letting down, and renewing. He enjoyed the company of his friends and acquaintances, and spent many hours in teaching, listening, eating, and fellowship. Yet, he always found a way to get off by himself for quiet talks with God, sometimes at the expense of his sleep, and at the expense of time with others. He needed it, he created space for it, and he was intentional about it. If he was tired and overcome with compassion or concern, he was even more intentional about it. He knew how to recharge his batteries and how to find peace beyond all understanding.

Try stealing away from family or friends during busy days and nights for a quick prayer time with God. It doesn’t have to be long, just a few minutes. It is a way to remind us of our true source of energy and refreshment. It will also make us better company.

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Friday, September 7th - Solitude

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.” - Luke 6:12-13

Before making important decisions, Jesus often pulled himself away for quiet prayer time. It was his way of quieting his mind and seeking the will of God in his actions. He didn’t work up a spreadsheet of pros and cons (although not a bad idea) or spend hours and hours in committees. He sought out the voice and direction of God and then took action. Solitude was for him a place for rest, renewal, decision-making, and a precursor for action.

We are a prayerful Church, and it is so exciting and spiritually enriching to see our teams spend time in prayer, asking God for his guidance and to give them the discernment to make the right choices. That is so Christ-like. Let’s continue that practice in our family and personal decision-making process. During this week, think about a decision that you are facing. Commit to praying about it, asking God to provide guidance and direction. Write down any thoughts or nudges that come out of your prayer time and follow through on those nudges from God. This will build trust, discernment, and discipline.

Saturday, September 8th - Love

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of LOVE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment: God always comes first in my life. I see people the way Jesus would see them, even if we do not get along. I am not typically critical or judgmental of others. I am deeply compassionate, especially for the lost and the lonely, people on the fringe, the

weak and the poor. I give a lot of room to others to make mistakes. I don’t hold grudges or keep a record of wrongs. I give selflessly of my time and money, sometimes till it hurts. I gladly go the extra mile. I do not think about revenge or getting people back. Forgiveness often comes easily for me.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be more true for you? What currently keeps that from happening? (For example, if you frequently find yourself criticizing others, you might choose the third bullet point. What would it be like if you lived less critical or judgmental of others or yourself? What keeps that from happening now?) Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to “LOVE” on p. 79.

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September 9th Sunday School Lesson Love – 1 John 3:16-24

1 John 3:16-24

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

“This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

The Gospel of John is considered by many to be the most “spiritual” book in the Bible. Everything about the life, teachings, and death of Jesus are embraced through and connected to the Holy Spirit. It is a love letter to us from God. The verses above come in a letter from a disciple that truly loved his master and who knew that he was truly loved by his master. He is defining love as both a command from God and a gift of the Spirit of God. Love as one of the fruit of the Spirit leads the list and rightfully so, for without it, all else is meaningless. (1 Corinthians)

We toss around the word “love” often for anything that grabs our interest, such as, we love sports, we love ice cream, we love the coast, we love to read, etc. We also use the word love to define our feelings for friends, family members, favorite actors, athletes, politicians, and associates. Same word but very different levels of intensity and commitment. The Greeks had at least 4 different words for love to help better define the type of love implied. The word “Eros” addressed a carnal or sexual form and feeling of love. “Philia” addressed the love of a friend. “Storge” was used for love within family relationships, and “Agape” was used for the type of selfless love that seeks the wellbeing of others before our own. Agape is the form of love that is the fruit of the Spirit and the subject of John’s text. It is the form of love that is fully committed, action oriented, and intentional.

The agape type of love moves love out of the purely emotional and feeling realm and makes it more of a matter of the will and a response to the commands of God. When we act out of genuine care for other’s needs, we are responding out of intent and out of both the love of and for God. This type of love is not exclusive nor does it have to be earned or deserved. Fully understanding God’s love for us and accepting that love put us in the right place to receive and express that same type of love for others.

What does agape look like in action? We get the best answer from the example in John 3:16. Jesus loved us so much that he accepted death on the cross as a way to make us right before God. He laid down his life for the benefit of others. He did not just give a lot of his money, time, attention, and

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resources, but his very life. God has a way of asking all or nothing. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

As a command, love is to be the motive for all our actions, our giving, our service, our preaching and our teaching. We will know we are practicing the love of God when we are able to:

Do good to those who hate us. Pray for those that curse us. Give time and attention to those that are outcasts. Avoid selfish actions. Replace our interests for the good of others.

Since real love is intentional, it is something that can be practiced. We don’t have to be ruled by emotion or only respond to those that love us. Once we are fully convicted of the love of God, it can become easier for us to express that love to others. We can start by seeking out opportunities to serve those that are less fortunate in terms of companionship, food and shelter, and in health. Soup kitchens, habitat projects, clothing drives, hospital visitations, and jail ministry are all good ways to practice the love of Christ. They will know we are Christians by our loving acts of service, not by our name tags, our words, and our Sunday suits.

We need to think of love as a verb, an action verb that puts things into motion. Small acts of kindness without expecting a reward will lead to bigger acts and more frequent acts. It all starts with our understanding the true love of God, internalizing it, being in a covenant relationship with God and accepting that love as an undeserved gift. This helps produce the fruit of love within us – not just the feeling of love but the passion for the action of love.

Reflections & Notes

Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of SOLITUDE in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Two: Joy & The Discipline of Prayer

September 10-16, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of JOY in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am more inclined to speak words of gratitude than complaint.

I laugh often and easily.

I am able to choose joy in times of frustration or difficulty.

I do not use the challenges of life as a reason not to have joy.

Others would say that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

I am quick to see the brighter side of things.

When things don’t turn out the way I want them to, I remain strong and positive and trust that

God has better plans.

Happiness is circumstantial. Joy comes from God.

When Paul admonishes the Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always,” he speaks from experience. Paul is writing those very words from prison! He knew that joy was not dependent on circumstances or possessions (“For I have learned to be content whether I have much or little”) or pedigree or class. Everything else became worthless to Paul because of the surpassing joy and knowledge of walking with Christ.

Biblical joy is found in God’s presence and is inseparable from our relationship with God. That is why the discipline of prayer is so critical to the cultivation of joy in our lives. Joy is not an external event, but an internal reality. As the psalmist says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.” - Psalm 16:11. In our relationship with God we understand who and whose we are. Our life has meaning and purpose. We realize that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We can choose to be joyful, to focus on God’s grace and God’s delight in us. Joyfulness is not always about what we feel, or what life holds for us in any given moment – it is what we know about God and yielding to God’s purpose in our lives.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have

told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” - John 15:9-11

Christ’s joy came in doing the will of the Father; focusing on that one thing. So many times we think we can find joy in things or experiences. We may find happiness in those things, and there is nothing wrong with those things. But joy is something that only God's Spirit can produce in us and it is found in God’s presence as we seek him and obey him. We open ourselves to that joy in prayer. We carry that joy with us from prayer into the world. In that way, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10. It is how we can choose to be joyful in the midst of frustration or doubt, because God is still there and we can return to him in prayer to redirect our steps, to sharpen our discernment, to comfort our spirit, to show us a better way.

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The Discipline of Prayer

“Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) Description: In the Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster calls prayer the frontier of the spiritual life. It is the clearest and most direct way God uses to bring about change in our lives. He points out that those who are unwilling to change will leave prayer behind as a part of their life. It should be the main business of anyone who desires to walk with God.

“Real prayer is something we learn.” This statement might be jarring to some, given the private and mystical attachments we give to prayer. Learning to pray actually frees us as we pray to ask questions and experiment. The prayers and prayer attitudes of the giants of our Faith (including those in the Bible) are excellent places to find how we can begin to learn how we should pray. A good model for a successful prayer life is suggested by the examples of King David and Jesus. Psalm 63:1 has Davis declaring “Early will I seek Thee”. The New Testament records Jesus making a practice of rising early, removing himself to a lonely place and spending time with his Father in prayer. In fact, Jesus never made any important decisions without spending hours in prayer. The Apostles show their position on the importance of prayer by devoting themselves to it (along with the ministry of preaching) by delegating other important and necessary tasks to the newly elected deacons.

Fruit: Nothing can bring about inner transformation like a healthy prayer life. Spending significant time in centering prayer, breath prayer, intercessory prayer, and other forms of prayer puts us into right relationship with the father. Private conversations with God bring guidance, peace, and joy. Just as spending time with a loved one builds the relationship, creates in us a listening and compassionate heart, and helps resolve any relationship issues, so does our conversations with God.

Practices: The case for learning the right way to pray is made by Foster pointing out that if just praying any old way worked, why are there unanswered prayers? He uses the illustration of a television set to point out that there is a learning process for prayer. If we turn on our television and nothing appears on the screen, we don’t say there’s no such thing as electricity or cable. We figure something is wrong and start troubleshooting for things we can fix. The same holds true for prayer. If our prayers are not being answered, there could be a number of things on our part that are preventing it. Foster also points out that hundreds of radio and television signals pass into our rooms and past us all day long without getting received because we are not on the right frequency or channel. We will never pick up ESPN Radio unless we tune our radio to the exact channel it is broadcasting on. The same can be said for God. “Listening to the Lord is the first thing, the second thing and the third thing necessary for successful intercession.”

Foster makes it clear that listening to God is a prerequisite for prayer as well as compassion for the people or things being prayed about. He makes the case that as we become better at prayer, we will find that we do as much listening to God in our prayers as we do speaking to God.

When we learn to pray we realize we don’t pray just when we feel like it, but work at it and practice it so that even if we’re not “feeling it” at that moment, by doing it the way we know we should and have in the past, we loosen up and begin to “feel it”.

Practice prayer by using the letters ACTS, that is begin our prayers with expressions of adoration, then move to confessions of our sins, then to words of thanksgiving, and finally to supplication or

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our requests to God. Be very specific in each case to identify why you adore, what you need forgiveness for, why you are thankful, and what your needs are.

Spend time in intercessory prayer, prayer for others. Pray for those that are in poor health or experiencing any type of struggles (relationships, finances, tough decisions, etc.). Also pray for those that have wronged you in some way, that is, pray for our enemies.

Spend time in centering prayer, where you just sit in the presence of God and listen quietly for any revelations, instruction, or guidance. Record any observations during these sessions.

Practice frequent prayer throughout the day, a form of praying without ceasing. Maybe set your watch to beep on the hour as a reminder to offer up a few words or for a moment of reflection. Also a breath prayer would be a good practice in which you choose spiritual words that have importance to you, such as Abba, God my father, Holy One, etc., for an in breath, followed by a deep desire on the out breath. The Jesus Prayer is a good example of a breath prayer – reciting silently the words “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God”, on the in breath, and “have mercy on me, a sinner”, on the out breath. This is a good practice to use when walking.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Joy & the Discipline of Prayer

* Monday, September 10th - Prayer

“[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” - Luke 11:1

The disciples were not untrained when it came to praying. They were all Jewish and brought up in the traditional way. This meant reading prayers from the scriptures and praying out loud in the synagogue. There was something about the way they saw Jesus doing it, however, that made them realize there was a better way than what they had been taught. It might have been the power He brought to it, it could have been the things He prayed for and, bottom line, it might have been the results He got. Whatever it was, they saw the need to learn it.

We make a mistake when we don’t take prayer seriously enough to desire to learn how to do it. Yes, it’s personal, yes everybody is different, and it may come easier to some than others, but nobody’s a “natural”. Ask God the same thing the disciples asked Jesus and be ready to go where He leads you.

Use the ACTS model in your prayer time today. That is, begin your prayer with expressions of Adoration or praise of God. Then move to Confession of sin. After confession, offer words of Thanksgiving in prayer to God. Finally, present your Supplications, or requests, to God. Be very specific in each case to identify why you adore God or why God is worthy of praise, what you need forgiveness for, why you are thankful, and what are your needs.

Tuesday, September 11th - Prayer

Can you change God’s mind?

Moses thought he could. When God saw how quickly the Israelites had forsaken him at the foot of Mt. Sinai and started worshiping false idols, he told Moses he would destroy them and make a great nation from Moses. Moses, however, prayed on behalf of the Israelites and the Bible says. “Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” - Exodus 32:14

But you might be saying “Yeah, but that was MOSES….”

King Hezekiah thought he could. When he was ill and near death, the prophet Isaiah came and told him the Lord says get your house in order because you will not recover from your illness, you’re going to die. This is ISAIAH saying this, the one who will have his own book in the Bible with 66 chapters in it. Among Godly men, he was in the heavyweight division. If HE says God says it, then it’s over.

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But Hezekiah prayed out to God to remember him and his wholehearted devotion. Before Isaiah could leave the palace, God told him to turn around and go tell Hezekiah he would give him another 15 years of life!

But you might be saying “Yeah but he was the king….”

