Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See the overview, sorrow, accountability, the church, radical measures, gratitude, confession, humility, spiritual disciplines, Scripture intake, Scripture intake 2, and prayer.

Worship

“12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:12-17)

Definition: Worship is appropriately focusing on and responding to the worthy God

What is the passage saying?

Along with many other truths, this passage illuminates several key ideas concerning worship:

1. Worship is fueled by revelation (16a: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”)

2. Worship involves response (“teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”)

A. This must be internal (“with thankfulness in your hearts to God”)

B. This can be external (teaching, admonishing, singing, word, or deed)

C, This can be individually (“whatever you do”) or corporately (“one another”)

How is it connected to grace?

• God graciously reveals himself to us and calls us to respond (in Creation, in Scripture, in Christ himself)
• God graciously changes our hearts to worship him and not ourselves (Rom 1:19-23)
• God graciously changes us into the image of the one we worship (Heb 13:20-21)

What will it look like in my life? (How does that actually help me change?)

Example: Your friend sits next to you regularly in church. You try not to be distracted, but you can’t help but lose concentration when he seems more interested in his phone than in the service. There is little to no singing. When the Scripture is read or prayer is made, you can actually feel the restlessness creeping down the pew. The listening to the preaching begins well, but soon the Bible on their phone is switched out to check on other pressing matters involving Facebook, Twitter, Fruit Ninja, and Weather. When you talk about church with him, you regularly hear, “I just never get anything out of it. I’m just not being fed.” How do you think a proper attitude of worship might change his following of Christ?

Example 2: Your friend reads her Bible regularly but she seems bored. It is a duty. There is no joy in doing it. What change in mindset could transform her personal time in the Word?

Steps

• Put yourself in the place to receive revelation (reading, listening, come to services,
• Prepare your mind to accept the revelation (pray, anticipate, get sleep the night before, pray before you come, listen, actively think through what is being said)
• Be ready to respond to the revelation (prayer, song, words, and deeds. Pray God’s words back to him, sing to him and about him sincerely)

What can I Do?

• What is your attitude about putting yourself in the place to receive revelation? (personal reading, corporate gatherings, etc)
• What is one thing you could do in order to prepare your mind to accept the revelation?
• What is one step you could take to respond to revelation that incorporates your accountability partners or mentor?

“There are some graces and blessings that God gives only in the “meeting together” with other believers” (Whitney, 92).

 Resources:

Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See the overview, sorrow, accountability, the church, radical measures, gratitude, confession, humility, spiritual disciplines, Scripture intake, and Scripture intake 2.

Prayer (Heb 4:14-16)

There is much to be said about this topic! In this post I hope to give just a brief overview of how prayer is a tool God uses to change us.

“14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16)

What is the passage saying?

Briefly summarizing this incredible passage, we must see that because of Jesus’ work:

1. We can, and we must, persevere in our faith (14-15)

• If we do, we will enter the promised rest (ch 4)
• If we do not, we will not enter the rest (4:1) (for a complete study of these warning passages, see Schreiner, Thomas R., and Ardel B. Caneday. The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001)

2. We can, and we must, go before our caring high priest (16)

• If we do, we will receive mercy and grace to help in time of need
• This is one of God’s means for keeping us till the end

How is it connected to grace?

• Prayer is a gracious gift. From the viewpoint of our sinfulness this is not a right we have in our own self. It is an extremely valuable privilege. Viewed from our standing in Christ, we have all liberty to go before the throne of grace.
• Prayer is God’s means of bestowing gracious gifts such as: Perseverance, Mercy, Grace, Help…

How might God use prayer to bestow these gifts? God uses prayer to change me by:

• Focusing my attention on God rather than my problem
• Focusing my attention on truth rather than lies
• Focusing my attention on others rather than myself

Prayer is a way God get’s our eyes in the right place. Remember Peter and his short walk on the water (Matt 14:22-33)? What was the cause of his sudden sinking? He took his eyes off of Jesus. One application we can make from that passage is that when our eyes are on the problem in front of us, the circumstances we are in, or the fear in us, we sink. We may flounder in discouragement or depression. We may thrash about in a “works righteousness” attitude or an “I can do it on my own” mentality. Either way we are sinking, and it is because our eyes are in the wrong place. Prayer is a means God uses to change that.

What will it look like in my life? (How does that actually help me change?)

