TAKEAWAY: Spiritual formation is a process of being formed in the image of Christ, requiring training rather than merely trying harder.

HEAD CHANGE: Scripture reading aims not just for information about God but transformation through encountering God.

HEART CHANGE:  Spiritual formation leads to becoming agents of grace who love and serve as Jesus did.

LIFE CHANGE: The journey requires going against cultural norms of ease and comfort but produces deep soul satisfaction.

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As we stand at the threshold of a new year, we're invited into something far more profound than resolutions or goal-setting. This message centers on spiritual formation, the transformative process of being shaped into the image of Christ as described in 1 Timothy 4, where Paul urges us to train ourselves in godliness. The key insight here is revolutionary: spiritual growth isn't about trying harder, but training consistently. Just as no one runs a marathon without preparation, we cannot become more like Jesus through sheer willpower alone. Instead, we're called to intentional practices that reorient our lives around what truly matters. The three-fold invitation of 21 days of prayer, a digital fast, and daily scripture reading through the BREAD method offers us a pathway to move beyond the shallow cultural chatter that consumes our attention. Drawing on Matthew 18's promise about agreement in prayer and the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, we're challenged to shift from FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (joy of missing out). The most compelling aspect is the recognition that our devices keep us trapped in superficiality, preventing us from reaching the depths where the Spirit whispers. By collectively unplugging from distraction apps while maintaining utility tools, we create space to encounter God personally through His Word, allowing scripture to fuse with our own stories and transform us from the inside out.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How would you personally define spiritual formation, and in what ways have you seen yourself being formed into the image of Christ over the past year?

2. What emotions does the idea of a 21-day digital fast bring up for you, and what might those emotions reveal about your relationship with technology?

3. Paul writes about training yourself to be godly rather than trying harder - what practical differences do you see between 'training' and 'trying' in your spiritual life?

4. When you think about the three layers of the heart (shallows, midlands, and depths), which layer do you spend most of your time in and why?

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PRAYER:  Read Matthew 18:19-20 together: "I tell you this, if two of you agree on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." Close by praying together. 

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“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

​1 Timothy 4:7-8

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