Journal Portfolio: Christian Telos
DSMN 520: Spiritual Formation
October 13, 2023
Contents
Mediation and Memorization.......................................................................................................1
Church Membership & Community............................................................................................7
Spiritual Planning..........................................................................................................................8
Reflections......................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................11
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Mediation and Memorization
Many observations can be taken from Romans 8. A Christian can find a lot of important
information regarding their faith.
1. “No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (8:1): In the previous chapter, Paul writes of
the continuous struggle that believers experience between wanting to follow God’s law
and our sinful nature. Chapter 8 opens with the promise that for Christ’s followers, there
is no condemnation. We will not be punished or condemned to hell for our sins.
2. “The Spirit of life” (8:2): The Spirit brings life. Tying in with the previous verse, there is
no death (condemnation) because those who follow Christ have the life-giving Spirit.
3. “Free from the law of sin and death” (8:2): Sin always leads to death. The only way to be
free from death is to have the “Spirit of life.”
4. “What the law could not do” (8:3): The law cannot save us; it shows us that in and of
ourselves, we cannot keep it. The law does not save us.
5. “God did” (8:3): The law could not save us; however, God did. He sent His son, and
blood was shed on the cross. It is by that blood that “God did.”
6. “He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own son” (8:3): God sent Jesus in human
form to be the sacrifice for all sin, suffering the condemnation that we all deserve.
7. “In order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us” (8:4): The law’s
requirement must be fulfilled. God is a just God. He cannot give the law and not fulfill it.
He sent Jesus so that the law would be fulfilled.
8. “Who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (8:4): Christ’s
followers are not led by the flesh. This does not mean we don’t sin. It means that we are
led by and walking in accordance with the Spirit.
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9. “For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh
(8:5): Those who do not follow Christ will focus on their sinful, selfish desires. They will
try in their own power for success and prestige.
10. “Those who live according to the Spirit have their mind set on the things of the Spirit”
(8:5): Those who live by the Spirit have their minds set apart. Their focus is not on their
selfish desires but on things of God. Does this mean we never sin? No, but it does mean
that we have a focus beyond our flesh.
11. “Now the mindset of the flesh is death” (8:6): The mindset of the flesh will always lead
to sin, and ultimately that will lead to death.
12. “But the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace” (8:6): Focusing our attention on the Spirit
gives us life and peace. Not only do we have eternal life, but that life will be peaceful.
13. “The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God” (8:7): To be hostile to God is to be anti-God.
It is not possible to have the mindset of the flesh and follow the Lord.
14. “You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit” (8:9): If you believe and trust in the
Lord and the death and resurrection of Jesus, you cannot be in the flesh, although you
may struggle with it.
15. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him” (8:9): You must
believe in and trust in God to have the Spirit. Without the Spirit, you cannot belong to
Him.
16. “Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin” (8:10): Our physical bodies
will die due to sin.
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17. “The Spirit gives life because of righteousness” (8:10): Although our bodies will die due
to sin, the Spirit gives us eternal life. This eternal life exists beyond our physical bodies
and is given to us because we are set apart.
18. “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus” (8:11): Jesus’ resurrection was by the power of the
Spirit, and that same Spirit is the one that God gives to us.
19. “Bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you” (8:11): Our bodies
are mortal; they cannot escape death. But the Spirit, given to us by the Lord, gives life to
our bodies.
20. “So, then brothers and sisters” (8:12): Paul is writing to the Roman Christians, his
brothers and sisters in Christ.
21. “We are not obligated to the flesh” (8:12): We are set apart from the flesh; although we
will struggle with sin and temptation, we are no longer self-serving. We are not obligated
to the law of the flesh (sin and death), as we are given life in the Spirit.
22. “If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die” (8:13): Living according to the
flesh requires death; it is the penalty for sin. It is impossible not to live in sin when you
live according to the flesh.
23. “If by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (8:13): With the
Spirit, we can have victory over our flesh and the temptations we face every day. The
Spirit puts to death the flesh and, in return, gives life.
24. “For those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons” (8:14): If a person lives according to the
Spirit and is led by the Spirit, that person is a part of God’s family. Our Heavenly Father
calls us His children.
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25. “Did not receive a spirit of slavery” (8:15): When we live according to the Spirit, we are
free from slavery. God did not rescue us from one form of slavery (slave to sin) to make
us slaves in another way. Following the Lord is a choice, a personal decision.
