Practicing The Way: Developing Your Rule of Life

Developing Your Rule of Life

Yesterday was our seventh teaching in our series based on John Mark Comer’s new book, Practicing the Way. In this series we have been exploring what it means to 1) be with Jesus, 2) become like Jesus, and 3) do what Jesus did. We have talked about what it means to be spiritually formed in the way of Jesus. We have explored various spiritual disciplines, looked at the role of suffering and pain in our formation, and Pastor Joel last week talked about the role of confession as we come to realize our sinfulness and the grace available from God for both forgiveness and transformation.

Yesterday, we began to pull it all together by talking about looking at developing a Rule of Life. Stephen Macchia says, “Your personal rule of life is a holistic description of the Spirit-empowered rhythms and relationships that create, redeem, sustain and transform the life God invites you to humbly fulfill for Christ’s glory.” The idea is that an intentional, thoughtful, and holistic plan for how you will live you life is necessary in order to follow the way of Jesus in our world today. 

In short, a Rule of Life is a plan to follow Jesus.

In John 15, Jesus uses the metaphor a vine, branches, and fruit to describe the Christian life. In the passage, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and the fruit of the Christian life is produced as the branches stay connected to the vine. So, how do we stay connected to the vine as followers of Jesus? One of the best ways is to develop a plan for how you will live your life with practices that help you be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. 

In this sermon, I walked through four simple categories with some questions that will help you begin to develop your own rule of life. In fact, I believe that developing a rule of life and beginning to live by it could be the most important step you take this year as you seek to follow Jesus.

— Pastor Branden