Showing posts with label Spiritual Disciplines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual Disciplines. Show all posts

"Spiritual Breathing" from Bill Bright

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 6:48 AM

In my message on Sunday, November 10, I talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit in helping us grow as disciples. In fact, we cannot grow with the Holy Spirit - He brings the growth.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT): “…the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” (emphasis added)

The Holy Spirit works with us as train ourselves spiritually through spiritual disciplines, but the Holy Spirit takes it one step further, acting as our personal spiritual trainer all throughout our day, helping us turn everything we do and experience into an opportunity for Him to guide us and empower us.

Bill Bright, who founded Campus Crusade, wrote of a spiritual exercise that offers us one way to do this throughout our day. He called it "Spiritual Breathing," and below is an excerpt from Campus 
Crusade's website about Spiritual Breathing:

Spiritual Breathing
by Bill Bright

By faith you can continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins - past, present and future - on the basis of Christ's death on the cross. Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him.

If you retake the throne of your life through sin – a definite act of disobedience – breathe spiritually.

Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

  1. Exhale – confess your sin – agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance – a change in attitude and action.
  2. Inhale – surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18, and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.

(Adapted from Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life? by Dr. Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. © Campus Crusade for Christ. All rights reserved. http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/classics/the-spirit-filled-life/)


Give it a try and see if the Holy Spirit doesn't work with you all through your day!

Mash-up: Famous Last Words, Lent, Prayer & Fasting

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 12:28 PM

Last Sunday I began a new series, "Famous Last Words" (listen to it by clicking here), looking at Jesus' last words or statements from the cross. A person's last words often carry great significance, and this was certainly true in Jesus' case. His seven statements tell us so much about Jesus, but they also tell us a great deal about those of us who choose to follow him.


As I ended the message on Sunday, I issued a challenge to all of us to spend time each week leading up to Easter praying and fasting. I suggested that we each pray and fast about three things:


  1. My own spiritual journey and spiritual growth
  2. My church, Gateway Community Church, and the mission God has given us, and, particularly, the mission He has given me as a part of this church
  3. The last words/statements of Christ from the cross, focusing each week on the statement preached on the preceding Sunday and the ways it impacts my life


Here are the statements, in the order we will be addressing them (with the first one discussed this past Sunday):



  •  “‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’” (Luke 23:34)
  • “‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:43)
  •  “‘Dear woman, here is your son.’” “‘Here is your mother.’” (John 19:26, 27)
  • “‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)
  • “‘I am thirsty.’” (John 19:28)
  • “‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’” (Luke 23:46)
  •  “‘It is finished!’” (John 19:30)



These statements impact us not only as Jesus speaks them to us, but also as we, his followers, live them out in our lives for the sake of others. A follower or disciple doesn't just observe their leader/follower, they follow or imitate or put into practice what he or she teaches. We're not much of a follower if we don't follow!


I mentioned a set time frame for this period of fasting and prayer - the weeks leading up to Easter. Historically, in the Christian Church, this period has been called Lent. Some of us may be very familiar with the season of Lent, but it may be new for others, and still others may have only bits and pieces of understanding about Lent. 


As one writer defined it, "Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God." (Upper Room). Those who practice Lent typically use it as a time to reflect on their own lives and seek God's help to draw closer to Him. It is a period of 40 days leading up to the Saturday before Easter. Interestingly, it does not include the Sundays during this period - it only counts Monday through Saturday as the days. This is because Sunday is considered a mini-Easter, a day to celebrate Christ's resurrection, and so is not a day to deny one's self.


The period of 40 days typically refers to the period of time in which Jesus, after his baptism by John the Baptist, headed out into the wilderness. It was for him a period of praying and fasting, and during this time he was tempted by Satan. (Matthew 4:1-11) In the early church, in those first centuries after Christ's life and death, it became a time to prepare new converts to be baptized.


