Living Simply as a Spiritual Discipline
Mark 10:17-25

I) A ______________ understanding of salvation

     A) Do _____________

     B) Be _____________

     B) Be _____________!

II) Jesus challenges that ___________________

     A) The man has a superficial understanding of _________

     B) The man has a superficial understanding of the _________

     C) Is his reply boastful? Or ___________?

     D) Jesus reveals a ___________ truth

     E) The man believes his ___________ is a sign of God’s 
        blessing

     F) The man ___________ in himself

     G) Instead, he needs to trust in ___________!

     H) He went away ____________

     I) ____________ can blind us!

III) Many use this passage to elevate __________

IV) But that’s not what ____________ teaches

V) It teaches that we need to trust in God and put Him __________

VI) What helps us to put God before ________________?

     A) We need to understand that everything is ________

     B) So we should use what we have for His _____________

          1) We should give ______________

          2) We should give ______________

          3) Our giving should be _____________

          4) Our giving will be ____________ (spiritually)

     C) We should develop a habit of helping ___________

Sex as a Spiritual Discipline
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

I) Some see the absence of sex as something that is necessary for ________________

II) It’s true that singleness can allow for more time with _________

III) But that is considered to be ________

     A) God ordained ____________

     B) __________ is a part of marriage

     B) Sex within marriage is a part of our _______________

IV) God calls us to refrain from ____________ sexual activities

     A) ________________ is wrong

     B) ________________ is wrong

     C) ________________ is wrong

     D) ________________ is wrong

     E) ________________ is wrong

     F) Sex ___________ marriage is wrong

V) Marriage helps us to become more ___________

     A) We keep from __________

     B) We keep from _______________ others

     C) We please __________

     D) We model the ______________

     E) And we may ________ from sex temporarily for our 
        spirituality

VI) Not only is a right understanding of sex a part of our 
sanctification, it’s also something to work at.  No wonder it’s often seen as a spiritual _____________!

The Spiritual Discipline of Fasting
Mark 2:18-20

I) The ______________ of Fasting for the Jewish People

     A) Those who fasted are a “Who’s ______” of Jewish Life

     B) People fasted voluntarily as a sign of _____________

     C) People fasted at times of __________ and national 
        calamities

     D) There was one day of ____________ fasting

     E) People also fasted as a sign of repentance for _________

     F) Fasting was also ______________ at the time of Jesus

II) The __________________ of Fasting

     A) Jewish people came to think of fasting as ______________

     B) But fasting is only appropriate when it reflects the 
        _________

     C) In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees made a ________ of fasting, 
        which Jesus condemned

     D) And fasting is never a replacement for doing what is 
        ________

III) A ________________ on Fasting

     A) Jesus compares Himself to a ________________

     B) You don’t fast while the bridegroom is ________ you!

     C) However, the bridegroom will be taken ________

     D) And the _________ church did fast

IV) _________ Fast?

     A) Fasting is a discipline of ____________

     B) Fasting confirms our utter ______________ upon God

     C) Fasting serves as a reminder to ________

V) The _________ of Fasting

     A) __________ fast

     B) _________ fast (most common)

     C) _________ fast (sometimes supernatural)

     D) _________ fast

     E) __________ fasts

VI) ________ to Fast

     A) Fast _______________?

     B) Start ____________

     C) _________ plentifully

     D) Begin/finish ___________

Idle Moments and Spiritual Growth
Psalm 134

I) What do _____________ look like?

     A) ______________

     B) ___________ reading

          - Helps to have a ________

     C) ______________

          - For ________________

          - For ________________

          - For ___________ thought

          - For _______________

     D) Possible Bible ____________

     E) ____________

          - Praise and ______________

          - Helps to have a ___________

     F) ____________

     G) Include __________

II) What about __________ times?

     A) Superscription tells us something about the _____________

     B) Worshipers are on their way to ________________

     C) On the way they think about those serving in the 
        ___________

     D) The hope is that those serving are also _______________!

     E) And their blessing should bring God’s _____________!

     F) We are ___________ too

     G) We are called to give ourselves ___________ to God

     H) And that includes our _________ moments

         - _________ are our idle moments?

         - _________ can we do?

     I) And it brings us _____________!

The Discipline of Journaling
1 Samuel 21:10-22:1; Psalm 34:1; 142:1

I) Journaling modeled in _______________

     A) Are Psalm “titles” _______________?

     B) “Titles” point to ____________ events

     C) They indicate David _______________ his walk with God

     D) Therefore, journaling is more than keeping a 
        _______________

II) Journaling modeled by ____________


III) How does journaling ________ us?

