The Disciplines as the Christ Life.

Why Spiritual Disciplines?

           At Heritage, we are "making disciples here and around the world." But what is a disciple? To answer that question, our elders have designed a wheel that defines discipleship for our congregation. In alphabetical order, those disciplines that create a disciple are:

·      Community Groups

·      Evangelism

·      Giving

·      Mentoring

·      Prayer

·      Scripture

·      Service

·      Sunday Worship

Each of these spiritually forming practices will be discussed in depth later; however, first, let's explain why the disciplines are essential.
 

1.    Everyone Is Being Formed

Every day of your life, something is shaping you, forming you, into something, into someone. It is happening whether you know it or not, whether you are paying or not, whether you like it or not. In Desiring the Kingdom, James K. A. Smith reminds us that we are shaped by patterns, habits, and the stories we inhabit. As human beings, we are defined not only by what we think, but also by the customs, routines, and practices that fill our lives and shape our loves. In short, we are what we love, and what we love is evidenced by how we live.

               Smith observes that no place on earth is neutral. Every cultural institution tells and sells a story. The mall not only sells products; it narrates a vision of the good life. The classroom not only imparts information; it forms a worldview. The stadium not only hosts games; it enacts a drama of glory and belonging. The television not only entertains; it scripts values and normalizes behavior and desires. Streaming platforms do not only offer endless choice; they curate our attention and train our appetites. Social media not only connects friends; it crafts identities, fuels comparison, and directs our longing for approval.

                  Each of these settings functions as a cultural liturgy. They perform stories about what is ultimate, and they tug our hearts toward primary allegiances other than God. The more we participate in them, the greater their shaping influence. Something is constantly forming us. The question is never whether we are being formed, but by what and into whom. The disciplines are intended to illustrate the life Jesus lived and help us follow him (Matthew 4:19).

2.    This is why Christians Need God-Centered Disciplines

At Heritage, we view spiritual disciplines as sacred rhythms, God-given practices that are means of grace, tools that help shape us into the likeness of Jesus, teaching us what and how to live as He did. They are not laborious chores or morality boxes to check. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, but we're also fallen (Psalm 139:14). Like a shattered mirror, our lives often reflect a fragmented image, divided by lesser loves and distracted from our true purpose: loving God with all we are (Luke 10:27) and living by his kingdom-coming agenda.

           Without this God-centeredness, we cannot be the people God created us to be. Nor can we inherit the resulting blessing of that life. Without God at the center, we run after things and people that repeatedly frustrate and disappoint us, creating distorted, imbalanced, unhappy, resentful, even angry lives.

            The disciplines define Christ's life for us and help realign us to a God-focused life. They bring clarity where we've been confused. They return God to the center, where He belongs, not just for our sake, but so that His grace flows through us to those we love and blessing the ends of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3). The disciplines are habits that shape us into the people God created us to be and reflect God’s kingdom (eco-system) in the world.

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           But let's be honest. We can twist even good things. There is always the danger of turning the disciplines into another heartless, legalistic "to-do" list, something else to do that makes us busier and more anxious. To live as Christian disciples, we must evaluate the God-centeredness or world-centeredness of our lives. But we must never abuse the disciplines, making them all about us.

It is our natural tendency to create idols out of anything; in this case, we can treat disciplines as functional gods that we think will save us or serve as ladders to gain God's favor. We can even abuse them to make us feel better about ourselves by comparing ourselves to others. That is why we must guard against turning these practices into lifeless routines or ways to feel superior to others. Grace makes us all even, all sinners in need of saving and as grace-based disciplines, we not only make room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, but we give room for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of others as He sees fit. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:4-27, we are one body, with one head, but with many members and different functions. The goal is to be like Jesus.

And these disciplines certainly aren't behavior hacks for a better life. You may be tempted to think, “If I do these things, I’ll have the ‘good’ life.” But remember: the disciplines are not ends in themselves. They are means of grace, pointing us to the Lord and shaping us for life with and for God. They are never substitutes for Him. So, we know the goal, likeness to Jesus, but we don’t know the path God may choose to make us like Jesus. God’s definition of ‘good’ may be vastly different than yours. But by faith, we know it’s ‘good’ (Romans 8:28). 

