Intentional Living

In this sermon, Pastor Mark delves into the topic of intentional living and spiritual formation, drawing from John Mark Comer's book "Practicing the Way." He begins by reminding the congregation that everyone is being formed into a certain type of person, whether intentionally or unintentionally. As followers of Jesus, we are meant to have our lives formed and centered around Him.The pastor outlines six shaping forces in our lives: habits, relationships, stories, environment, experiences, and time. He then challenges listeners to become more intentional about who they are becoming. Using Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), he emphasizes the importance of not just hearing, but practicing what we learn.Pastor Mark presents six ways to counter-form our lives around Jesus: teaching and scripture, spiritual practices, community, the Holy Spirit, time, and dealing with suffering. He particularly emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit in producing fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-25) and the role of suffering in refining our faith (James 1:2-4). The sermon concludes with a call to action, encouraging listeners to make intentional choices in forming their lives around Jesus.#intentionalliving #transformedbyjesus #discipleship #practicingtheway #jesus #followandformed