The Seven Disciplines

1. The Seven Disciplines Fellowship & Service....

2. 7 Disciplines.... • The Altar – Prayer • Daily Manna – The Word • The Temple – Fasting • Giving – Body, Money, Talent • Witnessing – preaching the Gospel in word/deed • Communion – Fellowship with others/family altar • Service – work and helping advance the Kingdom

3. 7 Ds...... The Altar • Hearing the voice of God • Having a ‘place’...THERE to go to • Submitting to that voice – Mary/Martha • Repairing the Altar

4. 7Ds... The Word • Developing the discipline of reading the bible every day • Reading versus Study • Bible reading tools and Apps and Versions • Benefits and effects of Bible reading

5. 7Ds.... Fasting • The Body, Soul and Spirit • Fasting neutralises the Body • The power of fasting • The basics of fasting • Developing a fasting culture

6. Preaching the Good News • Heaven and Hell realities • What is Good News • Becoming Good News • Signs and Wonders

7. Fellowship • He sent them out in twos, God made Adam and Eve...fellowship • Communion within the family • The power of Accountability • Iron sharpens iron • Gifts and talents revealed through the reflection of fellowship

8. Service • The principle of work...Adam • Sharing our gifts and talents is the principle of growth • Within the context of service, the Call is revealed • Humility is a key virtue of service.... • Matt 20:28

9. 7Ds..... Fellowship God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” The Lord God said, “It isn’t good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him.” Gen 2:18

10. Fellowship.... Fellowship It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.Share the work, share the wealth.And if one falls down, the other helps,But if there’s no one to help, tough! Eccl 4 Just as iron sharpens iron,friends sharpen the mindsof each other. Prov 27:17

11. Fellowship..... FELLOWSHIP: You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. 11 If you sleep alone, you won’t have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. 12 Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, “A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break.” Eccleciastes 4:9-12

12. Fellowship..... That set the king off. He lost his temper and ordered the whole company of Babylonian wise men killed. When the death warrant was issued, Daniel and his companions were included. They also were marked for execution. 14-15 When Arioch, chief of the royal guards, was making arrangements for the execution, Daniel wisely took him aside and quietly asked what was going on: “Why this all of a sudden?”15-16 After Arioch filled in the background, Daniel went to the king and asked for a little time so that he could interpret the dream.17-18 Daniel then went home and told his companions Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on. He asked them to pray to the God of heaven for mercy in solving this mystery so that the four of them wouldn’t be killed along with the whole company of Babylonian wise men.19-23 That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, • Daniel 2:12-23 • The Message (MSG)

13. Fellowship..... They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, “Whether it’s right in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there’s no question—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard. 21-22 The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn’t come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn’t have stood for it—they were all praising God over what had happened. The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23-26 As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: Acts 4:18 -26

14. Fellowship..... Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. James 5:16

15. Service..... God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order. Gen 2:15 • To labour, work, serve, be a servant

16. Service..... So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. 6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Rom 12...

17. Service.... 9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody Rom 12...

18. Service.... 17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” 20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good Rom 12...