Example: You have noticed the life literally drain out of your friend over the past few months. It is nothing new. It actually happens every year about this time. Her eyes grow dark, her conversations few, her temper short. When you have talked with her about it in the past she has said, “I’m just under a lot of stress right now. School, work, and family things are weighing me down. I’m sort of a perfectionist, so I just need to get these responsibilities wrapped up and I will be fine.” But she is hurting, you can tell. This time has gone farther. It seems as though depression has slipped in and locked the door. What can you do?

Steps: Obviously the answer has many facets, but one area that can change your friend’s outlook is encouraging her to go before her caring high priest. She can, and she must:

• Pray Scripture
• Pray Consistently
• Pray Specifically

What can I Do?

1. Realistically, is prayer a part of your everyday life?
2. What may be something that you need to replace with prayer?
3. What could your mentor and accountability partners do in order to encourage you in this?

“It’s not cheating to pray Scripture” (Kevin DeYoung)

Resources:

Prayer Mate (app): for a limited time this app is free for iOS and Android. Both Crystal and I have found this to be a helpful way to pray consistently and pray specifically.

DeYoung, Kevin. “How to Pray Using Scripture.” Association of Biblical Counselors.

Kerr, Tim. Take Words With You: Scripture Promises & Prayers. 4th Edition., 2013.

Whitney, Donald S. “Chapter Four: Prayer.” In Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 65–84. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997.

Williams, Jarvis. “Acting the Miracle in the Everyday: Word of God, the Means of Grace, and the Practical Pursuit of Gospel Maturity.” In Acting the Miracle: God’s Work and Ours in the Mystery of Sanctification, edited by John Piper and David Mathis, 89–105. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.

Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.

This is a guest post by Joshua De Leon. Here he walks through principles found in Whitney’s book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Immersing Ourselves in Truth, Part 1

Reading the Bible will not change you! It is God’s grace that transforms you when you immerse yourself in the truth of God’s Word! We do need to read the Bible, but more importantly, we need to understand the reason for a disciplined lifestyle of Bible reading. The answer is found in John 17:17

John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

Sanctification – literally means, “to make holy; set apart from ungodly things.” This does not mean “different.” Not all different is good. We are set apart from what is ungodly to be like Christ!

What is this Passage Saying?

1.  I am made holy by God – God is the one who sanctifies us! (John 17:17; Acts 26:16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11;  Gal 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Jude 1:24; Heb 2:11)
2. I am set apart in Truth – God’s Word is the instrument of sanctification! (Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:13; Luke 11:28; Revelation 1:3; Matthew 4:4)

How is this connected to grace?

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”) When we expose ourselves to God’s Word, we open ourselves up to receive His grace to change and to make changes.

What steps can I take?

• Discipline yourself to hear God’s Word – attend a Bible-believing and teaching church
• Discipline yourself to read God’s Word – use a Bible plan; mark what you’ve read
• Discipline yourself to study God’s Word – the only difference here is a pen and paper

What does this look like?

1. Desiring God’s Word Intensely – 2 Timothy 4:13
2. Searching God’s Word Consistently – Acts 17:10-11
3. Living God’s Word Faithfully – Ezra 7:10

R.C. Sproul – “Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.” (Knowing Scripture, 17)

“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t.” – Mark Twain

Reading the Bible won’t make you stop sinning. Reading the Bible won’t change you. God is the one who changes you and transforms you by His grace to become more like Christ when you immerse yourself in the truth of God’s Word!

Resources:

Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight

Spiritual Disciplines (1Tim 4:6-10)

Growing up we would go out to Montana to see relatives and stay at my grandparents cabin near Big Sky. One of our favorite things to do was to look for arrowheads. When we would be hiking along a mountain trail my dad would often stoop down and point out shiny, well-cut arrowhead laying on top of the dirt and rocks. I decided that I wanted to be the one to find them first so I would walk ahead on the trail. But I never found any. It was only when I was following my dad would I find arrowheads. Why do you think that is? The answer is pretty simple – he was the one laying them down. I couldn’t find any arrowheads because I was not in the right place to find them. I needed to be behind my dad and look where he was pointing.

In a similar (yet less “deceptive”!) way, God has provided real pathways to an infinitely greater treasure – a fullness of joy in Him. When we place ourself on the path He has laid out and look where He is pointing, He promises that we will experience that Treasure. So, I must choose to put myself in the pathway of blessing.

In 1 Tim 4:6-10, Paul tells Timothy, “6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

What is the passage saying?

Among many other important things, there are two truths that we must see here:

1. I cannot grow in holiness apart from disciplined living (7-8, 10a; cf. Titus 2:11-14)

2. I cannot grow in holiness apart from God’s grace (10; cf. Titus 2:11-14; 1 Cor 15:10; Col 1:29)

How is it connected to grace?

