Today we look at the counter-formational practices we need to give ourselves to in order to move forward in becoming like Jesus. We will need to replace the world’s stories with the teaching of Jesus. We will need to be intentional with how we spend our time and who we surround ourselves with, and lastly we will need to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and walk in step with Him.

The process of formation and sanctification is not easy. Today we look at some of the reasons why this is and why we get frustrated along the journey.

We are all becoming someone. We are all on a trajectory and are being shaped and formed into a type of person. The question is what is shaping us and what are we being formed into?

This week Rigby shared about the revolution of humility (humiltas in Greek). John Dickson says that "We can date this innovation in ethical reasoning precisely to the middle of the 1st C in a letter written by the apostle Paul to the Christians in the Roman colony of Philippi in northern Greece. Paul urges his readers to live in humility, choosing to think of others as better than themselves. He then drives the point home by quoting a hymn, presumably one known and sung in Philippi, that speaks of Jesus’s humilitas on the cross.’

Today we start a new season exploring the idea of formation or sanctification… fancy words for “Becoming like Jesus”.

Have you got stuck in a rut in your life of communion with God?  These 12 prayer postures help us come before the presence of God.

1. Praise 2. Waiting 3. Confession 4. Scripture praying 5. Watching 6. Intercession 7. Petition 8. Thanksgiving 9. Singing 10. Meditation 11. Listening 12. Praise

What is the next step for you?  What new practice will you start to enjoy the presence of God?

You can access our Practicing the Way of Jesus document here --> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pc60HGxM5-rtuzpsaVcXXIlE1YGCn8kW/view 

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."  (Judev24-25)

Jesus tells the parable of the sower, who generously scatters seed on 4 different kinds of soil.  The disciples are puzzled by it's meaning and so he explains it in detail to them.  (Mark 4v1-20)

1. There is hard soil that quickly has the seed taken away by Satan.

2. There is soil that lacks depth, and so roots do not take hold, and at the first sign of adversity, the seed withers.

3. There is soil that contains weeds (cares of this world, deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things) that choke the seed.

4. There is good soil that receives the seed and bears much fruit.

How is the soil of your heart?  What makes it hard for you to desire God?

For this month we are all reading the book of Philippians together, following along with this devotional booklet: (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d97108e3f9040327fe3c979/t/6033bdd321a4201acbd33790/1614003670836/PHILIPPIANS_DEVOTIONAL_BOOK%28digital%29.pdf)

We would be wise to pursue the presence of God through scripture because his truth is "more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb." Ps 19v10

We think the exact opposite - To Live is Gain and To Die is Christ. Lets look at what Paul really meant when he wrote this to the Philippians.