The word Lent, like the word Bible, is not actually found in the Bible. Originally, the word Lent (Anglo-Saxon - lencten) was the English name for spring, the season between winter and summer. It was awkward to talk about the church observance of Lent and the season of lent with the same word, so eventually the English began using the word spring for that season, and kept the word Lent to denote the period of preparation leading up to Easter.


The day that begins Lent always falls on a Wednesday (as you count back the forty days, less the Sundays, from the Saturday before Easter), and is called Ash Wednesday. Some churches and traditions anoint one's head with ashes on this day. Ashes in Jewish and Christian history were typically a sign of mortality (when our bodies die they decompose to dust/ash/etc.) and repentance (in biblical times, a sign of remorse was to put ashes on one's head and wear "sackcloth," scratchy clothing that reminds one that sin is uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of one's spirit). It was a way of confessing sin and seeking God's forgiveness. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, occurs the day before Ash Wednesday. It was a day of food and parties as people who were about to enter Lent did not want to be tempted by sweets and meat in their home - so, they cleaned out their cabinets and had a party. It has evolved into something more in more recent times.


Gateway has a brochure on our website on Prayer and Fasting, that gives you more insight into these spiritual disciplines, and the practice of them together. It explains that there are many different kinds of fasts - not just food - so it's worth reading to see where God is leading you in your part for Lent.


As always, the reason we do any of this is to lead us to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke his last words from the cross, and they are significant for every Christ follower. I hope you join me during this season leading to Easter - Lent - in prayer and fasting to more fully "put on Christ."

Following Jesus in 2012...and Beyond!

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 11:25 AM

As we begin 2012, my greatest hope and aim for you and me is to grow closer to Christ. I am absolutely convinced that he is the way to a purpose-filled abundant life. As I was reading the Life Journal readings this morning (Jan. 5), Jesus gave his invitation to Levi, the tax collector, that he gives to all of us, "'Follow me and be my disciple.'" (Luke 5:27)


I really do want to follow Jesus and be his disciple. But if I'm honest, I also realize there are times when, no matter what I say, I don't really feel like doing what it takes to follow him. Maybe I'm lazy, or tired, or distracted. Maybe I'm a little ashamed of where I'm at in that moment and really don't want to get any closer to Jesus and let him see what I've been doing (though, of course, there really is no hiding from him - but it feels like I can sometimes).


The truth is, if my spiritual journey to follow Jesus is dependent on how I feel, I'm not going very far. No matter how well-intentioned I may be, my feelings are up and down. Some folks are less driven by their feelings than others, but I'm not one of them. And the reality is, even if we're pretty strong in relying on our "thinking" over our "feeling," we all get tripped up here sooner or later.


That's why I understand that there are a couple of necessities to making changes in my behavior, changes in my practices, to help me better follow Jesus. Quite simply, they are time and accountability.


By time, I mean that it takes time to build something new into our lives. Call it a habit or a practice or a discipline or whatever, but it doesn't become an ongoing reality in my life just because I decided this morning or at the start of this new year to begin something new. Whether it's exercise or reading or a spiritual discipline, it takes time to make it a part of us.


And the time period we often see mentioned in the Bible is 40 days. Yesterday's Life Journal reading in Luke 4:2 told about Jesus going into the wilderness for 40 days. We see the number 40 all through the pages of the Bible, including 40 days it rained in the time of Noah (Genesis 7:17), 40 days Moses was on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18), 40 days the spies were in the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:25), 40 days of fasting by Moses and Elijah, 40 days of probation given to the Ninevites after Jonah's warning (Jonah 3:4), and the 40 days Christ remained on the earth after his crucifixion and before his ascension (Acts 1:3). The number 40 is also found in reference to years, as in the period of wandering by the Israelites and several other examples. The number 40 is typically related to a time of testing, probation or being tried. And at the end of that time comes a period or item of blessing.


God works through 40 days, and so my encouragement and my challenge to you is to stay with your discipline, your new practice, etc., for 40 days.


But, it's easy to let up or make an excuse for one day, that becomes two days, that then becomes three days and then a week and before you know it, you're either racked with guilt or you've moved on and chalked it up to one more "resolution" that didn't make it. That's why accountability is so critical. Unless we're accountable to someone else, many of us can come up with plenty of excuses for why we let something slip.


