− Step 3 – Comprehension –

John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in

My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

− Step 4 – Reflection –

How do I “study” a book?

− Reading involves understanding: what is the author is saying?

− Reading involves interpreting: what does the author mean?

− Reading involves evaluating the book: is the author right or wrong?

How do I “study” a sermon or lecture?

What does it mean to study “events / actions”?

1. Study of nature –

2. Study of self –

3. Study of Culture –

− What are the assets and liabilities of a technological society?

− What has the fast-food industry done to the tradition of a

family gather for dinner?

− Why do we find it difficult in our culture to have time to

develop relationships?

− Is Western individualism beneficial or destructive?

− What in our culture is in harmony with the gospel and what is

at odds with it?

Reflection Questions

1. What are your thoughts about what Pastor Ryan was saying Sunday? 2. What do you need to do 1

st to do some of these disciplines in your life?

3. How do we as individuals develop goals to increase our inward disciples? 4. What do you think would be the outcome if you actually put a plan into place? 5. If you feel led by the Spirit, come up with a personal plan for Lent.

Spiritual Disciplines: The Inward Disciplines – Series 1 of 3 3/2/14

The Need for Spiritual Discipline – What is sin? How do we solve the problem?

− Some believe they should just sit back “whatever” laziness

− Some believe they can fix themselves willpower self-righteous

WARNING: the way of death is turning Spiritual Disciplines into laws.

2 Cor. 3:6 “We deal not in the letter but in the Spirit. The letter of the Law leads to the

death of the soul; the Spirit of God alone can give life to the soul.” The Inward Disciplines: Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, and Study

I. The Discipline of Meditation – distraction of noise, hurry, & crowds…

Difference between Eastern Meditation & Christian Meditation – “Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind. The two ideas are quite different.” – Foster Biblical words for “Meditation” – hgh [hagah] & xyf [siych]

− “listening” to God’s word

− “reflecting” on God’s works

− “rehearsing” God’s deeds

− “ruminating” on God’s law

“In each case there is a stress upon changed behavior as a result of our encounter with the living God. Repentance and obedience are essential features in any biblical understanding of meditation.” – Richard Foster

Psalm 1:2 “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he

meditates day and night.” We need to learn to listen – “God spoke to [people in the Bible] not because

they had special abilities, but because they were willing to listen.” – Foster

Hearing & Obeying – “Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. It is that simple.” – Foster The Purpose of Meditation – From theological dogma to spiritual reality

How do I Meditate?

II. The Discipline of Prayer – “To pray is to change…If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives.” – Foster “In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills. Progressively we are taught to see things from his point of view.” – Foster Learning to pray – “…God always meets us where we are and slowly moves us along into deeper things. Occasional joggers do not suddenly enter the Olympics…” – Foster

Prayer actually makes a difference – Exodus 32:11

“Then Moses entreated the LORD his God…14

So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.”

James 5:16b

“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…”

How to pray –

III. The Discipline of Fasting – “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all

Scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it.” – John Wesley Who has fasted biblically / historically? Biblical Definition: fasting is not eating food for spiritual reasons. Difference between “abstaining” & “fasting” – Difference between Jesus’ 40 day fast & Gandhi’s 21 day “fast” – Difference between Gandhi’s “hunger strike” and the fast in Esther – Did Jesus command for Christians to fast?

− The Pharisees fasted Mondays & Thursdays (Luke 18:12).

Matthew 9:15

And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

− The assumption of Jesus was that Christians would fast.

Matthew 6:16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for

they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

17 But you, when

you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18

so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

− Jesus assumed fasting should be a regular part of the Christian life.

Are there physical dangers? Spiritual benefits?

IV. The Discipline of Study – “…the mind will always take on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates.” – Richard Foster Two forms of Study – verbal and non-verbal

1. Verbal = books, lectures, the Bible, sermons, etc.

2. Non-verbal = careful observation of events and actions.

Study of Scripture – difference between meditation & study:

1. Study of Scripture focuses on discovering what the author intended for the Scripture to mean and how the recipients would have received it taking into account the historical and cultural context, and an understanding of the genre in which the Scripture passage was written.

2. Meditation on Scripture focuses on discerning from the Lord what God is saying to me through the text of Scripture and then receiving what God is saying and acting in obedience with what God has revealed.

How do I “study” the Bible as a lay-person?

− Step 1 – repetition –

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the

renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

− Step 2 – Concentration –

PHOTO DIRECTORY BUILD Next Sunday, Aug 26, is your last

chance to have your picture taken for

the Directory coming out! New family

members, kids have grown, or your

photo is not in the last directory?

Please come up to the front after wor-

ship and have a picture taken!

Grace Church - 10323 28th Ave SW Seattle, WA 98146 (206) 937-8400 gracechurchseattle.org

Pastor Ryan Faust Senior Pastor prfaust@gracechurchseattle.org follow on Twitter @RyanJFaust

Pastor Jerry Buell Children’s Ed & Family Ministry jerryb@gracechurchseattle.org

Pastor Nathan Schlaud Youth & College Ministry nathans@gracechurchseattle.org follow on Twitter @el_schlaudius

Janis Lemert Community Life Director janisl@gracechurchseattle.org

Let us LOVE God & people by praying for: Denise Englehart (mission trip to Kenya),

Ron Bowman (prostate cancer treatment), Jim Smith (vision surgery appeal approval),

and Betty Saunders (dementia) and those with ongoing health needs: Kim Smith (seizures),

and Martha Miller Please also pray for our Elders, Support Teams, Pastors & staff.