26. “Fall back into fear” (8:15): 2 Timothy 1:7a tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of
fear” (Christian Standard Bible).
27. “Received the Spirit of adoption” (8:15): Adoption is a legal process that brings a child
into a family. Those who have faith in Him become His children.
28. “Whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father’” (8:15): “Abba, Father” is like a child crying out
“daddy” or “papa.” It is a word that signifies a deep, personal relationship.
29. “The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit” (8:16): The Spirit himself (God) is
in communication with our Spirit. Testifying together shows that the two spirits are in
agreement.
30. “Heirs of God and coheirs with Christ” (8:17): God loves us, not just enough to make us
His children, but to love us as he loves His son Jesus. God doesn’t play favorites with His
children.
31. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time” (8:18): Our suffering is only for a
time. The suffering has an ending.
32. “The glory that is going to be revealed to us” (8:18): We do not yet know the coming
glory. After this present time of suffering, then we will know the glory.
33. “For the creation was subjected to futility” (8:20): All God made was subjected to
uselessness.
34. “Because of him who subject it” (8:20): Because of Adam and the first sin in Genesis, all
of creation is suffering.
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35. “The whole creation has been groaning together” (8:22): To groan is to respond to pain.
All creation is responding to the pain and suffering experienced in our fallen world.
36. “Who have the Spirit as the first fruits” (8:23): Those who have the Spirit of God, His
children.
37. “Eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (8:23): Our adoption into
God’s family will be complete when our bodies are redeemed after our death, and we are
at home with God.
38. “Now in this hope we were saved” (8:24): It is by putting our hope, our faith in the life,
death, and resurrection that we are saved.
39. “We do not know what to pray for as we should” (8:26): We know we should pray for
things, yet sometimes we are at a loss on how to do it. God, in His graciousness, gave us
the Spirit to intercede for us.
40. “He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit” (8:27): We don’t have to
know what to pray; it is already known.
41. “All things work together for the good of those who love God” (8:28): This is not
temporary or worldly “good.” This good is eternal. No matter what we face in our
physical bodies, it all leads to eternal life for those who love God.
42. “For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed” (8:29): God knew who
would choose to follow Him.
43. “If God is for us, who is against us?” (8:31): God is all-powerful, the ultimate authority;
therefore, anyone who comes against His believers will be ultimately crushed.
44. “He did not even spare his own Son” (8:32): God paid the price for our sins. He
sacrificed His own son to save His creation, His children.
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45. “He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us” (8:34): Jesus is at the right
hand of God. He often intercedes for us with the Father.
46. “Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” (8:35): What power can come between
God and one of His children? With the Spirit of God in us, we have eternal life; there will
be no power that can cause separation.
47. “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (8:37): With the love of God,
we can overcome anything that the flesh throws at us.
48. “Neither death nor life” (8:38): Nothing in life nor in death can separate us from the
Lord. In fact, in death, we receive the ultimate gift of eternal life with the Lord.
49. “Nor things present nor thing to come” (8:38): God does not hold our past against us, and
nothing from the past nor the future will separate us from Him.
50. “Will be able to separate us from the love of God” (8:39): Nothing. Nothing will separate
us. If we have chosen to receive God's love, there is no power capable of separating us
from Him.
Romans 8 is a powerful chapter of the Bible. It shares with the reader important
information regarding the life of a believer. It emphasizes the Spirit's importance and role in
a believer's life. One truth that I need to focus on is found in 8:18 when Paul writes of the
suffering being only for a time. It can be so easy to get caught up in the suffering we
experience and forget that the suffering, our time in our physical bodies, is but a small blip
on the eternal timeline.
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Church Membership & Community
I have never thought of the church as a club, yet I suppose that is how I sometimes have
treated it. I have always been a member of the church we are attending, yet it often felt more like
a prerequisite to being able to serve. I have always believed that God is the ultimate authority,
but Leeman defines church in a way I have never thought of it, “the authority on earth that Jesus
has instituted to officially affirm and give shape to my Christian life and yours.”1
One of the areas that I felt conviction about is when Leeman addresses the topic of
submitting to the church. Due to some recent “church hurt” coming from the church's senior
leaders, I currently struggle with the idea of submitting to church authority. When you have been
treated wrongly by church leaders, it is difficult even to want to serve in the church again.
