Exploring Spiritual Spaces
On our faith journey, we find ourselves in different spaces at different times: Exploring Christ, Following Christ, Abiding in Christ, and Discipling in Christ. The spaces are depicted and briefly explained in the image to the left. For a more detailed explanation, read our explanation for understanding the spiritual spaces in Christian growth.
We’ve developed this brief Christian Growth Checkup as a tool to help you identify which space you might be in right now.
You may also be helped by this tool: Finding Your SHAPE.
Developing Healthy Spiritual Habits
As we seek to grow closer to Jesus, there are a number of healthy habits we can practice. These habits can help us stretch and practice our faith in whatever spiritual space we’re in. We invite you to choose one habit to develop in your life. It can be helpful when trying to develop healthy spiritual habits to commit to practicing it for a month. It can also be helpful to have someone else going through it with you, so you can encourage each other, even if you’re working on different habits.
Reading Scripture
Use a reading plan in a Bible app or from Biblegateway.com
Use one of our 40-day reading plans below. The dates on the plans coincide with Lent, but you can use these any time.
The Gospel of Mark - short, action-packed introduction to Jesus
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians - great teaching about living out our faith
The Gospel of John - excellent and personal introduction to Jesus, written by his best friend
All four Gospels - read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to get a full picture of Jesus and his ministry on earth
Memorize Scripture – choose verses on your own or use key verses from the Navigators
Click here for a list of other ideas for engaging Scripture from biblegateway.com.
Pray
Read a Psalm as a prayer to God daily.
Write a prayer list to help you pray through specific topics or for specific people on different days of the week and use it.
Join a prayer group.
The Sunday Morning Prayer group meets to pray before services each Sunday in the Fireside Room at 7:50am.
The Pray Fulbe group meets 6:30pm-7:30pm on the first Thursday of each month in the Fireside Room to pray for the Fulbe people in Chad, Africa and the missionaries who are working with them.
Use a prayer book, like A Book of Prayer by Stormie Omartian.
Use Prayercast videos to help you pray for people around the world, or use one of their plans to pray for people around the world.
Start a daily routine for praying at _______ AM/PM ________ days/week.
Use these resources to plan an extended time with God.
Practice praying using the ACTS format:
Adoring God
Confessing sin
Thanking God
Supplication – making requests
Journal – Begin keeping a prayer, devotional, or thankful journal, and use it as a tool for talking with God.
Growing In Care
Write a note of encouragement to someone each week.
In conversation with a friend, share something you’re learning about God or experiencing in your relationship with Him.
Pray for someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus.
Pray for our missionaries using the daily prayer notes.
Do one random act of kindness each week.
Growing as a Family
Any of the options above may work or be adapted as a family activity, but here are a few other ideas to consider:
Scripture Memory: click here for specific verses we are memorizing in Children's Ministries this year, ideas on how to do that as a family (even with infants!), and info on how you can earn Camp Credit for family camp or youth camps at Inspiration Point.
Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter, by Laura Alary. This is a very gentle book that takes us through the concepts of noticing God’s love and then, very naturally, sharing that love with others. Copies are available, through Lent, outside of the sanctuary.
Jesus Story-book Bible Lenten plan. This is another great resource for your family that uses the Jesus Story-book Bible to help you all learn more about Jesus during this season of reflection.
Other Devotional Practices
Use the Our Daily Bread devotionals
Fasting – Try fasting from one meal during Lent, or from one meal each week, or for one day each week.
Here are some helpful resources:
Integrate daily or weekly worship practices (music, art, movement, etc.)
Learn and Study
Use video resources to learn more
Rightnow Media – Don’t have an account yet? We’ve got you covered! Click here to get signed up.
Read a Bible-based Book
Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted by Gretchen Ronnevik (whether you feel exhausted or not, this is an excellent book!)
Growing in Community
Participate in a LIFEgroup. Click here for options.
Invite someone to meet with you regularly one-on-one or as a small group for weekly encouragement.
Banner Photo by David Beale on Unsplash | Prayer Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash | Community Photo by Rosie Fraser on Unsplash