            In effect, the disciplines are the expression of Christ's life in us, birthed by the Spirit, shaped by the gospel, and pointing us to the most beautiful human who ever lived: Jesus (Romans 8:29). He is the one the Father perfectly loves (Matthew 3:17; 17:5), and He now lives in us. So, the disciplines help us fulfil the Great commandment to love God first and most (Luke 10:27).

            This also means these practices aren't and can't be self-improvement tools. Too many Christians have misinterpreted Christianity and transformed Jesus into a picture of worldly success which they hope he will share with them, if only they are sincere enough and try hard enough. It’s bad enough that we try to make God in our image. It’s even worse that we don’t understand the difference and don’t feel sorry for trying to do so. But the disciplines are not intended as steppingstones to worldly success. They are fruit of a new heart, a new order of living that is often very counter-cultural to the world’s definition of success.

But we don't discipline ourselves into salvation. The disciplines are the outworking of our salvation. Salvation is God's work from beginning to end. The Father planned it (Ephesians 1:4–5), the Son accomplished it (Ephesians 1:7), and the Spirit applies it (Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5). In the end, Jesus, as the Bible presents him, the king of another world, very unlike this one, is the goal.

The story is told that Michealangelo was once asked how he created the statue of David and two answers are commonly shared. One is that he saw a man on the inside of the marble slab and simply set him free. The other is that he simply cut away everything on that slab that didn’t look like David. Both of these answers define the Christ-life in us. God has placed Christ’s Spirit in us and Christianity is Jesus living freely in us. And it’s also true that God’s sanctifying work cuts away everything about us that doesn’t look like Jesus.

            Because God is Triune, eternally living as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he doesn't just save us and leave us to ourselves. He invites us into the very life of the Trinity. He has made us into his image (Genesis 1:26) and though now fallen, God is remaking that image in us. That eternal life of Trinitarian love is now our home. That's why the Trinity forms the very center of the discipleship wheel. The Father plans for us to look like the Son, the Son is the goal of our transformation, and the Spirit forms us into the image of the Son.

So, while the disciplines are necessary, they are never ultimate. They are not the cause of salvation, but its consequence. They are not the foundation, but the fruit. They are not our work for God, but God's grace at work in us. The disciplines are an invitation to participate in the life of God.

Our Christian life begins with God, is empowered by God, and leads to God's glory. And, by the way, God's glory and your best interests are always the same thing. When we talk about living to God's glory, we mean living in a way that is best for you because God created you and knows best how your life should function for maximum blessing.

4.    Growth Requires Movements of Habits

Spiritual growth is built into the very nature of discipleship. Early Christians were repeatedly called followers of the Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23:22; 22:4; 24:14, 22). This implies that we have not arrived but are moving toward an ultimate destination, in this case, conformity to Jesus.

            To be "born again" (John 3:3) is to begin life anew, to expect and delight in growth. Peter built on this new birth concept when he told Christians they should, "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation..." (1 Peter 2:2). This passion for growth necessarily requires change and leads to maturity. Paul provides a direction and goal for that growth when he writes, "…we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15).

            Salvation from God's wrath may be instantaneous, but sainthood is a lifetime pilgrimage of conscious endeavor. This means discipleship is not a snapshot but a video. We do not stand still; we walk, we grow, we deepen, like seedlings reaching toward the sun, or travelers pressing onward down the road of Christ until we are fully formed in Him.

            Growth also requires habit. Charles Duhigg, in The Power of Habit, explains why habits have such formative power. He describes the "habit loop" of cue, routine, and reward. Our brains are wired to run these loops automatically, which means habits quietly become the architecture of our lives. Changing a habit can change a life.

            What Duhigg describes neurologically, the Christian tradition has long known spiritually. Our habits are liturgical practices. They do not merely express what we love. They also train what we love. When we pray daily, when we open Scripture, when we give generously, when we confess our sins, when we gather in worship, we are not simply performing duties. We are rewiring the heart to be like Christ's heart.

            Duhigg also notes that habits compound. Small practices accumulate into powerful change over time. Spiritually, this means that even the smallest disciplines matter. A whispered prayer at dawn, a pause of gratitude before a meal, a verse of Scripture recited on the walk to class, all of these shape the soul. Over time, they carve grooves in the heart where grace can freely and abundantly flow.

            Duhigg also describes "keystone habits," practices that trigger transformation across multiple areas of life. For Christians, the spiritual disciplines function as keystone habits. Regular prayer not only deepens communion with God but also cultivates patience, humility, and compassion. Generous giving not only blesses others but also loosens the grip of greed in our own hearts. Weekly worship not only honors God but reframes our identity for the week ahead. Keystone habits of faith set off ripple effects that extend far beyond the single practice.