Hannah thought she could. She was barren and had been for a long time. It was believed back then that God gave and withheld children, so if you weren’t able to have any, it was God’s doing. Her husband had another wife who bore him sons, but Hannah was his favorite. The fertile wife ridiculed her mercilessly until finally she stands at the door of the temple and prays with such fervor the priest believes her to be drunk. God hears her prayer and gives her the son she asks for. She names him Samuel, which meant “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

But you might be saying ‘Yeah but Hannah was….” no one of importance, just a poor barren woman. Not a deliverer, not a king, not a prophet. Just someone not afraid to ask God for what they desired.

Can you change God’s mind?

Spend some time with God in prayer today.

Wednesday, September 12th - Prayer

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” - James 5:16b

The most powerful prayer I have ever heard was by someone I hardly knew and I didn’t understand a single word of the prayer.

We were in Guatemala and were dedicating a house we had built that week. We were standing with the family in a circle in front of the house and one of our mission team members started to pray. After a few moments, the grandmother of the house began to pray out loud in her language alongside our team member. Chills hit me the second she started. Her voice carried more emotion and fervency than I had ever experienced in a prayer. Her voice rose and fell and carried the deepest emotions of her heart as she cried out to God in that circle. The Holy Spirit was palpable in her prayer like I had never felt before. Tears were streaming down my face by the time she finished. I left wondering how in the world she got to the point where she was able to pray that powerfully.

Ask the Holy Spirit to come alongside you in your prayer time today and give power to the words you have to offer and the things that you desire. Of perhaps you need to ask the Spirit to pray for you, if you have neither the strength nor the words to pray for yourself.

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Thursday, September 13th - Prayer

It is a powerful thing to pray for someone. It is also powerful to know that you are being prayed for. It’s important to let folks know that we pray for them.

In Youth Group and Sunday School, we ask the youth if they have any prayer requests and they always do. They run the gamut from the “serious” (sick family and loved ones) to the “less serious but no less important to them” (winning ball games, passing tests they didn’t study for). I always try to remind them that us praying for them is important but that now it is important for them to go back and let the person we prayed for know that we did and will continue to do so.

As adults we need to be mindful of the same practice. A lot of our prayer time is probably spent interceding for others. We need to tell them. There is power and comfort in knowing that someone else has taken your cause and needs to God

Spend time in intercessory prayer today, praying for others. Pray for those that are in poor health or experiencing any type of struggles (relationships, finances, tough decisions, etc.). Also, pray for those that have wronged you in some way; that is, pray for your enemies. Let folks know that you are praying for them.

Friday, September 14th - Prayer

“‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” - Matthew 6:5-8

Just like some people are afraid of public speaking, some people are very afraid to pray in public. It’s not the speaking or praying they are afraid of, it’s the public part; having people stare at you and being afraid of messing up.

There are also people on the other end of the spectrum. They like it a little too much. They use public prayer to bring attention and glory to themselves. They want people to notice how well they pray. Jesus is warning his listeners (and us) to not be like those guys. The hypocrites were doing their personal prayers out in front of everyone where they could be seen and praised for it. He tells them the Father has no use for that and man’s reward is all they can expect for that. He also tells them not to babble, wrongly thinking that the volume of words is what gets a prayer heard. He proceeds to lay a model of prayer for them to learn.

Ask God to help you be mindful of these pitfalls as you seek to grow in your prayer life.

Spend time in centering prayer today, where you just sit in the presence of God and listen quietly for any revelations, instruction, or guidance. Record any observations during these sessions.

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Saturday, September 15th - Joy

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” - Philippians 4:4

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of JOY in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am more inclined to speak words of gratitude than complaint.

I laugh often and easily.

I am able to choose joy in times of frustration or difficulty.

I do not use the challenges of life as a reason not to have joy.

Others would say that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.”

I am quick to see the brighter side of things.

When things don’t turn out the way I want them to, I remain strong and positive and trust that

God has better plans.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be more true for you? What currently keeps that from happening?

For example, if you are quick to despair or grow negative when life situations get challenging, you might choose the third bullet point. What would it be like if frustration didn’t derail you so easily or if you were able to not lose your sense of God’s joy in difficult situations? What keeps that from happening now?

Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to JOY on p. 79.

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September 16th Sunday School Lesson Joy & The Wedding at Cana – John 2:1-11

John 2:1-11

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

“Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from 9though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

The Empty Cup “They have no more wine.” The celebration is underway. The event is a wedding in Cana of Galilee, a small town not far from the city of Nazareth, home of Mary and Jesus. Jesus and his disciples are invited to the wedding and scripture tells us that Mary is already there. She must be related or very close to the family of the couple because she is involved in the preparations and is concerned about the lack of wine. It was customary for the groom’s family to host the wedding celebration. This would include providing enough food and drink for the guests for the entire celebration, which could last a week or more. Hospitality was, and in many cases still is, very important in Middle Eastern culture. So important that it was considered a legal obligation. In addition to nearly unbearable shame, failing to properly host the celebration could have resulted in legal action from the bride’s family! Mary is aware of this and, realizing her inability to help, she turns to Jesus.

The Cup of Hope

Scripture tells us that this is the first miracle of Jesus. That being said, Mary had no way of truly understanding what Jesus was capable of doing in this time of need. But Mary knew Jesus; perhaps better than anyone. She also knew what the angel Gabriel told her about him before his birth. He was God’s son, the Messiah. That understanding had to give her great hope! Jesus’ response to her is a little hard to understand. The English translation sounds harsh and even a little disrespectful, “What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus uses this same word for “woman” when he addresses Mary from the cross in chapter 19. Some bible scholars consider it a term of endearment that also indicates a change in their relationship. Perhaps he is reminding her of the reason he was sent into the world. It would seem that Jesus is well aware of his mission. His “hour” meant death on the cross and resurrection. With his ministry beginning, he is possibly making it clear to his mother that he is obedient to God alone and to the completion of his mission. Like Mary, we often focus on our needs at the moment, losing sight of the bigger

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picture of Christ’s mission: bringing glory to God and salvation to man. But notice what Mary does next. She reports her situation to Jesus but then she leaves, putting her faith in him. She tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary’s trust in Jesus is a powerful example for us. It is safe to assume that Mary had many ideas in mind of how Jesus could handle the current problem, but she doesn’t offer him any advice. She simply states the problem and trusts him with the outcome. As I am writing this lesson, Mother’s Day is approaching. I can think of no greater way to honor God as a mother than to give my children the instruction of Mary, “Do whatever he (Jesus) tells you.” We would all do well to follow this instruction by taking our needs to Jesus with assurance that he will act in the right way that will reveal his glory.

The Cup of Joy

In Jewish culture, wine is a symbol of joy. Running out of wine during a wedding celebration would be like running out of joy. What a terrible way for a couple to begin their life together. But this couple did a very important thing: they invited Jesus to the wedding! Since wedding celebrations often lasted many days, it was not uncommon to serve the best wine first and save the older, lesser quality wine for after the guests had been eating and drinking and enjoying themselves awhile. From the reaction of the master of the ceremony, he was surprised and delighted to discover that the best wine was saved for last. What honor the groom and his family must have enjoyed from the guests.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus never took credit for this miracle. He could just as easily refused to intervene in this somewhat “trivial” matter and still completed his mission. But his response demonstrates his love and assures us that no issue is too small to take to him. It’s impossible to know for sure, but most likely the couple and their families were unaware of Jesus intervening and saving them from certain embarrassment and shame. Just by inviting Jesus into their celebration they experienced joy only he could give.

Charles H. Spurgeon once wrote, “Many a Christian has a thousand reasons for joy which he knows nothing of.” If you’ve not already done so, invite Jesus into your life. We will all face difficult times in life. When we trust Jesus with our needs, even if things don’t go the way we want them to, we can be sure he will act in the right way that brings glory to God. With Jesus there can be joy even in the midst of great pain and sorrow because we know this life is not the end.

There’s a great line in a movie that goes “Everything is always okay in the end, so if it’s not okay then it’s not the end.” Trusting Jesus frees us to choose joy in times of sorrow or frustration because we know that everything will be okay in the end.

The Cup of Life

Lastly, it’s important to note the significance of the stone pots. John points out that the stone water pots were used for ceremonial cleansing or purification. During this time, water stored in clay pots was considered unclean but water in stone pots would be free from contamination and could be used in purification rituals. What a powerful statement Jesus makes by using those pots to hold the water he changes to wine! He points to the fact that he is the Messiah, the one who saves us from

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our sins and presents us pure and holy to the father. Only Jesus can give us the greatest gift we could ever receive: everlasting life.

What the disciples witnessed that day had a significant impact on them. John writes, “He thus revealed his glory and his disciples put their faith in him.” Reflecting on this first miracle as followers of Jesus today, it is tempting to focus on the wondrous act of Jesus turning the water to wine. But if we read this account and focus only on the miracle we will miss what Mary knew and the disciples learned that day: the true identity of Jesus Christ.

When we invite Jesus into our lives and put our faith in him alone we receive the gift of life…joyful life! Dear child of God, what are you running out of? Strength? Love? Forgiveness? Hope? Whatever your need is take it to Jesus in prayer. Then listen. Do whatever he tells you to do. He will take your emptiness and fill it to the brim with joy. Drink deep from the cup of life and experience the fullness of His grace. Trust in Jesus not because of what he can do but because of who he is: The Messiah, One and Only Son of God.

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of PRAYER in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Three: Peace & the Discipline of Confession

September 17-23, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of PEACE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

My heart and mind are typically at rest in God. I am rarely troubled or anxious for very long. Others would describe me as a content person. I stay calm in disturbing situations because my eyes are fixed on Jesus. My relationships are healthy and life-giving. Whenever relationships are strained or broken I take the initiative in moving toward

healing and restoration. I am honest with myself and others about my shortcomings and am quick to confess them. I am willing to be a peace-maker, no matter what the cost.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yahweh, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” - Isaiah 26:3-4

In a story from Matthew’s Gospel, Peter steps out of the boat in the midst of a raging storm because Jesus calls out to him and Peter wants to go to him. While Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus, he did well. But as soon as he took his eyes off Christ, as soon as he began focusing on the storm around him instead of Jesus before him, he began to sink. Even in the midst of a terrible storm, as long as he kept his focus on Jesus, Peter knew peace. But like most of us, Peter let the wind and the waves and the darkness of life begin to overwhelm him, to terrify him. When Peter called out to Jesus in fear, Jesus grabbed his hand, and Peter knew he was safe. He was still in the storm. He was still out of the boat. But Peter was firmly in the grip of the Savior; the grip of grace.

As followers of Christ we are not promised a life without storms, but we are assured that we will always remain in the grip of grace if we keep our eyes on Jesus.

What causes us to cast our glance away from Christ? Often it is the distractions of daily life. Or fear. But many times it is the guilt we carry with us, of events long past or regrets recently incurred, that keeps us from looking Jesus in the eye.

The discipline of confession reminds us of our brokenness but also of the promise of wholeness and forgiveness in Christ. Through self-examination we clear away the clutter that compromises our self-worth and lies to us that we have no right to look at Christ. Through confession we admit that we fall short of the glory of God – a fact we well know but somehow keep as a dark, surprising secret – and we need the saving work of Christ in our lives. Through confession we are released of the burden of carrying around weights from our past, lightening our spirit and enabling us to breathe freely as we look to God’s future. Confession allows us to know peace.

Confession doesn’t take away the storm. There may be consequences to our sin that we must face. But confession allows us to get out of the boat, to put our true selves before God and others and to stand firmly in the grip of grace.

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The Discipline of Confession

“Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” - James 5:16

Description: It is at the heart of God to give and forgive us as His children. Nothing should convey this to us more than Jesus dying on the cross for our sin. It was God’s love toward us that led to the crucifixion of Christ, not anger. It was His desire to forgive; Jesus knew that by dying on the cross His suffering could absorb all of the evil, heal it, forgive it and redeem it. He did this for all sin – past, present and future, and this act of willingly dying for us is what makes confession and forgiveness of sin possible. Without the cross the discipline of confession and forgiveness would not exist; it would merely be a therapeutic act rather than a means of healing and transforming our inner spirit.

According to Foster, the discipline of confession has several transformative results. First, if we write down our confessions it does not allow for any excuses or extenuating circumstances. We confess that we sinned through our own accord, not an error of judgment …not because of our upbringing, mean neighbors, a bad day, etc. Secondly, we have confidence because the word of forgiveness is expected and given in absolution. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9. The third advantage of confession is penance. Penance should be seen as an opportunity to pause a moment to consider the seriousness of our sin. If we could only see our sins as God does, it would lead to holier living.

