As pastors, we get a lot of questions. How can I have a deeper connection with God? How can I discern God's voice? What does it actually look like to spend time with God? These types of questions are super common, and they're ones that we've had to wrestle with ourselves.

We're your hosts, Wes and TJ. And though we're pastors, we've had plenty of questions too. And while we're still learning, we've picked up a few things along the way. Join us for season one, which is called Formed in Freedom. Throughout this journey, we'll discuss some of the spiritual practices that have helped shape us, strengthen our connection to God, and tune our hearts to recognize the Spirit's voice.

We record each episode online via discord with a live audience every Wednesday. And after the recording ends, we have an open question and response time. If you'd like to join these live recording sessions, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372 to receive SMS notifications directly to your phone and hit that subscribe button to catch the latest episodes every week.

Summary:
In this episode, Wes and TJ dive deep into the topic of spiritual formation. They begin by sharing their personal journeys where they moved away from a checklist-style approach to spirituality toward a more meaningful and dynamic connection with God. Using the analogy of a toolbox, they explain how devotional practices can be like adding tools to enhance one's relationship with God. They emphasize the importance of not feeling pressured to adopt every spiritual discipline, but rather finding what works best for you. They highlight the significance of prayer and the freedom that comes from understanding the various forms of prayer. They also touch on the role of solitude in their spiritual journeys and hint at upcoming episodes that will explore different spiritual disciplines. Tune in to discover how you can have the vibrant relationship with God you have been desiring.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Spiritual Formation
0:28 - Understanding Spiritual Formation: A Personal Journey
2:12 - Impact of the Pandemic on Spiritual Formation
4:01 - Overcoming Anxiety through Spiritual Formation
4:30 - Challenges in Building a Relationship with God
8:29 - The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Formation
16:29 - Understanding the Diversity of Prayer Practices
21:12 - The Role of Solitude in Spiritual Formation
22:16 - Looking Forward: The Gospel and Spiritual Formation

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode, Wes and TJ delve into their personal journeys and how they were able to move away from legalistic approaches to spirituality, toward embracing a life of freedom in Christ. They emphasize the importance of understanding the foundation of freedom in Jesus before exploring spiritual disciplines.

Devotional Practices, when approached with the right attitude, can help cultivate a continuous connection with God throughout the day. Wes and TJ stress the importance of not compartmentalizing life into "secular" and "holy" moments, but instead recognizing that God is present in all aspects of life.

The bottom line is this, freedom in Christ serves as the foundation for embracing spiritual formation without it becoming just another attempt to escape feelings of condemnation.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Spiritual Formation
0:33 - Personal Experiences with Spiritual Formation
1:53 - Understanding the Freedom in Jesus
2:26 - The Shift in Approach to Spiritual Disciplines
10:43 - The Role of Habits and Attitudes in Spiritual Disciplines
13:56 - The Impact of Spiritual Disciplines on Daily Life
17:59 - The Importance of Identity in Christ Before Spiritual Disciplines
20:49 - Conclusion

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles