Jesus' Ministry Begins | A Sermon on Matthew 4:12-17

Introduction
In the last few weeks, we’ve studied how Jesus went down to the Jordan River where His cousin John was preaching and teaching people to repent of their sins and be baptized.  Jesus asked John to baptize Him in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and God spoke from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

 Immediately after that, Jesus went into the desolate region west of the Dead Sea where he fasted and prayed for 40 days and was tempted by the Devil.  After remaining faithful and without sin, it was time for Jesus to officially begin His ministry.

Matthew 4:12-17
¹² When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. ¹³ He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
    beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
    in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
    have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
    a light has shined.”^[a]

¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.^[b]”

Ministry Can Be Dangerous
First of all, I don’t want us to pass by verse 12 where it points out that John was arrested.  Ministry can be dangerous.  We often forget this in America, where we live sheltered lives.  There are Christians in our own Global Methodist Church denomination who live in Nigeria and Liberia who are facing arrests, beatings, and severe persecution as we speak—simply because they are trying to be faithful to the Word of God.  Next Sunday, in fact, we will host a missionary who has to be careful to protect his identity because it could be dangerous for him or his family if word got out about the work he does to serve Christ in his community.

John the Baptist was arrested and his work to baptize people and prepare the way for the Messiah came to an end.  Now it was time for the Messiah, Jesus, to begin His work.

Jesus Fulfills Prophecy
Matthew quotes Isaiah 9:1-2, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.”  The prophet Isaiah spoke these words 700 years before Jesus came.  Jesus’ move to Capernaum (in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali) is not random—it fulfills God’s long-planned mission to reach the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  And they are a reminder to us, when things are at there darkest, Jesus comes to call us out into the light. 

These are important words for us to hear right now.  There’s a lot of darkness in our world.  We see the darkness of war.  We see the darkness of injustice.  We see the darkness of hurtful words—of lies, betrayal, of the poor getting poorer while the rich get richer.  We see injustice.  And many here live in fear of what the future holds—whether it is for you personally or for someone you know and love.  And there may be some listening to this message today who are in a very dark place.  And the Gospel Matthew shout the Good News: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light!”

Jesus is the Great Light!  No matter what darkness you may be facing—whether it’s fear, uncertainty, grief, or the weight of the world’s troubles—know this: Jesus is the light that overcomes the darkness. The same God who planned salvation for the world through Christ has not forgotten you. He sees you, He loves you, and He is calling you out of the shadows and into His marvelous light. Even when life feels overwhelming, His light still shines. Hold onto Him, because the darkness will not last—His hope, His truth, and His love will carry you through. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is Here
Before his arrest, John the Baptist prepared the way by calling people to repent.  Jesus continues John’s call to repentance, but His message is even greater—the Kingdom of Heaven is arriving now!  God’s reign is breaking into the world through Jesus’ ministry.

We often think of Heaven as a place we go to after we die.  But Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven starts now.  This isn’t just about a future heaven, but a present reality—God’s rule is being established on earth through Christ.

That means God’s Kingdom is not just something we wait for—it’s something we live in now. When we follow Jesus, we step into His reign, where love overcomes hate, truth defeats lies, and hope rises above despair. The way we live, work, love, and serve should reflect that we belong to His Kingdom, not the broken systems of this world. Where in your life is God calling you to live under His rule today? Maybe it’s in your family, your workplace, or in how you treat others. Jesus is not just offering you a future home in heaven—He is inviting you to experience His Kingdom right now. Will you step into it?

The Kingdom Is Just Beyond the Veil
Though the world may seem consumed by darkness, the Kingdom of Heaven is here, just beyond the veil. We may not always see it with our eyes, but it is breaking through in quiet, powerful ways—in acts of love, in moments of grace, in every heart that surrenders to Christ. While the world’s struggles feel overwhelming, God’s reign is already at work, transforming lives, restoring hope, and preparing the way for His ultimate victory. The Kingdom is not far off; it is near, it is now, and it is winning, even when we cannot yet see it in full.

It takes faith to believe in the Kingdom beyond the veil. The early Christians faced some of the darkest times in human history—they saw their Savior crucified, they endured relentless persecution, and many were put to death for their faith. And yet, they thrived. They didn’t cling to power or fight with fear; they lived with boldness, joy, and unshakable hope because they saw beyond the suffering of this world. They knew that God’s Kingdom was already here, breaking through, and that death itself had no power over them. That same faith can sustain us today. When life feels overwhelming, when evil seems to be winning, we can hold on to the truth that the Kingdom is real, that Christ is reigning, and that nothing—not even death—can separate us from His victory. This faith doesn’t just help us survive hardship—it transforms us, giving us the courage to shine His light in the darkest places.

Entering the Kingdom
Jesus came not just to show us the Kingdom, but to invite us in. We are welcome in Christ’s Kingdom, but we must make the choice to enter in. How do we enter the Kingdom? There are two key steps:

First, Repent – Turn Away from Sin and Turn to Jesus.  Jesus began His ministry with a simple but powerful message:  "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!" (Matthew 4:17) 

 Repentance isn’t just about feeling bad for our sins—it’s about turning away from the darkness and stepping into the light. Sin blinds us from seeing the Kingdom. It chains us to the brokenness of this world. But when we repent—when we confess our sins, surrender our pride, and turn to Jesus—our eyes begin to open. We start to see beyond the veil, and the reality of God’s Kingdom becomes clear.

What is God calling you to leave behind today? What sins, distractions, or false securities are keeping you from stepping fully into His Kingdom?

Second, Die to Yourself to Find New Life in Christ.  Jesus didn’t come just to make our old life better—He came to give us an entirely new life. And that only happens when we die to ourselves.  "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

The world tells us to chase our dreams, follow our desires, and live for ourselves. But Jesus tells us the only way to find real life is to surrender everything to Him. When we die to our selfish ambitions, our need for control, our old way of thinking, we step into true life in Christ.

The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t just waiting for us after death—it’s here now. But to enter, we must let go of our grip on this world. We must step through the veil and trust that what Jesus is offering is far greater than anything we leave behind.

The question is: Will you step in?

Closing
What’s keeping you from experiencing His Kingdom more fully? Is it a habit, a fear, a distraction, or an area where you need to surrender control? Over these next 40 days of Lent, I challenge you to seek God’s Kingdom more faithfully. Make space for Him in prayer, Scripture, acts of love, and obedience.

Remember, Jesus opened the door to the Kingdom through His sacrifice.
He invites you to repent, to die to ourselves, and to receive the new life He offers.

Will you step into His Kingdom?

Jesus' Temptation | A Sermon on Matthew 4:1-11

Introduction
Last week, we read the incredible, powerful story of Jesus’ baptism.  When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and God spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”  What a wonderful affirmation that was for Jesus as He marked the beginning of His public ministry. 

Immediately after that remarkably special moment, Jesus faced a very dark and difficult test.

Matthew 4:1
¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 

Three Things
I want to pause here and point out a few important ideas. 

First, the peaks of our spiritual highs are often followed by difficult lows.  Life has its ups & downs.  Make peace with it. Soak it up and savior the highs.  And understand the lows won’t last forever.  Be faithful and cling to your faith.  Things will improve & there are more incredible victories coming.  Don’t give up.  Keep the faith.

Second, testing is part of the spiritual journey.  
Right after the high of Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted.  And it specifically says it was the Spirit who led Him there.   It was important for Jesus to be tested.  A person’s real character is not revealed unless it’s tested.  That’s true for everyone—even Jesus.  People can dress up and look good on the outside, but when pressure squeezes a person, the juice comes out.  That’s when you find out who they really are inside. 

Third, I want to say Jesus understands what we go through because He went through it too.  Jesus didn’t live a sheltered life.  He faced all the same life struggles we all face.  He even met the Devil face to face and it was awful. That’s why He told us to pray about it in the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”  Even though temptation and evil are an inevitable part of our experience from time to time, Jesus encourages us to pray that God would protect us from them as much as possible.  But for Jesus, in this chapter of His life, it was important for Him to face the Devil.  And He did.

Matthew 4:2-11
² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

³ During that time the devil^[a] came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,

‘People do not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,

‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’^[c]”

⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’^[d]”

⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God
    and serve only him.’^[e]”

¹¹ Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Why Did Jesus Need to Be Tempted?
You may wonder, “Why did Jesus need to be tempted?” One reason is because we are.  Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” 

Another reason is explained in Romans 5:18-19.  Jesus is the second Adam.  Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve were tempted and ate the forbidden fruit.  Their disobedience caused everything in creation to fall apart.  That is why there is sin and suffering and death and corruption in our world.  It is why the world and people are so broken.  But Jesus is the second Adam.  He is obedient where Adam and all of Adam’s offspring (us) fail.  Jesus’ obedience takes the place of our sin—fulfilling God’s original intent for humankind.

Jesus’ response to Satan also shows us how we can resist the Devil too.

How to Resist the Devil For Dummies
First, understand Satan’s plan.  The Devil often tempts us the same ways he tempted Jesus: with physical needs (bread), power (control), and testing God (pride).  Satan takes good things and twist and corrupts them.  Food is a good thing, but if we overindulge it is bad for us.  Power and influence can be used for good, but not if they require us to compromise godly values.  And we can certainly rely on God to help us through our trials, but it is sinful pride to expect God to protect us when we do something stupid.

And notice, Satan’s strategy is often to come quoting Scripture to back up His evil temptations.  (He tries to trick Jesus to jump off the highest point of the Temple by quoting Psalm 91.)  But Jesus doesn’t fall for it because Jesus doesn’t just pick Scriptures to prove his own points.  He knows the over-arching meaning of the whole Word of God.  And we must know it too so that neither Satan (or anyone) can lead us to sin by quoting the Bible to us.

As Jesus said in John 8:44, “[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  So listen to 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”,

Second, Use the 5 Finger Defense Technique. 

The 5 Finger Defense

1.     Thumb – Stay Close to God through Prayer & Submission – The thumb is closest to you, reminding you to stay connected to God.  Do this through Prayer and Submission.  You will never be able to resist the Devil on your own.  You need God’s help.  And a life of prayer is the most important way to stay close to God where Satan cannot overcome you. Develop a strong, vibrant, regular prayer life.

2.     Index Finger – Know & Use Scripture to Point to the Truth – Just like you use this finger to point, use God’s Word to point out the lies Satan tells you.  But it’s important to KNOW the whole truth—not just over-simplistic random quotes from the Bible.  Even Satan quotes Scripture.  So ask yourself, “What is God really saying in Scripture?  What is the whole Truth Jesus reveals?”  Know Jesus’ Truth and live it!

3.     Middle Finger – Guard Your Mind and Stay Pure – The tallest finger reminds you to rise above sin and keep your mind focused on God.  Thoughts lead to actions.  Heed the Apostle Paul’s advise in Philippians 4:8 – “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

4.     Ring Finger – Avoid Triggers and Be Committed – Just like a wedding ring symbolizes commitment, commit to avoiding temptation.  Examine the times you failed and fell to sin.  Learn from your mistakes.  What triggered you?  How can you avoid those triggers in the future?  Learn to be content with what God has already given you.  Then, Satan’s temptations won’t entice you.

5.     Pinky – Stay Faithful in Small Things – The smallest finger reminds you that even small, daily acts of obedience give you strength to resist the devil.  Satan often starts eroding your faithfulness to God through little things.  He’s not going to ask you to rob a bank right from the start.  He’ll start with stealing a pencil.  He won’s start by asking you to cheat on your wife.  He’ll start by tempting you to lust after someone you see on TV.  If you stand firm in the small things, Satan won’t be able to get through your defense and hit you with something bigger.

Remember: Jesus faced every temptation we do, yet He remained faithful.  Through Him, we have the strength to resist the devil and walk in righteousness too.  This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season where we refocus spiritually, just as Jesus did during His 40 days in the wilderness. It's a time for prayer and fasting, reflection, and drawing closer to God, resisting the distractions and temptations of this world.  What will you do during the 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday to help you grow in faith? 

What Did Jesus Mean: You are the Salt of the Earth?

Introduction
Have you ever heard the expression:  “That guy ain’t worth his salt!”  What does that mean? It means they aren’t worth their pay.  There’s a reason someone is or isn’t worth his salt. In the ancient world, salt was sometimes used as currency—the Greeks, Romans, and Spanish Moors all used salt for money in certain situations.  In fact, our modern word “salary” comes from the ancient Roman word salarium, which was the salt sometimes paid to solders (instead of Roman coins).  Salt in the ancient world was rare and as valuable as money.  That brings us to today’s lesson from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:13
¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the salt of the earth
If you are Christian, a follower of Jesus, you are the salt of the earth.  Christians provide something essential this world needs.

We’re a bit spoiled in our modern world and we take salt for granted.  Usually, we consume too much salt, but a certain amount of salt is essential in your diet.  If you don’t have enough, it can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.  Eventually, lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death.