The discipline of confession can be both private and corporate. A private examination of our thoughts and deeds and confession to God of any wrong thinking or actions is healing to the soul and nourishment to the body. Corporate confession or confession to others is more difficult but can be a powerful way to experience forgiveness from God and others. While we no longer are in need of any mediator other than Jesus in prayer and confession, we are taught through scripture to “confess our sins to one another.” This discipline is often difficult for us to practice as we see our community as a gathering of saints rather than a group of sinners saved through faith by grace. We are afraid that we are the only ones who have erred on our road to heaven and, therefore, live behind lies and hypocrisy. However, none of us is alone in our sins and it is through mutual confession that we release the power to heal.

Fruit: Examination and Confession can release a lot of pent up grief, anger, guilt, and other harmful emotions. It creates a space for forgiveness and the peace of God that exceeds all understanding. It can mend broken relationships, broken hearts, and broken spirits.

Practices: Most of us are aware when we are not walking the talk or when we have veered away from God and holiness. Examination and recognition is the first place to start. A great practice is to spend some time each day reflecting on our actions and thoughts. Did we intentionally embarrass someone, did we gossip about others, did we deceive others, did we avoid an act of service because it would be an inconvenience? Were we as compassionate as we should have been? Start with small things, identify them, and then go to God and ask forgiveness. Be specific about your actions and ask God to help you stay focused on him and to not repeat those thoughts or actions.

Another practice would be to form or join an accountability group with a shared interest in honesty, confession, and forgiveness. It will be important to fully trust those in the group. While every Christian can hear confession and forgive in Jesus name, not every believer will have sufficient empathy and understanding. In fact the key qualifications are spiritual maturity, wisdom,

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compassion, common sense, the ability to keep confidences, and a good sense of humor. That person must see the dreadfulness of his own sin and therefore not be judgmental of his brother. He must see God’s grace and mercy of acceptance. It is important that the person hearing the confession remain quiet while the others are opening their sins, learn to speak in love and in the forgiving grace of God, and not try to pry out more details than are necessary. While hearing the confession they are already praying and are sending God’s love and forgiveness to us. Also, it is important that they not only counsel, but more importantly pray announcing that the forgiveness of Jesus Christ is real and effective.

If a group sounds too intimidating, find a very close friend, loved one, or counselor to practice this discipline. The key is to be as open as possible, to admit any covetousness, jealousies, shortcomings, etc., that create a sense of guilt, shame, or separation in you. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and expect forgiveness both from God and others.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Peace & the Discipline of Confession

* Monday, September 17th - Confession

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” - James 4:8

Sometimes the things I wish to accomplish most are the items I find myself putting off. I believe the same can be said throughout various facets of all of our lives. The first words of this verse are so enticing to Christians – draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Who does not want to be near to God, to feel His loving arms around us; to see His guidance in our lives; to know we are resting in the palm of His hands; to feel that we are in His will. So what stops us, prevents us, from drawing near to God? Often it is the second part of the same verse that causes us to “put it off”. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. We must humble ourselves by sincerely admitting to a perfect and holy Father our sins, and then move toward serving God and not the world. What seems so easy to say is often so hard to practice. I challenge you as I challenge myself to humbly confess to God that I am a sinner and ask for His guidance and help in living in His will as He directs.

Spend some time today reflecting on your actions and thoughts. Did you intentionally embarrass someone, gossip about others, deceive others? Did you avoid an act of service because it would be an inconvenience? Were you as compassionate as you should have been? Start with small things, identify them, and then go to God and ask forgiveness. Be specific about your actions and ask God to help you stay focused on him and to not repeat those thoughts or actions.

Tuesday, September 18th - Confession

“Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” - James 5:16

So many times, even after we have confessed, we live in fear that someone may find out about the secret sins in our lives. Although God has given us absolute forgiveness, we still carry around the guilt, shame and fear of discovery, which can often cause us to doubt God’s loving gift of mercy. I believe this is one reason that James leads us to confess to one another. We have been given brothers and sisters in Christ that we can go to who will stand in the place of our Heavenly Father to make his act of grace and mercy real to us. We can go to a person who will offer intercessory prayers of confession and for forgiveness and provide wise counsel to us. Once we have had the release of confessing our sins to another, we are no longer alone in our sin and more importantly, the sin we were once so bound by in darkness has now been released in the light.

Find a prayer or an accountability partner who you trust to keep your confidences and confess to one another, forgiving one another and offering prayer that you may be healed.

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Wednesday, September 19th - Confession

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” - John 20:23

What an awesome gift and responsibility God has given us as His children. He allows us to stand in the intercessory place of our Father and to provide forgiveness in His precious name. Why then, as we stand in such a holy place, do we often find it difficult to forgive the wrongs of others? To opt to hold grudges and disdain when we could show love, mercy and grace? Perhaps it is because we have failed to look at the sins of our own lives. To look how short we have fallen when compared to the perfectness of Jesus who died for our sins when we were so undeserving of this precious gift.

Ask God to bless you today with the ability to recognize your own shortcomings as you forgive others for their trespasses.

Thursday, September 20th - Confession

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

This verse proclaims a promise that sounds almost too good to be true. Perhaps that is the reason so many of us find ourselves doubting whether or not we have really received God’s gift of absolute forgiveness and atonement. It is such a precious gift that He gives freely to us. The only prerequisite we have as children of God to receive this gift is that we must confess our sins to Him. We must humble ourselves before a perfect and holy God and admit our many shortcomings. Then we can accept his gift of forgiveness and mercy. To expect anything less is to call God, a loving, perfect and Holy Father, a liar.

Ask God to bring to mind any sins that you have not confessed. Then confess them to your Holy Father and receive His gift of forgiveness for you.

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Friday, September 21st - Confession

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13

It is the desire of God to grant us grace, mercy and love. He longs to show us forgiveness for our sins and to grant us atonement. If this were not so, why would Jesus have paid the absolute price by dying on the cross? Through the cross, He took on our sins, healed them and forgave them. It was God’s love and desire that led to the crucifixion, not his anger. Jesus died for all sins, past, present and future, and this makes confession and forgiveness possible. Through confessing we experience God’s infinite mercy. Prosper in the ways of God, confess your sins to Him and live in His grace, love and mercy.

Repeat Monday’s spiritual practice. Spend some time today reflecting on your actions and thoughts. Did you intentionally embarrass someone, gossip about others, deceive others? Did you avoid an act of service because it would be an inconvenience? Were you as compassionate as you should have been? Start with small things, identify them, and then go to God and ask forgiveness. Be specific about your actions and ask God to help you stay focused on him and to not repeat those thoughts or actions.

Saturday, September 22nd - Peace

"Live in peace and peace will live in you." [Author unknown] Living in peace is both an outward and an inward process. Outwardly, living in peace is loving all our neighbors, no matter what! Inwardly, living in peace is where the heart and the mind find rest in God alone. So, "live in peace and peace will live in you."

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of PEACE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

My heart and mind are typically at rest in God. I am rarely troubled or anxious for very long. Others would describe me as a content person. I stay calm in disturbing situations because my eyes are fixed on Jesus. My relationships are healthy and life-giving. Whenever relationships are strained or broken I take the initiative in moving toward

healing and restoration. I am honest with myself and others about my shortcomings and am quick to confess them. I am willing to be a peace-maker, no matter what the cost.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be more true for you? What currently keeps that from happening? (For example, if you worry a lot or are often anxious, you might choose the second bullet point. What would it be like if you could “Be anxious for nothing” – Matthew 6:31? What keeps that from happening now?) Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to PEACE on p. 79.

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September 23rd Sunday School Lesson Peace – Mark 6:30-34

Mark 6:30-34

“Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in a boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”

This scripture calls to mind the old commercial where a lady is standing haplessly in the kitchen, staring at the floor she had just mopped as her children come running through screaming and playing cowboys followed closely by the dog who somehow had mud on his paws and tracks up her clean floor. In the next room her husband yells to her asking if she has seen something he is looking for and has lost. In her last moment of distress she looks at the camera and yells, “Calgon, take me away!” and is magically whisked away to a nice warm bath with candles burning and soft music playing in the background. We know if the commercial were to continue, the bath would end, and her tracked floors, screaming children, dirty dog and disorganized husband would still be there. The bath did not take the issues away, but rather gave her a temporary relief from the hassles of life.

In the verses we just read, the disciples have had a much more incredible series of events to occur that they want to discuss with Jesus. In the preceding verses we see that Jesus has sent out the disciples and given them power over unclean spirits. They went out and preached repentance in His name, cast out demons, anointed with oil those who were sick and healed them. Then John the Baptist was beheaded and the disciples upon hearing this took his body and laid it in a tomb. They are scared and confused, hungry and tired, excited and weary. Jesus, seeing their needs calls them to come aside to a deserted place and rest. He was not only giving the disciples an opportunity to unwind but also teaching them in solitude. He saw their needs and was going to meet them. Not only did He see their spiritual needs in their wanting to tell Him about their missions and ask questions about the things that had confused them, worried them or excited them, He also had the desire to meet their physical needs. He understood that they were tired and hungry and needed to escape the crowds for a while. But, and there is always a but, the crowds followed. They came in force and were waiting for them and came together to Jesus. As Jesus came out, we can only imagine the compassion He felt. Perhaps the reason for that is because when we are tired and hungry compassion is not the first feeling we have for others, but Jesus seeing their needs went out to them and began to teach to them.

If the story were to end here, we would wonder if the needs of the disciples had been put on hold for the masses and wonder how we are to learn peace from this group of verses. But the story continues and leads to perhaps one of the greatest miracles recorded in the Bible – the feeding of the five thousand. Again, we see that Jesus not only saw the spiritual needs of the crowd, but was concerned for their physical needs as well. As the hour got late, He could have simply left or sent them home or to nearby towns to buy food, but instead He fed them. At the same time He fed his disciples’ needs, and through that He showed us that God will meet all of our needs. He taught us that even though the crowds come and our solitude may end, He still knows our needs and meets

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them. He taught us that through our needs and times of crisis, we can see those same needs in others and try to help carry that burden.

Isn’t it ironic, which seems to mean in the Bible a great time for a lesson, that the crowds and the disciples were both suffering from hunger? Yet the disciples were ready to simply send them away when Jesus told them to feed them. They knew what it was to be hungry and could help fill that need and see God’s mercy and blessing.

Unfortunately, like in the commercial, when we cry out in times of stress we may not be magically swept away to a relaxing place, but as Christians we realize that peace does not always take the form of solitude but rather an inner calm free from worry and oppressive thoughts. Worry robs us of our peace and places doubt in the One who longs to meet our physical and spiritual needs. Like the disciples, we may often wonder why he is going to the crowd when we need him to take care of our personal needs, but perhaps He is meeting our needs in a more meaningful and fulfilling way. Perhaps He is teaching us how to allow Him to meet our needs as we, in His name, help meet the needs of others. We may often think how nice it would be if in all moments of stress, worry, doubt, exhaustion we could scream out a single word, like in the commercial, and be taken away from it all. Then we need to remember, we can. We can call on Jesus at any time, as in the hymn “Tell It to Jesus.” The words to this song, in case you have forgotten, are:

Are you weary, are you heavy hearted? Tell it to Jesus; tell it to Jesus. Are you grieving over joys departed? Tell it to Jesus alone. Tell it to Jesus; tell it to Jesus.

He is a Friend that’s well known. You’ve no other such a friend or brother. Tell it to Jesus alone. Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden? Tell it to Jesus; tell it to Jesus.

Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden? Tell it to Jesus alone. Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow? Tell it to Jesus; tell it to Jesus.

Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow? Tell it to Jesus alone. Are you troubled at the thought of dying? Tell it to Jesus; tell it to Jesus.

For Christ’s coming kingdom are you sighing? Tell it to Jesus alone.

The discipline for this week was confession. Nothing can help give us peace or cause us to lose our peace more readily than confession. When we confess, we know that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) However, when we hold on to our sins we create a barrier between ourselves and a loving Father who is anxiously waiting for us to return to Him and lay our burdens at His feet. This week find a spiritual partner with whom you can share your burdens and confess your sins. Then pray together asking for forgiveness in Jesus name and forgive each other in Jesus name.

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of CONFESSION in a variety of daily exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Four: Patience & the Discipline of Study

September 24-30, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of PATIENCE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am able to wait gracefully.

Those who know me best would describe me as a patient person.

I rarely jump to conclusions and typically think before speaking or making judgments.

When others fail or fall, I see it as an opportunity to help them or build them up, not as a

frustration or annoyance.

I accept people as they are.

I keep my composure and my cool in the face of opposition and discouragement.

It is often true that, the more of life that we live, the less we panic about certain things. Parents of more than one child often notice that they do not worry as much when the second, third or fourth child does something as when the first child did. Be it the first time driving by themselves, staying home by themselves or being allowed to fail, parents learned through experience that the world did not come to an end with the first child came and there was no reason to panic with the other children when they encountered similar circumstances.

