February 18, 2025 • 19 mins
Ever wondered how to truly incorporate spiritual disciplines into your hectic life? Drawing from my own journey through pastoral ministry, education, and family chaos, I promise you'll learn practical strategies for nurturing your spiritual growth amidst the whirlwind. Inspired by the Apostle Paul's guidance in 1 Timothy 4:7, I discuss the transformative power of disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, worship, and solitude, taking cues from Jesus Himself. I'll show you how starting small and being consistent can make all the difference, turning your daily routine into a path toward becoming more like Christ.
The strength of a Christian community cannot be underestimated in this journey. I highlight how having reflective and supportive individuals around you can catalyze growth, helping you stay focused on your spiritual journey. Learn how prioritizing worship and community, taking small, consistent steps, and reflecting on your progress weekly can foster godliness and glorify God. Remember, it's not about perfection but faithful progress, following the guiding principle from 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Whether you're battling against sin or deepening your prayer life, this episode offers encouragement and practical advice to keep you on track. Reach out if you need encouragement or have questions—you're not alone in this journey.
Stock Music provided by wolfgangwoehrle, from Pond5
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God podcast, a
show focused on helpingChristians to think biblically,
engage practically and livefaithfully for the glory of God.
I'm your host, jonathan Soule,and on this episode I want to
talk about spiritual disciplinesfor the busy Christian.
(00:23):
I know the struggle of busyness.
I know that in the world thatwe live in today, it is
fast-paced, there's alwayssomething to do.
There seems to never be enoughtime in the day to accomplish
the tasks that we want to getdone.
Life is busy and full.
I can relate to my own life.
(00:46):
I mean serving in pastoralministry, finishing up my
education, investing in amarriage, five children plus
twins coming and probably by thetime this episode is released
the twins will have in here.
So seven children and life isso full.
(01:07):
And in the midst of thefullness of life and the
busyness of life, I mean, I know, in the summertime doing sports
and being at three or fourdifferent baseball fields on a
single Saturday, running allover the place, and that's just
the children, let alone thedemands of ministry and
everything else.
It just seems so full and oneof the things that I think can
(01:31):
happen, and I know from evenpersonal experience, is that
spiritual disciplines seem tostruggle or get kind of pushed
to the back burner because ofthe busyness of life.
But while life is busy, we needto recognize that spiritual
growth is still possible in themidst of busyness.
(01:53):
And that's what I want to focuson for this episode, thinking
about what Paul says in 1Timothy 4, verse 7,.
He tells Timothy to trainhimself, or train yourself for
godliness.
When we think about training,it's a discipline, it's
repetitive, it's working towardsa goal, and so the expectation
(02:18):
for Paul to Timothy is that hewould embark on this training,
this regiment, these disciplinesthat would produce in him
godliness.
And so when we talk aboutspiritual disciplines, well,
what are they?
I think a simple definition ispractices that draw us closer to
(02:40):
God.
That's what we would say isspiritual disciplines.
Practices that draw us closerto God, that's what we would say
is spiritual disciplines.
Practices that draw us closerto God, specifically reading the
Bible, prayer, fasting, worship, and the list can go on from
there.
But those are some of the bigones when we think about
spiritual disciplines.
(03:01):
Solitude is another one, thetime in the midst of busyness.
It's like when will that everhappen?
But we need to make time for it.
A pastor that I've listened tofor many years has always said
you will make time for what'smost important to you, and so
thinking about these disciplinesand prioritizing the time to
(03:22):
train ourselves is of the utmostimportance, solitude being one
of them.
I don't think there was a manin ministry more busy than the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Always, people were alwaysvying for his time and he could
have had a million things to doall the time, but he prioritized
(03:43):
solitude as a discipline.
In Mark, chapter 1, verse 35, itsays in rising very early in
the morning, while it was stilldark, he departed and went to a
desolate place and there heprayed.
He rose early, he needed thesolitude, he needed that time to
pray in silence with him andthe Father.
And so when we think aboutspiritual disciplines in this
(04:06):
way, it's to draw us closer toGod.
Jesus is an example of makingtime for solitude, to exercise
the communion that he had and tofellowship with the Father, and
the goal again is to grow inChrist.