Have you ever noticed the slightly salty flavor to Gatorade or Powerade sports drinks?  That’s because they put sodium in the drinks (one of the minerals found in salt).  Intense sweating during strenuous exercise can flush sodium out of your body—leaving you lethargic, even when you drink enough water. The sodium in Gatorade puts it back.

In biblical times, salt was expensive and hard to come by, but salt was also essential.  In addition to being required in a person’s diet, salt was essential for preserving meat before refrigeration.  In case you didn’t know, modern refrigerators didn’t become common until the 1930s (less than 100 years ago).  Before that, one of the most common and reliable ways to preserve meat was with salt.  If you pack enough salt around a big hunk of pork, you get a perfectly preserved and delicious ham—something that can be slaughtered in November and enjoyed for Easter dinner 4-5 months later.

Not only does salt preserve meat and provide and essential minerals in your diet, salt also brings out the flavor of our food.  Can you imagine how bland your food would be without any added salt?  Can you imagine how a potato chip would be without any salt?

So when Jesus says His followers are “the salt of the earth”, He is making a bold statement.  Christians are incredibly valuable and essential—like the right amount of salt in your diet, without it you cannot live.  And Christians are a preservative in this decaying world.  Without our preserving influence, evil would completely take over and consume this world—causing it to rot and completely spoil.

And when Christians faithfully follow Christ, we bring out the flavor of life.  True Christians are not boring—as the world often claims.  We are full of life and joy and love.  Jesus and His New Testament followers were never accused of living dull lives.  It was the opposite.  Their detractors accused them of spending too much time feasting and drinking with sinners and having a good time.

Losing Our Saltiness
Now, this second part of verse 13 confuses people.  How can salt lose its flavor?  The salt in your salt shaker doesn't really have an expiration date.  It doesn't lose it's saltiness.  However, in Jesus’ day in Israel, they mined salt from the Dead Sea.  The concentration of salt in the dead sea is about 33%--10 times as salty as the ocean.  Salt water can be collected into shallow pools until the sun evaporates the water leaving behind the salt.  Then, the salt was stored in a cave or barn—usually right on the ground.  Over time, the salt on the bottom of the pile would leach into the dirt on the ground and some of the dirt would get in the salt too.  This “bottom salt” was too dirty and nasty to eat.  And the dirt was too salty to use in a garden—the high salt content would kill the plants.  So this salt that had lost its flavor was only good for one thing—to be thrown on the walkways where it would kill weeds and anything else growing and people could walk on and a barren path where nothing would grow.

Now what does that have to do with you?  If you follow Jesus, you are the salt of the earth—adding flavor and essential things to this world, preserving a broken world from spiritual decay.  But being salty for Jesus inevitably means being different from the world.  Most people don’t want to be different.  There’s something in our DNA that we want to fit in.  We don’t want to feel like outsiders or outcasts who are different.  We want to be part of the group.

Well, God designed us to be social creatures.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to fit in.  That’s just part of being human.  Unfortunately, sin takes that natural desire inside us and twists it all out of wack until we are willing to do anything just to fit in with the group.  We may even adopt attitudes and behaviors God says are sinful because society says it’s fine.  At the same time, we may turn our backs on holy living because the worldly people all around us live unholy lives.

What good, though, is salt that has lost its saltiness?  What good is a Christian who lives an unholy life?
Not only have you lost your flavor and preserving power, somehow your unholiness now poisons the world like salty dirt thrown into a garden.  There’s nothing more bitter in this world than Christians who know they’re supposed to live for Jesus, but who are still caught up trying to live for the world.  They can’t be happy living for Jesus because they still want to sin, but they can’t be happy sinning because they feel guilty for not being faithful to Jesus.  So, they live divided lives, pulled completely in two by these competed convictions.  

It’s OK To be salty, to shine bright, to stand out.  Don’t be afraid to be different.  That’s the definition of Holy—when you’re set apart from everything else by God as different.  

We take salt for granted.  We also take light for granted in our modern world.  Of course, we have just as much sunlight today as people in ancient times.  What’s different now is what happens when the sun goes down.  We can just turn on a light today but in Bible times, you had to burn up expensive oil in a lamp or wax candles.  And the amount of light these gave was roughly 100 times less than an electric light we use today.

That’s why looking up at the trillions of stars in the night sky in ancient times was so dazzling.
King David said in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?”