5.    Our Hearts are the heart of the Disciplines

           Christian growth requires not only movement and habit, but also heart. In Scripture, the "heart" is far more than our emotions. It is the deep control center of who we are, the place where mind, will, and affections converge and emerge. The heart is the control room of life: from it flow our thoughts, our choices, our loves, and our actions (Proverbs 4:23). It is the place that can be hardened in sin or softened by grace, polluted by idols or cleansed by God. This is why the Lord promises to give His people a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26).

            This new heart doctrine implies that there are at least two heart orientations: one toward God and one away from God. It also suggests we can sometimes be one thing on the outside and another thing on the inside, double-minded and heart-divided. This is what God meant when he complained, "this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me…" (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8).

The goal of the disciplines is single-mindedness and single-heartedness. This is what it means to live with integrity or wholeness. This is also why we are urged to love God with all our heart (Deut. 6:5). It is not our natural disposition. Spiritual formation, then, is first and foremost slow, ongoing, conscious, and intentional heart work. God reshapes us from the inside out, and our disciplines are ways of opening the heart to His transforming presence.

6.    An Expulsive New, Life-Changing Power

At the center of Jesus' earthly life was love for the Father. As He said, "I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father" (John 14:31). Every word, every action, every breath of Jesus was filled with that love. So, if we are serious about following Him, love must be at the center of our lives too. To be Jesus’ disciple is to love what He loved and to love the way He loved. That's why He said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). True discipleship isn't fueled by cold duty; it flows from a deep delight. Jesus' obedience sprang from affection, not obligation. And as we practice the disciplines of faith, His love can overflow in us, shaping us into people who live as He lived.

            But let's be honest: there are times when we don't feel that overwhelming love for God, His people, or His mission. That happens to all of us. The good news is that there's a remedy. Thomas Chalmers, in his sermon The Expulsive Power of a New Affection, explained it like this: the only way to love God as we should is to replace our love for the world with a stronger love, a love for Jesus.

            Chalmers pointed out that simply telling people to stop loving the world won't work. It's not enough to swap out sinful habits for religious ones; for instance, watching less television so you can spend more time in prayer and Bible reading. Nor do guilt or threats actually change us; they only push sin underground, where it eventually returns with even greater force. Jesus Himself warned about this kind of temporary change (Luke 11:24–26).

            What we really need is for our desires to change. But here's the problem: we can't change them on our own. The only way our hearts can shift is by being captured by something greater than what already holds them. A greater love displaces a lesser one. That's why the most effective way to love what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8) is to encounter the One who embodies all of those things; Jesus Christ Himself.

            This is how God designed us. The human heart was never meant to be empty; it was made to be filled with love for God. If we remove something, something else will rush in to fill the void. Only love for Christ can truly drive out rival affections and permanently reorient our hearts toward God. Discipleship, then, isn't about suppressing desires; it's about redirecting them. It’s not suppression but expression. It's not about loving something less but about loving Someone more. When we love Jesus as we ought, all competing loves lose their influence.

7.    Depending on God to love God

Still, you may say, "But I don't feel that love for Jesus." You're not alone. David felt the same tension. In Psalm 119, he saw that his own heart leaned toward the world rather than toward God. He knew he couldn't change it himself. So, what did he do? He prayed. He asked God to teach him the value of His Word, to give him understanding, to lead him into obedience, to "incline" his heart toward God and away from selfishness, to turn his eyes from "worthless things" (vs. 32–37). He was doing two things simultaneously: asking God to change his heart while engaging in activities that could reorient his heart. 

            That is our path too. If you apply David's prayer to the disciplines, it means you practice them, not as empty rituals, because they aren't, but as opportunities for God to change your heart. As you pray, read, worship, and obey, you are asking God to use those practices to stir your affections for Him. Over time, His Spirit grows in you what you cannot grow yourself: a love strong enough to push out every rival and keep Christ at the center.

            This is why Proverbs tells us to "keep your heart with all vigilance" (Proverbs 4:23). We need to guard our hearts because something will constantly fill them. For instance, your present life exposes what you love. The disciplines are the way to keep your heart filled with biblical practices that encourage your love for God. As we practice them, they align, or realign, our hearts with Jesus' heart, learning what He loved and how He lived. This is what it means to take His yoke on us and learn from Him (Matthew 11:29).

