disciplines – Jerry Lout ⚬ Writer ⚬ Speaker ⚬ Mobilizer

February 5, 2026

Down-to-earth

Some call them spiritual disciplines. Others say spiritual practices. Either label works.

The refreshing thing for the Christ-follower is understanding that God has supplied down-to-earth practical exercises to aid them in their journey toward Christlikeness. Disciples of Jesus worldwide routinely celebrate these provisions – practices that fuel actual growth in Christ.

CELEBRATION

Wonderful news of hands-on, easy to grasp, and habit-building exercises has made its way across the globe (afresh) in recent times. And Richard J. Foster has brought immeasurable aid to believers of most every demographic through his masterfully-crafted work, aptly titled Celebration of Discipline. Fosters’ is a voice among many.

Christ’s followers everywhere – those longing to reflect the character of Jesus while savoring richness in the with-God life, happily find themselves on a transformative adventure.

Practicing spiritual disciplines, especially those repeatedly seen across the pages of scripture, results in God’s children getting changed from the inside out. Always occurring in the company of (through the empowering presence of) the Holy Spirit.

What are some of these habit-inducing (and doable) spiritual disciplines that people have been putting into practice all the way from Bible times til now?

Common among them are the disciplines of praying – studying scripture – worshipping in community – serving – advancing justice. .

One reason the disciplines continue generation after generation is found in their effectiveness. Orange trees are known by the fruit that they produce. Things are no different in the spiritual world, within the believer who cultivates and nurtures the plant-life of their own souls. Flourishing becomes
predictable, inevitable.

One could ask, “How many practices or disciplines are there?” Fixed numbers are hard to come by as concerns and needs and opportunities can vary from community to community
and from season to season.

We do know of a dozen or so disciplines, tracing back through church history, faithfully served the Christian family – and through it the world – for centuries.

A host of changed lives stands as shining evidence to the
wisdom of growing a close friendship with these practices. Aiding the ordinary person toward Jesus-likeness.

One such practice – talking with God.

January 15, 2026January 21, 2026

To The Full

In a pilgrimage that is shared among people who are marked by a growing love for one another, words like boredom and drudgery fall by the wayside. And, introduced now in their place, are terms like invigorating and adventurous.

Receiving heaven’s grace that transports a Christ-follower more fully into “life in the kingdom”, means that partnering practices are called for. These are not burdensome. But they are necessary.

“Whither Thou Goest” is a lyric my brother sang at my wedding. The years that followed saw my bride trekking with me from her Montana home to Texas, to New York, to Africa and many places beyond. Our wedding vows held concrete meaning for Ann and me. New (and renewed) union in Christ will bear similar features. Unrelenting love marked by a choice. To orient one’s life to walking in step with the beloved.

Growth in grace (God acting in our life) “is something we must plan for by regular engagement in activities that enable us to receive God’s grace in all areas (of our lives)”. Professor Willard’s statement brings clarity to what is actually called for in the life of a Christian convert. For the remainder of life.

In truth, a lifelong journey of deepening companionship with Jesus is the thing a disciple longs for. It is what they are made for. Nothing less will usher a person along a path of flourishing in the faith pilgrimage.

Much different from the case of a dreamy-eyed bride taking her place alongside her flawed and maverick-minded groom. The disciple’s union is a forever-journey of unfolding goodness in the companioning company of the all-wise Christ Jesus (bridegroom of heaven).

The Jesus-follower carries an increasing conviction that nothing must be allowed to compete with their single-hearted aim. Of journeying in the close company of Christ himself, up and into, all of eternity.

“Our intention as apprentices of Jesus”, Willard states, “is to become the kind of person who lives in the character and power of Christ. We must, then, do those things that will enable us to become that kind of person from the inside out—through appropriate actions and practices. Such actions and practices are ‘disciplines for the spiritual life.’”

Could it be, that coming into God’s salvation means something far more (far richer) than simply getting one’s sins forgiven in order to escape the bad place and get into the good place?

While the good news (gospel) most certainly includes securing forgiveness of sins (how wonderful), the Gospel which Jesus himself repeatedly preached is not merely defined by the word “forgiveness”.

Christ came bringing a new kind of life, a radically transformative kind of life into all aspects of the believers being. What could be clearer about the message Jesus conveyed, through both his life modeled before others, and by his spoken words?

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”*

October 30, 2025

Crossroad

Life-altering decisions call for action.

Once I choose to lay aside poor patterns of living in favor of speech and conduct that better reflect God’s life in Christ, I must engage my will. I take action. I come to terms that I am shifting from spectator mode. I’m in the game for real.

Thinking will play an important part in moving into a better kind of living. But mental pondering alone over a crossroad lying before a traveler fails to get them a centimeter onto the new direction.

