Spiritual Disciplines预览

Week 1- Worship

Day 1- Overview of Spiritual Disciplines

Discover: In this verse, Paul is writing to his young mentee Timothy, who is a pastor in Ephesus. Writing to teach and instruct him on how to be a pastor, Paul notes that Timothy, as well as all believers, should avoid the distractions that the world provides. Instead, Christians should train themselves for godliness as they grow closer to Jesus. This encouragement emphasizes the need for discipline and intentional effort in pursuing a godly life.

Learn: As Paul is writing this letter, he refers to the physical nature of working out. Living in the Greco-Roman Empire, the two would have understood many different sports and competitive games. The word that Paul uses in this sentence for “train” is “gumnos” where we get the word “gymnasium.” So, as Paul tells Timothy to train himself for godliness, he is telling him to exercise and work out in his spiritual life for godliness.

Apply: Throughout the next five weeks, we will focus on spiritual disciplines and how we can practice them in our lives. More specifically, we will explore the spiritual disciplines of worship in week 1, prayer in week 2, sacrifice in week 3, serving in week 4, and sharing in week 5. Author Donald Whitney defines spiritual disciplines as “practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Practicing spiritual disciplines is the means to the end, which is godliness. As we study through 5 different disciplines (worship, prayer, sacrifice, serving, and sharing), it will require us to work, be persistent, and sweat spiritually. These spiritual exercises will help us as we seek to love God and love people. In this study, we want to challenge you to practice each of these disciplines throughout the week as you read, learn, and apply these devotions to your life. After each devotion will be a list of reflection and discussion questions. Write down your thoughts and take them to groups each Sunday to share during conversations!

· What are some common distractions that keep you from focusing on your spiritual growth? How can you avoid or minimize them?

· Why do you think Paul uses the metaphor of training to describe the pursuit of godliness? How does this help you understand the effort required for spiritual

· What steps can you take to ensure consistency in your spiritual disciplines? How can you stay motivated when you feel discouraged or distracted?