BECOMING LIKE CHRIST: THROUGH SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES (MEDITATION)
Overview
Most Christians want to become more like Jesus, but we don’t know how. We want to experience a deeper relationship with God, but we don’t know where to start. Thankfully, for thousands of years, God’s people have learned specific ways to go deeper and become more like Christ. These practices are commonly known as Spiritual Disciplines. The late Dallas Willard taught that “grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.” Spiritual disciplines are simply about people putting intentional effort and action into growing deeper with Christ. We will consider meditation and prayer.
Introduction
Our world is filled with noise, busyness, and crowds. We don’t notice, because we are used to it. And we don’t care, because it masks the boredom, loneliness, and emptiness in our lives. Unfortunately, the superficial aspects of our culture make it difficult to experience deep relationships. We long to know and be known, but we don’t know how. Knowing God and knowing His heart, require slowing down and focusing on His Word. This brings us to the discipline of meditation. Biblical meditation is different from Eastern meditation, which focuses on emptying your mind to gain some form of spiritual clarity or enlightenment. Biblical meditation is a practice that involves slowing down, reading Scripture, and repeating God’s Word in our minds so it can slowly fill our hearts.
Main Scriptures
PSALMS 1:1-2, PSALMS 143:5, PHILIPPIANS 4:8, COLOSSIANS 3:1-3
Questions
- What do the above passages say about meditation?
- What does it look like to meditate on Scripture?
- What sounds exciting and what sounds challenging about this discipline?
- If you’ve done this before, what advice do you have for the group?