LOOKING AHEADMarch 7-8 ············ NANC Counseling Conference in Bothell

March 8 ················ Awana Games in Bremerton

March 14-15 ········ Father/Daughter Retreat

March 21-22 ········ Youth Overnight

April 2 ·················· Awana Grand Prix

April 5 ··················· Community Day

April 18 ················· Good Friday Service 7pm

March 2, 2014

5

LENT BEGINS

to the Grace H2O PROJECT

• Make water your only

beverage for Lent.

• Save the money you would

usually spend on beverages.

• After Lent, donate the money

you saved to the Grace H2O

PROJECT.

The money raised will go directly

to help MISSIONALY SEND the

Grace Church Living Water well

drilling team. Just designate

on your check or envelope

‘Grace H2O Project’.

See Clarence Pascua

or Ariel Westfall for

more information.

THE H2O CHALLENGE

COMMUNITY DAY, APRIL 5th

From 9:00am to 1:00pm, and will include

lunch (donations welcome). The focus will

be on spring cleaning, good stewardship of

the facility God has given us, neighborhood

clean up and prayer for the community our

church is in. Anyone can come help! Sign

ups begin March 9th. LOVE God, People,

and BUILD Community! You will not want

to miss it!

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST All Sunday morning children’s ministry

volunteers, save the date of Saturday,

March 29. The fun begins at 8:30 am with

breakfast served at 9:00 am. You can enjoy

a latte, breakfast and being honored for

your valuable service to our precious

children at Grace Church. SAVE THE DATE!

AWANA GAMES SAT. MARCH 8

Grace Church is sending one Sparks team

and one T&T Coed team to participate in the

Awana Games. The Games will be held at

the KITSAP FAIRGROUNDS - 1200 Fair-

grounds Rd NW, Bremerton, WA 98311

Sparks Competition begins at 10:00am and

T&T at 12:30pm. Participants are to arrive

one hour prior to competition. Come

support the teams!

REMINDER: SPRING AHEAD! NEXT WEEKEND DAYLIGHT

SAVINGS TIME BEGINS at 2am ON MARCH 9

FATHER/DAUGHTER RETREAT

Dads and Daughters! Join us for a

fun filled, memory-making weekend.

Activities include horseback riding,

crafts, ropes course, swimming,

volleyball, basketball, mountain biking,

ping pong, nature walks, go karts,

climbing wall, and more! You’ll have a

private room for you and your daughters

that is fully accommodated. All you need

to bring are personal items. Registration

forms are available at the Welcome

Center. Today is the last day to turn in

your Father/Daughter registration. Please

turn your form and check in to Ron Sasaki

or the Welcome Center in the foyer.

DIRECTORY UPDATE

Grace Church will be updating our

directory March 15. If you are new to

Grace Church, have new or corrected

contact information or any other changes,

please fill out the little form on the side of

this bulletin and drop it in the offering

plate or at the Welcome Center.

LOST AND FOUND

If you have lost or misplaced something

recently we may have found what you’re

looking for. There will be a lost and found

table today in the Family Room to the left

of the sanctuary.

Stop by and ‘Like’ the new Grace Church Facebook page!

facebook.com/GraceChurchWestSeattle

SUNDAY, MARCH 2 - COMMUNION

9:00 am Sunday Morning Classes

for Nursery thru Senior High

10:30 am WORSHIP - sanctuary

1st-3rd grade dismissed

to Children’s Church

Kid’s bulletins available in the foyer.

6:30 pm Youth Small Groups - various

MONDAY, MARCH 3

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

9:30 am MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

6:30 pm Heads Meeting - conference room

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

6:30 pm Awana

7:00 pm Youth Group - the shack

THURSDAY, MARCH 6

Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm

8:00 pm College age Group - the Schlauds

FRIDAY, MARCH 7

Church Office closed

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

Church Office closed

7:30 am CR Men’s Step Study Group

8:00 am Awana Games in Bremerton

10:00 am GriefShare

THIS WEEK AT GRACE

GRACE CHURCH exists to LOVE God

& people, PROCLAIM Christ,

BUILD community, EQUIP the saints,

MULTIPLY ministers, and missionally

SEND out followers of Christ to

be the Church wherever we are.

CONNECT Welcome to Grace! Thanks for joining

us today. Feel free to bring your coffee

into worship and make yourself

comfortable. Take a deep breath, clear

your head, and prepare your heart

and mind to worship our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ.

Grace Church is committed to living

authentically in relationship with God

and others. Together we strive to meet

the needs here and around the world.

To learn more, grab a booklet from the

desk in the foyer.

If you would like us to follow up with

you, feel free to fill out this form, tear

it out and drop it at the Welcome

Center or in the offering plate.

today’s date

name

I am a guest of

address

phone

phone (cell)

email

How to begin a relationship with Jesus

Want to know more about Grace Interested in joining a Group

Interested in serving at Grace (if so

where?) __________________

Address/info change

Add me to the church email list

Interested in baptism