Discipline is defined as "training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior."

OUR PURPOSE

WHAT DO SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES LOOK LIKE? 1 Timothy 4:7………“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”

The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times.

They are not attitudes. Disciplines are practices They are not attitudes. Disciplines are practices. Spiritual disciplines are things you do. They are not character qualities. They are not graces. They are not the fruit of the Spirit. They are things you do.

The Discipline of Prayer Is the Discipline of Prayer Working in You? Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

The Discipline of Prayer Is the Discipline of Prayer Working in You? Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

The Discipline of Repentance Is it working in you? Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, Acts 3:19

The Discipline of Study Is the Discipline of Study working in You? Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

The Discipline of Solitude Is the Discipline of Solitude Working in You? And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

The Discipline of Fasting Is the Discipline of Fasting Working in You? Mathew 6

The Discipline of Surrender Is the Discipline of Surrender Working in You? Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

The Discipline of Gratitude Is the Discipline of Gratitude Working in You? ….give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times.

1) First, the Bible prescribes both personal and interpersonal spiritual disciplines. There are those spiritual disciplines that we practice alone and those that we practice with other Christians. So, for example, we are to pray alone. That is a personal spiritual discipline. We are also to pray with the church. That is an interpersonal or congregational spiritual discipline.

2) A second characteristic of spiritual disciplines is that they are activities. They are not attitudes. Disciplines are practices. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES ARE THINGS YOU DO. They are not character qualities. They are not graces. They are not the fruit of the Spirit. THEY ARE THINGS YOU DO.

1 Timothy 4:7………“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”

Strictly speaking, joy is not a spiritual discipline Strictly speaking, joy is not a spiritual discipline. That is the fruit or the result of discipline done rightly. So it is that distinction between doing and being. And the spiritual disciplines are about doing. YOU CAN DO THEM AS A PHARISEE. YOU CAN DO THEM WRONGLY MOTIVATED. BUT RIGHTLY MOTIVATED, THEY ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE TO DO IN ORDER TO BE LIKE JESUS, TO BE WITH JESUS.

3) A third descriptor of the SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES is that we are talking about THINGS THAT ARE PRACTICES TAUGHT OR MODELED IN THE BIBLE. The reason that is important is otherwise we leave ourselves open to calling anything we want a spiritual discipline. So someone might say: Gardening is a spiritual discipline for me, or exercise is one of my spiritual disciplines, or any other hobby or pleasurable habit they could call a spiritual discipline.

4) A fourth characteristic of spiritual disciplines is that those found in Scripture are sufficient for knowing and experiencing God and for growing in Christlikeness. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

5) A fifth description of spiritual disciplines is that they are derived from the gospel, not divorced from the gospel. Rightly practiced, the spiritual disciplines take us deeper into the glories of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not away from it as though we have moved on to some advanced level of Christianity. “The gospel is the ABCs. Now let’s get into the really deep things of God, the spiritual disciplines.” No, the spiritual disciplines are derived from the gospel, not divorced from it, and they only take us deeper into an understanding of the gospel.

6) And the last characteristic of the spiritual disciplines is that THEY ARE MEANS AND NOT ENDS. The end, that is, THE PURPOSE OF PRACTICING THE DISCIPLINES IS GODLINESS. “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7). And so we are not godly just because we practice the spiritual disciplines. That was the great error of the Pharisees. They felt by doing these things they were godly. NO, THEY ARE MEANS TO GODLINESS. RIGHTLY MOTIVATED, THEY ARE THE MEANS TO GODLINESS.