            But here's the challenge: there is often a gap between what we know and how we live. That gap doesn't close by gaining more information. It is bridged by a relational knowledge of God that stirs love and drives obedience, much like David's prayer in Psalm 119. After all, Christianity is really all about relationships with God and his world. And the more we know God, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more our lives begin to mirror His. The disciplines do this for us.

8.    Disciplines Are Habits of Grace, but Busyness is an Obstacle

           What Duhigg observes about human behavior becomes even more powerful when read through Scripture. Paul reminds us that we are being "transformed by the renewal of our minds" (Romans 12:2). This renewal, however, does not occur in a single moment. It happens through practices that reshape us over a lifetime. The disciplines are not mechanical self-improvement projects. They are channels of grace. They open space for the Spirit to do his sanctifying work.

            In the end, habits matter because they carry us somewhere. The cultural liturgies of mall, stadium, classroom, and screen bend us toward rival loves. The holy habits of Scripture, prayer, service, and worship draw us closer to God. Over time, those patterns become second nature, until love for and of God becomes our deepest, truest instinct. In this way, spiritual disciplines are not heavy burdens. They are habits of freedom, anchoring us in Christ and releasing his life through us.

But there are obstacles.

            One of the most significant challenges to cultivating spiritual habits is the sheer speed of our lives. We are often too busy to practice the very disciplines that would bring rest and renewal. Instead, other habits fill our calendars. The demands of work, family, hobbies, screens, and endless other activities crowd out essential disciplines that can form us into the person of Jesus. We live distracted and overcommitted, and in doing so, we forfeit the fruit of the Spirit that comes naturally when we are walking with God (Galatians 5:22-23).

            John Mark Comer describes our modern condition with clarity and insight. He notes that hurry is not just a chaotic schedule; it is a disordered heart. In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, he argues that we become what we give our time and attention to. Our hurried pace of life, always rushing from one task to another, leaves little room to be with, hear, and follow God. The result is that we live more worldly lives than godly ones. We've become people who are anxious about everything because our habits keep us restless.

            The irony is that we often assume busyness is a sign of importance, when in fact it is usually a sign of misplaced priorities. Comer warns that hurry and love are incompatible. Love requires presence, patience, and attention. Hurry allows for none of these. When our calendars are crammed, our souls cannot be still. The liturgies of consumerism and self-centeredness distract us from God and quietly replace the disciplines that train us in grace.

            If we are to be spiritually formed into the image of Jesus, we must take inventory of our lives. We must ask hard questions about how we are investing our time. Are our daily practices drawing us deeper into Christ, or are they pulling us away? To live as kingdom people means eliminating what does not advance Christ's cause in us and intentionally adding what does. Discipleship is as much about subtraction as it is addition. As such, the disciplines are sacred invitations into the life of Jesus, to know Him, believe in Him, and follow Him. They create space for God to meet us and for his love to take root.

            To walk with Jesus requires this kind of margin. It requires courage to say 'no' to cultural scripts that equate worth with productivity and 'yes' to practices that cultivate grace. The way of Jesus is not hurried. It is deliberate and present. To follow him, we must ruthlessly eliminate hurry, clear space for God, and embrace the disciplines that conform us to Christ. Jesus himself says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). To live at his pace is to discover a healthy rhythm to life.
 

9.    Jesus Presents the Model Rhythm

           When Jesus walked this earth, He lived in a holy rhythm incorporating these disciplines.

a)    Community Groups – Jesus lived in committed community.

From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus “appointed twelve…so that they might be with him” (Mark 3:14). They traveled together, ate together, learned together, served together, and struggled together. This intentional, shared life mirrored the fellowship of the Trinity and became the primary environment where Jesus formed disciples. He did not disciple the crowds; He discipled a small group.

b)    Evangelism – Jesus sought the lost.

His mission statement was clear: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Throughout the Gospels, Jesus moves toward sinners, outsiders, and the broken. He ate with tax collectors, spoke with Samaritans, healed lepers, and proclaimed good news to the poor. Evangelism was not a program He ran. It was the posture of His life.

c)    Giving – Jesus embodied generous self-giving.

