Disciplines of a Disciple
Have you ever attempted to make a significant change in your life and struggled to stick with it? Maybe you started a Bible in a year reading plan, got halfway through Leviticus and then gave up? Many of us can exercise some level of discipline for a time, but eventually the ball gets dropped and often times we find ourselves right back where we started…only with a bunch of shame weighing us down, making it that much harder to try again.
Throughout this series we’re going to be digging into spiritual disciplines, the spiritual practices of Jesus and His followers, because these things aren’t just a box to check or an item on a list to cross off. These disciplines create room for spiritual transformation, for intimacy with God, and to grow to maturity in Christ.
Spiritual disciplines are not something we have to do, they should be something we enjoy doing because we desire to look more and more like Jesus.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Kingdom Stewardship, Part 2
Pastor Rob Rogers | October 16, 2022
This morning Pastor Rob wrapped up the Disciplines of a Disciple series by talking about what it means to be faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us. We do this by living submitted to God, living simply, and living generously.
These practices that we’ve talked about throughout this series aren’t about earning something from God, but about delighting yourself in King Jesus, and living fully in the life of His Kingdom.
Our encouragement to you is to listen to the Lord and ask Him what areas He’s wanting you to grow in, and be intentional about them.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Kingdom Stewardship, Part 1
Pastor Rob Rogers | October 9, 2022
In Kingdom Stewardship, Part 1, Pastor Rob explains the importance of understanding what Jesus means when He speaks about the Kingdom of God and how it impacts every single aspect of our lives.
As followers of Christ, we need to know and understand what this Kingdom is so we can align ourselves with King Jesus, and measure success the same way He does. To live according to His value system, His will, His priorities, and His commands.
If we’re going to see change in our world, we first have to honestly assess which kingdom is dominating our values, priorities, and decision-making, and if it isn’t the Kingdom of God, we need to turn back to Him.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Missional Living
Pastor David Green | September 25, 2022
This morning Pastor David walked us through what it looks like to live on mission in a healthy way, which really means that you’re doing and saying what God tells you to do and say. Period. Oftentimes we say we want to live on mission, but we don’t want it to interfere with our comfort, our finances, and a whole list of other things. But if you are living on mission your life should and will look different. In fact, if you want your life to look like Jesus there will be a cost, but the cost of not living on mission is far greater.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Biblical Community, Part 2
Pastor Rob Rogers | September 18, 2022
This morning Pastor Rob talked about the disciplines of hospitality and confession and the importance of incorporating them into our lives.
Recognizing that it was our sin that put Jesus on the cross and that He bore the wrath of God on Himself so that we could be freed, chosen, given new life, and welcomed into His family, compels us to confess our sins, and to biblical hospitality by welcoming people into our lives and treating them as family.
All hospitality costs something, but the hospitality of Jesus cost Him everything. He gladly laid it down for us. Let that truth sink in and motivate you to do for others what He first did for you.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Biblical Community, Part 1
Pastor Jimmy Harris | September 11, 2022
This morning Pastor Jimmy continued the Disciplines of the Disciple series with a powerful message on the importance of Biblical Community. Before the fall of man, the only thing that God said was not good in the entire universe was man being alone.
God created us to be in relationship with others! The enemy of our souls would love nothing more than for us to feel alone, anxious, and depressed, because he knows he can’t defeat the Church, but he can try to take us out one by one. That’s why we desperately need to be in deep abiding community with fellow believers beyond Sunday mornings where we are honest with one another, truly know each other and still love each other.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Private Devotion, Part 2
Pastor Rob Rogers | September 4, 2022
In part three of the Disciplines of a Disciple series, Pastor Rob dove deeper into the disciplines of solitude, prayer, and fasting. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the solitary place, and Jesus continued to return there over and over again. We have no idea how to do this because our pace of life is so fast, we’re distracted, we’re all addicted to our phones, and we have a million excuses for why we can’t get alone with God. The purpose of all of these private devotion practices is to teach us how to slow down, eliminate distractions, and look to God. We want to be conformed into the image of Jesus–to be made like Him and do what He did.
Disciplines of a Disciple // Private Devotion, Part 1
Pastor Rob Rogers | August 28, 2022
In part two of the Disciplines of a Disciple series, Pastor Rob went deeper into private devotion and the disciplines of reading Scripture and keeping the Sabbath. It can be hard for us to make time for these things, but they are a gift for us to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord. Rather than getting in the Word because you feel like you have to, allow your reading of the Scriptures to draw you into conversation with God. Be expectant that God wants to speak to you. The Sabbath is a day specifically to commune with God, and to enjoy the family and friends He has given you. It is a way of reordering your life around six days of productivity and one day of resting in and delighting in God. If you’re going to really press into establishing a Sabbath rhythm of work and rest, and intentional time in the Word with the Lord, it means you’re probably going to have to say no to some things that you’re currently doing. Spend some time seeking God this week on what He may want you to say “no” to in order to prioritize private devotion with Him.
Disciplines of a Disciple // An Invitation to Life
Pastor Rob Rogers | August 21, 2022
Have you struggled to make time for things like reading your Bible or prayer? Or maybe you do make time, but it’s just a rushed 10 minutes in the morning so that you can check off that box? When it comes to spiritual disciplines we often focus more on accomplishing the task than the reason we’re actually doing it, but these aren’t practices we need to keep up in order to be saved, or in order for God to be pleased with us.
Jesus invites us into these disciplines the way He does in Matthew 11:28–30 when He says to learn from Me, and you will find rest. He’s inviting us into living freely, and lightly. Spiritual disciplines are not something we have to do, they should be something we enjoy doing because we desire to look more and more like Jesus.