The fork has appeared in the road ahead, and I know I must act on my decision. Taking “the road less travelled”, I engage a powerful thing known as the will. My will.

Willpower alone lacks the necessary energy to bring about spiritual transformation. Nevertheless, the long journey of change into Christlikeness will never occur apart from my will – and my ongoing actions of choice stemming from it as I pursue him. And my pursuit of him marks the terrain where my will and the Lord’s companioning presence merge. I have willed to begin letting him be in charge.

Jesus supplies his powerful presence, but even so, he avoids seizing the steering wheel of my personal volition – my will. He offers his presence and his power right along with his offer of partnering with me throughout our good and marvelous life-altering adventure together.

It is so with all his disciples – each one a work in progress – God’s beloved children. We engage. We yield. Shifting our posture, we set our feet in motion alongside his companioning presence. It is when this happens that the load becomes light.

When the economic crisis of 2008 descended on the United States, several industries were broadsided. Among those profoundly impacted by the financial earthquake was the oil industry. Several of our international friends who had been majoring in Petroleum Engineering at our city’s university were swept into an academic crisis. Career-altering decisions were made in a matter of days. At a major crossroad, their futures felt at stake

Almost overnight graduate students at the PhD and Masters levels found themselves redirecting their attention to very new fields of research. Fresh learning curves met them at every turn, sharp and steep!

While these scholars were endowed with very keen minds, to shift from their petroleum engineering specialty to another demanded of them not only a new focus but a new set of disciplines. The students could not make the daunting change by merely wishing for it or by thinking it into being. Learning of and then entering into a new set of practices had to be embraced. Whole careers rested on this proposition.

In a similar way, when a Christian proceeds past something called their profession of faith, and embraces their actual identity as disciple-of-Jesus, they have embarked upon a life-altering path. Profession of faith becomes Practice of the faith. Humbly and decidedly with both will and their yieldedness in place, they strike out on the new path. A decision has been made – one of many lying ahead of them.. They have chosen the with-God life.

January 22, 2016August 28, 2017

Rhythm

I think we all need – really need, this to navigate life.

My friend Roger continued. Bringing less frazzle, more sanity. More life. Roger, was on a roll. Not unlike a drum roll.

When I hear drum rolls or things to do with foot-tappings, knee-slappings, fingertip-rappings, I think, Cody.

Not the Cody, Wyoming of other blog posts here recalling bus rides westward, motorcycle adventure, romance.

Rather the Cody from Southeast Oklahoma – my first grandson. Is he twenty-two now – Really?

For years his hands, wrists, even shoulders have unleashed pulsating energies.

What’s that distant rat-a-tat? More than one head-scratching visitor has posed the question to my daughter – his mother. She smiles, Oh, that’s Cody out in the game room. Drumming.

Distracted family members have implored little drummer boy – Umm, Code-man, could you ease up on the finger tapping. Focusing on our card game ain’t going well.

From eighth grade he began wowing us (grandparent bragging rights are constitutionally-protected.) Ten years beating away on drum heads, cymbals, chests of drawers, kitchen counters, bathroom mirrors, pickup hoods. God be praised he drums in rhythm.

Our lives need rhythm, Roger went on. My wife and I take a ‘couch time’ break most days. Breaking for fifteen minutes from all the action swirling around us. To connect, to catch up. To be in each other’s worlds. On purpose.

Rhythms. On Purpose.

Call them practices. Call them disciplines.

Whatever we call them – practices, disciplines – thoughtful people weave them into their calendar. Stewarding ebbs and flows of on-purpose living. On purpose.

Much like ancient Jesus-followers did, like mothers and fathers of the faith did – century by century.

Like the master Jesus himself did,

“Rising a great while before day he went into a solitary place, and there prayed”.

And Paul, “as his custom was he entered the synagogue”. Prayer, Scripture, Church community, Service, Solitude, Rest, Labor.

I ponder such a list and an appetite stirs. I’m homesick to ebb and flow like this, in my own design.

As surely as I am made for God, I’m made for rhythms. He moves in, takes up more space in my affections. Helps me live my design.

Going to Youtube I watched several drummers – really accomplished drummers. Not all were specimens of health. So physically disabled were some they struggled to mount the drum stool. Then magic took over. How?

Their disciplines – repeated practicings – carried them to astonishing mastery. Melodious thumpings and swishings, clangings and tappings easily flow from their wrists and hands. Amazingly they have long stopped thinking their limbs into action. The body takes over. It is trained.

Such is the way of the Jesus-follower. More becoming his, in the ebb and flow of spiritual disciplines. Trusting his help, his ready strength at every step. Entering the easy yoke.

“I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -Jesus