Spiritual Disciplines

Our loving God wants us to live a fulfilled life. Although He does not guarantee us a trouble-free existence, He does give instructions that strengthen our bond with Him. God’s purpose is to develop a loving relationship with each one of His children. One powerful way to know our Lord better is through the spiritual disciplines.

Spiritual disciplines can be described as behaviors that facilitate spiritual growth. The process of spiritual growth and development begins to take place when a person encounters God, and God begins to create a new level of consciousness or awareness. As we pursue each day as an exciting opportunity to develop a loving relationship with God, these disciplines will guide us to see our Father’s heart more clearly.

1. Think of someone you have viewed as a mentor, or someone you have respected in the past. What characteristics caused you to think of this person?
2. In what ways do you want to be like this person? Why?
3. Some of us may have asked, "What are Christians expected to do on a day-to-day basis?" What would make us ask such a question?

There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him. – Benjamin Franklin

Key Scripture: John 14:5-15 (NIV)

4. In verse 7, we read, "If you really knew me, you would know my father as well." Why does Jesus respond to Thomas in this way?
5. What implications does this response have for us as Christians today? (Galatians 2:20)
6. What did Jesus mean when He said that those who believe Him will do even greater things? (v. 12)
7. What might a nonbeliever see in a Christian that would help the nonbeliever to know Jesus or the Father?

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…   The Spirit of the Disciplines is nothing but the love of Jesus, with its resolute will to be like him whom we love. – Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines

8. What are some of the activities in which Jesus regularly participated? (These activities Willard refers to as ‘disciplines’)
9. As a group, pray that God will lead the group in the coming discussions on the disciplines.
10. Almost 2,000 years later, can we truly follow Jesus Christ’s life-model, or is it simply impossible in today’s hectic world?

Prepared by Charles and Susi Albrecht