Though He owned nothing (Matt. 8:20), Jesus lived with open-handed generosity. He multiplied food for the hungry, provided wine for a wedding, and ultimately “became poor” so that we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). The cross stands as the supreme act of giving: His life offered freely for the life of the world.

d)    Mentoring – Jesus trained others through word and example.

He taught the crowds, but He mentored the disciples. He explained parables privately (Mark 4:34), modeled humility by washing their feet (John 13:14–15), corrected their pride, strengthened their faith, and sent them out two by two to practice what they had learned. His entire ministry was a masterclass in Spirit-filled mentorship.

e)    Prayer – Jesus lived in continual communion with the Father.

Prayer shaped His rhythm. He rose early to pray (Mark 1:35), withdrew to desolate places for fellowship with the Father (Luke 5:16), prayed before major decisions (Luke 6:12–13), and prayed in deep anguish in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39–46). Prayer was His lifeline and the engine of His obedience.

f)     Scripture – Jesus lived by every word of God.

In the wilderness, He resisted temptation by quoting the Word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10). In the synagogue at Nazareth, He read Scripture publicly and applied it to Himself (Luke 4:16–21). He interpreted His mission through the lens of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:27, 44). Scripture was His authority and nourishment.

g)    Service – Jesus chose the downward path of love.

He healed the sick, touched the unclean, fed the hungry, and welcomed children. He declared that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). His entire life, and especially His death, revealed greatness expressed through sacrificial service.

h)    Sunday Worship (Sabbath gathering) – Jesus honored corporate worship.

Jesus regularly entered the synagogue “as was his custom” (Luke 4:16). In these weekly gatherings, He read Scripture, taught, sang psalms, and participated in the communal worship of Israel. His resurrection on the first day of the week established the pattern that the early church carried forward. Jesus showed that corporate worship is a weekly anchoring point for life with God.

And now, because His Spirit lives in us, that same cadence begins to pulse through our lives as well. Not as forced imitation, as though we are trying to copy His steps by memory, but as a Spirit-shaped rhythm, a (super) natural way of being. It is like breathing for the soul: unforced, life-giving, constant. 
 
            The disciplines, then, are not hollow rituals or religious motions. They are the ordinary ways the extraordinary life of Jesus shows itself in His people. Just as fruit on a tree is evidence of the life hidden within, so disciplines like prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship are signs that Christ is alive in us. These practices are the living echoes of His presence, shaping us into His likeness from the inside out.

            And this is not for our benefit alone. The rhythm of Jesus in us becomes a testimony to the world around us. When His life takes root in our schedules, habits, and responses, people catch glimpses of Him: grace in the face of pressure, peace in the midst of chaos, and joy in the ordinary. It becomes, as Paul put it, "…no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). To embody His life is to radiate His presence, so that others might be drawn to the same grace that first reached us.

           10. Disciplines Create Great Commandment & Great Commission Disciples

           This makes perfect sense. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and we are made in His image. To be human is to love. The question isn't if we love, but what we love. And if we're not careful, we'll love all the wrong things. That's why Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). When we love Him first and most, we love everything else correctly. The disciplines train that love. They help us fix our eyes on what is most valuable and worthy, God Himself.

            Think about your daily rhythms. Where do your thoughts drift when you're alone? How do you spend your time, energy, and attention? Those habits already reveal your loves. Similarly, spiritual disciplines don't create your passion; they redirect it. They fan it into flame. That's what Jesus meant in Luke 14:26 when he said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." He isn't calling us to despise our families but to order our affections properly, placing Him above every competing love. The goal of discipleship is to keep aiming our love at the right target. With Jesus as our divine source, love for God and our neighbor will naturally flow from us.

           And so the disciplines create a life of Great Commandment and Great Commission, loving God and others. They are two sides of the same coin. One tells us what to love; the other tells us how to love. To be a disciple is to live in response to both: to love God with all our being, and to make Him known in all the world (Matthew 28:18-20). This is what makes a disciple, and the disciplines shape that kind of life, a life that loves God deeply and makes Him known widely.

11. A List of Disciplines (with Examples and Cautions)

At Heritage, we've gathered eight practices based on Jesus' life. They're not random, nor are they every discipline He practiced. But they are rooted in His example. As mentioned earlier, Jesus practiced each of these disciplines. 

            - Community Groups — Jesus gathered disciples (Mark 3:14) to share life and reflect the fellowship of the Trinity.

            - Evangelism — He came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10); His Spirit now sends us out to share the good news of the gospel.