Much of our need to control comes from our fear of the unknown. But with experience, with knowledge, we are a little more willing to let life run its course without fear.

It is similar in our spiritual life and the discipline of Study. The more we come to understand who God is, the more we see in Scripture how Jesus responded to individuals and to circumstances, the more confident we become that we can trust God to do what God needs to do, or trust God to help us to be the people that we understand through Scripture that we need to be.

Study in not simply about knowledge. Study is about knowing… knowing God, knowing what it looks like to follow God. Study is like a map. It cannot get us where we need to go but it can help us to find our way, give us direction along the way, and confidence that we are headed in the right direction.

The consistent word of Scripture that God accepts me as I am prompts me to live in a way that patiently accepts others as they are. The long arm of God’s history with humankind reminds me that God’s timing is perfect, no matter how often it feels at odds with my own sense of timing. In the midst of the struggles and frustrations and disappointments of daily life that make me want to force situations when I shouldn’t, I am reminded in Scripture that the final word belongs to God. I don’t know when that final word will come, but I know the One that will speak it.

It is as we learn the truth that sets us free, and as we live enough to see that truth come to pass – in big and small ways – that we learn to be patient, that we learn to not be tossed to and fro by things that really have no value or things that cause us to lose our focus.

Study as a spiritual discipline is not about accumulating knowledge but about living wisely.

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The Discipline of Study

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” - Romans 12:2

Description: It is clear from so many of the encounters that Jesus had with his disciples, religious leaders, and the Jewish community, that he was a learned man. Scripture came to him quickly as he made reference to the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament in his teachings. He studied scripture and “wrote it on the tablets of his heart” (Proverbs 7:3). He was also keenly aware of the customs of the time, farming practices, the natural order of the environment in which he lived, and the cultural/governmental systems. His parables became rich and convincing with his studied references to those things that were happening around him.

Study for him was through the written word, the spoken word, and practical experience. It was an important part of the spiritual preparation and conduct of his ministry. It certainly helped him better understand the character of God and the conditions of the world. Unfortunately, today many sincere Christians find that after days, weeks, months and years have gone by there has been no noticeable change in their spiritual life. They serve, worship, tithe and praise but find themselves with the same fears and anxieties. Foster maintains this is because they do not avail themselves to the discipline of study. He points out that in John 8:32 when Jesus says “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”, it is our knowledge of the truth that sets us free.

Fruit: Study increases the depth of our spiritual walk. Unlike meditation, which is more mind quieting and devotional, study is analytical. We mine the scripture for revelation, we become more aware of ourselves, our community, and the world, and we reflect deeply about the things that we learn and observe. We stop living superficially and really dig into the heart of God and our relationship with him. This type of discipline requires devotion, dedication, and honest desire to know the father, and above all, patience in the revealing.

Practice: There are 4 key steps in the discipline of study:

1. Repetition – Regularly channeling the mind in a specific direction to ingrain habits of thought. TV programming and advertising demonstrate the effectiveness of repetition. They spend a lot of money to show the same commercial over a set period of time to get viewers to think about their product. Memorizing scripture is a wonderful way to internalize the messages of the Bible.

2. Concentration – Our minds have incredible capacities for concentration, but our society is not working with us. Our computers, phones, TV’s etc….all want to engage us all day long. Centering our minds on one thing allows us to put our energies toward a desired object of study to increase our knowledge. Like a lot of the disciplines, study requires focus and removal of distractions, mentally and physically.

3. Comprehension – After repetition and concentration comes the “Aha!” moment, where a new or previously unrealized understanding comes to us, and sets us off to a new level.

4. Reflection – Comprehension defines what we are studying; reflection defines the significance of what we are studying Reflection brings us to the inner reality of what we are studying. A lack of reflection results in the ears that do not hear and the eyes that do not see that Jesus talks about.

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A good practice would be to make a commitment to read the Bible in a year. There are many reading plans, many of which will get you through the New Testament twice and the Old Testament once in a year. Start a habit of reading each day, reflecting on what is being read, and capturing, in a few words, some of the things that were revealed in your study time. Start a habit of memorizing some of the Psalms or sections of Proverbs. It is amazing how often those verses will pop up just at the right time.

Take advantage of study groups, the Church’s Wednesday programs, documentaries, devotionals, and the plethora of Christian writings now available. Renovare has published a book, entitled, 25 Books Every Christian Should Read. Review the list of books and pick one or two to dive into. The material is rich with Christian understanding and perspective, and will add depth to your walk.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Patience & the Discipline of Study

Monday, September 24th - Study

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” - Philippians 4:8

A hindrance to studying the Bible by yourself can be where to start. What should you study or what do you need to study? Outside of picking a personal interest topic, one thing is to simply pick a book and begin to read, asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you, making known to you what He would direct your time and attention to.

Another idea could be to read one of the Gospels and make a list of the topics Jesus talks about. If he felt it was important to talk about and the Gospel writers thought it was important enough to write down, then it’s probably something we should consider studying.

Put the topic of what you should study in all your prayers to God. Seek His guidance when you need direction in this.

Tuesday, September 25th - Study

“Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.”

The thought of taking on the discipline of study as a part of our walk can be daunting. The average person a couple of years removed from a school setting might find it tough to get back in the swing of sitting down and devoting time and energy to one subject, with the objective being learning it on our own. The method of going to a class with lots of people and an instructor telling us what we needed to know to pass a test is the last model many people had when they were in “learning” mode.

One of the best things we can do is get comfortable being by ourselves as we dive into God’s word and study what he has for us. Ask God to help you make time to study.

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Wednesday, September 26th - Study

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” - Psalm 119:105

There are some disciplines where technology can be less than helpful. Contemplation and prayer can be tough when phones are ringing, TV’s are blaring and music is pounding in our ears. But for studying? Taken advantage of technology properly, it can be a huge help. There is an incredible amount of information out there (just check its credibility) that can be accessed. Google it, download it, DVR it, Kindle, iPad, spreadsheets, the library… whatever!

Technology represents the amazing feats we’re capable of in the physical world. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you use the technology at your fingertips to increase your understanding of spiritual truths.

* Thursday, September 27th - Study

“I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.” - Psalm 119:11

This verse makes a beautiful, eloquent and yet simple case for incorporating scripture memorization in our study time. Committing God’s word to memory is how the Psalmist is able to obey God and keep from sinning against him. Knowing Scripture by heart is a powerful thing because it means our minds can continually keep coming back to it throughout the day and keep it foremost in our thoughts, where it can be of use to us.

The key to memorization is repetition. Numbers that get dialed every day are remembered. Songs that are heard repeatedly are remembered without any conscious effort– even if we don’t like the song. Nobody ever says “I want to make a concerted effort to learn the theme song to my favorite TV show” but we know the words to dozens of TV shows – because we watch the shows repeatedly!

Be purposeful in trying to memorize scripture during your time of study. Hide it in your heart like the treasure of God that it is. Choose a passage today that reminds you of who God is, that gives you hope in your daily experiences, and memorize that passage today. Write it down here:

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Friday, September 28th - Study

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” - Matthew 5:15

Consider this: Someone goes to college, studies hard and gets a degree. They go to medical school and spend the next eight years studying and studying and studying even more. Then the big day comes and they graduate and pass the licensure procedure yet they never practice as a doctor afterwards. Never.

All the studying and work are for nothing. Nobody is healed from sicknesses or diseases. No one benefits from all the studying, not even the person themselves, because they didn’t apply what they learned.

When we spend time and effort to study God’s Word, we need to make sure we apply what we gain in our daily lives. The pursuit is not an intellectual exercise, it is for us to take what we learn and put it into action in our lives.

It’s not easy. We have to be intentional about it. Ask God to help you be intentional. Write down one thing you have learned in studying His word that you want to incorporate into your life so that others will benefit:

Saturday, September 29th - Patience

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” - Luke 8:15 Consider the evidence of the Fruit of PATIENCE in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am able to wait gracefully.

Those who know me best would describe me as a patient person.

I rarely jump to conclusions and typically think before speaking or making judgments.

When others fail or fall, I see it as an opportunity to help them or build them up, not as a

frustration or annoyance.

I accept people as they are.

I keep my composure and my cool in the face of opposition and discouragement.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be more true for you? What currently keeps that from happening? (For example, if traffic makes you foam at the mouth, you might choose the first bullet point. What would it be like if you lived with more patience? What keeps that from happening now?) Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to PATIENCE on p. 79.

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September 30th Sunday School Lesson Patience – Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul is very straightforward in this passage. He says here are the things I pray for you and he lays it out in two statements, each with two parts. The first two-part statement says he prays for us to be strengthened with power through the Spirit and that the Messiah will live in our hearts through faith.

I like that statement. I can see those happening and I can see how they would happen.

The next statement is tougher to get a handle on. He basically prays for us to be able to comprehend the length, width, height, and depth of God’s love AND to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge.

How do we do that? Length, width, height, and depth are terms of measurement. They are used to quantify items. Do you know what you have with length, width, height, and depth? A box.

One of the first things we’re taught as kids is that God’s love doesn’t fit in a box. It is infinite, never runs out, and is unconditional. God’s love is the opposite of a box. So what is Paul talking about?

The good news is that he didn’t say he wants us to measure the length, width, height, and depth of God’s love. He prays for us to comprehend them. He wants us to have an understanding of how long and deep God’s love can be through our experience with that love. He wants us to love, love and love some more, not looking for limits to His love, but to see how far we can go and experience it; to realize the only thing that limits God’s love is us.

The bad news is that it isn’t easy or fast. The downside (if you could call it that) to an endless, boundless love with no limits? We have no excuses for not accessing it, sharing it, or practicing it. It’s not like school, where sometimes bad weather means no classes the next day and teachers and students get an unexpected break from being teachers and students, or work, where the loss of power means no way to do the things you normally do so you have an excuse to knock off, go home, and not feel bad about it. When we’re not immersed in it, the problem isn’t on God’s end.

And Paul prays for me to know the Messiah’s love which surpasses knowledge.

Knowledge is what you know about something. How do I know about a love that surpasses being known about? Paul doesn’t want or expect me to know how Jesus’ love works; he wants me to

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know that Jesus’ love works. He wants me to know a first-hand experience of it. He prays for me to be intimate with it.

Paul doesn’t use the word “patience” anywhere in this passage, but the verses are saturated with the concept. It’s woven throughout the words he does use. “Strengthened” suggests being built up over time and continually. One attempt at evangelism or one prayer for something does not very often bring about change anymore than one session of exercise changes the shape of our bodies. It is the steady patient practice of evangelism and prayer that brings the best results in our lives.

“Being rooted and firmly established in faith” does not occur overnight. Farmers and gardeners know better than to look for roots immediately after they plant something. They have to be patient and understand that a season or seasons must pass before substantial roots can sustain and hold tight. And it is obvious that to “comprehend” the length, width, depth, and height of something as immense as God’s love does not occur over one spiritual weekend retreat. Comprehension is one of the 4 areas that make up the spiritual discipline of STUDY and it follows Repetition and Concentration, both of which require patience to be successful.

My best understanding of this comes when I think about the spiritual things I knew when I was younger but have only been able to comprehend recently. Another example would be what we hear in a sermon or Sunday School lesson. We’ve been told it and now we know it. The comprehension may not occur until the car ride home, the next day at work, or later in the week when we’ve had time to dwell on it patiently or be in a situation that called for us to refer back to it. Then we have the “AHA!” moment , when it makes a new kind of sense to us, deeper than just knowing what was said, but comprehending it in the light of what we have been through.

Paul shows us the perfect intersection of this as we seek to grow in patience while we are called to explore God’s love. In 1 Corinthians 13, he spends the first 3 verses of the chapter saying how necessary love is, how he is nothing without it and other things are meaningless without it. So he’s made it a point to stress just how vitally important love is and then he lists the qualities of love. He tells us the things by which we can identify love in ourselves and others. In just 5 verses, he lists 16 things about love.

Guess what the first one is? Love is…… patient. AHA!

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of STUDY in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Five: Kindness and Goodness & the Discipline of Service

October 1-7, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of KINDNESS and GOODNESS in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment: KINDNESS

I am always ready to lend someone a helping hand, even if I’m busy.

I go out of my way to encourage and affirm others.

I pay attention to people. I am a good listener.

It makes people feel good and at ease to be around me.

I am quick to turn thoughts of bitterness or anger over to God.

I have a deep respect for others.

I typically think of others first.

I have a forgiving spirit.

GOODNESS

I am caring of All.

I think others are drawn to me because of my generosity to them and others, especially

nonbelievers.

I have something operating deep inside of me that makes me want to give to children and adults

alike.

I am quick to offer my time, talents, or money to benefit others, and do not spend excessive

amounts of time evaluating what the minimum acceptable gift would be.

