Monday, January 06, 2020

How Christ Grows in Us


For me and Linda, this is what we were taught our spiritual life should look like. This is how we Christ grows in us. 


VERY SMALL GROUP: We take time, daily, to meet alone with God.

SMALL GROUP: We have been part of a small group every year of our married life, and even before we were married. We meet weekly with our small group to discuss the Bible, share, and pray together.

LARGE GROUP: We never miss gathering in the large group on Sunday mornings. We were taught Hebrews 10:25, and had this modeled for us by other Jesus-followers.

This is not the time to pull away 
and neglect meeting together, 
as some have formed the habit of doing, 
because we need each other! 
In fact, 
we should come together even more frequently, 
eager to encourage and urge each other onward 
as we anticipate that day dawning.
(Passion translation)

We do these three things, over and over and over, now closing in on fifty years!

VERY SMALL GROUP - SMALL GROUP - LARGE GROUP - VERY SMALL GROUP - SMALL GROUP - LARGE GROUP

From these three, ongoing spiritual practices, we gain discernment, and grow in Christlikeness (we're not all the way there yet!). 

Out of the God-and-community connection, we are led to go into our culture, in obedience, as salt and light. We see our "doing" as relevant and powerful, because it emerges out of our "being," out of Christ, the hope of glory, in us.

***
I write about these things in my two books:

Leading the Presence-Driven Churchand

Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.

And, in the book I am now writing: How God Changes the Human Heart