That's one of the reasons why I think Jesus was so specific in one of his statements: "'For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.'" (Matthew 18:20 NLT2, italics added) Why two or three? Why not 8-10? Or more? Does that mean he's not there with me all the time, or that's he's not with my family or our church? Of course he is, but the key here is that when we gather as two or three, we can't hide from each other. Two or three is the ideal setting for accountability. I don't have to talk in a group of 8-10, and certainly not in a group of 20 or more, but when there are only two or three of us, there's no hiding, no holding back, without someone noticing. And that's where accountability occurs - when I can't hide. 


It's why I believe God has led us to make our Life2Life ministry and training so important. And why I believe we need to train one thousand or more of us over three years (we're about six months into that time frame) to grow ourselves and grow our influence for Christ across the Bay Area and around the world! You can click on the link to learn more and sign up for the training or if you are new in the Christian faith, have someone come alongside you and walk with you and help you on this journey.


If we're going to get closer to Christ this year, we have to make some changes in our lives, and that takes time - like 40 days. And we need to have someone alongside us to hold us accountable, and likewise, so we can hold them accountable, too. We're in this together! See what God can do in you and through you this year!

"One on ONE" Sermon Notes for 8/14/11

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 4:19 PM

If you were with us on August 14, you know I felt led by God to change up my entire message. It wasn't that the message I had written was bad or wrong - it was just one of those times God wanted to test my obedience and grow my faith and speak in a different way through me. The bottom line of both the message I preached and the message I wrote were the same. The message I wrote had more information. As I shared at the start of my message, I've included the Notes for this message here in my blog for those who want to fill in the blanks:



August 14, 2011
Every 1 Matters – Part 2
“One on ONE”

God created you to change the world!

Romans 5:8 (NLT2): “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Every 1 matters – you matter, and so does everyone you encounter.

Jesus: “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” (Matthew 10:39 Message)

The more we focus on Jesus and seek to become like him, the less we think about ourselves and what we can or can’t do, and the more we trust him to do amazing things in and through us.

Gateway’s DNA


Ephesians 4:15-16 (Message): “15God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. 16He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.”

Romans 8:29 (Message): “God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.”

Biblical pictures of what the life of Jesus looks like in us:
  •         The Beatitudes & Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
  •        Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
  •       1 Corinthians 13 (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)


Sin in our lives has distorted our God-given nature so that we become self-centered and self-absorbed.

God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ so we can be who He created us to be, and so we can fulfill our God-given purpose to love and serve others.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT2): “8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Jesus: “‘Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.’” (John 3:8 CEV)

This journey of growing and becoming more like Jesus happens through training.

1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT2): “‘Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.’” (emphasis added)

We go nowhere unless God’s Spirit leads us, but we can’t go anywhere unless we join in.

Jesus created the church to help us on this journey to grow and mature and live out our purpose.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT2): “11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

Gateway’s GUIDE for Growth:

G –     Growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ
            Ex.: Worship, Bible (Life Journal), Prayer, Gateway Academy, Women’s Ministry

U –     Using our spiritual gifts to serve
            Ex.: Children, Students, Team Gateway (hospitality), Arts Ministry, Missions, etc.

Jesus: “‘For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Mark 10:45 NLT2)

I –      Involved in biblical community
            Ex.: Life Groups (Group Connection), Celebrate Recovery, Women’s Ministry

Romans 1:12 (NCV): “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.”

D –     Dedicated to reaching others
            Ex.: Inviting friends, Mentoring (Life2Life)

Jesus: “‘For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.’” (Luke 19:10 NLT2)

E –     Exercising stewardship
            Ex.: Recycling, Giving & Tithing (90-Day Challenge)


Another way that we grow is through adversity.


Challenge for tomorrow at 3 pm and 7 pm…
  • Set your phone or watch alarm now to remind you.
  • Share your experience on our website – Every 1 Matters Postings.


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)