• God gives the grace to live a disciplined life
• God graciously blesses me by making me more like His Son when I live a disciplined life

What will it look like in my life? (How does that actually help me change?)

Example: Eric has stalled out in his spiritual growth. He can remember times in his life when he was growing, turning from sin, and happy in his relationship with Christ. He isn’t in one of those times now. Sin is easy. Saying “no” isn’t. He doesn’t want to read his Bible. He doesn’t pray. He can easily spend 3 hours online, on his phone, or on the computer but never has time to memorize Scripture. Sunday mornings he can’t seem to get up in order to make it to church, and when the smallest hint of homework or extra hours at work comes his way, his time gathered with other believers around the Word is the first thing to go. He wants to want to grow. What do you tell someone like this?

Steps

Act. (This is not a “let go, and let God” idea. It is biblical. God expects us to act. We know that it is by His grace that we do so, but He still calls us to obey.)

1. on God’s promise of grace
2. by doing what God promises to bless – we call them “Spiritual Disciplines”

• Reading your Bible
• Meditating on its truths
• Memorizing its words
• Praying to its Author
• Meeting with His people
• Singing about Him
• Etc.

“Isn’t that hypocritical?” Let me ask you this, “Do you want to want to be like Christ?” If yes, then it isn’t hypocritical. Rather, you are seeking to put yourself in the path to experience the fullness of joy – Jesus!

Imagine I were to take you to a concert hall, sports arena, Olympic stadium, or Broadway stage. I point out someone in front and tell you, “that is you in ten years. You may not feel like you are making any progress in your pursuits right now, but you will. Keep training.” Would that encourage you to train, or discourage you? Would it then be hypocritical for us to say, “I don’t feel like practicing today and I would rather be doing something that gives me instant gratification. However, I want to excel and grow so I am going to keep practicing.” I don’t think so. In the same way, we are directed to the life of Jesus and we are told, “That is what you will be like one day. It is sure. He will make it so. Keep training” (1 John 3:1-3). (See D. Whitney’s book for this illustration)

What can I Do?

• Did Eric’s story sound like yours?
• What are you neglecting right now that is keeping you away from the path of blessing?
• What could your mentor and accountability partners encourage you to do?

 “…typically the grace that sends our roots deepest, truly grows us up in Christ, and produces lasting spiritual maturity, streams from the ordinary and unspectacular paths of fellowship, prayer, and Bible intake in its many forms.” (D. Mathis)

Resources

Part of the “How Can I Change?” series. See parts one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven

Humility (Jas 3:13-18)

“13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

What is the passage saying?

1. Two sets of actions

• Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (14)
• Good conduct and humility (13)

2. Motivated by Two types of wisdom

• Hellish Wisdom (15)
• Heavenly Wisdom (17-18)

3. Leading to Two destinations

• Hellish Wisdom leads to disorder and vile practice (16)
• Heavenly Wisdom leads to righteousness and peace (18)

I envision this as a road. You are either heading one direction or the other on the road. At either end you have the destinations. The way you are moving are your actions. The motivations come from above or below.

I can tell which wisdom I am living out by evaluating where I am right now. Do others shy away from me because I am always right and trying to get ahead? Do others seek me out and find it easy to share their struggles with me and ask for help? Do those closest to me see me giving of myself to love them? Is my language riddled with “Me,” “My,” “I,” and “Myself”?

How is it connected to grace?

• Heavenly wisdom comes down from above (15) as a good gift of the Father (1:16-18) to those who ask (1:5-8)
• Humbly serving others is something I begin to do when I consider Christ (Phil 2:1-11)

What will it look like in my life? (How does that actually help me change?)

Example: Garret is never wrong. If someone points out to Garret that he may be wrong, Garret can prove the accuser wrong. No one would call Garret mean or awful, but he is not humble. As he looks around, Garret begins to realize that his life is full of pride, selfishness, and self-vindication. He is beginning to realize that he is destroying his relationships all around him. If you were Garret, what could you do to live by heavenly wisdom and cultivate humility? How would those help you change in your pursuit of godliness?

Steps

• Recognize my position (sinner)
• Recognize my savior (Jesus Christ)
• Recognize my opportunities (serve others)

What can I Do?

• Would the people closest to you describe your life as one lived according to hellish or heavenly wisdom?
• What would your mentor say?
• Come up with 3 ways to serve others in humility this week and put them into action. Include your accountability partners.

“It’s only when you rightly understand that selfish ambition is at the root of your … sin that the full power of grace will be set loose in your life to change you” (Lambert, Finally Free, 110).

Resources: