Spiritual Life | Prescription for a Dull Spiritual Life
Manage episode 421650696 series 3331386
PRESCRIPTION FOR A DULL SPIRITUAL LIFE
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
June 2, 2024
#god #realspringcreekchurch #prescriptionforadullspirituallife #prescription #spirituallife #connect #grow #serve
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/
Is your spiritual life not what it used to be? Has the fire gone out? The hunger you once felt for the things of God, is it growing or has your appetite been diminished? Believe it or not, people experience dullness in their spiritual life for very predictable reasons. It doesn’t have to be that way. On Sunday (June 2), Pastor Keith will walk us through the root causes of spiritual dullness and explain God’s prescription for a growing, vital and life-giving connection to Christ. This may be the most important message you will hear this year.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Richard Swenson in his book Margin talks about many different kinds of overload. From the list below, which of these forms feel the most relevant to you right now?
• Activity overload
• Change overload
• Choice overload
• Commitment overload
• Debt overload
• Expectation overload
• Information overload
• Media overload
• Noise overload
• Fatigue overload
Guide the group through the following prayer exercise. Close your eyes and spend a minute or two in silence, calling to mind some kind of image that represents the limit that you are struggling to accept. Now, imagine Jesus walking up to you. Slowly imagine yourself handing Him that object, and with it, your finiteness in that area. How does He respond? Take some time in silence imagining His response.
2. What practices have you adopted, presently or in the past, to facilitate life with God? Which were “upstream” (challenging, but good for you) and which were “downstream” (easy for you and your personality)? What time of day and what space works best for you to spend time alone with God?
3. What current habits in your life are moving you toward the goals of being with, becoming like, and doing what Jesus does? What current habits and rhythms are getting in the way? What is one daily rhythm that you’re excited about adding? What is one weekly rhythm that you know you need to add?
4. The three spheres of spiritual growth or what Pastor Keith referred to as Christ’s sacred rhythm, are growing, connecting and serving. It’s time to do a spiritual check-up. Where are you strongest and where are you weakest? In what ways did today’s message challenge you to devote more time to the area where you have room for growth?
5. The spiritual disciplines are all various ways of creating space for God in your life. Which disciplines have you tried and what has been your experience? Which ones have you never tried? How has God met you during your engagement with the spiritual disciplines?
RESOURCES
BOOK - Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
For more information on developing a rule of life and use of the spiritual disciplines
(https://www.practicingtheway.org)
Two booklets – How to Unhurry and Rule of Life can be downloaded from Springcreek’s resource page (https://www.springcreekchurch.org/resources)
Pastor Keith’s prior teaching on spiritual growth can be heard here (https://www.youtube.com/@RealSpringcreekChurch) In particular, listen to the following series, The Way, Rooted, Discipleship, Prayer, Ghost.
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