Saturate
“What fills your heart leads your life.” Do you agree? It’s the “you are what you eat” of the mind. If I fill my heart and mind with negative thoughts about other people, with the pursuit of money or prestige, with images of violence or pornography, it’s going to impact my thoughts and my choices in life.
As followers of Jesus we want to fill our lives with things that are lovely, noble, upright and true. We long to saturate our hearts with the Word of our God. In this series we’re going to talk about personal spiritual growth and how to make that happen. Luther spoke of three important disciplines for the earnest student of God’s Word: oratio, meditatio, and tentatio. God help us learn how to make these disciplines our own.
Tentatio
Tentatio is the testing, temptation, and trial that occur when God and his Word intersect with us and our world. God uses tentatio to drive us away from self and to his promises alone.
Sermon Text: Psalm 119:65-72
Meditatio
Meditatio is the continual study of God’s Word, not just reading the words for the sake of reading the words, but reading and rereading them, carefully, attentively and reflectively, to gather what the Holy Spirit means by them.
Sermon Text: Psalm 119:97-104
Oratio
Oratio is prayer. Prayer is where the study of God’s Word must begin because prayer begins with the ear. Prayer acknowledges God as Lord and says: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Sermon Text: Psalm 119:145-152