When we think about thesedisciplines that we would invest
(04:26):
in, it's not a matter of simplychecking off boxes or to-do
lists like oh, I did my Biblereading this morning, I prayed
my prayer and now I go off to dothe thing that I'm supposed to
be doing.
That occupies my time.
No, the goal in spiritualdisciplines is not simply read
the Bible and pray fast.
Worship spiritual disciplinesis not simply read the Bible and
(04:47):
pray fast.
Worship have solitude.
The goal is to become more likeJesus, to be transformed into
his likeness, to be those thatrejoice in hope, that are
patient in tribulation, that areconstant in prayer.
That's what we're looking to doas followers of Jesus in the
practice of spiritualdisciplines.
(05:08):
So we acknowledge that life isbusy, and it doesn't seem to get
any less busy as time goes on.
So we recognize that as anissue, but we still know that
spiritual growth is possible,and so, as we would exercise
spiritual disciplines Biblereading, prayer, fasting,
worship, solitude we need tothink practically, then, about
(05:31):
how do we do this.
How can I begin if I'm notpracticing or training myself
for godliness through thespiritual disciplines?
What are some practical stepsor strategies that I can take to
incorporate spiritualdisciplines into my busy life?
And while I know it'schallenging, let me give you
(05:52):
three.
First, start small and seek tobe consistent.
Set aside 10 to maybe 15minutes a day of focused Bible
reading.
It doesn't have to be largeportions of scripture, it could
(06:13):
be as simply as a chapter orread the proverb of the day,
maybe an Old Testament readingand a New Testament reading,
something that's bite-sized,something that's achievable for
the busy life, not somethingwhere you would undertake to do
this big Bible reading plan onlyto burn out a week later
because you try to go from zeroto a hundred.
(06:37):
Start small, be consistent, andwhen you start the patterns of
small, consistent wins, they cantend to grow.
So five minutes, 10 minutes inthe Bible, set your mind
thinking about the things of theLord.
I know in my life I can get sobusy in ministry that I can
(07:00):
forget to stop, be still andknow that God is the Lord,
forget to stop, be still andknow that God is the Lord.
And I know that on the daysthat I might just be so wrapped
up in all the things that I needto get done because you know my
mind's just in this place and Idon't stop, pause, open the
Word of God, pray and be stillbefore the Lord of God, pray and
(07:28):
be still before the Lord thatmy day tends to not go that good
or it's not as good as it couldbe if I take that time in the
morning, that focused Biblereading, and spend that time in
Devotion and communion andfellowship with the Lord.
So start small and beconsistent.
Create a rhythm, a habit ofwhether it be, you know,
(07:49):
connecting it to your morningcup of coffee, or set your alarm
for 10 minutes sooner, or don'thit snooze the third time,
whatever it might be that couldhelp you Do that thing.
Connect an already existingbehavior coffee, wake time,
whatever it might be when youget up to opening your Bible and
(08:12):
seeking to read that.
Another thing too to be small,start small and be consistent is
praying in the small moments,and what I mean by that is not
necessarily this long drawn out,eyes closed, head bowed on your
knees in your prayer closet for35 minutes before you eat
(08:34):
breakfast.
Maybe you'll get there, butmaybe you never will.
Nonetheless, praying in thesmall moments when you're
driving, when you're maybeexercising or you're going for a
walk.
I love doing prayer walks.
It's usually maybe right afterI eat my first meal of the day
or during like a lunch break.
(08:56):
I'll go and I like to walk.
A couple days a week I'll walktwo miles, and on my two-mile
walk.
I usually either listen to thescripture or I spend that time
praying praying for members ofmy church, praying for the
things that are heavy upon myheart, and it's truly a walk of
communion with God.
(09:16):
And so, again, I'm alreadydoing something, I'm already
going for a walk and I'm usingthat time and connecting that to
a spiritual discipline, whetherit be reading or listening to
the Bible, listening to somesort of Christian podcast or
sermon that's edifying to me, orspending that time just praying
(09:37):
and talking to God, just aboutwhatever's going on in my heart.
So start small, be consistent.
Here's a second practicalstrategy Again integrate these
disciplines into the dailyroutine of life.
