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    The In Touch Study Series: Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines
    The In Touch Study Series: Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines
    The In Touch Study Series: Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines
    Ebook86 pages2 hours

    The In Touch Study Series: Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines

    By Charles F. Stanley

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    About this ebook

    There is much talk today about the spiritual disciplines. The age-old tools of Bible study, prayer, witnessing, church attendance, service, and obedience are still relevant today. Outlining the various stages of spiritual growth and how we can find Christ in every circumstance, this study enables believers to lay aside every sin and weight that would hinder them in their walk with God.

    Insight from one of the world's most popular pastors for Christians who desire to be all that God has called them to be.

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateJul 4, 2000
    ISBN9781418517106
    The In Touch Study Series: Practicing Basic Spiritual Disciplines
    Author

    Charles F. Stanley

    Dr. Charles F. Stanley (1932–2023) was a New York Times bestselling author who wrote more than sixty books, with sales of more than ten million copies. He had been senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and his outreach ministry—In Touch—reached more than 2,800 radio and television outlets in more than fifty languages. Dr. Stanley was inducted into the National Religious Broadcaster’s (NRB) Hall of Fame in 1988. Dr. Stanley’s goal was best represented by In Touch Ministries’ mission statement: to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to strengthen the local church. This is because, as he said, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”

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      Book preview

      The In Touch Study Series - Charles F. Stanley

      PRACTICING BASIC

      SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

      CHARLES

      STANLEY

      01_PrctngBasicSpritDis_0001_001

      Copyright © 2000 by Charles Stanley

      All rights reserved.Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

      Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

      Scripture quotations noted KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION.

      ISBN 0-7852-7294-1

      Printed in the United States of America

      01 02 03 04 05 PHX 6 5 4 3 2

      CONTENTS

      Introduction: The Strength of the Believer

      1. Our Blueprint for Strength

      2. Obedience to God’s Commandments

      3. Conformation to Christ

      4. A Personal Study of the Scriptures

      5. Getting to Know the Lord

      6. Looking for Christ in All Things

      7. Faithful Giving

      8. Involvement with Other Believers

      9.The Four R’s of Spiritual Growth

      10.Ten Hallmarks of Spiritual Strength

      Conclusion:The Basics Never Change

      INTRODUCTION

      THE STRENGTH

      OF THE BELIEVER

      Of one thing we can be certain today—the Lord intends for our faith as Christians to be rock-solid. At no time do we find the Lord calling His people to be weak in spiritual power, wavering in purpose, or wandering aimlessly through life. We are called, rather, to be strong in faith, certain of our salvation, and sure of our direction and eternal destiny.

      One of the Bible’s descriptions for the Lord is that of a rock. The psalmist David said this in a praise song to the Lord:

      I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

      The LORD is my rock and my fortress and

      my deliverer;

      My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. (Ps. 18:1–2)

      Elsewhere in the psalms, David referred to the Lord as the rock of his strength, the rock of his salvation, and the rock of his refuge (Ps. 62:7; 89:26; 94:22). The Lord was his sure foundation, an immovable, impenetrable fortress.

      In the New Testament, we find Jesus referred to as our spiritual Rock (1 Cor. 10:4). He is the chief cornerstone on which the entire church has been built (Eph. 2:20).

      When we put our faith in God and trust Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, we are placing ourselves on the sure, firm foundation that never falters and never fails. We are placing ourselves on a foundation that does not shift, crumble, or crack. We are placing ourselves on a foundation that is eternal and unchanging.

      As part of God’s holy and living temple—a dwelling place of God in the Spirit—we are to bear the same qualities as the foundation on which we are built (see Eph. 2:21–22).We are to remain strong in times of crisis or persecution, solid in our understanding of the Scriptures, sure of our relationship with the Lord, and steadfast in our pursuit of all that the Holy Spirit calls us to be and to do. God’s people are to be like boulders in a world of shifting sands.

      When the world says that black is white and white is black . . . morals don’t matter . . . and all things are relative—we are to stand strong as Christians, clearly discerning right from wrong, good from bad, and the eternal from the temporary.

      When the world calls us to do what feels good and justifies behavior under the banner of everybody is doing it, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that our behavior is rooted in our faith, not our emotions, and that even if everybody around us bows to the false gods of this age, we will not bow.

      When the world calls us to reject God’s commandments as old-fashioned or out of touch, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that God changes not, His commandments are as applicable today as they were in Bible times, and that God is always in touch with the human heart and human need.

      When the world calls us to do what is politically correct, economically expedient, or morally compromising, we are to stand strong as Christians and declare that we choose to be God’s people, generous in the help we offer to the needy but pure in our hearts and uncompromising in our belief that God is sovereign and that a holy God requires and desires a holy people.

      The Prerequisites for Godly Strength

      Any athlete knows that to become strong, he must do certain things. He must eat foods that build up the body physically, he must exercise in ways that produce strength, flexibility, and endurance, and he must get sufficient rest for renewal of his muscles. There is a discipline required of those who desire to become good athletes. The greater the person’s desire for greatness, the greater the discipline required.

      The same is true for us in our spiritual walk. If we truly are going to be strong in the faith, we must follow a spiritual discipline.

      We must take into our lives those things that produce strength in us, and eliminate those things that result in weakness, laziness, or spiritual compromise.

      We must exercise our spiritual muscles—using our faith in ways that promote the spread of the gospel, strengthen the body of Christ, and meet both the physical and spiritual needs we encounter.

      We must learn to rest in the Lord—trusting Him always to provide for us and protect us against the enemy of our souls.

      The Christian life is not a life lived on a whim, following fad beliefs. It is to be a life of consistent, daily discipline. The apostle Paul challenged the Philippians, Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27).

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