Others think I am more interested in giving than receiving.

I spend more time searching where God wants me to use my gifts than of the ways the recipients

might misuse those gifts

I am cognizant of the blessings in my life and want those blessings to overflow to others.

We all want to think of ourselves as kind and good. But biblical kindness and goodness are not simply about being polite or having a pleasant attitude. Kindness and goodness as fruit of the Spirit come from understanding Jesus’ admonition to be a servant of all. It is putting others above self, not feeling in competition with others but resting in the assurance of your value in God’s eyes and therefore able to spend yourself on behalf of others without fear that you it won’t be appreciated or reciprocated.

Kindness and goodness flow out of the overflow in our life with God. We are blessed and we know it and we are therefore called to be a blessing.

The discipline of Service is the intentional putting into practice of that servant heart. It is giving your life away. It is outwardly focused on the world God loves for it is through service that the world truly begins to discover the love of God.

If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, as the song goes, learn to be the servant of all.

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The Discipline of Service

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ Again

Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ - John 21:15-16

Description: In the very popular management book, Good to Great, Jim Collins describes the characteristics of a level 5 leader; that is, the best of the best. He says that the best leaders are those that have a servant heart, whose first thought is how can I best serve my followers, staff, and my customers. Jesus was definitely a level 5 leader. He preached, taught, and exemplified active service to others throughout his ministry. He paid close attention to the real needs of others and met them where they needed it most. He healed, he fed, he taught, he encouraged, he corrected, he was inclusive, and he sacrificed. So important was the act of service that he even washed the feet of the disciples to demonstrate both his primary purpose and theirs. Adele Calhoun, in The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, states that “The Christian discipline of service is the way the world discovers the love of God. We are the way God blesses the earth.” We are blessed to be a blessing.

Fruit: An active life of service produces the virtues of humility, kindness, and goodness. When we intentionally take on the role of servant, we step beyond our desire for recognition, reward, and self-promotion. Acts of service, especially those done in private or secrecy, give us the opportunity to focus on the true needs of others and to be open for small acts of kindness. We become more attentive to our loved ones, our friends, our community, and to the world. Our focus begins to turn outward as we give away our time, our resources, our gifts, and our energy to the benefit of others. We become the outlets of God and his Kingdom, the lens through which others see God at work.

Practices: There is no shortage of opportunities to practice the discipline of service. If we are willing to be aware, to be inconvenienced, to offer our resources, and to accept lowly tasks, we will find immediate need in our families, workplace, and in our community.

Start by checking in with family members to see if there is anything that you can help with – homework, house chores, errands, being a listening ear, or anything else that needs assistance. At least once a day, without asking or being asked, offer some unexpected assistance to a loved one, friend, or a stranger.

Look for an opportunity within the Church or the community to volunteer your service. Understanding your particular spiritual gifts will help identify where you might best serve, but also be willing to just do some of the dirty work of setting up, fixing up, feeding, clothing, and other more mundane chores. Find something that will require some of your time each week.

On a larger scale, pay attention to worldwide issues, which can include hunger, housing, relief from disasters, environmental sustainability, safety, education, etc. Identify and volunteer to assist in at least one “worldwide” need. This can include participating in a mission trip, contributing resources and time to organizations that are addressing worldwide issues, helping to educate others, and promotional events.

Service is putting our faith into action. The more acts of service we can perform and the more we can perform them without seeking recognition (this will likely be more difficult than it sounds), the more fertile we will be for producing the fruits of kindness and goodness.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Kindness and Goodness & the Discipline of Service

Monday, October 1st - Service

“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:43-44

Jesus made it clear what his purpose was and what ours should be. He did not leave room for interpretation. If you want to be great, serve. It was his mantra, his reason for being, his life’s work, and his commitment of holy obedience to the Father.

Each day this week, ask God to identify someone that needs your help. It may be to run an errand, or to share a cup of coffee and a listening ear, or to assist with a small project. Whatever it is, commit to following through with it on that day.

Tuesday, October 2nd - Service

“In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” - Luke 10:30-37

Acts of service are not always convenient, in fact they are often disruptive to our plans and schedule. The story of the good Samaritan provides a great example of unexpected and unscheduled acts of service that go beyond the call of duty.

As you travel about today, be alert for opportunities to provide such a service. It may be helping someone load groceries in their car, or hold a door, or changing a tire. Allow yourself to be redirected from your personal schedule to provide some random acts of kindness. Doing so will help us become more alert and aware of the needs of others and less about our own. It could become a very healthy habit.

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Wednesday, October 3rd - Service

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. - John 13:12-15

Certainly the disciples were astonished at this simple act of service from Jesus and maybe even appalled that he would perform such a demeaning task. It is amazing how Jesus could use such simple examples to teach others.

There is no task too trivial or beneath us when it comes to providing service to others. We can never feel too important or gifted to perform simple tasks. Surely if our savior can stoop to wash the dirty feet of his disciples, we can take on tasks such as picking up trash, washing dishes, painting, pet care, or any number of duties needed in our home, community, and in our Church.

This week, get your hands dirty in an act of service outside of your comfort zone. Perform it as if it were the most important thing that you can do as an expression of thanksgiving to God.

* Thursday, October 4th - Service

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” - Matthew 6:1-4

In this text, Jesus is providing direction for examining our motives in acts of service. How hard it is for us to do good deeds without telling others about it. How skillful we are at weaving the details of our “good” actions into conversation. We love to serve in ways that are known and recognized by others, to display our righteousness for all to see and honor. But Jesus says stop it – just stop it.

Our motives for service are as important, or even more important, than our acts of service. They are to be done out of love for God and our neighbor, nothing more and nothing less.

This may be one of the most difficult challenges of the week, but do some good act of service in secrecy. Do not talk about it, do not tell others about it, and do not perform it in front of others. Just do it out of love. Do this often enough and it will change your life and the lives of others.

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Friday, October 5th - Service

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:9-10

Peter speaks to both our spiritual gifts and our attitude in the use of those gifts. We understand the idea of the Church as a body made up of parts, each part with its own uniqueness and purpose. Even though we may not now have a clear understanding of our particular strengths or interests, we should take some time reflecting on the gifts of the Spirit and where we may feel a nudge to service.

Ask a good friend or family member what they see in you as a gift or sign up for a class in determining your spiritual gifts. Certainly using our talents is important, and just as important is to serve faithfully and joyfully.

A good practice for the week would be to identify one of your strengths or interest areas and use that in an active of service. Before acting, ask God to give you a servant heart so that you can act with joy and thanksgiving.

Saturday, October 6th - Kindness & Goodness

It is so often said, "You may be the only Bible some people will every read."

If kindness is goodness in action, then the world will more fully know our hearts (goodness) by how we live out our faith (kindness).

Saint Ignatius of Antioch is quoted as saying, "Indeed it is better to keep quiet about our beliefs, and live them out, than to talk eloquently about what we believe, but fail to live by it."

Goodness is our guide to knowing right and wrong. Kindness is how we express that knowledge to others. May we always remember to live out our lives in kindness and goodness.

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of KINDNESS & GOODNESS in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

KINDNESS I am always ready to lend someone a helping hand, even if I’m busy.

I go out of my way to encourage and affirm others.

I pay attention to people. I am a good listener.

It makes people feel good and at ease to be around me.

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I am quick to turn thoughts of bitterness or anger over to God.

I have a deep respect for others.

I typically think of others first.

I have a forgiving spirit.

GOODNESS

I am caring of All.

I think others are drawn to me because of my generosity to them and others, especially

nonbelievers.

I have something operating deep inside of me that makes me want to give to children and adults

alike.

I am quick to offer my time, talents, or money to benefit others, and do not spend excessive

amounts of time evaluating what the minimum acceptable gift would be.

Others think I am more interested in giving than receiving.

I spend more time searching where God wants me to use my gifts than of the ways the recipients

might misuse those gifts

I am cognizant of the blessings in my life and want those blessings to overflow to others.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a growing edge for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be true for you? What currently keeps that from happening?

For example, if you find reasons not to give – your time, talents or money, more quickly than you make decisions to give, you might choose the fourth bullet point. What causes your hesitations to give? Fear of running out of time or money for things you want to do? Worries that what you give will not be appreciated or used wisely? What would a readily generous lifestyle feel like? How would it be different than how you live now?

Write the statement that you chose on The Prayer Page next to KINDNESS/GOODNESS on p. 79.

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October 7th Sunday School Lesson Kindness & Goodness – Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9-21

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

In preparing our hearts to receive the message of genuine love in these verses written by the Apostle Paul, we must first keep in mind how Christ modeled love. From 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us." Christ loves in a genuine way, filled with kindness and goodness, then demonstrates that love through the action of service to others. We are called to do the same in Romans 12:9-21. Paul informed us in his letter to the church how righteousness from God is to be practiced. Practiced good behaviors and the right attitude toward others and in service to others is how we, as the church, begin to live a transformed life.

Kindness, the practice of good behaviors, and goodness, through the Spirit we model God’s righteousness, are both fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are our desired outcomes as Christians. These fruit are not within our control to produce; they are the demonstration of the Holy Spirit in us and through us. Although kindness and goodness are sometimes used interchangeably in text, there is a difference. Kindness is something we do on the outside and goodness is something you are on the inside. Kindness is something we do for somebody else; an action. Examples of kindness would be raking the yard of an elderly neighbor, feeding the homeless, or helping our kids with troublesome homework. Goodness is knowing right from wrong. It is the state or quality of being good. Robert Longman writes, “Goodness is not just a matter of being good or doing good or being taught goodness-- the teaching feeds the doing, the doing feeds the being, the being enables us to grasp the teaching, which feeds into more doing and being. Jump in at any point to start the cycle.” If kindness comes from the goodness within our hearts, then you could say; kindness is goodness in action!

In his letter to the church, Paul states in verse 9 that love must be genuine, avoid what is evil, and have goodness in your heart. In the rest of these selected verses, Paul goes on to explain how acts of kindness and humble service to others is to take shape as an action in our lives.

We are to “cling to what is good” (from verse 9) and to “be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone” (from verse 17). Paul finishes this passage of scripture in verse 21 with the statement,

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“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of goodness allows love to flourish in us and take root in all that we do and say. When we put that goodness into action, we are then, expressing the fruit of kindness.

In the rest of this passage, Paul urges us toward the fruit of the Spirit which is kindness. We are to, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (from verse 13). Also, we are called to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (from verse 15). These two verses call us into action toward our neighbor; they call us to practice the discipline of service toward one another. The fruit of kindness is about doing something good for our fellow neighbors. In verse 20 he writes, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” It is easy to love and care for those who love us, but we are called in genuine love to love even our enemies. This act of kindness in serving even our enemies is meant to transform lives, both our own life and that of our enemy. It is an ancient Egyptian custom that when a person wanted to demonstrate public remorse, he would carry on his head a pan of burning coals to represent the burning pain of his shame and guilt. The bible commentator, James Denney wrote, “The meaning of heaping burning coals on his head is hardly open to doubt. It must refer to the burning pain of shame and remorse which the man feels whose hostility is repaid by love. This is the only kind of vengeance the Christian is at liberty to contemplate.” The world is always watching how we as Christians respond to the evil that is around us and being done to us. We cannot control others‘ actions and reactions in this world, but we are called to control our own actions and reactions. We must learn to put our own human nature aside so that the Spirit that dwells in us can produce such fruit as kindness and goodness for the world to see.

It is our world and we share it, as Christians. We have the opportunity to impact the world we live in when we learn to do so with the very love Christ has shown us. The impact of our lives is made known when we allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to dwell in every aspect of our lives; heart, mind, and soul. If we are striving to be more Christ-like, then we are called to bear the fruits of kindness and goodness in our lives made available through the Holy Spirit. We must be intentional about the practice of the discipline of service as we strive to model ourselves after Christ. We are commanded to love as He loved, serve as He served. Now go and be kind and be good!

Reflections & Notes

Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week you practiced the discipline of SERVICE in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Six: Gentleness & the Discipline of Submission

October 8-15, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of GENTLENESS (MEEKNESS) in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I deal with people very kindly, gently and with love.

I am able to work in “lowly” places when I think God leads me to there.

In tense situations I’m still able to speak the truth with grace.

I am submissive to God.

I am more likely to pick up others when they fail me than to point out their failures.

Others around me would use words like fair, reasonable and equitable to describe me.

