Spiritual Disciplines Course.

Lesson One: Introduction to the Disciplines (CSG facilitator and leader’s copy)

WELCOME SECTION: Warmly welcome all the people and ask everyone to introduce

(20 mins) Themselves in a unique way! They must think of an adjective

Starting with the same letter as their name that is appropriate.

(eg. Smiling Sam, Jovial John etc..)

Explain that the forthcoming series is on SPIRITUAL

DISCIPLINES - how to effectively LOVE GOD so that

We will effectively LOVE OTHERS (this will be the next

Series – KINGDOM RELATIONSHIPS) as we LOVE

OURSELVES(the third series on THE OVERCOMING LIFE).

WORSHIP SECTION : The worship leader should select songs about seeking the

(30 Mins) Lord regularly (songs to draw people to the place of wanting

to seek God through the Spiritual Disciplines of prayer,fasting,

reading the word etc…)

Suggested songs: My Life Is In You Lord, In Christ Alone,

In Your Presence I Am Content, As The Deer

Allow for the operation of the gifts (prophecy, new song etc.)

WORD SECTION : The facilitator should take the group through the attached

(60 mins) Lesson. Get different people to read through the sections

and any Bible Verses. Stop to discuss as prompted allowing

everyone to get involved (drawing in the quieter ones). If

the discussion is going off track bring it back to the main

topic. Be conscious of the time and pace yourself.

If there are any practical excercises take time to discuss the

Lessons learnt in conjuction with the lesson theme and don’t

allow too much wasted time.

When you’ve finished the lesson have a time of praying

For each other to be more spiritually disciplined.

WORKS SECTION : Pray outwards for unsaved friends , for your neighbourhoods

(10 mins) to have revival, for Singapore as a whole and even for our

missions work in China etc..and other pressing prayerneeds.

Close with offering and benediction. Go and eat…..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spiritual Disciplines Course.

Lesson One: Introduction to the Disciplines (CSG member’s copy)

Speak out this confession all together before going on any further….

I acknowledge that I need God moment to moment in my life.

I acknowledge that it is through His Grace that I receive the strength I need

to face up to all that life brings my way.

I yearn for a deep, intimate relationship with God.

I long to serve Him as best as I can.

I acknowledge that God has created me with a potential, and I wish to fulfil

that potential, with His help.

I acknowledge that the only way I can do this, is to strengthen my

relationship with Him.

I realise that this can only come about through a commitment to God.

I understand that as my relationship with God deepens, the effects will

ripple out to those I come in contact with daily; my friends, my family, my

colleagues, my acquaintances, and those who will be able to see God

revealed through my life.

It is my purpose to reveal God to those around me.

For this reason, because of God's Love for me, and my Love for Him, I

commit myself to a journey of discipline in order to build an intimate

relationship with God.

I commit myself to participating as fully as I am able in this course:

To spending time with God during the week.

To practice that which I learn in a prayerful relationship with God.

To allowing God to stretch me a little as I trust Him and move out of

my "comfort zone".

READ ALOUD TOGETHER Romans 12:1 and Mark 1:35

When we talk about SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES we are thinking of personal quiet times, personal study of the word, fasting , personal worship etc…

Look at the following statements and discuss…

1.God's Grace is unearned and unearnable, we are not trying to win God's love. We are simply putting ourselves in a place where God can change us (so that we can fulfil the potential God has created in us).

2.The Disciplines are a narrow ledge, and we are in danger of falling off either side:

On one side we can fall into absence of human strivings and not do the disciplines at all.

On the other side we can strive for righteousness or to be loved and make the disciplines law.

EXERCISE: Get a plank or some thin ridge that each member can try to walk over balancing themselves as they go. See who is the first to negotiate this tricky balancing act and then discuss what is needed to be balanced in our devotional lives (in the light of the above)

The difficulties of the disciplines are:

Read out the following…

Practically: We don't know how to explore the inward life, we don't know how to pray, fast, meditate, etc. These practices are no longer a familiar part of our lives.

Philosophically: People doubt their ability to reach beyond the physical world. We have been too influenced by modern philosophical thinking.

Give one of the following points to a different member and ask them to explain their point giving any testimonies etc…

The danger of the Disciplines are:

The temptation to turn the Disciplines into Law.

The failure to grasp the social implications of the Disciplines (outside results)

To view the Disciplines as virtuous in themselves.

To centre on the Disciplines rather than on Christ.

The tendency to isolate and elevate one Discipline to exclude or neglect the others.

To think that the Disciplines exhaust the means of God's Grace.

The temptation to study the Disciplines without experiencing them.

Exercise: Finish the lesson by giving the group the following ‘homework’…..

During your "intimate" (special) times with God you may want to use the following Bible readings as your focus (or you can continue using any material you may already be using). Use them in any order you want, and spend as long as you need on each

one (even if you spend the whole week on one verse!):

Reading

Psalm 42 – The Longing to go deeper.

Psalm 51 – The slavery to ingrained habits.

Philippians 3: 1-6 – The bankruptsy of outward righteousness.

Ephesians 6: 10-20 – The victory of Spiritual Discipline.

Main Next

E-mail Webmaster (Tim Gibson)