Home-Based Faith

Spiritual Formation At Home

Sunday February 7th, 2021 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Joshua 7:13

THE PASSAGE

Get up, sanctify the people (Joshua 7:13)

for without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)

THE MESSAGE

Spiritual formation is the process of becoming more like Jesus and bearing good fruit and it starts at home.
The path to transformation comes by cleansing and sanctification.
The path to fruitfulness comes by abiding in a good vine, in a good tree.

BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS AT HOME

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:8)

Spiritual formation at home is the process of becoming more like Jesus at home. The process of becoming more like Jesus needs

• 1. VISION
• 2. INTENTION
• 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF INTENTION /PLAN OF ACTION

VISION

1. Start here: You are created in the image of God for His glory.
2. Ask yourself first, "Who Am I?" What is the vision of my life?
3. Your vision of your life defines who you are.

Example:

"My vision is to bear the fruit of love and my family is known for loving one another." "Every Christian would agree that a man's spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God." - C. S. Lewis, "The Four Loves"

Spiritual Behavior And Bodily Behavior

The Holy Spirit's work is not a magic pill. Its work in transforming our spiritual behaviors requires our participation in physical behaviors (obedience).

Simple Spiritual and Physical Behavior To Develop Love At Home

Family Based:

• 1. Eating together. This may sound simple but it can bring family and friends together.
• 2. Pray together.
• 3. Help others.
• 4. Do nice things for others.
• 5. Walk together.
• 6. Bring home treats for others.
• 7. Compliment others.
• 8. Add to the list.

Single or Living Alone:

So during the pandemic, if you are living alone, you can still practice loving others as you watch the worship service online.

1. You can use the comment section to compliment others.
2. Pray for others.
3. Take a safe walk with others.
4. Write a note.
5. Write an email
6. Call people.
7. Text people.
8. Engage on social media.
9. Add to the list.

ALIGNING VISION AND INTENTION

If your vision is to love the people whom you live with, then the next step is intention. You must decide that you will live that kind of life. The intentional life is possible if you obey Christ.

Embedded Will And Christ's Will

Spiritual formation, becoming like Jesus is living by Christ's will not by our embedded will. Our embedded will says, when someone yells at you, yell back louder.

How can I move from yelling to loving?

1. To become a loving person, you need a change of heart.
2. To change your heart, you need Jesus.
3. Without Jesus you cannot do anything.
4. Without abiding in Him, we cannot bear the fruit of love.

You have to come to the point, "it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

IMPLEMENTATION OF INTENTION-AN ACTION PLAN

Spiritual formation needs an action plan. Intentions will continue to remain intentions without an action plan.

Our Family's Daily Spiritual Formation Action Plan

• 1. God is essential.
• 2. Family is priority.
• 3. Work hard, play hard. (Kids do most of the playing hard.)
• 4. Eat one meal together everyday.
• 5. Pray together as a family once a day.
• 6. Health is working out, walking, biking, or running once a day.
• 7. Keep on working at Eating Green once a day.

MOVING PEOPLE TO "THE GOOD TREE"

God desires you to be successful and prosperous. He commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous because he cared for his inward feelings. Jesus desires that we bear much fruit.

So if you desire to bear the fruit of love, move toward the good tree. If you abide in the good vine/the good tree, you will bear good fruit.

What Is The Process To A Transformed And Fruitful Life?

Sanctify yourself and abide in God to transform your life and to bear fruit.

• 1. Be Merciless To Sin: Root out your sin mercilessly. (Achan sinned and Israel was defeated by the small nation of Ai.)
• 2. Love God More Than Money: Keep away from things that hinder you from becoming like Christ. You cannot serve God and Mammon. (Do not covet silver and gold.)
• 3. Submit To Pruning: God prunes whom He loves that they may bear more fruit.
• 4 .Be Cleansed The Word:: Be obedient to the word of God and let the word of God set you free.
• 5. Abide In Jesus To Bear Much Fruit: Without Jesus we can do nothing.
• 6. Glorify God The Father: Jesus did everything to glorify His Father.

THIS WEEK

Lead people to the direction of "The Good Tree."

Activity of The Week: "A Good Tree" Picture Challenge

1. Go for a walk and take pictures of a good tree that you like. Share why you like the tree. If you cannot go for a long walk, go outside, walk on the sidewalk and take a picture of a tree you like.
2. Share your "A Good Tree" picture on social media or send it to office@scfbc.org and we will post it on our church facebook page and on instagram.