How often do we pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer – “Thy will be done.” Perhaps no words of prayer require more trust from us than these. It is an act of submission to pray these words. It is an act of trust to truly believe that God’s plan or outcome in a given situation is better than the best outcome we could ever want or ask for… even when God’s outcome is one we may not like on the surface.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, deep in prayer to the Father asking that the cup of suffering might pass from him, still Jesus prays, “But not my will be done, but yours.” The ultimate act of submission; laying down his life – not because he had to, Jesus had the power to free himself from the authorities and from the cross – but laying down his life because it is what God asked of him. Jesus submitted everything he had and everything he was to the will of God. He was not a doormat; we saw his forcefulness at times, his righteous indignation, his tough words for others. But these harsh approaches were never for himself, never to get back at anyone, never to make himself look powerful; they were to make God’s will known.

Gentleness is a fruit of the discipline of submission, the discipline of obedience. In our willingness to be Christ like, even in difficult situations, in our denial of self(ish) interest, in our giving up of control of the outcomes of situations and simply submitting ourselves to the will of God as best we can discern it, the fight to prove ourselves and our value diminishes. We seek only God’s lifting up in situations. We do not worry about blame but about lifting up those who fall. We do not worry about credit, but about fairness. We are able to deal gently, in love, because we take ourselves and our pride out of the equation.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

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The Discipline of Submission

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” - Mark 8:34

Description: The whole idea of being submissive often conjures up notions of being oppressed, of being too weak to fight back, of letting others walk all over you, of slavery, and of not taking a stand against injustice. This is not the kind of submission that this discipline is about. This is about the willingness to be Christ like in our obedience and submission to the will of a loving God. There can be no greater example than Jesus. He took time to understand the will of God and then he submitted his life to obeying. He knew God as a loving father and understood his role in God’s plan for salvation. The words “Thy will be done” was always on his lips, even in the Garden as he sweated blood over what was to come, and even on the cross as he felt the abandonment of friends and even God. He did not shy away from challenging injustice, oppression, abusive authority, and false religion, and displayed righteous anger when he saw things that opposed the will of God. Passivity and weakness were not part of his makeup but submission of his very life for the good of man and God were. Richard Foster says that Jesus not only died on the cross but he also lived a cross life. He exemplified the cross life by his servant nature, by putting the needs of others above his own, by preaching the revolutionary thought of being last to be first. He even washed the feet of the disciples to fully illustrate the

Fruit: The benefits of Godly submission and denial of self(ish) interest include the opportunity to fully engage with others, to experience real compassion, and the ability to respond with gentleness and kindness. It frees us from the oppressiveness of always seeking to outdo, outperform, to always win, and to always be right. The practice of voluntary submission is not slavery but a divine choice.

Practices: The practice of submission requires both love and trust. We can start by trusting the will of God, by following those gentle nudges faithfully. Leaning not on our own understanding but in all our ways, acknowledging and submitting to God (Proverbs 3:5-6) , should be at the front of our thoughts and in our hearts. Try acts of submission without any anxiety over outcome and cost to us. Do not be attached to the results and any desires for self-acclaim or recognition.

Practice submission with our families and loved ones. Really listen to them and try to understand their needs. Give up the need to be right when it is really not important. Intentionally turn our thoughts outward and be sensitive to their thoughts and needs. This will take considerable effort time as we take our thoughts off of ourselves and really yield to others.

Practice random acts of kindness to neighbors, to strangers, within the Church and in the community. Be willing to be inconvenienced in these acts, to be late for work, to miss a favorite TV show, to give up an afternoon on the golf course, to put down that captivating book. Living submissively requires some sacrifice on our part. We get better at this the more we practice.

Resources:

The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Gentleness & the Discipline of Submission

Monday, October 8th - Submission

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” - Mark 8:34

Denying self, surrender, submission, and giving up control are words and thoughts that most of us struggle with in our response to life. We prefer to think of ourselves as in control, powerful and assertive, dominant, and a slave to no one. Jesus practiced and preached a different message, a life of surrender and submission to the things of God. He asks that we follow him as followers, subject to the law of God and the will of God. In his wonderful book on submission, Absolute Surrender, Andrew Murray says that forsaking all concerns about self allows us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the disciples’ willingness to forsake their homes, their livelihoods, their personal aspirations, that brought them into communion with Christ. Are we willing to do the same?

This week, pick something in your life that is troubling you and ask God for the will and strength to surrender the outcome to him and trust in him for the results. Comment in your journal on your feelings about this and the outcome.

Tuesday, October 9th - Submission

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!” - Philippians 2:6-8

Jesus set the bar for submission and divine obedience. Though walking the earth as the son of God, he did not seek a crown or worldly power, but rather chose the path of a servant – servant to God and to man. His obedience to the Father, even unto death, is a bar that most of us see as unattainable and somewhat undesirable in this life. We can only imagine a certain level of obedience, beyond which we are unable or unwilling go. Christ asks for the whole of us, mind, body, and spirit. Are we willing?

This week, identify some part of your life in which you are the leader (supervisor, parent, committee chair, etc.), and practice being a servant leader. Find a way to serve those that you lead rather than directing or demanding. It will be humbling and rewarding to you and your followers.

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* Wednesday, October 10th - Submission

“The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” - Matthew 23:11-12

Jesus lived and taught the life of a humble servant. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said that the meek (humble) shall inherit the earth. He turned upside down the notion that the powerful, the mighty, the rich, and those of royal lineage, have preferred status on the earth or in heaven. That honor is given to those with a humble heart, those who put the welfare of others above their own, and to those who understand that obedience to God is the true measure of success.

Practice this week taking a seat on the proverbial back of the bus, letting others move to the front of the pews, tables near the speaker, and other prominent positions. Try going a whole week without bragging about something that you did, whether it is an act of service or just a personal accomplishment. Like the Nike commercial, “Just do it.”

Thursday, October 11th - Submission

“Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’” - Acts 4:18-20

No focus on submission would be complete without some word or caution about turning submission into apathy and cowardice. We are called to stand up for the things that we believe. Civil disobedience has a place in our world and in our response to the call of God. Jesus never backed down when the kingdom of heaven was at stake. He literally whipped the money changers to drive them out of God’s house. He never backed down from professing the truth, even when it put him in danger of both political and religious authorities. Blind obedience to an abusive government, authority, or relative is not what he preached. He preached submission and obedience to an all loving and caring God and to our fellow man when in agreement with the will of God. Discernment is needed to know the difference and to act on it.

Pray this week that God will give you the wisdom to discern the difference between being a doormat and being obedient to the will of God. Identify those times when holding a position is more godly than submitting to something that is contrary to God’s will. Remember that sometimes silence is perceived as agreement or consent. Also, identify those times that you argue just to be right or to get your way with little thought about the “right path.”

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Friday, October 12th - Submission

“Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” - Luke 23:46

There are certain times in the year that we as a nation celebrate and honor those that risked their lives and often died for the protection of our country. Most of us have not had to make that choice or to willingly put ourselves in harms way for another. Being willing to sacrifice our very life for the benefit of others is the ultimate act of obedience and submission. Even though Jesus prayed in the garden that the cup of death be removed from him, he submitted to the will of God and died on the cross. He was a willing servant, choosing servant hood over earthly glory and power. With his last breath he committed his very spirit to God, accepting the will of the Father over his own.

What a gift he gave us, what an example he gave us, and what a reward we received because of his obedience. This week, remind yourself often about his ultimate act of submission, and accept that gift with a humble heart and burning desire to become more Christ like.

Saturday, September 22nd - Gentleness

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” - Philippians 4:5 Consider the evidence of the Fruit of GENTLENESS in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I deal with people very kindly, gently and with love.

I am able to work in “lowly” places when I think God leads me to there.

In tense situations I’m still able to speak the truth with grace.

I am submissive to God.

I am more likely to pick up others when they fail me than to point out their failures.

Others around me would use words like fair, reasonable and equitable to describe me.

I am honest with myself and others about my shortcomings and am quick to confess them. Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be more true for you? What currently keeps that from happening?

For example, if you find yourself needing to assign blame when something goes wrong, you might choose the fifth bullet point. What would it be like if you focused more on building up the one who falls short? What keeps that from happening now?

Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to GENTLENESS on p. 79.

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October 14th Sunday School Lesson Gentleness – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

“Out with the old, in with the new,” is a saying you may have heard. Change and newness comes in several different forms throughout our lives. Having a yard sale, donating clothes or furniture to charities are things that we do to start with a new perspective, style and opportunity. There are also changes that occur in our daily routine, friendships, or “to-do” list items, which sets up a new schedule for the different chapters in our lives. Each morning the sun makes a promise for a new day. Sometimes it may take a while to see new things appear, while other times something new in our lives is rather obvious.

In today’s reading Paul is reminding the people of Corinth about the new creation Jesus brought with His life, death and resurrection. In v. 17 Paul verifies that when we are in Christ, “everything old passes away, and everything has become new!” He goes on to say that, “God reconciled himself to us through Jesus, and given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

Here is a little background of why Paul (and Timothy) would be writing this to the people of Corinth. Corinth was a powerful city due to their trade markets and wealth and there were a lot of mystery religions. There were also many slaves and poor living amongst these people. Paul, in his letters, wanted Corinth to understand the right way of living. He challenged them in different areas of their lives, and encouraged them to always center themselves on the hope that came from Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Paul knew most people looked at Jesus’ death on the cross as failure and he is simply saying, “That’s not the case!” People did not understand that type of love for themselves, even though they conducted in animal sacrifices all the time as an offering of love to God.

In Chapter five of 2 Corinthians, Paul is explaining to Corinth the newness and lives we have due to Christ and His sacrifice of himself. He is making it clear that, thanks to Jesus, we have been made new and we can now have a relationship with God, a relationship of peace while we live here on earth. The people of Corinth were always getting into trouble or having “faith” issues.

Reflect on when you became “new in Christ”. When did you finally humble yourself to God and state you believe in the ultimate price Jesus paid for your sins? How did you feel? How did you know you had been transformed?

This week’s fruit of the spirit is gentleness. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gentleness as “the quality or state of being honorable, distinguished, kind, amiable, and free from harshness, sternness

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and violence.” Paul informs the people what God did through Jesus, so that we could minister to others. Max Lucado, in the Inspirational Bible, put the wording like this:

“All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

You will read that the spiritual discipline that compliments the fruit gentleness is submission. How do you feel about being challenged to practice daily submission to God? Not in just different parts of your life, but in everything. In May, while we as a church were discussing the prophets, we were reminded how the Israelites believed in God but lived for themselves. When they did this they were not bearing any fruit during their fast. The same is true for the people of Corinth and us today. When we completely submit ourselves to God daily, in all that we do, peace can consume our attitude and gentleness can be a true response to people we interact with.

Gentleness is hard to find these days, but it can transform anyone who receives it or delivers it. It is a response no one expects in such a self-consuming world. In our world today, we as Christians can truly be challenged to have a gentle composure at all times, and completely submit to God and His will. However, these two actions interconnect and because we have been made new, our new mind and hearts, filled with wisdom and love, can bring these two actions to the forefront of our lives.

Take time to seek God in everything and fully submit to this important relationship. Submit is typically seen as a negative action, but as the description of submission states, “this type of submission is about the willingness to be Christ like in our obedience and submission to the will of a loving God; and there is no greater example than Jesus.” That is where true gentleness can come from and our newness can help give to so many. Use your transformation for good!

Resources Notes from New Testament II – Dr. Andrew Wakefield Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Online version) Inspiration Bible by Max Lucado (New Century Version) The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of SUBMISSION in a variety of daily exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Seven: Faithfulness & the Discipline of Worship

October 15-21, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of FAITHFULNESS in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am dependable and good to my word.

I consider fidelity to be of the highest importance with my spouse, family and other to whom I

make commitments.

I am truthful with God in my daily walk.

I try to speak clearly and do not try to deceive others or spin the truth in interpersonal

relationships or business.

I make the same decisions and actions even when I think no one is watching.

I am Honest.

There are at least two great challenges to Christian faithfulness in our day and time.

First, we live in a world where commitments are easily broken. We are the center of our universe. So, if a commitment becomes inconvenient for us, we should do what makes us happy and makes us feel good, even if that means breaking the commitment. We seek the path of least resistance. We justify ourselves with technicalities. Whether it is committing to dinner with friends, to a ministry or class or church, or to another person for a lifetime, we like to keep our options open, just in case something better comes up.

“We are not called to be successful, only faithful.” - Mother Teresa

Second, a highly results oriented society can often be at odds with a Christian life that is far more concerned about faithfulness to the tasks of the journey, results of which may never be seen in this life. We walk by faith, not by sight, through much of our Christian life, trusting that the daily things, little and big, that God calls us to do matter greatly to God. We are often tempted to be less than faithful when no one is looking – skimp here, take a shortcut there. But faithfulness is living a life before God that is concerned only with an audience of one – God alone. Whether we cannot easily see what all of this faithfulness is “producing” or “not producing” or whether we want to compromise in the little things because we question whether they matter – God calls us to faithfulness to Him. The tasks are the means to that end.