And when Jesus and his disciple were camping on the outskirts of Jerusalem, they would look across the valley and see the shining city on Mount Zion, shining like twinkling jewel—with thousands of oil lamps flickering from afar, contrasted against the utter darkness of the night.  And with the glow a campfire shining on their faces, Jesus could say something like: 

Matthew 5:14-16
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

We are called to be different—to be salty, to shine brightly.  When Christians truly live the way Jesus calls us to live—when we love others the way He loves us—it shines out for all to see.  You don’t even necessarily have to say anything.  Sometimes your actions speak volumes.  

On the other hand, when Jesus is Your Lord, you can’t help but say His name and talk about how He’s saved you and changed you and how He’s filling your life with His light and love.  People will see His light in you and you need to be ready to explain it when they ask:  “Why are you so different?  What is this light that shines inside you?”  Be ready to tell them “so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Don’t hide your lamp under a basket.  Place it up high on a stand, where it gives light for everyone to see.  And like a moth is drawn to a light, people will be drawn to the Lord.

Closing
Some of you may say, “My life’s so messed up. There’s no light there to see.”  I get it.  Sometimes we go through dark trials and it can feel like there’s nothing good there to talk about.  But what you don’t realize is everyone’s going through something.  It’s not about having a perfect, bright and sunny life all the time.  It’s about seeing a perfect God pulling you up out of your brokenness and filling you with His wonderful light.  You don’t have to lie and tell everyone your life’s perfect.  Tell the truth.  Share your struggles.  But also have faith to see how Jesus is there with you in the midst of your darkness.  He hasn't left you.  He is there.  You just have to recognize Jesus is there and share how you’re trusting Him to save you.  God is the light in your story.  So don’t you hide it under a basket.  Let your light shine and be salty!

Christians Practice Spiritual Disciplines. Amen!

Introduction
The Bible is the Word of God and contains everything necessary and sufficient for our salvation.  The Bible teaches that Jesus Saves us from sin when we have faith.  The Bible also teaches that faith without good deeds is dead. Today, I want to explain some of the spiritual disciplines the Bible teaches Christians to practice.

1 Timothy 4:7-8
⁷ Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Explanation
First of all, this Scripture warns Christians: “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales.”  The Bible is a fascinating book full of intriguing stories.  There are a lot of things that are hard to understand.  There are even many things that have caused people to scratch their head and speculate what the original writers meant.  There are stories about giants and even angels having intercourse with the daughters of the earth.  We wonder:  How did Noah fit all those animals on the Ark? Could Jonah really survive living in the stomach of a giant fish for three days?  These are interesting ideas that capture our imaginations and people love to speculate on them.

However, a quote often attributed to Mark Twain says, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”  It may be “fun” to speculate about the intriguing parts of the Bible, but Paul writes to Timothy (and us), “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales.  Instead, train yourself to be godly.”

Living a godly life takes work.  It’s hard enough work that we don’t need to waste our time on unfruitful speculations.  Paul writes:  “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

We all know the benefits of exercise.  In our comfortable and prosperous world, we eat too much and don’t exercise enough.  This leads to all kinds of health problems.  People who exercise regularly, tend to be healthier, happier, more energetic, and productive.  We know the physical benefits of exercise.

But Paul says, “training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”  No matter how much we exercise, our physical bodies are eventually going to wear out and die.  This Ash Wednesday we remembered how our physical bodies will be buried and return to dust: “Remember, you came from dust and to dust you shall return.  Repent and believe in the Gospel!”  We will be given new and perfect bodies for eternal life.   The gains of physical exercise are for this temporary lifetime, but the gains of spiritual exercise are for eternity.

Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual disciplines are spiritual exercises found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth and health.  Just as physical exercise develops your body and muscles, spiritual disciplines develop your spirit so you become more like Christ.  Spiritual disciplines nurture the growth God wants to give us. 

It is not enough to know about the spiritual disciplines.  We must actually practice them in order to experience the benefits God wants us to have.  There are many spiritual disciplines, but I want to mention just seven for your today, and challenge you to practice them between now and Easter.

First, there is prayer.  Prayer the most basic element of Christian living.  Prayer is like breathing for the Christian.  Some people say, praying is talking to God, but it is even more basic than that.  Last night, Kelly and I went to see the movie “The Jesus Revolution.” It’s a wonderful movie.  Of course, we didn’t talk during the movie.  That would be rude.  We sat and held hands and watched the movie together.  Even though no words were spoken, we chose to be together.

