Preaching on Spiritual Disciplines

[fredtgreco]

If you were going to preach a series on, or listen to a sermon series on, Spiritual Disciplines, what would you want included in the series?

I am considering a brief (three part) series between my Series on Daniel and a new series on Acts. Right now I am thinking it will be something like "Little Known Spiritual Disciplines". That is, things other than prayer.

I'm curious as to suggestions. Please vote for ONLY THREE of the options.

 

[a mere housewife]

I voted 'other' for prayer.

 

[Andres]

I voted 'other' for prayer.

 

[jrdnoland]

Fred, All are good ideas but what would help me most in my "daily struggles" would be something like "letting go and trusting God". For example, if dealing with health issues or financial issues and you've done everything you could possibly think of there's nothing left (and you should start here) by trusting God and allowing Him to work in your situation.

 

[au5t1n]

I picked daily devotions, fasting, and mortification, but I would have picked prayer if you hadn't excluded it. But I guess 'daily devotions' could be counted as a 'prayer + Scripture' option.

 

[Edward]

Fasting, silence, and prayer.

I can figure out the scriptural basis for all of them except journaling. So that is probably thesermon I'd need the most.

 

[py3ak]

I'd be annoyed to hear a sermon about journaling.

 

[Soonerborn]

voted "other" for prayer.

 

[MW]

Matthew 6, relieving the poor, prayer, and fasting.

 

[py3ak]

For the "other" voters, I would like to highlight a small feature of the original post:

Right now I am thinking it will be something like "Little Known Spiritual Disciplines". That is, things other than prayer.

 

[Edward]

Don't know anything about his congregation, but in most proper prayer is little enough known to merit another sermon to offset the popular culture on the subject.

 

[a mere housewife]

For the "other" voters, I would like to highlight a small feature of the original post:

Right now I am thinking it will be something like "Little Known Spiritual Disciplines". That is, things other than prayer.

Maybe I could change my 'other' vote to 'listening'?

(I'm sorry to have rushed over that: I must have seen 'little known' and missed the rest, as I was thinking that a lot of people do preach on prayer in general, but not so much about consciously living in the presence of God, 'praying without ceasing' -- where even our actions are part of our prayers [edit: specifically I have been thinking lately of the difficulty of even staying in, or keeping a sense of the presence of God when we are every moment so sinful]. I think I have heard it called 'practicising the presence of God' -- I'm not sure if that makes a difference.)

 

[Scott1]

I'm not sure they are little known, but are perhaps little understood:

1) The priority of Lord's Day worship
This could also be an entree for the regulative principle, and explaining individual, family and corporate worship.
(Perhaps use Westminster XXI as a guideline)

2) Stewardship (esp. Tithing/giving)
And its implications with idolatry, suffering and sacrifice as a way of life for the Christian. Use this as an entree to discuss debt, financial bondage, and presumption.

3) Fasting

 

[Andres]

For the "other" voters, I would like to highlight a small feature of the original post:

Right now I am thinking it will be something like "Little Known Spiritual Disciplines". That is, things other than prayer.

oops, my bad. I missed that.

 

[MW]

Sorry to have missed the qualification; still, I can't think of a better trivium than that presented by our Lord.

 

[au5t1n]

Don't know anything about his congregation, but in most proper prayer is little enough known to merit another sermon to offset the popular culture on the subject.

I was thinking this too.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Good poll, Fred.

I picked meditation because I believe that meditation includes Bible study. We must be in the Word to meditate on the Word.

 

[fredtgreco]

Don't know anything about his congregation, but in most proper prayer is little enough known to merit another sermon to offset the popular culture on the subject.

Agreed. Let me make just a couple of points:

1. Prayer as a topic really deserves more than one week in a three week series.
2. I am finishing up Daniel, and I have just preached relatively extensively on prayer in several of the sermons.

 

[ValiantforTruth]

Spiritual disciplines

I would add Scripture memorization. I think it's highly neglected nowadays (especially by me) and used to be much more common among God's people.

 

[Romans922]

I chose fasting (most people just don't get it), mortification (always need a sermon on that), and meditation (people just don't do this). Daily devotions...sure, but many people pray, read, and they are done and they don't meditate on the Word. Just a thought.

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

I chose meditation and fasting, and for "other" I would say "watching" which is the practice of either rising early or staying up late to participate in one or more of the other disciplines--like a fast from sleep.

 

[au5t1n]

I chose fasting (most people just don't get it), mortification (always need a sermon on that), and meditation (people just don't do this). Daily devotions...sure, but many people pray, read, and they are done and they don't meditate on the Word. Just a thought.

Not all that many Christians spend daily time in the Word and prayer, though.

 

[ValiantforTruth]

I would like to listen to this sermon series when you're done, whichever three you choose.

 

[fredtgreco]

I would like to listen to this sermon series when you're done, whichever three you choose.

It will be up on our website:
Christ Church PCA

 

[Edward]

OK, I'll withdraw 'prayer' and change 'other' to 'stewardship'.

 

[bouletheou]

Fred,

I found great help on this subject in Wilhelmus A Brakel's Christian's Reasonable Service, Vol 4. He specifically deals with solitude, including what he calls "inward solitude" and meditation and fasting in ways that are quite helpful, though I think his chapter on fasting was probably the weakest. I rounded it out with some other works which are less sound.

I recently a series of sermons in our evening worship on spiritual meditation, and also a series of articles here:

CHRISTIAN READER: Eat this Book

 

[fredtgreco]

Thanks, Brian! I love aBrakel. I'll give him, and your series a look.

 

[SolaScriptura]

I chose fasting, meditation, and silence & solitude.

Fasting: The concept is almost foreign to Americans, unless we have to do it for 12 hours prior to a medical test. What is the purpose of it? What does it "do?" etc.

Meditation: We have been conditioned to have short attention spans, to listen to soundbytes, and to emote rather than think. Meditation, the art and practice of focusing and thinking over something from all sides, is something that we desperately need. How do we do it? etc...

Silence & Solitude : The world in which we live is fast-paced. How important is it that we "get away" to be silent and alone before God? Why should we do it? How does this differ from a monastic-type withdrawal from society? Etc....

 

[BradyC]

I guess it would really be dependent on the congregation's needs, but I would choose Mortification, Meditation and Fasting...three disciplines that are greatly neglected.

In Christ,
Brady