Worship as a spiritual discipline reminds us everyday who our audience is. Worship reminds us that it is God who calls us, it is God who is committed to us and it is God for whom our life is lived as a burnt offering before Him.

Faithfulness is not about us. Faithfulness is about God. We worship in many ways. Sometimes with singing. Sometimes with praying. Always with every act and word of our lives.

May we learn to practice the presence of God in all that we say and do.

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The Discipline of Worship

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2

Description: Worship is a discipline that places us before our heavenly Father so that he is able to use, transform and guide us as he sees fit. Worship leads us to see him high and lifted up in all of His glory and majesty. We are allowed to see his mercy, love and forgiveness. It is not merely an act of going to church and singing hymns, but rather the act of truly allowing ourselves to be placed before God. It is “spirit touching spirit.” While gathering, singing songs, and praying may certainly lead to worship, we need to know that it can truly happen only when we allow Jesus into our midst. Worship is our response to God’s initiative of love and acceptance. It is as much about who he is as it is about what he has done for us. It is also important to know that while we generally consider worship to be an act that is carried out within a community of believers, it is equally important that we live in worship by allowing our first thought to be God-centered and when we go to bed at night with our last thought being a thought of praise. Also, worship is not merely cerebral, but should include the actions of the whole body as we bow our heads in prayer, lift hands, clap, lay prostrate or do whatever the Spirit call us to do while worshipping God.

Worship allows us to hear God’s voice and calling in our lives, and further pushes us toward obedience. Worship leads us to return good where we have been hurt, return love for hate, and right for wrong. It calls us to love others as Christ loved us. According to Richard Foster, worship opens us to the adventurous life of the Spirit. Finally, worship provides the desire to allow the word of God to live fully within us. (Col. 3:16)

Fruit: The practice of worship produces faithfulness and obedience in the practitioner. Private acts of worship help us to experience the full glory of God and his undying love for us. Corporate or shared worship provides a level of fellowship and commitment that no other group actions can create. There is something both humbling and magnificent about being part of a group of like minds in adoring and offering praise to God. It heightens our awareness of God in our presence and intensifies our desire for faithfulness.

Practices: According to Richard Foster, there are seven steps to really experience worship.

1. Learn to practice the presence of God daily. Each day we should put on the full armor of Christ and pray without ceasing, asking God to lead our steps and guide us in the paths he has planned for us. We should also practice the disciplines of confession, bible study, meditation, and solitude.

2. Experience different types of worship. We should worship God when we are alone, in small groups, and in larger Sunday gatherings.

3. Prepare for the gathered experience of worship. We need to pray for our spiritual leaders that they be emboldened to speak the power of the Lord. We need to arrive early to prepare our hearts and minds for worship. We can use this time to pray over our hearts and thoughts as well as our fellow believers. As our fellow worshippers begin to enter, we should ask God to urge us to pray for those who need his hand of mercy and continue to pray for them throughout the service, that they be lifted up into his glorious presence.

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4. Be willing to be gathered in the power of Christ. We must learn to let go of our own agendas and needs, but rather consider the collective group. There is a desire for God’s life to rise up in the group.

5. Cultivate holy dependency, meaning we are utterly and wholly dependent on God for anything significant to happen.

6. Recognize distractions with thankfulness. When there are disruptions, instead of being angry learn to “take it and conquer it.” Allow yourself to look at distractions as a message and a gift from God.

7. Learn to offer a sacrifice of worship. Even when you do not feel like going to worship God, go anyway. We as believers need to be with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Faithfulness & the Discipline of Worship

Monday, October 15th - Worship

“Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2

True worship is our response to the love our Father has shown us. It is recognizing His holy nature, His goodness, kindness, mercy and grace. Worship is allowing God to be our first thought in the morning and our last thought at night. It is loving the Lord with all of our heart, mind and soul. It is choosing to put God first in our lives and in our minds and everything else second. It is the sacrifice of putting God’s will ahead of our own or the will of the world.

Worship is acknowledging all the many blessings God has given us and testifying to His goodness in our lives. It reminds me of one of my favorite hymns, Count Your Blessings. Today, please join me as we count our many blessings, name them one by one, and see what God has done.

Tuesday, October 16th - Worship

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” - Revelation 4:11

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

We sing this song of Doxology every Sunday, but do we truly understand it or appreciate its true meaning. God is not only worthy but is demanding of our praise and worship. From Him all good and perfect gifts were created. Through Him all things exist. Perhaps it is not possible for us to grasp the true meaning and nature of God because it is so vast and eternal. He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor and praise.

Sing the Doxology today, and every day this week. Worship God, from whom all blessings flow.

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* Wednesday, October 17th - Worship

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.” - John 4:24

We often believe we can worship God only on Sunday mornings as we enter the sanctuary. We sing praise songs or hymns, greet our brothers and sisters, listen to God’s holy word and pray. However, if we leave worship to this, we are missing such a blessing of the discipline of worship.

Worship is not so much where we are as much as it is the attitude of our hearts and minds. It is focusing on who God is, His love, His mercy, His power, His being. Worship is not merely a ceremony but occurs within our spirit, which is then in tune with the Spirit of God. Our worship must also be in truth. It must be sincere and honest. While all of the items that we practice in church can certainly lead to worship, it is only when we see God and allow our spirit to be touched by His Spirit that we truly experience worship.

Keep an attitude of worship today throughout your daily activities. Open your eyes to see God in the ordinary. Pay attention to the presence of God’s Spirit.

Thursday, October 18th - Worship

“Oh, come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” - Psalm 95:6

Not only should our worship be intellectual, it should also be active. We should enter before God in a humble manner in worship recognizing His holy majesty. We should bow our heads as we go to Him with praise. We kneel before our Lord as we lift our hearts to Him. We worship Him who created all things. We worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. We see Him high and lifted up in all of His glory.

We are led by the Spirit to bow and kneel as described in this verse, but worship may also lead to standing, raising your hands in the air in praise, laying face down before God, clapping, dancing or perhaps standing still in His presence, but worship should never lead us to have sour faces and frowns.

Let the Spirit lead you this week as you worship the Lord our Maker.

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Friday, October 19th - Worship

“Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of His wondrous works!” - 1 Chronicles16: 9

As I read this verse I am reminded of How Can I keep from Singing by Chris Tomlin. The refrain of his song says,

“How can I keep from singing Your praise? How can I ever say enough? How amazing is Your love? How can I keep from shouting Your name? I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing.”

Many people say they don’t have a strong singing voice, or they worship through hearing others sing. But when I think of God’s majesty, His goodness, mercy, grace and love, “How can I Keep From Singing?”

Sing praise to God today.

Saturday, October 20th - Faithfulness

“Mercy shall be built up forever; your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.” - Psalm 89:2

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of FAITHFULNESS in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

I am dependable and good to my word.

I consider fidelity to be of the highest importance with my spouse, family and other to whom I

make commitments.

I am truthful with God in my daily walk.

I try to speak clearly and do not try to deceive others or spin the truth in interpersonal

relationships or business.

I make the same decisions and actions even when I think no one is watching.

I am Honest.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be most true for you? What currently keeps that from happening?

For example, if you find that your decisions when you are alone are not always the same as your decisions when you think others are watching you, you might choose the fifth bullet point. What would it be like if you lived as the statement reads? What keeps that from happening now?

Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to FAITHFULNESS on p. 79.

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October 21st Sunday School Lesson Faithfulness – 1 Corinthians 12:1-13

1 Corinthians 12:1-13

“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

In the first act of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius speaks these words to his son, Laertes who is about to leave home:

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!

A reminder to his son, as he leaves home to live his life, to be true and faithful to himself and then he can be truly faithful to others. Paul, in the first letter to the Corinthians, exhorts his brothers in Christ to be true to themselves and true to the gifts that they have received from God. Faith in God and faithfulness to God is both understanding our individual gifts and trusting ourselves to put them to use for the kingdom of God. Faithfulness is a fruit, a gift or product of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Faithfulness puts faith into action.

Paul is dealing with a rift within the church in Corinth. Apparently some of its members were making distinctions about the importance of the spiritual gifts they had been given, claiming superiority over others and being boastful about their degree of spirituality. Paul reminds them that all such gifts come from God and all are part of the body of the church. He describes an interdependency on each other, just as the body is dependent on all of its parts. All are important and all come from God. Our job, according to Paul is to be true to the gifts given and faithful in the use of those gifts in service to others and for God. That is a good reminder to all of us.

William Barclay calls the fruit of faithfulness the “virtue of reliability”. Interesting isn’t it that one of

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the fruits of the spirit is not being “gifted” but being “reliable”. Proverbs 20:6 reads, “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?” As Christians, we do not have to look far for a good example of faithfulness. Jesus Christ was faithful unto death and then beyond death. In his life on earth, Jesus exemplified being true to himself and God. He lived a disciplined life, fully attached to God and fully faithful in response to the will of God. He was “reliable”, he could be counted on in all circumstances to be true to his mission, and true to his disciples. Faithfulness and reliability must have been in the eyes of God when he said after the baptism of Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

What does faithfulness look like in us? In the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-28, Jesus describes what God expects from us. Three servants are given different amounts of gold by their master for safekeeping. Two of the servants invest the gold and are able to return the profits of more gold to their master on his return. The third servant does nothing with the gold but bury it in the ground until the master returns. To the two that had been faithful in the use of their “talents”, the maser replies, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The master is well pleased with the servants who exhibit, faithfulness and loyalty, and who produce fruit from the gifts provided.

We tend to cultivate and produce what we most value and desire. If the fruit of faithfulness is seen as valuable, the Holy Spirit will help produce that fruit. What would we most like to have, a friend who is wealthy and “gifted”, or a friend who is loyal and faithful? Are we drawn to people of power or to people we know we can trust to be there with us in all of life’s circumstances. “Old reliable” sounds boring and mundane to some, but to God, the “old reliables” are the salt of the earth – just as they are to our family, our Church, and our friends. Faithfulness is a fruit worth cultivating.

God gives us the gift of worship and the free will to pick our object(s) of worship. What he wants is for us to turn our eyes on him, to worship him, and to be faithful to him, just as he is faithful to us. We will always be faithful to what we worship. We will give it our time, our thoughts, our money, and use of our talents. When we choose to worship God, we remain true to ourselves as children of God, we become faithful to the will of God, and we use our talents for the Kingdom of God. We will be known as good and faithful servants.

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of WORSHIP in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write down the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Week Eight: Self-Control & the Discipline of Fasting

October 22-28, 2012

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of SELF-CONTROL in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

My actions and decisions are not swayed by bad habits.

I am not impulsive or excessive.

I have the same discipline in my private life as I do in public.

I talk to God when I am tempted.

I am in control of my tongue.

I don’t eat too much, drink too much, work too much, sleep too much, abuse substances, seek sins

of the flesh, or play too much.

I am diligent in things that matter in life like my spiritual journey, family and giving, and I don’t

allow sin to distract me from that focus.

Self-control. It is always so hopeful exploring the fruit of the Spirit… until you get to self-control. Be it our words, our food, our thoughts, our work, our bad habits, self-control is lacking or lean for many of us. Often thought about in terms of ‘will power,’ self-control is typically the ability to deny or delay something in the short term for a better outcome in the long term. Not eating this dozen donuts right now means that I won’t be depressed in front of the mirror a few weeks from now. Not buying these golf clubs right now means that I won’t be stressed making my car payment next week… and they might go on sale.

But as a fruit of the Spirit, self-control is really better described as God-control; turning over the reins of our lives to One who can guide us along a far better path. Our God is a God of abundance, a God of new life, a God of joy and hope. So often with paint self-control with grey colors because it’s all about the “Thou Shalt NOT’s.” But our God wants the best for us; better than we have the self-discipline to provide for ourselves. Our hasty words saddle us with guilt and regret. Our half-thought-through plans don’t get us to the place that we really want to be. Our intermittent prayer times leave us anxious and unsure, not fully resting and confident in who God is.

God wants more for us than that.

We chose the discipline of fasting mostly because it horrifies everyone. Just kidding. Wanted to see if you were still reading. Honestly, the discipline of fasting is misunderstood and very biblical. Esther fasted. David fasted. Jesus fasted. Always in an effort to be submissive before God and to hear God’s will.

Our lives are very cluttered. Fasting can be thought of as an active and time limited simplicity. Clearing the clutter. Quelling the noise. Making room for God to speak and move in our lives. Believing that God’s control over our decisions and actions and thoughts and words and plans are more and better than we could ever imagine.

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The Discipline of Fasting

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from, and then they will fast”. - Mathew 9:15

Description: Jesus spoke more about fasting than he did giving. Why has the latter been elevated to such a standard of godliness while the former has almost been tossed aside despite its place in the life of Jesus and practice by the pillars of the faith?

