Practicing the Way of Jesus
Like any good relationship, our relationship with God requires time and intentionality. Throughout church history, different practices to connect with God have been called spiritual disciplines. At ECC, we like to call them Soul Training Practices.
Calling them Soul Training Practices expresses both the purpose and our necessary participation. The perspective of engaging in spiritual disciplines as soul training practices keeps us focused on our goal to deepen our relationship with God and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to allow Him to transform our lives. They are some of the practical ways we practice the Way of Jesus.
It can also remind us that there isn’t actually anything “spiritual” in the practices themselves.
Richard Foster says: “By themselves, spiritual disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. They are God’s means of grace. God has ordained the disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where he can bless us.”
Transformation comes when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit through “training our souls”.
As we practice the way of Jesus together, traveling as an apprentice to Jesus, we commit to doing what we can do. We make space for God to do what only He can do, by engaging in the practices of Jesus.
We pray that these soul training practice resources will encourage and equip you for the journey with Jesus.