spiritual formation :: an introduction

Spiritual Formation in the Way of Jesus                                 

Our journey with God centers on our development as disciples of Jesus.  Peter, friend and follower of Christ, encouraged fellow disciples with these words about spiritual formation:

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.  So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1.5-11 [MSG]

Peter understood this life of discipleship.  All too often we come to Jesus and accept the ‘basic faith’ to which Peter refers and then rest, thinking we have arrived at the destination of our faith.  Jesus’ teachings clearly demonstrate that faith is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. 

Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 9.23 [NLT]

Jesus, speaking to his followers:

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.  I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”

John 15.4-8 [MSG]

As true Christ-followers we are growing in our faith, developing as disciples, pursuing Christ-likeness that we might honor God with our thoughts, attitude and actions.  The Apostle Paul summarized our active, daily life as Christ-followers in his letter to the Philippian church,

 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.    

Philippians 2.5 [NLT]

That may sound like a tall order, but the beauty of spiritual formation in the Way of Jesus is that the Spirit of God is present, shaping and forming us, guiding and directing us.  Although we are called to develop and mature as disciples, and although we are responsible for pursuing Christ-likeness in our daily living, we are not responsible for generating the growth.  We follow the Spirit’s leading and the Holy Spirit produces the growth.  We do not trek this journey alone, but in the company of other Christ-followers and in the power of God’s Spirit.

 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself…. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves…. the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Galatians 5.13-14,16,22-23,25 [NLT]

Summary

Spiritual formation focuses on developing as a Christ-follower

Salvation - accepting the basic faith of Jesus as Master of our lives - is not the end of our faith journey

God’s expectation for all Christ-followers is that we would mature in our faith

The Holy Spirit produces the growth in our lives, but we have responsibility to keep ourselves in a position where the Holy Spirit can produce growth by:

  ~ Remaining connected to Jesus daily in a real, active relationship

  ~ Actively seeking to develop the character of Jesus in our lives through spiritual practices & disciplines

  ~ Following the Spirit’s guidance in all areas of our lives

Next Steps

You are encouraged to begin your journey of spiritual formation in the Way of Jesus, seeking to be shaped by the Holy Spirit.  Look for others to join you on this journey for mutual support and encouragement.  Here are some suggestions for your Next Steps of developing as a Christ-follower.

Be sure to review the SoulTrek Overview by clicking here or on the Overview tab on the SoulTrek online community at www.SoulTrek.org to learn more about the experiences available through SoulTrek.  This will give you a general overview of how we approach spiritual formation at Scottsdale Family Church.

A great place to begin is with the SoulTrek Spiritual Development Plan (ST:SDP).  The ST:SDP guides you through a personal assessment relating to your life in Christ.  It can be found by clicking here or under the ST:SDP tab on the SoulTrek online community at www.SoulTrek.org.  You can also pick up a copy at the Welcome Center in the lobby of Scottsdale Family Church. 

Another helpful next step is to begin the 10wk Trek with a trekking partner.  You can learn more about the 10wk Trek by clicking here or on the 10wk Trek tab on the SoulTrek online community at www.SoulTrek.org. 

Perhaps you would like to join a small group.  Please click here or on the Groups tab on the SoulTrek online community at www.SoulTrek.org for details about online groups currently meeting.  You can also contact the SFC office at 480.614.0001 or info@sfcaz.org to learn about our offline groups.