Formation practices help us become more and more like Jesus. Paul declared to the group of Jesus- followers in Galatia, “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19) because this was his hope for them.
We long to be a church that doesn’t just believe in Jesus but becomes like him, displaying his love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-25) to all people, with the help of his Spirit.
Formation practices are our training ground for Christlikeness. The formation practice during our Hearing God sermon series is Listening Prayer.
WARNING: To help us hear God we need the Bible and mentors who know God and his word better than we do. If we don’t have a Biblical foundation and trusted teachers and mentors, we will be tempted to make God in our image and not be able to recognize his voice. You can find resources for the Formation Practice of Bible Study here. We also recommend The Bible Project. If you need a group, please reach out to the Adult Discipleship Director at your campus.
Listening Prayer can take many forms and be done privately and communally. Check back each week for the sermon video, a Life Group discussion guide, and a formation practice resource.
INTRODUCTION RESOURCE FOR LISTENING PRAYER
Week One: Listening in Relationship with God
Life Group Discussion Guide
Listening Prayer Resource
Week Two: Listening Through Scripture
Life Group Discussion Guide
Listening Prayer Resource
Week 3: Listening in Community
Life Group Discussion Guide
Listening Prayer Resource
Week 4: Listening for Guidance
Life Group Discussion Guide
Listening Prayer Resource
BOOKS
- Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, by Dallas Willard
- Working the Angles, by Eugene Peterson (Especially ch. 2)
- A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World (Especially ch. 29)
- Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading, by Eugene Peterson
- Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, by Adele Calhoun (Part III)
- Sanctuary of the Soul: A Journey into Meditative Prayer, by Richard Foster
APP
- Lectio 365 (Apple and Android)
VIDEOS
- Dallas Willard: Theological Foundations for a Hearing God Life (50min)
- Dallas Willard: What Hearing God is Not (50min)
- The Bible Project: Listen (3min)
ARTICLE