5 Practices of Fruitful Living - Intentional Faith Development

An encounter with God in worship is a foretaste of a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Cultivating a mature life in Christ requires more than weekly worship. It involves our faithful attention to the means of grace, or staying in love with God by setting aside regular and intentional time for listening to God in prayer, for the study of Scripture, for fellowship and holy conversation in community, and for learning from those who are wiser than us in the faith. This is intentional faith development. St. Augustine observed, “O God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” If we are to still the restlessness in our hearts, know and love God more deeply, and become our true and best God-given self then we must live with an openness and receptivity to receive what God longs to give. On Sunday we’ll focus on Romans 12:1-2 and Acts 2:42 and consider how we lean more fully into the life that is life through the practice of intentional faith development.