Personal Spiritual Personal Spiritual FormationFormation

A Personal Transparent A Personal Transparent Account Account

of Trying to Maintain Fresh of Trying to Maintain Fresh Springs of LifeSprings of Life

in the Midst of in the Midst of

Intense, Time-consuming Intense, Time-consuming MinistryMinistry

John 4:14, 7:38John 4:14, 7:38

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you - Gal 4:19

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you - Gal 4:19

Two RealizationsTwo Realizations1.1. God will not bring about a movement God will not bring about a movement

if you are not a person of Godif you are not a person of God Person of GodPerson of God – (Psalm 78.72) Nothing lasting – (Psalm 78.72) Nothing lasting

will happen in your ministry without you first will happen in your ministry without you first being a man or woman of God with a heart of being a man or woman of God with a heart of integrityintegrity

The quality of your ministry will directly reflect the The quality of your ministry will directly reflect the quality of your spiritual life.quality of your spiritual life.

Are you building fruit that will Are you building fruit that will remainremain? (John 15:16)? (John 15:16) Jesus’ ministry life was built around his relationship with Jesus’ ministry life was built around his relationship with

the Father.the Father. Are you the type of person God would use to Are you the type of person God would use to

build a movement through?build a movement through? CPMs are built around men and women of GodCPMs are built around men and women of God God uses men not simply methods!God uses men not simply methods!

Two RealizationsTwo Realizations2.2. The more intense your ministry The more intense your ministry

becomes the more you will need to becomes the more you will need to be sustained in personal devotional be sustained in personal devotional lifelife

E.g. SWBTS chapel speakerE.g. SWBTS chapel speaker You don’t have time not to be You don’t have time not to be

consistently at His feetconsistently at His feet E.g. Mary and MarthaE.g. Mary and Martha

This is an intensely personal area, but This is an intensely personal area, but there are things we can learn togetherthere are things we can learn together

ExerciseExercise What are some spiritual disciplines What are some spiritual disciplines

you see in the lives of . . .you see in the lives of . . . DavidDavid JesusJesus PaulPaul

Small groups – pick one and discuss Small groups – pick one and discuss the “secrets” of what sustained them the “secrets” of what sustained them spirituallyspiritually Report back with sample passagesReport back with sample passages

Consistency in QTConsistency in QT

Escaping in a busy life – Mk 1:35Escaping in a busy life – Mk 1:35 Consistency over volumes of timeConsistency over volumes of time

My secret date with God – Matt 6:6My secret date with God – Matt 6:6 Makes me long for itMakes me long for it

Connected to God in prayer through Connected to God in prayer through the daythe day Like breathingLike breathing

How is your consistency?How is your consistency?

Transparent JournalingTransparent Journaling David’s Prayer David’s Prayer

Journal - PsalmsJournal - Psalms Anger – Psa Anger – Psa

109:6ff109:6ff Excitement – Excitement –

Psa 103 Psa 103 Earnest desire – Earnest desire –

Psa 7:1-2Psa 7:1-2 Transparency – Transparency –

Psa 7:3Psa 7:3 Recording God’s Recording God’s

victories and victories and deliverance in deliverance in his life – Psa 18his life – Psa 18

Surrender – Psa Surrender – Psa 131131

What is a father’s greatest What is a father’s greatest desire for his children?desire for his children? Loving, transparent relationshipLoving, transparent relationship Not perfectionNot perfection E.g. Pharisees sought perfection; E.g. Pharisees sought perfection;

disciples a relationshipdisciples a relationship Journaling helps me to be Journaling helps me to be

honest with Godhonest with God Written to GodWritten to God

Looking back thru my journal Looking back thru my journal reminds me of reminds me of How God has been faithfulHow God has been faithful How He has changed me – the How He has changed me – the

processprocess How are you being How are you being

transparent and transparent and honest?honest?

Accountability & Accountability & ExamplesExamples Brothers in deep Brothers in deep

accountabilityaccountability LEAD SCsLEAD SCs

Meet 2x a yearMeet 2x a year Retreat: Retreat: ..\Covenant Questions - ..\Covenant Questions - LEAD.docLEAD.doc

Email: Email: “Keep up the good work “Keep up the good work and don't get buried settling and don't get buried settling into the new role.”into the new role.”

Kunming SC friendKunming SC friend Weekly transparencyWeekly transparency Piercing questions - Piercing questions - ..\Wesley - Holy Life ..\Wesley - Holy Life

Questions.docQuestions.doc

MentorsMentors Significant conversation with Significant conversation with

other believersother believers

Time with Time with LauraLaura

BiographiesBiographies House ChurchHouse Church

Can’t run Can’t run away from away from themthem

Helps me put Helps me put things in things in perspectiveperspective

Accountability & Accountability & ExamplesExamples Brothers in deep Brothers in deep

accountabilityaccountability LEAD SCsLEAD SCs

Meet 2x a yearMeet 2x a year Retreat: Retreat: ..\Covenant Questions - ..\Covenant Questions - LEAD.docLEAD.doc

Email: Email: “Keep up the good work “Keep up the good work and don't get buried settling and don't get buried settling into the new role.”into the new role.”

Kunming SC friendKunming SC friend Weekly transparencyWeekly transparency Piercing questions - Piercing questions - ..\Wesley - Holy Life ..\Wesley - Holy Life

Questions.docQuestions.doc

MentorsMentors Significant conversation with Significant conversation with

other believersother believers Helps me put things in Helps me put things in

perspectiveperspective

BiographiesBiographies House ChurchHouse Church

Can’t run away Can’t run away from themfrom them

Who are you Who are you being being accountable accountable with? with?

Are you Are you opening up opening up fully with fully with them?them?

Regular times of SolitudeRegular times of Solitude Mark 6:30-31Mark 6:30-31

Keeps me away from Keeps me away from burn-outburn-out

My target:My target: ½ day a week – Monday ½ day a week – Monday

morningmorning 1 day each 2-3 months1 day each 2-3 months

Actual target: 2Actual target: 2ndnd Tuesday of each Tuesday of each monthmonth

Time off after intense Time off after intense ministryministry

Sabbath day each weekSabbath day each week

Quiet enough to Quiet enough to hear Godhear God

Puts ministry Puts ministry and life in and life in perspectiveperspective

My journal My journal accounts after accounts after these times – these times – wonderfully wonderfully transformedtransformed

When do you When do you get away to get away to hear God?hear God?

30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

Life Built Around the Life Built Around the WordWord

Not just Not just readingreading the the WordWord

My continual My continual obsession in life: obsession in life: How is this area to How is this area to be based on the be based on the Word?Word? Is this idea consistent Is this idea consistent

or built on the word?or built on the word? Laura & I discuss this Laura & I discuss this

much.much.

This leads to a This leads to a quiet confidence quiet confidence that life is built on that life is built on an enduring an enduring foundationfoundation Has sustained me Has sustained me

often in times of often in times of fruitlessness or fruitlessness or doubtdoubt

A Habit of GratitudeA Habit of Gratitude

Rom 1:21; Col 3:15-Rom 1:21; Col 3:15-17; 1 Thes 5:1817; 1 Thes 5:18

A habit of gratitude A habit of gratitude is a sign that you is a sign that you have a trust in the have a trust in the absolute goodness absolute goodness of Godof God Anger is often the Anger is often the

opposite – angry at opposite – angry at how God is running how God is running thingsthings

Gratitude is a good Gratitude is a good barometer of a barometer of a person’s faithperson’s faith

Do you have a Do you have a habit of giving habit of giving thanks in each thanks in each situation?situation?

Personal and Family Personal and Family WorshipWorship

Personal guitar playing and worshipPersonal guitar playing and worship Singing and making melody as I go Singing and making melody as I go

placesplaces Family timesFamily times

What have you found that has What have you found that has helped?helped?

When you leave here, things will get When you leave here, things will get incredibly busy. incredibly busy. What will you do What will you do to keep the springs of life to keep the springs of life flowing through you?flowing through you? Jot down some specific plans you haveJot down some specific plans you have