            - Giving — Jesus became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9). Our generosity now flows from his example and Spirit.

            - Mentoring — He trained others through teaching and modeling (John 13:14–15). We follow that same model in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

            - Prayer — He sought time with the Father (Mark 1:35) and now, his Spirit prays in and through us (Romans 8:15).

            - Scripture — He lived by God's Word (Matthew 4:4). We now hunger for it and are shaped by it as the foundation of our Christianity,

            - Service — He came to serve (Mark 10:45). His life within us bends us outward in service to the world he created and loves.

            - Sunday Worship — He honored the Sabbath (Luke 4:16); His resurrection on the first day of the week calls us to gather together to celebrate his life and return. 

            Of course, these aren't the only practices Jesus practiced. Nor are they the only possible disciplines modern Christians can practice. Contemporary Christian authors Richard Foster and Donald Whitney list many others, like solitude, fasting, simplicity, journaling, and celebration. These are helpful, and no single list is exhaustive.

            For example, confession is vital (1 John 1:9; James 5:16), but it naturally fits within practices such as prayer or mentoring. Or someone might ask, "Shouldn't holiness be a discipline?" But holiness is the result of practicing these disciplines, not the root of them. We live holy lives as the Holy Spirit forms Jesus in us. We are, as Paul writes, "…being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). We don't produce holiness. It's the product of walking with Jesus.

12. Your Part in the Disciplines

            The Holy Spirit supplies the power to live the life of a disciple, but we must choose to walk in step with Him. Remember that to follow Jesus, the disciples had to leave their vocations to make time and give energy to do so. Only we can make room for God. Only we can open our calendars, reorder our priorities, and carve out room for the practices that keep us moving forward on the Way.

Christianity is the Christ-life in us, but Paul never lets us think growth happens without our cooperation. After teaching that Christlikeness is the Spirit's work, he also exhorts believers to "cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1). By and in the power of the Holy Spirit of Christ’s life, death, resurrection and exaltation, we are to “ to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

            This walk is both a refusal and an offering. Salvation, Paul insists, is given so that "we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:1–2). In the disciplines, we make room for God and remove whatever seeks to steal our love for him. We choose not to let "sin reign in your mortal body; to make you obey its passions." How do we practically do this? We "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness." Instead, through these disciplines, "present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness" (Rom. 6:12–13). By refusing to live as we once did and instead offering ourselves daily to God in spiritual disciplines, we discover the freedom of this promise: "sin will have no dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14).

            Practically, this means reclaiming our time, energy, and affection from what pulls us off center from God and off course from following Jesus. It’s choosing to love Jesus most. And, according to the Great Commandment, only as we love God first and most, can we love ourselves, others and the world, correctly (Matthew 22:37-38). But again, we cannot simply leave a space. If you create a vacuum, something will fill it. Into the space you've made, plant the disciplines like seeds in the good soil of your transformed heart and it will nourish spiritual growth. The journey is not passive. It is an active pilgrimage of intentionally cooperating with the Spirit, step by step, until our lives bear the shape of Jesus Himself.

13. Final Reminder: The Disciplines Point to Christ and His Kingdom

           We chose these eight disciplines not because they're easy, but because they reflect the life Jesus lived. And our hope is simple: that as you practice them, you'll fall more in love with God and become more like His Son. We sincerely pray that His life in you would spill out into every area: your family, your workplace, your friendships, your community, your city, and even the nations.

            Still, as important as the disciplines are, they aren't the end goal. Instead, they point us forward to something else, to Someone else. The Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Habakkuk envisioned a day when every heart will know God personally (Jeremiah 31:34) and the world will be flooded with God's glory (Habakkuk 2:14).

            Right now, we live as saved yet fallen people who conduct our lives in a fallen world God will one day remake it even better than Eden. Until then, the disciplines may not come naturally (but they will, supernaturally), and there are times they certainly won't be easy to practice. But this is what Jesus means by taking up our crosses and following him. To lose our lives for his sake is to literally save them in every way possible (Luke 9:23–24). 
 
            Until the day Jeremiah and Habakkuk foresaw actually comes to pass, we continue to practice the disciplines that possess the power to transform us and the world. We gather in large and small groups. We share the gospel. We give. We mentor. We pray. We read Scripture. We serve. Not because these things earn us anything, but because they reveal something: the life of Jesus, living again in and through us.