Prayer can be like that. Prayer is spending time with God.  There are many different ways to pray.  You can ask God for help for yourself or people you care about.  Other times, prayer is just sitting quietly with God on purpose.  Sometimes prayer is listening to God while you read Scripture.  Sometimes prayer is writing a prayer or reading someone else’s prayer or even reciting a prayer you have memorized—like the Lord’s Prayer.  Whatever way you pray, you should pray.  It is the most important Spiritual Exercise for Christians.  Prayer is an essential part of all the other spiritual disciplines.

Another spiritual discipline is fasting.  Fasting is voluntarily giving up food (or something else) for a time as a way to humble yourself before God. Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life. Most often, fasting is associated with going without food.  (Jesus fasted for 40 days before he officially began his earthly ministry.)  Many Christians give up something for Lent—like chocolate or coffee.  Fasting could also be giving up TV or social media or something else for a time.  Anything you give up is meant to help you focus more on God and less on yourself.  Fasting and prayer go together.  Fasting amplifies your prayers.  It turns every fiber of your being into a prayer.  As you long for the thing you are without, your longing becomes an unconscious prayer of longing for God.

Next to prayer, study is one of the most essential ways the Holy Spirit changes us.  Our mind is the center of our thoughts and our thoughts lead to our actions.  When we study the Holy Bible, we allow God to transform our minds.  The Bible is the Living Word of God.  If you want to hear God’s voice—the Voice that gives Life—you must study the Bible.  Study can also include reading other books, attending classes, or other forms of study.  All these can be beneficial.  However, studying the Bible is the most essential form of study.

Human beings were designed to worship.  Worship means to show reverence and adoration for God.  It centers on God, not ourselves or our feelings or our own particular preferences.  When we worship God, we point our spirit toward God in worship, we begin to see, hear, feel, and experience God at a deeper level.  We must worship in spirit (heartfelt, intimate closeness, and submission to God) and in truth (based on right understanding).  Worship works best when we prepare properly.  If you expect to get the most out of Sunday morning worship, be sure to get enough seep the night before and prepare for worship on Sunday morning by praying on Sunday morning before worship for God to make worship meaningful.  Come hungry for the Lord and with the expectation that something important will happen.

Christian meditation is listening for God’s voice so we can obey His Word.  In meditation, we use our imagination to spend time with God in the Scripture.  We look for God to come to us and fill our minds with His feelings, His ideas, and His insights and welcome Him to transform our wills.  We are not so much searching for God as letting Him find us as we watch, listen, and wait patiently.  Often it is helpful to read a passage from the Bible, pray for God to speak to you through it, and then just meditate on the passage for a time, letting God speak to you.

One of my favorite spiritual disciplines is solitude.  To practice solitude is to step away from the world for a little while to focus on interacting only with God.  You silence the inner turmoil of your anxious mind and cease striving to control people and situations by your own force of will.  You learn to trust God to work things out according to His plan and His timing.  For introverts like me, it doesn't take much convincing to get us to seek alone time.  We need it!  But when you are alone, make sure to intentionally focus on God's presence with your.  If you are an extrovert who loves to be with people, being alone can be way out of your comfort zone.  But I encourage you to try it regularly.  It may be even more important for you to get away from people occasionally and to only rely on God's presence to to fill you.

Service is helping others.  Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you must be a servant.”  Service is a spiritual discipline that is good for both you and for others.  Service is really about recognizing we are servants.  We let go of our right to choose who and how we will serve.  Instead, we learn humility as we shift our focus from ourselves and onto others.   This is the main way Jesus taught his Disciples in the Bible.  Instead of sending them off to Bible college to get trained, Jesus gave them on the job training.  And He wants to do the same for you.  You may not feel qualified to serve.  But Jesus may invite you to serve anyway.  He will teach and equip you to serve as you serve.  You have to trust Him and answer the call when He asks you to serve--even if you don't feel ready.

I Challenge You to Practice Spiritual Disciplines
I’ve been giving you challenges throughout this series.  First, I challenged you to read Genesis and Matthew before Easter arrives.  Then, I said focus on one category of good deeds (see the list here).  Today, I challenge you to practice these 7 spiritual disciplines.  There are 42 days until Easter. Let’s get busy.