6 Spiritual Practices

Are You Seeking to Grow Closer to God and to Love others more? There are 6 spiritual disciplines which are essential for our faith development! Even if one of these six practices is missing there will be a gaping hole in your ability to fulfill Jesus’ greatest command to love God and others more.

        Tools for Loving God…                                                   Tools for Loving Others…

          1. Personal Devotion                                                                 4. Serve/Witness

         2. Corporate Worship                                                               5. Vital Relationships

         3. Sacrificial Giving                                                                   6. Personal Development

 

Loving God Fully… Matt 22:36-38

1) PERSONAL DEVOTION

Personal Devotion is our quality time with God each day and unless we spend time with God we can never truly learn to love God.

Examples of devotion, scriptural reflection and prayer:

  • Pray through the Psalms each day
  • Journal daily
  • Use a devotional daily ie: Upper Room
  • Fast weekly
  • Memorize favorite scripture verses

 

2) CORPORATE WORSHIP

Worshipping Together is essential to loving God more

 

Examples of passionate worship:

  • Attend church weekly
  • Take Holy Communion
  • Be baptized
  • Sing praise songs
  • Listen to worship music
  • Attend a spiritual retreat

 

3) SACRIFICIAL GIVING

Sacrificial Giving is a practical expression of our love for Jesus. Giving is typically the last hold out in our walk with God. We give everything else over to Jesus but our checkbook.

Examples of tithing my income and living life simply, generously and sacrificially:

  • Follow the 10-10-80 plan of tithing 10% , savings 10%, and spending 80% of my income
  • Attend Financial Peace University or Crown Financial class
  • Make a yearly financial commitment to the church
  • Create a personal budget
  • Clean out and give away the clutter in my home and work space
  • Donate clothes to the Clothing Bank

 

Loving Others as Yourself… John 13:34-35

4) SERVE WITNESS

Serve/Witness is the practical expression of our love for others. Unless we are serving and witnessing we are not living out our faith in real and practical ways.

Examples for faithfully Serving/Witnessing

  • Make a commitment to serve in a primary and secondary ministry found in our Serve/Witness Catalog
  • Serve a ministry through prayer, financial support, donation of supplies, giving your time, or going on a mission trip
  • Sponsor a child
  • Go on a local, national or international mission trip
  • Pray with five people to accept Christ
  • Invite your family, friends and neighbors to church each week and record their names and dates

 

5) VITAL RELATIONSHIPS

Vital Relationships are THE primary tools for faith development.  Through Vital Relationships we learn to hold each other accountable, support each other and confess to one another. If you don’t do anything else – DO THIS!

Examples for Vital Relationships

  • Join a LifeGroup or Covenant Group
  • Attend a class, Pizza with the Pastor, Support group, a Women’s or Men’s ministry event
  • Set aside time with family and friends
  • Take Classes during our Fall Winter/Spring and Summer semesters

 

6) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Personal Development is a way for us to love ourselves the way God loves us. Through Personal Development we learn to care for our bodies, challenge our minds and address our destructive behaviors. If we are not living healthy, learning more and dealing with our sin we cannot become more and more like Jesus

Examples of Personal Development:

  • Physical: Exercise at least 3-5 times a week; Get a physical; Get plenty of sleep and rest
  • Mental: Continuing education, Trainings / Seminars / Workshops, Set yearly career goals, Create a reading list
  • Emotional: Examine and confess my sins daily; Practice stress-reducing habits; Spend time with people that are optimistic, content and positive; Say “no”