So one of the greatest times ormost useful times that we can
(09:59):
have when it comes toimplementing the spiritual
disciplines is in the car.
Now, it goes without saying,don't close your eyes and bow
your head to pray while you'redriving.
It's not very intelligent, butyou know that.
But what I do mean is somethinglike listening to the
scriptures or sermons duringcommutes, when you're driving
(10:20):
from one place to another.
This goes along with the kindof content that you're consuming
, whether it be through socialmedia or whatever your streaming
services might be, but you caneasily download an app that
reads the Bible or a favoritesermon or something of that
nature that draws you into theWord of God and draws you into
(10:45):
fellowship, communion with God,similar, as I said, with my
walks.
You can turn your routineactivities into moments of
prayer, whether you're doingchores.
If you're a mom folding laundry, you could be thinking, oh man,
I have endless loads of laundry, which is probably true.
(11:06):
But you could also, instead ofmaybe not liking the amount of
laundry that you have to fold,but thanking God for all the
bodies that go into thoseclothes, and just to give thanks
or to pray to God in the midstof your activities, to set your
mind in that place.
And so, by integratingdisciplines of Bible reading,
(11:30):
prayer into the rhythms of life,will help you to train yourself
for godliness in the midst ofyour busy life.
And here's the third practicalstrategy for the implementation
of spiritual disciplines,especially in a busy life
Prioritize worship and community.
(11:52):
And I cannot overstate thispoint, and it's not simply
because I'm a pastor, but I haveseen in my own life the immense
value of worship and communityand I have no idea where my life
would be without the worshipingcommunity, and what I mean by
(12:15):
that is attending a local church, attending the Sunday morning
gathering, being in the presenceof other people, as,
collectively, we seek thepresence of God in our gathering
.
So prioritize worship.
This is so valuable forfostering and training ourselves
(12:37):
for godliness and fosteringthese spiritual disciplines in
our life.
Prioritize worship.
Life can be so busy, but weneed to prioritize that day of
the week.
God has given us a Sabbath as arhythm One, two, three, four,
five, six rest.
One, two, three, four, five,six rest.
That is to be a rhythm of ourlives.
(12:59):
Now we're not to be slaves tothat in a legalistic sense.
Man was not created for theSabbath, jesus says, but the
Sabbath for man, it is for ourgood.
Being busy seven days a weekwithout rest and being able to
recharge, it's not how we werewired.
Think about on the seventh dayof creation, god rested.
(13:21):
Think about on the seventh dayof creation, god rested.
The God who never sleeps norslumbers, rested not because he
needed to, but because it showsus the rhythm of the week and it
is an example for us.
And so that prioritizing ofworship that seventh day or the
first day of the week forChristians because of the
resurrection.
(13:41):
That is to be safeguarded time.
I decide long before Sundaymorning whether or not I'm going
to be there.
That decision has been mademonths, years in advance.
I don't wake up and it's notbecause, again, I'm a pastor.
I mean, obviously I have to goto work that day, but because
(14:03):
I'm a Christian.
Before I even went intoministry, sunday was a
no-brainer.
It wasn't a matter of what arewe doing today.
We're going to worship.
We're going to be with thepeople of God.
This is what we were created todo and this fosters a good
practice and spiritualdiscipline in our life.
Corporate worship is adiscipline and it helps us and
(14:25):
shapes us to become more likeJesus through the community
witness so strong encouragement.
We prioritize the gathering ofGod's people.
When it comes to sports and wehave a bunch of children in
sports there will be no sportson Sunday.
If the team is playing onSunday, if the team is
practicing on Sunday, it'salready clear to the coaches,
(14:48):
it's already clear to everybodyinvolved.
This is who we are.
Sundays are off limits.
If we get a schedule ahead oftime, before we sign up and we
realize it's Sunday, we've toldthe children we don't do that.
That's not who we are.
And so we prioritize the Sundayfor the gathering of God's
(15:08):
people, and we worship throughmusic.
We worship through thepreaching of the word, we
worship through the singing ofthe word, we worship through the
seeing of the word in baptism,in the Lord's supper, we worship
through hearing the word read.
These are all ways in which wecan.
