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Train Yourself to Be Godly

General Overview

Notes and Overview
Power Point slides

Other Resources

Loving God Through the Disciplines
My Heart Christ's Home

39644: Christian Disciplines Christian Disciplines
By Oswald Chambers

Covers six disciplines---divine guidance, suffering, peril, prayer, loneliness, and patience.

Inward Disciplines

Meditation

Notes from MeditationDevotional Log (Meditation)
Meditation ppt

217250: Meditation Meditation
By James Downing

Study

Discipline of Study
Study Log
Study powerpoint
Class notes
General Bible Quiz: Old Testament

Answer Key to Bible Quiz 
Scripture Typer Bible Memory Verses

Fasting

Notes on Fasting
References on Fasting
Devotional Log (Fasting)
Fasting ppt
085547: God"s Chosen Fast God's Chosen Fast
By Arthur Wallis

Prayer

Discipline of Prayer
39067: If You Will Ask If You Will Ask
By Oswald Chambers

063008: A Praying Life A Praying Life
By Paul E. Miller

Outward Disciplines

Simplicity

Notes from Simplicity
Quotes from Freedom of Simplicity
Steps to De-clutter
Devotional Log (Simplicity) 
Simplicity Inventory Assignment
Simplicity ppt
15-Day Clutter-Free Challenge by Proverbs 31 Ministries

Solitude

Discipline of Solitude
Notes from Solitude 2012
 I Needed the Quiet
Devotional Log (Solitude)
Session 6 Solitude ppt
Who's Talking?

Solitude Power Point 2013
Solitude class notes p. 1
class notes p.2
class notes p. 3
Solitude Log
Excerpt on Solitude from God is My Delight
438841: God Is My Delight God Is My Delight
By W. Phillip Keller

Service

Discipline of Service

Corporate Disciplines

Confession

Notes on Confession
Devotional Log (Confession)
Confession ppt

Worship

Discipline of Worship

Guidance

Discipline of Guidance
Guidance Power Point
Guidance Log

Praise

Discipline of Praise (p.1) 
page 2

The Danger of the Spiritual Disciplines

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I Timothy 4:7-8
Train yourself to be godly, for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.We want to feel closer to God.
  • We want to live more holy lives.
  • We want victory over a particular sin or habit.
  • We feel convicted over our lack of prayer and Bible study.
  • We resolve at the beginning of the year/month/week to do ____.

  • There are many reasons people want to jump into the spiritual disciplines, and while the motives above all sound good, the person who thinks the disciplines will accomplish those goals will be bitterly disappointed.  Instead of getting them closer to their desires, the goals will eventually turn into a burdensome list, and each failure to measure up will put one deeper in the hole. There is further disappointment when an increase in Bible study and prayer (or any other discipline) fails to remove the besetting sin or ingrained weakness it was supposed to get rid of.  Worse yet is the person who increases their practice of the disciplines and doesn't see any real change in their character, yet thinks they are doing so much better because of their increased discipline. 


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The problem isn't in the disciplines, however.  The problem is in us!  Imagine if your car broke down on the side of the road, and you were pretty sure the problem was the transmission.  When the tow truck arrives, you expect it to fix your transmission so you can be on your way.  What?  It is not equipped to fix your car?  How useless is that?!  Why did you even call the tow truck?!  
Actually, you didn't expect the tow truck to fix your car.  The purpose of the tow truck is to get you to the Mechanic.  He is the one equipped to fix the car.  In the same way, only our Father can cleanse us, make us holy, grow us in grace, and change us into His likeness.  
To the one who wants to get to the Mechanic, He says--come and talk to me (prayer and fasting), listen to what I have to say (solitude, meditation, study), tell me where you are and what you have done (confession), let go of everything else (simplicity), trust me (guidance), learn my ways (service and submission) and rejoice in Me (worship and celebration).  
The spiritual disciplines are the tow truck to bring us to the Mechanic, into His workshop--but He is the one doing the work.  The goal is not better performance, but closer relationship.  As the relationship grows closer, the "better performance" is a result.  
Attempts to use the spiritual disciplines to "measure up," change ourselves, or make ourselves feel like better Christians will put us squarely in danger of being self-deceived, modern day Pharisees, whom Jesus called white-washed tombs--pretty on the outside, but inwardly full of dead men's bones. 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

Quick Links Index

​Able to Teach
All These Died in Faith (.pdf booklet)
Am I Saved or Am I Lost (.pdf booklet)
Best Bible Reading Plan
Best Bible Resources for Kids
​
Bible History Timeline
Bible Discovery Guides
Blog
Connect the Dots of the Old Testament
Devotional Articles
Easy Bible Timeline
​
Encouraging Verses
Ephesus
Esther
GROW Study: Overview of what they are
GROW Study: Bible Skills
GROW Study: Genesis 1-12
GROW Study: Genesis 12-50
GROW Study: Wilderness Training
GROW Study: Tabernacle
GROW Study: Life of Jesus
GROW Study: Book of Acts
Hand of God (Seminar)
Helps for the Teacher
​How Long Each Book Takes to Listen Thru 
How to Keep a Proverbs Notebook
​I Love to Tell the Story (seminar)
Isaiah Overview
Jeremiah Overview
​Jesus, Messiah (seminar)
Kings and Prophets 1: Turning the Hearts
Kings and Prophets 2: Comfort My People
Kings and Prophets Overview
Kings and Prophets Simplified Timeline
Knowing the Savior

Lamb of God
Last Kings of Judah overview
Moses: Humble Servant of God
Parables
Proverbs by the Dozen (.pdf booklets)
Revelation
​Songbird Scriptures video
Story of the Bible
Strategies of Satan
Teaching Closet (resources for Bible Teachers)
The Holy Scriptures
Train Yourself to Be Godly (Spiritual Disciplines)
Treasures from the Sand
Why Canaan is Important (seminar)
Women’s Retreat: Green Leaves in Times of Drought
Women’s Retreat: The Cry of My Heart
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