Formational Discipline

We begin by laying the groundwork for what biblical discipline is and God's intentions for it. Without a proper understanding of the motivation for spiritual discipline, our perspective and practice will be skewed. So what drives discipline in the Christian life? And how has God designed discipline as something we work on together with Him?

Commitment is something we all struggle with from time to time, but we find that commitment is essential to discipline. This week we explore the intensity with which God calls us to follow Him by looking at some vivid illustrations Paul uses in Scripture. In addition, we discover that the commitment to holiness is twofold, requiring us to renounce sin and practice virtue.

Our convictions shape the way we live, but what shapes our convictions? This week we consider the influences on our thoughts and the importance of intentionally renewing our minds with the word of God. How we view and approach Scripture plays a valuable role in the discipline of shaping our convictions.

Our character develops as a result of the choices we make. Therefore, we need to be intentional about our choices in order to form habits for holy living. This week we consider how discipline not only has the ability to move us closer to God, but away from Him as well. And we look at how the call to Christlike character requires us to put to death those things in our life that oppose Him.

As we undertake discipline for spiritual growth, we need to be mindful of the ways we are prone to fall into sin or make choices that lead us away from God's best. In doing so, watching for our particular vulnerabilities to temptation itself becomes a discipline. This week we look into the struggle against sin, the sources of that struggle, and the freedom God gives us in Christ.

We have considered the self-discipline we undertake for training in godliness, but what about discipline that comes from outside of us? How do we interpret God's discipline of us through a biblical lens? In this final week, we look at the Scriptures to see what they have to say about facing hardship, encouragement for endurance, and the eternal glory to come.