(15:28):
Our hearts are transformed inworship.
So prioritize worship andcommunity.
This is the fellowship of thesaints.
Don't be someone who forfostering spiritual disciplines
and growth.
Don't be somebody who slips inthe back and slips out too fast.
If you do and I know there aremany reasons why that happens
(15:50):
you're selling yourself short.
You're short changing what youcan offer and what can be
offered to you within thecommunity, what you can offer
and what can be offered to youwithin the community.
Immerse yourself in the life ofthe church.
Build relationships with others.
This will help you and thatwill foster growth in your life.
Be a part of accountabilityrelationships.
(16:14):
For the purpose of spiritualdisciplines, it is vital to have
people in your life that willask you questions How's your
Bible reading doing?
How's your prayer life going?
How's the battle against singoing?
Are there any situations inyour life where you know you're
weak.
What can I do to pray for you,brother or sister?
How can I help you and you helpme as we both seek to train
(16:37):
ourselves for godliness?
The only place you're going toget that is in the Christian
community through the localchurch, and it's of immense
value and good.
So practical strategies Startsmall, be consistent, integrate
the disciplines into the dailylife and prioritize worship and
community in your life.
(17:00):
And I can say from my ownpersonal experience, all of
these practices and strategieshave helped me and helped form
me as a Christian, form me as aman of God and help shape and
foster the practices anddisciplines in my life that
train me for godliness.
(17:20):
So I hope it's an encouragementto you.
But again, let me just remindyou don't aim for perfection
it's not possible this side ofheaven but seek to pursue those
small, faithful steps that leadto growth, that lead to
godliness.
So let me challenge you thisweek choose a discipline to
(17:44):
focus on, whether it be Bibleintake, scripture reading,
prayer, fasting, worship,solitude pick one.
And in picking one one, focusintently on small, consistent
steps.
Seek to integrate thatdiscipline into your daily life
(18:06):
and then, after a week, look atthat, see how that's working in
your life and see what progressyou might be making, as
practicing these disciplineswill train you for godliness and
make you more like Jesus.
I hope thinking throughspiritual disciplines and the
training, especially in thebusyness of life, is a helpful
(18:27):
word to you, is encouragingYou're not discouraged by it and
you're willing to say I'm goingto try this, I'm going to work
towards implementing some ofthese disciplines in my life,
small steps at a time.
Small steps lead to biggersteps and that in the end, this
helps you to glorify God as youreflect Jesus Christ in this
(18:49):
world.
I want to thank you forlistening to the Pleasing God
Podcast.
If you have any questions, Iwould love to hear from you.
You can reach out at questionsat pleasinggodpodcastorg.
And remember 1 Thessalonians4.3,.
This is the will of God, yoursanctification.
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God podcast, a
show focused on helpingChristians to think biblically,
engage practically and livefaithfully for the glory of God.
I'm your host, jonathan Soule,and on this episode I want to
talk about spiritual disciplinesfor the busy Christian.
(00:23):
I know the struggle of busyness.
I know that in the world thatwe live in today, it is
fast-paced, there's alwayssomething to do.
There seems to never be enoughtime in the day to accomplish
the tasks that we want to getdone.
Life is busy and full.
I can relate to my own life.
(00:46):
I mean serving in pastoralministry, finishing up my
education, investing in amarriage, five children plus
twins coming and probably by thetime this episode is released
the twins will have in here.
So seven children and life isso full.
(01:07):
And in the midst of thefullness of life and the
busyness of life, I mean, I know, in the summertime doing sports
and being at three or fourdifferent baseball fields on a
single Saturday, running allover the place, and that's just
the children, let alone thedemands of ministry and
everything else.
It just seems so full and oneof the things that I think can
(01:31):
happen, and I know from evenpersonal experience, is that
spiritual disciplines seem tostruggle or get kind of pushed
to the back burner because ofthe busyness of life.
But while life is busy, we needto recognize that spiritual
growth is still possible in themidst of busyness.
(01:53):
And that's what I want to focuson for this episode, thinking
about what Paul says in 1Timothy 4, verse 7,.
He tells Timothy to trainhimself, or train yourself for
godliness.