            These are not hollow routines. They are small rivers of grace, flowing toward the ocean of God's coming kingdom. A kingdom that will one day flood the earth. But until that day, the disciplines help us fully become (in practice) who we already are (positionally) in Christ. They enable us to live abundantly now and, one day, eternally in God’s triune love, which has been God’s grand goal since the very beginning.

Teaching Outline

Why Spiritual Disciplines?

Introduction

·       Heritage’s discipleship wheel is comprised of Community, Evangelism, Giving, Mentoring, Prayer, Scripture, Service, Worship.

·       The disciplines illustrate Christ’s life and enable us follow in him (Matt. 4:19).

First. Everyone Is Being Formed

·       Formation is constant. Cultural liturgies shape our loves.

·       We become what we repeatedly love and practice.

·       The question is not if we are formed, but by what and into whom.

Second. Christians Need God-Centered Disciplines

·       Disciplines are sacred rhythms, not boxes to check.

·       Without God at the center life fragments into lesser loves.

·       With God-ward practices life realigns to Christ and grace flows outward.

Third. Means of Grace, Not Self-Salvation

·       The danger is that we can turn godly practices into idols, ladders, or self-help.

·       Disciplines are means to meet God, not ends in themselves.

·       Salvation is God’s work: Father planned, Son accomplished, Spirit applied.

·       The Trinity anchors discipleship: to the Father through the Son by the Spirit.

Fourth. Growth Requires Movement and Habit

·       Early Christians were followers of the Way.

·       New birth expects growth (John 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:2; Eph. 4:15).

·       Habits shape us. Small practices compound. Keystone habits ripple outward.

Fifth. The Heart is the Heart of the Disciplines

·       The heart is the control center (Prov. 4:23). God gives a new heart (Ezek. 36:26).

·       We should aim for single-hearted love of God (Deut. 6:5).

·       Jesus obeyed from love for the Father (John 14:31).

·       A greater affection expels lesser loves, reorienting our desire.

Sixth. Habits of Grace and the Obstacle of Busyness

·       Transformation is lifelong renewal (Rom. 12:2).

·       Disciplines are channels of grace, not burdens.

·       Hurry crowds out love. Love needs presence and attention.

·       The invitation is to eliminate hurry, clear space for God and receive Christ’s rest (Matt. 11:28).

Seventh. Jesus is the Model Rhythm

·       Jesus exercised these disciplines.

·       They are the ordinary ways His extraordinary life shows in His people.

·       His rhythm in us becomes a witness of grace, peace, and joy (Gal. 2:20).

Eighth. Great Commandment and Great Commission Disciples

·       We are made to love. The disciplines order our loves biblically.

·       The Great Commandment orders love to God first (Matt. 22:37).

·       The Great Commission sends love outward in loving mission (Matt. 28:18–20).

·       The disciplines train both deep love and wide witness.

Ninth. Practical List with Examples and Cautions

·       Community Groups: share life. Caution: attendance without vulnerability.

·       Evangelism: seek the lost. Caution: method without mercy.

·       Giving: joyful generosity. Caution: gift without gladness.

·       Mentoring: imitate Christ together. Caution: control instead of care.

·       Prayer: dependent communion. Caution: duty without delight.

·       Scripture: hear and obey. Caution: information without transformation.

·       Service: downward greatness. Caution: activity without abiding.

·       Sunday Worship: weekly re-centering. Caution: consume rather than consecrate.

·       Holiness is the fruit of the disciplines, not a separate discipline.

Tenth. Your Part

·       Refuse sin. Present yourself to God daily (Rom. 6:11–14; 2 Cor. 7:1).

·       If you create a vacuum, something will fill it. Plant disciplines like seeds in good soil.

Eleventh. The Expulsive Power of a New Affection

·       Do not try to outmuscle desire. Replace it with a greater love for Christ.

·       Fix your mind on what is excellent, centering your heart on Christ (Phil. 4:8).

Twelfth. Pray to Love God, then Practice Loving God

·       Pray Psalm 119:32–37. Ask God to incline your heart to him.

·       Use the disciples as places for God to change desire.

Thirteenth. Final Reminder: They Point to Christ and His Kingdom

·       Practices are not ultimate. They point to Christ.

·       The prophets foresaw a worldwide worship of God and the world filled with His glory (Jer. 31:34; Hab. 2:14).

·       Until that day these streams of grace train us to live now in the life of the coming kingdom.