What are practices?
Growing as a follower of Jesus requires that we engage in specific practices to meaningfully connect with God. Jesus showed us a whole new way to live, and following Jesus means taking on His practices. This page is designed to give you the resources to practice the way of Jesus and grow in your relationship with God.
Bible Reading
Reading the Bible is a practice that meaningfully connects us with God. God has revealed Himself to us in His Word. When we read the Bible, we get to know the real God (not who we imagine Him to be, but who He really is)! It is not a chore or a check-box that makes God happy. Reading the Bible is an opportunity to meaningfully and powerfully connect with the living God each day.
Worship
Expressing worship is the practice of getting a right view of God in our lives. It is the act of stirring our affections for Him. When we worship, we are not merely expressing what we feel about God; we are wrestling our feelings into alignment with what is actually true about God. The Bible teaches us to express worship with our whole being by singing (Ephesians 5:19 ), dancing (Psalm 149:3), bowing (Psalm 95:6), raising our hands (Psalm 141:2), shouting (Psalm 100:1), and much more! Here are some resources to help you grow in the practice of worship:
Prayer
Prayer is talking to God. It’s relational, not a ritual. It’s the real you meeting the real God. We talk with God because He is our Dad, and we are His children! Jesus has restored us to a close, intimate relationship with our Father in Heaven. The primary way we engage that relationship is through prayer. Here are some practices to help you grow in the practice of prayer:
Fasting
Fasting is abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Twice a year, our church participates in an all church fast in order to seek God with all of our hearts corporately. Beyond our corporate fasts, personal fasting is also a great practice for believers to earnestly seek God. You may decide to fast because of a particular need or challenge you are facing in life. Or you may fast on a regular basis to lead your heart to seek God more earnestly (for example - fasting 1 meal a week, or one day a month). Here’s a link to our All Church Fast page, which includes a description of different ways you can choose to participate in fasting: