This is what I've been through during National Conference 2010 in Port Dickson:
-enjoyed fellowship with other Camp Cam friends
-making new friends with other students
-met some of my old friends and my ex-classmates who's now a Christian
-realize the importance of recovering spiritual authenticity, etc
Alright, I think it's better for me to touch on the main topic. In one of the workshops I've joined, I found the first one being of interest. It deals with the need of living a healthy spiritual life and balance our time of doing other things and spending time with God. Here's the content of the workshop- Recovering Spiritual Authenticity by Dr Voon of STM. Enjoy reading!
Phil 4:8, Matt 12:34-35, Mark 7: 21-23
- What mess you’re in?
- What are your expectations?
- What do you want the Lord to do for you?
1) How do I get into such a MESS?
→ Quick pleasure (technology being fast, leading a fast pace lifestyle)
→ Peer pleasure (friends want you to be like them)
→ Pornography (not only affecting the individual but also others as well)
~ No matter how strong you are, you are still vulnerable to break faith in God
We all seek to live life with a purpose.
Without a sense of direction, you’re living a busy, frantic life!
Are you getting burned up or suffering from an illness?
2) Life drivers – What kind of things that drives me?
- Awfulizing
- “The world must…”
-“I must…”
- “Can’t –stand-in-this….”
- Condemnation & deviation
3) What is authentic spirituality?
Authentic – Be what God has created you (simply a human being, not a human doing!)
- To be yourself and nobody else!
~ Discover who we really are
~ The whole of life is about relationship with God, friends, and the group you’re in
~ What you see is what you get
~ Integrity for who and what you are
~ Congruence between inner and outer self
- To be truthful and trustful to whom God has created you to be and become
Spirituality – the whole life in relationship with God
1 Timothy 4:16 – Watch your life and doctrine
The word of God is the Bible but the Bible is not the word of God. It’s Jesus who is the word of God.
Authentic spirituality comes from authentic self
- Living the core of your being where the Spirit of Christ lives (Col 3:1-4)
- Our sense of self is not defined by external beauty. It is defined by our relationship with God, self and others (Gal 5:22)
- Living life with the external end in view (John 4:34)
- Choosing guidelines (what or who is your guideline?)
~ Take exams as challenges
“The glory of God is a man and woman truly alive”. Irenaeus
The parable of the Prodigal Son - the Lost Sons
Younger Son
Lost in his self-absorption, see his neediness and is found
Self-discovery (realizing that he already has his father’s love and providence)
Older Son
Lost in his self-righteousness, blind to his need to be found
Self-deception (fail to realize he already has what a son needs)
“Recovering” what we have lost
~ What have you lost?
~How have you lost it?
~ How would you recover what you have lost?
(Refer Isaiah 30:15, John 5:19, 30; 15:14-15)
There are three sons in the parable – The third Son who is telling the parable
- We get easily tempted and being in a mess when we don’t know who we are
- Temptation is only real when we are in need of something in life
- Jesus choose not to sin, setting a good example of obedience
- To be really Christian is to obey God’s word
4) How to maintain authentic spirituality?
- Rules for life are our intentional, disciplined ways to live with the Holy Spirit, by attending to our rhythms in order to stay true and truthful to who and whose we are in Christ for the glory of God (Phil 2:12-13)
Compassionate Listening to Emotional Rhythm
- Notice the matter
- Name the matter
- Tell God about it
- Ask God what we need
I am a beloved child (created image) of God, redeemed by His blood
~What do you invest your life with?
~ As a Christian do you really let God take control of your life? Your birthright by God?
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