For our intention of spiritual practice, fasting is the abstinence from food or other substances and activities for spiritual purposes. It was practiced in the Bible repeatedly. David, Moses, Daniel, Esther, Elijah, Paul, Jesus all practiced the act of fasting. Although never commanded in the Bible, it is commonly accepted by the patriarchs as something to be done if you seek to serve God. Jesus said, “When you fast …(Matt 6:16). He does not command it, it is just expected.

Like other disciplines fasting must be dealt with carefully to avoid being legalistic about it or doing it for the wrong motives. It is a practice that must be centered on God or it becomes self-serving and worthless to God. God, in the Old Testament, and Jesus, in the New Testament, are quick to call people out for the wrong reasons for fasting. Its primary purpose is to become aware of some of the things that control us. It is a denial of the flesh to achieve intimacy with God. It gives us the opportunity to focus on the Father and the nourishment that we receive from every word that “proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4)

Fruit: The benefits of fasting are self-control and greater dependence on God. A lot of the emotions that disrupt our walk with God and service to others are revealed in times of fasting. Anger, jealousy, pride, fear, and even apathy will become more obvious if they are prevalent in our lives. The practice intensifies our awareness of the obstacles, both internal and external that block our spirit. It will become a very humbling experience and lead to an opportunity to practice denial of self and openness to the things of God.

Practice: The Bible discusses three types of fasting from food:

The normal fast involved abstaining from food, but not water. The partial fast consisted of a restriction of the diet but not a total abstention (Daniel abstaining from eating meet or drinking wine is an example). There also several examples of absolute fasts, which involved totally abstaining from food and water. These were only practiced to meet dire emergencies.

Before starting any fast, make sure that you check with your doctor to determine if there any health reasons that would prohibit you from this practice. Start small with a two meal fast – say after lunch one day to lunch the next. Use the time usually reserved for the meal to meditate on scripture. Pick a day that works in terms of scheduled events (hard to fast at a scheduled dinner or breakfast meeting). Drink plenty of water during the fast to stay hydrated. This spiritual practice is intended to be private, so make it between you and God and not as an opportunity to try and impress others with your piety. Try this small fast one day a week for several weeks before extending the time, and work up to a 2 day fast by adding meals one at a time.

Fasting can also include refraining from other activities such as television, use of caffeine, shopping, sports, cell phone use, etc. Any activity that has become habitual is a good opportunity to practice the discipline. Use the time to reflect, pray, meditate, or serve others. Capture in your journal any

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difficulties, temptations, reflections, and commitments from your time away from the habit. Again, this is a private activity meant for you and God, not an outward show of piety or religious dedication. You are not looking for pats on the back but for cultivation of self control and closeness to God.

Devotions & Spiritual Practices for Self-Control & the Discipline of Fasting

Monday, October 22nd - Fasting

“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” - Matthew 6:16

I don’t know about your mom, but mine had a subtle way of letting me know what she expected me to do. She’d ask me what my plans for the next day were and I’d tell her all the terribly important things I, as a teenager, had to do and she’d say “Okay. When you’re done cutting the grass, you can….”

If I didn’t know before that I needed to be cutting the grass, I knew then.

Jesus is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, he has talked about loving your enemy, giving to the needy, prayer, and then he says “When you fast…

?

If I didn’t know before that I needed to be fasting, I know after reading this verse.

There’s no command to do it. No law for us to do it. Jesus, however, talked about it right after discussing prayer and did it in the same way. He said “When you pray…” just like he did for fasting.

Pray today, asking God to help you to incorporate this discipline into your spiritual life.

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Tuesday, October 23rd - Fasting

“Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” - Acts 13:1-3

The concept of Fasting sneaks up on you. Until you focus on it and start looking, you don’t realize how much it is in the Bible, but once you start looking, it’s prevalent in both testaments. Outside of the Bible, the giants of our faith, from the early church until now, have considered fasting an indispensable part of their spiritual growth and worship.

In fact, there is as much evidence and importance placed on fasting in the Bible as there is on giving money.

Ask God to open your heart and mind to fasting as a part of your desire to seek his voice and will.

Wednesday, October 24th - Fasting

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” - Matthew 6:17-18

Christ is very straightforward here to the crowd, and people of that time know what he means. It might not be readily apparent to us, however. What’s the deal with oil and washing the face?

He’s telling them not to be like the hypocrites (Pharisees) who would put on ashes and walk about with pained and morose faces as they fasted. Jesus is telling them act as if nothing is different, in fact, do the customary things you would do if it were a joyous occasion; washing faces and putting oil on the head.

It applies to us, too. If we fast and walk around gloomy, pointing out to everyone we’re fasting and “Aren’t we special for being so miserable?’,…how is God glorified by that?

God doesn’t expect us to fast to prove we can endure misery and make sure everyone knows it.

We fast to help us increase our focus and dependence on God. What’s so gloomy about that?

Fast today from technology. Divest yourself of cell phones or computers or television. Be reminded that you stand before God and depend only on him. Do not draw attention to your fasting, but be of good cheer.

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* Thursday, October 25th - Fasting

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” - Matthew 4:1-4

Fasting from food helps drive home a very important concept of our relationship to God and it’s this: Ultimately, food is not what sustains us. God is. God is the ultimate source of our sustenance. Food is good but without water and shelter we could not survive. And God is the source of all the things we need to survive.

Abstaining from food for healthy periods of time allows us to replace our normal time of eating with a time spent in God’s word or meditation on Him. Commit to fasting for one meal a day this week. As we fast, we should pray for God’s help in not focusing on what we are doing without (food) but rejoice in knowing that we have God’s word and presence available to sustain us every hour of every day.

Friday, October 26th - Fasting

Fasting works on two levels. There is the physical side where we face hunger and the other effects that come from not having food in our system. There is also the spiritual side where we see side effects coming out. Richard Foster points out that fasting will reveal the things that control us. He contends that anger, jealousy, bitterness, fear and other downfalls will surface quickly as we fast. If this is true, it underscores the need for our fasting times to be filled with prayer and scripture.

As you fast, ask God to open your eyes to the things that dominate our lives that he would not find pleasing, so that we can avoid being controlled by them.

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Saturday, October 27th - Self-Control

“Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” - 2 Peter 1:5-7

Consider the evidence of the Fruit of SELF-CONTROL in our lives as described in the Self-Assessment:

My actions and decisions are not swayed by bad habits.

I am not impulsive or excessive.

I have the same discipline in my private life as I do in public.

I talk to God when I am tempted.

I am in control of my tongue.

I don’t eat too much, drink too much, work too much, sleep too much, abuse substances, seek sins

of the flesh, or play too much.

I am diligent in things that matter in life like my spiritual journey, family and giving, and I don’t

allow sin to distract me from that focus.

Prayerfully read each of these statements. Ask God to help you to discern which is a growing edge for you. Where do you need to grow? What would it look like in your life for that statement to be true for you? What currently keeps that from happening?

For example, if you typically speak before you think… and often regret it, you might choose the fifth bullet point. What would it be like if you lived as the statement reads? What keeps that from happening now?

Write the statement you chose on The Prayer Page next to SELF-CONTROL on p. 79.

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October 28th Sunday School Lesson Self-Control – James 3:1-12

James 3:1-12

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

It is hard to imagine a fruit of the spirit that is in greater need of cultivation within us than that of the fruit of self-control. How many diets have we started, health programs begun, promises made to be kinder, to serve better, to mind our words, and to be more temperate in all of our actions? Paul’s words in Romans 7:15 (“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”) remind us of how even the best and most resolute of Christians struggle with their will and ability to think and to act in the right way. Paul sees this conflict of knowing right and doing right as a war of the spirit versus our human nature. He acknowledges that it is only through the intervention of God and the Holy Spirit that “good” prevails.

In the text for today’s lesson, James, the brother of Jesus, is addressing the need for control of the tongue. James is looking for the fruit. He is not looking for words and Christian posing, but real fruit of the Spirit. Real confession of faith for James is seen in service, speech, compassion, and use of our resources. This is the evidence he is looking for as an indication of true faith and love of Christ. James is preaching self-control, taming of our destructive behaviors, and a life disciplined in service to Christ. He certainly recognizes the importance or power of the tongue (our words) to lift up or tear down. While “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me” is a cute saying, there is little truth in it. Malicious gossip, degrading and belittling comments, verbal manipulation, and slander can have disastrous effects on others. Teen suicides are on the rise due in large part to verbal bullying in schools and through the use of social media. Our words have the power to educate, encourage, nurture, heal and build relationships when we have control over how we use them. On the darker side, our words have the power to bring strife, division, chaos, and prejudice. They can destroy relationships.

A careful look at the life of Christ reveals how carefully he chose his words. He reacted, not out of anger or pride, but out of love. He met people where they were and offered encouragement and hope where needed, healing where needed, and challenges when needed. He never spoke to tear down another but to build up, nurture, and illuminate.

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The term “self-control” used in Galatians comes from the Greek word enkrateia, and means "possessing power and strength, having mastery of one's desires and impulses.” Other useful words for “self-control” are temperance and moderation. Whatever words are used, there is the obvious implication of mind and body discipline and situational awareness. In Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul uses the example of runners in the Grecian games for self mastery.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul is saying that self control requires the power of intention, of great discipline, and great focus. Paul knows how hard true self control is. He knows that it is not within our power alone to achieve. He knows that we need divine intervention. After admitting his failures in self control, Paul concludes in Romans 7: 24-25:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

As in any great endeavor, the first steps are recognition of a need for change, a recognition of the value of change, and a sincere desire to make the change. Whether it be the mastery of the tongue, mastery of our lusts, or mastery over our indulgencies, we start by coming to God in prayer and asking for help. We can begin the cultivation process by practicing simplicity of thought and simplicity of talk. To gain control over the tongue, practice real honesty, avoid gossip, boasting, flattery, and manipulative language. Pause before speaking and remember that we are talking to another child of God, another brother or sister, another mother or father.

If we remind ourselves frequently, that we are loved by God, and that we have been graced by God, we begin the process of relinquishing ourselves completely to God. That includes offering our bodies, minds, and hearts to him in loving obedience. As we deepen our walk with God and our response to his gentle nudges (and sometimes shoves), we will strengthen our control over temptations and increase our ability to practice temperance of speech, moderation of behavior, and pureness of action.

Reflections & Notes Use this space to capture some of the thoughts and ideas that have come to mind this week in the daily devotions and exercises, in the lesson and from the sermon.

This week we practiced the discipline of SELF-CONTROL in a variety of daily devotional exercises. Which spiritual practice felt like the best fit for you? Write the practice on the Prayer Page on p. 79.

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Prayer Page

Use this Prayer Page each day during your prayer time. Keep it before you to capture and remind you of how God is leading you to grow in your spiritual life.

Use this Prayer Page with your accountability/prayer trio. Encourage each other in the ways that you see God moving. Support one another as you try to develop spiritual habits. From the Self-Assessment (p.7): The Fruit of the Spirit that God is producing most abundantly in my life right now is: _________________ As you pray each day, ask God how he wants to use the abundance of this fruit in your life.

The Fruit of the Spirit that appears to be least present in my life right now is: __________________________ Which statements in the description of this fruit caused you to give yourself a low ‘score’? Ask God as you pray each day what barriers you might be putting up hat make it hard for him to cultivate that fruit in your life. Ask how God might want to address those thoughts or behaviors in your life.

Fruit of the Spirit:

In the Saturday devotion each week, you are asked which descriptive statement of that week’s Fruit is a ‘growing edge’ for you. Write down that statement below next to the corresponding Fruit.

(For example, under Love, you might be drawn to the statement about seeing people as Jesus sees them. If you write down that statement below next to Love and you keep this prayer page before you each day for these eight weeks, and make that statement the prayer of your heart each day, God will begin to change how you see others.)

As you pray each day, read each of the statements that you have chosen throughout the study. Ask God to show you ways that he wants to transform your life in those areas.

Love - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joy - _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace - __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Patience - ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kindness/Goodness - _________________________________________________________________________________________

Faithfulness - __________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Gentleness - ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Self-Control - __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spiritual Disciplines:

Each week you have a variety of exercises in the daily devotions to help you to practice that week’s spiritual discipline. Identify the practice that feels like the best fit for you each week. Write down that practice below next to the corresponding Spiritual Discipline.

Solitude - _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Confession - ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Study - __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Service - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Submission - ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Worship - ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fasting - ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The goal of this study is to incorporate spiritual disciplines into an ongoing lifestyle habit – Cultivating a Life That Bears Fruit. Refer back to this page often, long after the eight week study has ended. Choose one of the disciplines that was a positive experience for you during this study and incorporate it again into your devotional life.

May God continue the good work that he has begun in you.

Blessings and Grace,

Your Christian Education Committee