Spiritual Disciplines vs Life Disciplines
Life Disciplines- Life things you need to do to make other things happen
Spiritual Disciplines- Living out the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Reflection:
What choices do I need to make to direct myself and my family back to Jesus?
What are the things that hold me back from who God says I am?
What is wrong with the idea, "I need to embrace and love who I am"?
Scripture References:
"Love is patient, love is kind..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NASB).
Changing us into the likeness of Jesus
"For those whom He foreknew... become conformed to the image of His Son"
(Romans 8:29 NASB).
"But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit"
(2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB).
Chosen by God
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" (1Peter 2:9 NASB).
Children of God
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is"
(1 John 3:2 NIV).
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—"
(John 1:12 NIV).
His Spirit is in you-Those who choose Jesus have the Holy Spirit
"Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'''
(Acts 2:38 NASB).
Pharisees
"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger"
(Matthew 23:1-4 NASB)
"The word is not meant to throw a burden on others it meant to lift the load off ourselves and others as we share it with Jesus."
"For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light"
(Matthew 11:30).
What does scripture say about disciplines?
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8 ESV emphasis added).
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Philippians 4:8 NIV emphasis added).
"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:9 NIV emphasis added).
"but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified"
(1 Corinthians 9:27 NASB emphasis added).
Additional notes & sources:
Number of verses in Bible on prayer-somewhere between 450-650; it is debated by many different sources.
Number of verses in Bible on fasting- over 70 times biblestudytools.com
Disciplines vs Habits-Discipline requires intentionality and focus and conscious choice; whereas, habits start with intentionality and focus, but eventually become unconscious.