When we think about training,it's a discipline, it's
repetitive, it's working towardsa goal, and so the expectation
(02:18):
for Paul to Timothy is that hewould embark on this training,
this regiment, these disciplinesthat would produce in him
godliness.
And so when we talk aboutspiritual disciplines, well,
what are they?
I think a simple definition ispractices that draw us closer to
(02:40):
God.
That's what we would say isspiritual disciplines.
Practices that draw us closerto God, that's what we would say
is spiritual disciplines.
Practices that draw us closerto God, specifically reading the
Bible, prayer, fasting, worship, and the list can go on from
there.
But those are some of the bigones when we think about
spiritual disciplines.
(03:01):
Solitude is another one, thetime in the midst of busyness.
It's like when will that everhappen?
But we need to make time for it.
A pastor that I've listened tofor many years has always said
you will make time for what'smost important to you, and so
thinking about these disciplinesand prioritizing the time to
(03:22):
train ourselves is of the utmostimportance, solitude being one
of them.
I don't think there was a manin ministry more busy than the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Always, people were alwaysvying for his time and he could
have had a million things to doall the time, but he prioritized
(03:43):
solitude as a discipline.
In Mark, chapter 1, verse 35, itsays in rising very early in
the morning, while it was stilldark, he departed and went to a
desolate place and there heprayed.
He rose early, he needed thesolitude, he needed that time to
pray in silence with him andthe Father.
And so when we think aboutspiritual disciplines in this
(04:06):
way, it's to draw us closer toGod.
Jesus is an example of makingtime for solitude, to exercise
the communion that he had and tofellowship with the Father, and
the goal again is to grow inChrist.
When we think about thesedisciplines that we would invest
(04:26):
in, it's not a matter of simplychecking off boxes or to-do
lists like oh, I did my Biblereading this morning, I prayed
my prayer and now I go off to dothe thing that I'm supposed to
be doing.
That occupies my time.
No, the goal in spiritualdisciplines is not simply read
the Bible and pray fast.
Worship spiritual disciplinesis not simply read the Bible and
(04:47):
pray fast.
Worship have solitude.
The goal is to become more likeJesus, to be transformed into
his likeness, to be those thatrejoice in hope, that are
patient in tribulation, that areconstant in prayer.
That's what we're looking to doas followers of Jesus in the
practice of spiritualdisciplines.
(05:08):
So we acknowledge that life isbusy, and it doesn't seem to get
any less busy as time goes on.
So we recognize that as anissue, but we still know that
spiritual growth is possible,and so, as we would exercise
spiritual disciplines Biblereading, prayer, fasting,
worship, solitude we need tothink practically, then, about
(05:31):
how do we do this.
How can I begin if I'm notpracticing or training myself
for godliness through thespiritual disciplines?
What are some practical stepsor strategies that I can take to
incorporate spiritualdisciplines into my busy life?
And while I know it'schallenging, let me give you
(05:52):
three.
First, start small and seek tobe consistent.
Set aside 10 to maybe 15minutes a day of focused Bible
reading.
It doesn't have to be largeportions of scripture, it could
(06:13):
be as simply as a chapter orread the proverb of the day,
maybe an Old Testament readingand a New Testament reading,
something that's bite-sized,something that's achievable for
the busy life, not somethingwhere you would undertake to do
this big Bible reading plan onlyto burn out a week later
because you try to go from zeroto a hundred.
(06:37):
Start small, be consistent, andwhen you start the patterns of
small, consistent wins, they cantend to grow.
So five minutes, 10 minutes inthe Bible, set your mind
thinking about the things of theLord.
I know in my life I can get sobusy in ministry that I can
(07:00):
forget to stop, be still andknow that God is the Lord,
forget to stop, be still andknow that God is the Lord.
And I know that on the daysthat I might just be so wrapped
up in all the things that I needto get done because you know my
mind's just in this place and Idon't stop, pause, open the
Word of God, pray and be stillbefore the Lord of God, pray and
(07:28):
be still before the Lord thatmy day tends to not go that good
or it's not as good as it couldbe if I take that time in the
morning, that focused Biblereading, and spend that time in
Devotion and communion andfellowship with the Lord.
So start small and beconsistent.