     A) It helps us to study and _____________ on God’s Word

     B) It helps us to ____________

     C) It helps us to remember God’s _________

     D) It helps us to express ____________ to God

     E) It helps us to _____________ our spiritual walk

     F) It helps us to make spiritual _______ and priorities

     G) It helps us to leave a spiritual ___________

The Discipline of Prayer
(Matthew 6:5-13)

I) We are told to pray ______________

II) Prayer is important because it’s ______________

III) ___________ (Quiet Time) help us to pray

     A) _________ prayer is necessary, but has limitations

     B) _________ prayer allows us to be open and real

IV) Time and __________ don’t matter in prayer

V) ___________ doesn't matter in prayer

VI) ___________ matters in prayer

VII) Prayer is something we can ___________

VIII) Prayer includes __________

IX) Prayer includes ____________

X) God always _________ prayer

XI) God ____________ prayer in the best way possible

XII) Prayer brings ____________

     A) Because it’s an expression of ___________

     B) Because we release our ____________

     C) Because of the __________

XIII) Prayer _____________ us

     A) Our attitudes towards ___________ change

     B) Our relationship with God ____________

     C) We express ______________ through prayer

XIV) The __________ helps us when we pray

     A) The Spirit helps in _______ the disciplines

     B) But the Spirit’s role is _______________

XV) Is there a ___________ prayer?

The Discipline of Meditation
Joshua 1:8

I) ___________ should we meditate?

     A) It’s _____________

     B) It brings ____________

II) What is ________________?

     A) _______________

     B) _______________

     C) ____________ your mind

II) Meditation is connected to our _________ reading/study

     A) We are told to meditate on God’s _________

     B) So we should note important things to ________ about

     C) We should read/study with a _______ in hand

     D) We meditate on it because it’s….

          1) True

          2) It teaches us about the triune God

          3) It teaches us about doctrine

          4) It convicts

          5) It shows us how to live

          6) It increases our faith

          7) It guides us to maturity

     E) Each of these is fertile _________ for meditation

     F) But there are also others __________ to meditate about

          1) We meditate on God’s ____________

          2) We meditate on God’s ____________

          3) We meditate on ___________ things

The Disciplines of Bible Reading and Bible Study
1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11

I) _________ read/study the Bible?

     A) It’s _____________

     B) It teaches us about _____________

     C) It teaches us about ______________

     D) It ___________

     E) It shows us how to ____________

     F) It increases our _________

     G) It guides us to _______________

II) __________ should we study the Bible

     A) Get _________!

          1) We need to understand the ____________

          2) We need to understand the ____________

          3) We need to understand the ____________

          4) We need to understand the ____________

          5) We need to understand the ____________

          6) We need to understand the ____________

          7) We understand ___________:

               __________, _________, __________, __________

     B) Let ____________ interpret Scripture

     C) ___________ the passage to your life

II) How should we __________ the Bible?

     A) Can be in conjunction with __________, but doesn’t have 
        to be

     B) Should read through the _________ Bible as much as 
        possible

     C) Still seek to apply it to our __________!

Helps

Bible Software:

The Online Bible  (www.onlinebible.biz)
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Online Resources:

Reading Plans (www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans)
Christian Classics Ethereal Library (www.ccel.org)
Bible Study Resources (www.preceptaustin.org) 
Bible Study Resources (www.bible.org)
Bibles (www.biblegateway.com)
Sermon Archives

Books:

	The ESV Study Bible
	The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
	Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
	The Expositors Bible Commentary (2 volumes abridged)
	The Complete Word Study Dictionary (Zodhiates)
	Zondervan Atlas of the Bible: Revised Edition
	Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines
	Hard Sayings of the Bible

The Importance of a Quiet Time
Daniel 6:7-10; Matthew 6:6

I) Why do we need times of _____________ devotion?

     A) _____________ modeled it

     B) _____________ modeled it

     C) Jesus _________________ it!

     D) It allows us time to focus on _________

     E) It gets rid of ____________________

     F) It helps us to be _____________

     G) This “discipline of solitude” may be _______________

     H) It is often connected to the discipline of ____________

          1) Outward silence may help us to ____________

          2) Being silent can remind us of the danger of 
             ____________

          3) Is practicing “inward” silence possible or 
             ______________

               i) The Bible warns against vain ______________

               ii) The Bible advocates _______________, not 
                   absence of thought

II) _________ should we practice personal devotions?

     A) __________

     B) Some advocate one ___________ or another

     C) There can be benefit to ______________ times!

     D) ___________ the best time for you

     E) Perhaps you need to __________ the time

     F) Or even the ___________ of time!

     G) But the most important thing is to ___________ a time!

“Loving God Enough to Sit at His Feet” 
Luke 10:38-42

I) We often emphasize our ______________ to God

II) God stresses our _______________ with Him

     A) Mary is sitting at _________ feet

     B) Martha is ____________

     C) Jesus gets her _____________

     D) Tells her that Mary is ___________!

     E) And reminds us that our relationship should be 
        ____________

III) There are different ways to practice _________________

     A) _____________

     B) _____________

     C) _____________

     D) _____________

     E) _____________

IV) Everything about spiritual growth is _______________

     A) ____________

     B) ____________

     C) ____________

     D) ____________

     E) ____________

     F) ____________

V) Our ____________ flows out of our relationship!

     A) We become ___________

     B) We want to ________ God better

     C) He _________ us

     D) We _________ Him!