Stanford Christian Church
Following Jesus
A Life Long Journey
We want to help you know and follow Jesus. Following Jesus means to live like Jesus lived and taught. To help, the Bible gives us practices we call spiritual disciplines. These are practices through which God promises to meet with us and grow us. Here are 11 disciplines to help you follow Jesus.
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1
Every day set aside quiet time to read the Bible. If you don't know where to start open your Bible to the book of Luke. Read until you can answer two questions. What does this teach me about God? What does this teach me about myself?
Bible Reading
3
Community
It is essential that you gather with other believers. Our Worship Gathering on Sunday Mornings at 10:50 am is a great place to start. Next, connect with one of our small groups, Serve Stanford events, or other gatherings. Finally, create your own gathering. Invite someone to dinner or to spend time together.
Share Jesus
Jesus leads His followers to help others know and follow Him. Be intentional about telling others about Jesus and what He has done for you. Invite them to church, encourage them, and help them to feel comfortable and get involved. Remember everything you do either points people to Jesus or away from Jesus. Share Jesus.
4
Worship
Worship is any action through which your love, awe, and gratitude for God pours out of you. All of these spiritual disciplines can be prayer. Art, music, and prayer are three predominant forms of worship. Be sure to worship God by declaring how great God is every day. One of the best ways to worship is through our musical worship on Sunday morning, but it shouldn't end there. You can worship God any time, any place. It is a lifestyle.
5
giving
As followers of Jesus, we give to the church to support the ministry and to those in need. Giving is a discipline that benefits both those we help as well as our hearts stepping away from the consumerism and materialism of our culture. We give not only our finances but also our time, energy, skills, and talents. It's about giving ourselves to God and one another.
6
meditation
Our lives have become so hurried and busy that it can be hard to see God and to rest our minds and our hearts. Christian Meditation is different from Eastern Meditation. Instead of emptying our minds, we are filling them with the truths God speaks to us in scripture. Spend quiet, alone time thinking about what God says to you in His word, what it teaches us about Him, and how we should respond. It is a quiet time and recharging our hearts.
7
Serving
8
Jesus summarizes His way with two commands, Love God and Love others. To love others is to serve them. That means we put their interests before our own. Start by clicking on Serve Stanford in the menu and look for our next Serve Stanford event. Find a way to plug in and serve in the church. And look for ways to serve others in your everyday life. Pray that God will show you opportunities, be bold, and serve others.
9
Fasting
Fasting is the neglect of something, usually food, in order to devote ourselves more fully to God. It is exampled and taught by Jesus. It can be for short periods as well as for full days. It is to demonstrate dependence on God and to remove distractions for a time focused on Jesus. In fasting, we should always remember that God loves us and does not want us to do something that purposefully injures us.
Communion
We take Communion every Sunday. The night Jesus was arrested he shared a meal with His disciples. He took the bread and broke it and said, "Take and eat, this is my body." Then He took the wine and said, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The church has carried on this practice as communion or the Lord's Supper. As we do this we remember what Jesus has done for us and God works in us.
10
The life and teachings of Jesus are characterized by love. First, for God and then for other people. Loving God and loving others sums up the way of Jesus. Everything he does and teaches is included in these two. Be kind, encouraging, forgiving, truthful, patient, giving, caring, and serving. Care for others, pray for them, and share the hope of Jesus and His ways with them. Treat others how you want them to treat you and those you love most.