However, that has not always been the case, and in previous churches, I have had no issue
submitting to the church’s authority. I need to respond to this area in two ways initially. First, I
need to be able to let go of the hurt that the people in the church caused my family. I often pray
for God to lead me in giving up that hurt to Him daily, but I know I am not diligent in that
prayer.
Another area that I felt conviction was in regard to “embracing the awkward.” Not that
personality types are an excuse, but as an introvert, this is hard. I am aware that God created me
as an introvert, and He made no mistake in doing so. Yet, it feels like an impossible thing to
overcome sometimes, such as in the idea of “embracing the awkward.” The video showed me
that I cannot expect someone else always to do the hard thing. I must be willing to put myself out
there and engage in the community. As we have begun to attend a new church, I use the excuse
that I don’t know anyone, and I don’t. The regular attenders there have not engaged me, and
1 Jonathan Leeman, Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus, 9Marks: Building
Healthy Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 24.
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there feels like limited ways to be engaged in community outside of Sunday mornings. I am
aware this is an excuse. One specific step that I am going to take is to engage one new individual
each time I am at the church. I will not be successful at cultivating spiritual discipline in
community if I am not actively engaging the community.
Spiritual Planning
As an individual who likes to plan in advance, it’s surprising that the idea of planning
where I want to head in my spiritual formation journey never occurred to me. As I thought
through this journal entry, I was convicted, in part by Jeff Vanderstelt’s book Gospel Fluency
and in part by the prompt. I plan for all the things that matter; why have I not done so with my
spiritual life?
The first step for me is to become more committed to prayer. I wake early and spend time
in prayer and Bible study, but sometimes it is lackluster. I will continue to do this; however, one
change I will make is to switch the order in which I do things. It occurred to me that I should
pray before diving into my Bible reading and studying. I will begin my morning time with my
prayer journal. I will then engage in my Bible reading, followed by my Bible study. In my desire
to be more committed to prayer, I will add a time in the evening in which I will be praying the
scriptures, beginning with the Psalms.
Another area in which I desire spiritual growth is in my bible reading and knowledge. I
have a journal for reading through the Bible in a year that I will begin in January. This is not
something I have ever done, and I am looking forward to it. With this journal, I will add
supplements such as commentaries or the Blue Letter Bible app. I will also engage my husband
in conversation regarding the scriptures I read for the day. This will allow not just for my growth
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in knowledge (he has his Doctorate in Spiritual Formation and offers great wisdom in the
scriptures) but it will also strengthen our marriage.
I am not sure at this time if I will continue to write spiritual growth plans as we did in
class. However, I do plan to implement bullet points. There is a spot in my journal for goals that
I will use. I will write bullet-point goals for my spiritual growth. I will have a long-range plan,
setting goals for the year, with shorter, easily attainable goals to be set weekly. These smaller
goals will build upon each other, leading to my ultimate yearly goal.
Reflections
Sharing the gospel is something that I struggle with. Not because I do not know we are
called to do so or because I don’t want to. I am simply afraid. As I have had more experience
sharing the gospel, I have realized that my fear is not rejection, as much as fear of not knowing
the answers. As I read Vanderstelt’s chapter on Listen and Learn, what stuck out was when he
wrote, “We fail to listen. We fail to draw out the heart. And we miss opportunities to really love
people and share the love of God with them.”2 This is something I do well: I listen. However, this
seemed like a new concept to me when it comes to sharing the gospel. I guess I have always
thought of sharing the gospel as me doing the talking. It is not so much important that I know the
answers; the truth is that I have the Spirit for guidance; it is listening.
Much of my gospel sharing comes in the form of sharing with children or teens. I do not
often find myself around adults who are not already following Jesus. However, while at the
library with my son, I was able to have a conversation with a woman who did not know Jesus.
Reflecting on the conversation after the fact, I realized that although I touched on the good news,
I failed to share it fully. One strength of the conversation was that she was engaged in the
2 Jeff Vanderstelt, Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life (Wheaton,
IL: Crossway, 2017), 173.
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conversation; we were actively talking and responding to each other. Yet, that matters little when
it comes to where she will spend eternity. For me, I count it a success that I had the conversation
at all. It is very uncomfortable for me to engage individuals I do not already know or that I do
not have an instant connection point. Thankfully, I know God can work in her life despite my
failure. I am unsure if I will ever have the opportunity to meet that woman again. I will take that
experience, and I will grow from it.
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Bibliography
Leeman, Jonathan, Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus, 9Marks:
Building Healthy Churches, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012.
Vanderstelt, Jeff, Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life,
Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