Create a rhythm, a habit ofwhether it be, you know,
(07:49):
connecting it to your morningcup of coffee, or set your alarm
for 10 minutes sooner, or don'thit snooze the third time,
whatever it might be that couldhelp you Do that thing.
Connect an already existingbehavior coffee, wake time,
whatever it might be when youget up to opening your Bible and
(08:12):
seeking to read that.
Another thing too to be small,start small and be consistent is
praying in the small moments,and what I mean by that is not
necessarily this long drawn out,eyes closed, head bowed on your
knees in your prayer closet for35 minutes before you eat
(08:34):
breakfast.
Maybe you'll get there, butmaybe you never will.
Nonetheless, praying in thesmall moments when you're
driving, when you're maybeexercising or you're going for a
walk.
I love doing prayer walks.
It's usually maybe right afterI eat my first meal of the day
or during like a lunch break.
(08:56):
I'll go and I like to walk.
A couple days a week I'll walktwo miles, and on my two-mile
walk.
I usually either listen to thescripture or I spend that time
praying praying for members ofmy church, praying for the
things that are heavy upon myheart, and it's truly a walk of
communion with God.
(09:16):
And so, again, I'm alreadydoing something, I'm already
going for a walk and I'm usingthat time and connecting that to
a spiritual discipline, whetherit be reading or listening to
the Bible, listening to somesort of Christian podcast or
sermon that's edifying to me, orspending that time just praying
(09:37):
and talking to God, just aboutwhatever's going on in my heart.
So start small, be consistent.
Here's a second practicalstrategy Again integrate these
disciplines into the dailyroutine of life.
So one of the greatest times ormost useful times that we can
(09:59):
have when it comes toimplementing the spiritual
disciplines is in the car.
Now, it goes without saying,don't close your eyes and bow
your head to pray while you'redriving.
It's not very intelligent, butyou know that.
But what I do mean is somethinglike listening to the
scriptures or sermons duringcommutes, when you're driving
(10:20):
from one place to another.
This goes along with the kindof content that you're consuming
, whether it be through socialmedia or whatever your streaming
services might be, but you caneasily download an app that
reads the Bible or a favoritesermon or something of that
nature that draws you into theWord of God and draws you into
(10:45):
fellowship, communion with God,similar, as I said, with my
walks.
You can turn your routineactivities into moments of
prayer, whether you're doingchores.
If you're a mom folding laundry, you could be thinking, oh man,
I have endless loads of laundry, which is probably true.
(11:06):
But you could also, instead ofmaybe not liking the amount of
laundry that you have to fold,but thanking God for all the
bodies that go into thoseclothes, and just to give thanks
or to pray to God in the midstof your activities, to set your
mind in that place.
And so, by integratingdisciplines of Bible reading,
(11:30):
prayer into the rhythms of life,will help you to train yourself
for godliness in the midst ofyour busy life.
And here's the third practicalstrategy for the implementation
of spiritual disciplines,especially in a busy life
Prioritize worship and community.
(11:52):
And I cannot overstate thispoint, and it's not simply
because I'm a pastor, but I haveseen in my own life the immense
value of worship and communityand I have no idea where my life
would be without the worshipingcommunity, and what I mean by
(12:15):
that is attending a local church, attending the Sunday morning
gathering, being in the presenceof other people, as,
collectively, we seek thepresence of God in our gathering
.
So prioritize worship.
This is so valuable forfostering and training ourselves
(12:37):
for godliness and fosteringthese spiritual disciplines in
our life.
Prioritize worship.
Life can be so busy, but weneed to prioritize that day of
the week.
God has given us a Sabbath as arhythm One, two, three, four,
five, six rest.
One, two, three, four, five,six rest.
That is to be a rhythm of ourlives.
(12:59):
Now we're not to be slaves tothat in a legalistic sense.
Man was not created for theSabbath, jesus says, but the
Sabbath for man, it is for ourgood.
Being busy seven days a weekwithout rest and being able to
recharge, it's not how we werewired.
Think about on the seventh dayof creation, god rested.
(13:21):
Think about on the seventh dayof creation, god rested.
The God who never sleeps norslumbers, rested not because he
needed to, but because it showsus the rhythm of the week and it
is an example for us.
And so that prioritizing ofworship that seventh day or the
first day of the week forChristians because of the
resurrection.
(13:41):
That is to be safeguarded time.
I decide long before Sundaymorning whether or not I'm going
to be there.
That decision has been mademonths, years in advance.
I don't wake up and it's notbecause, again, I'm a pastor.
I mean, obviously I have to goto work that day, but because
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I'm a Christian.
Before I even went intoministry, sunday was a
no-brainer.
It wasn't a matter of what arewe doing today.
We're going to worship.
We're going to be with thepeople of God.
This is what we were created todo and this fosters a good
practice and spiritualdiscipline in our life.
Corporate worship is adiscipline and it helps us and
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shapes us to become more likeJesus through the community
witness so strong encouragement.
We prioritize the gathering ofGod's people.
When it comes to sports and wehave a bunch of children in
sports there will be no sportson Sunday.
If the team is playing onSunday, if the team is
practicing on Sunday, it'salready clear to the coaches,
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it's already clear to everybodyinvolved.
This is who we are.
Sundays are off limits.
If we get a schedule ahead oftime, before we sign up and we
realize it's Sunday, we've toldthe children we don't do that.
That's not who we are.
And so we prioritize the Sundayfor the gathering of God's
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people, and we worship throughmusic.
We worship through thepreaching of the word, we
worship through the singing ofthe word, we worship through the
seeing of the word in baptism,in the Lord's supper, we worship
through hearing the word read.
These are all ways in which wecan.
(15:28):
Our hearts are transformed inworship.
So prioritize worship andcommunity.
This is the fellowship of thesaints.
Don't be someone who forfostering spiritual disciplines
and growth.
Don't be somebody who slips inthe back and slips out too fast.
If you do and I know there aremany reasons why that happens
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you're selling yourself short.
You're short changing what youcan offer and what can be
offered to you within thecommunity, what you can offer
and what can be offered to youwithin the community.
Immerse yourself in the life ofthe church.
Build relationships with others.
This will help you and thatwill foster growth in your life.
Be a part of accountabilityrelationships.
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For the purpose of spiritualdisciplines, it is vital to have
people in your life that willask you questions How's your
Bible reading doing?
How's your prayer life going?
How's the battle against singoing?
Are there any situations inyour life where you know you're
weak.
What can I do to pray for you,brother or sister?
How can I help you and you helpme as we both seek to train
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ourselves for godliness?
The only place you're going toget that is in the Christian
community through the localchurch, and it's of immense
value and good.
So practical strategies Startsmall, be consistent, integrate
the disciplines into the dailylife and prioritize worship and
community in your life.
(17:00):
And I can say from my ownpersonal experience, all of
these practices and strategieshave helped me and helped form
me as a Christian, form me as aman of God and help shape and
foster the practices anddisciplines in my life that
train me for godliness.
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So I hope it's an encouragementto you.
But again, let me just remindyou don't aim for perfection
it's not possible this side ofheaven but seek to pursue those
small, faithful steps that leadto growth, that lead to
godliness.
So let me challenge you thisweek choose a discipline to
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focus on, whether it be Bibleintake, scripture reading,
prayer, fasting, worship,solitude pick one.
And in picking one one, focusintently on small, consistent
steps.
Seek to integrate thatdiscipline into your daily life
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and then, after a week, look atthat, see how that's working in
your life and see what progressyou might be making, as
practicing these disciplineswill train you for godliness and
make you more like Jesus.
I hope thinking throughspiritual disciplines and the
training, especially in thebusyness of life, is a helpful
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word to you, is encouragingYou're not discouraged by it and
you're willing to say I'm goingto try this, I'm going to work
towards implementing some ofthese disciplines in my life,
small steps at a time.
Small steps lead to biggersteps and that in the end, this
helps you to glorify God as youreflect Jesus Christ in this
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world.
I want to thank you forlistening to the Pleasing God
Podcast.
If you have any questions, Iwould love to hear from you.
You can reach out at questionsat pleasinggodpodcastorg.
And remember 1 Thessalonians4.3,.
This is the will of God, yoursanctification.
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