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Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. - Deuteronomy 11:18-19

Scripture is central to the life of a disciple. It is the primary way God reveals himself to us. It is the most trustworthy means by which we hear his voice. It shapes our worldview, defines our values, and directs our behaviour. So as followers of Jesus we seek to spend regular time in God’s presence, with our Bibles open, listening to his voice as we study his word.

In this episode we give you a practical tool to listen to God through Scripture. An ancient practice called ‘Lectio Davina,’ meaning, ‘Divine Reading.’

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. - Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

Being part of a worshipping community has been an integral part of following The Way of Jesus from the very beginning. But this kind of community is about something far richer than simply ‘attending’ a church service on a Sunday morning. It’s about sharing our lives, sharing our joys, sharing our trials, even sharing our possessions, with other followers of The Way.
So how do we cultivate vibrant communities of faith that transform the lives of others, as well as our own?

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. - Mark 1:35

Jesus was busy. He shared life with his twelve best friends, he often drew crowds, he taught and he healed. But Jesus knew that we have to have enough time with God to sustain our doing for God. So Jesus prioritised time away from the busyness, away from the noise, away from people, in order to be alone with his Father. Silence and Solitude was a regular practice for Jesus, but has been all but obliterated for us by the technologies with which we surround ourselves.

So how can we learn to be still? How can we learn to be quiet? How can we learn to rest in God’s presence without rushing away to be renewed by his love? In this episode we explain an exercise called ‘Centering Prayer.’ It won’t come easily, but it will be transformative for us if we persevere!

“God, listen! Listen to my prayer, listen to the pain in my cries.
Don’t turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately.
Pay attention! This is a cry for help!
And hurry—this can’t wait!” - Psalm 102:1-2 (MSG)

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.” Does that sound familiar? If it does you’re in good company…. these are Jesus’ words (Matthew 26:38), but they could belong to any one of us at one point or another. All of us experience times of overwhelming sadness in our lives, but not all of us know how to process that sadness in a healthy way. Lament (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow) is a spiritual practice that enables us to express our emotions freely to God. It’s something we rarely talk about but is so important that an entire book of the Bible is dedicated to it! (Check out Lamentations).
That’s why our spiritual practice for the day is to write our own Psalm of lament, enabling us to truthfully express the reality of our emotions to God in a healthy, restorative way.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Luke 12:33-34

Life is not made by a multiplying of possessions. But in a world where marketing companies work hard to convince us that their product is something that will fulfil a need we never knew we had, how hard is it to subvert the culture around us which wants us to believe that ‘more is better’?

Jesus lived simply. He did not accumulate wealth or material things, but he was rich in meaningful relationships and unrelenting purpose. So how do we simplify our lives to live more like Jesus?

We are to be a people of overflowing generosity; seeking to bless the people around us, especially those who do not have enough. So could we learn to live with less for ourselves so we have more to give away? In this episode we explore a practical exercise that encourages us to simplify our wardrobe and give some away!

When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:16-18

Jesus said ‘when you fast,’ not ‘if you fast’. And yet this is a practice that so many of us have yet to build into our lives as a follower of The Way of Jesus. In this episode we explore what fasting is, why we do it, and set you a fasting challenge for the day.

If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honour it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!. - Matthew 6:16-18 (MSG)

“Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.
Sabbath is a day when my work is done, even if it isn’t.
Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period.
Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love the most.
Sabbath is a day when I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.
Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.
Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.
Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, “I didn’t do anything today,” and I don’t add, “And I feel so guilty.”
Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don’t check my email, and you can’t get ahold of me.”
- Rob Bell

In this episode we teach into the practice of Sabbath. We explore why this day of reset is crucial for a life of following The Way of Jesus, and we set you a challenge ahead of Switch Off Saturday; an entire day of rest from our devices, and all the comparison, competition, stimulation and information that comes along with them. Let’s rest…

Spend the day with Jesus and with friends practising these Spiritual Disciplines