Spiritual Formation
Love God. Love People.
Jesus didn’t call his followers to do a bunch of religious duties, but rather to become the kind of people that would fulfill the two great commandments supernaturally, to love God and to love people because we cannot fulfill this law on our own. When we first believe in Jesus and accept him as the Lord and Savior of our lives and the Holy Spirit begins to reside in our heart, the next thing we are called to is to transform ourselves from the inside out and become holy, or different, like he is holy. The spiritual disciplines below are habits that Jesus calls his followers to practice not perfectly but increasingly. We do not earn salvation through these practices but rather this is how we cultivate and put on the character Christ practically which in turn transforms us spiritually.
Prayer
Prayer is as vital to our spiritual life as breathing is to our natural life. Prayer is not just a religious duty but rather it’s a portal into the presence of the Creator of the universe. Having and maintaining a daily prayer rhythm was a defining characteristic of the early church which prayed at least 3 times daily.
Prayer is not just a private practice but a corporate practice as well. Jesus not only invited his disciples to pray to the Father in private but also corporately with other Jesus followers. Join us every Wednesday at 7PM as we come together for God to extend the Kingdom of Heaven to the Pacific Northwest as in Heaven!
Scripture
Reading the Bible is one of the most important things you can do on your spiritual journey of faith. We recommend that everyone at Anthem Church finds a daily Bible reading plan and stick with it, not to just check off a box, but to be transformed by renewing our minds into Christ’s likeness.
Community
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It’s hard to live the right life with the wrong people. We were never meant to do life alone but to exist in a community. We gather together on Sundays to worship and hear the word taught, Wednesdays to pray together corporately, and throughout the week in Life Groups to fellowship and pray for one another.
As disciples of Jesus, we order our lives around the lifestyle of Jesus. Each week we spend time praying together, holding honest conversation, and creating space for the Spirit to speak. We believe that spiritual formation takes place in community. Through deep relationships and accountability, we are able to transform our lives to become more like Jesus.
Join Life Group
Anthem Life Group leaders serve as frontline pastors of our church. As they model a life of discipleship to Jesus, they lead their community in practicing the way of Jesus together in King County. Get connected to our Anthem Life Groups today!
Sabbath
After God created the universe, he rested. After God called out Abraham and the nation of Israel into a covenant relationship with Him, he likewise invited them to rest in him. We strongly believe that Sabbath isn’t just a Mosaic law which was done away with in the New Testament because we see Jesus himself practicing taking a break and physically resting from work not as a religious duty but as a natural rhythm of his life. We highly encourage everyone to take a day off completely from your devices, your calendars, your emails, your work and simply rest in the finished work of Jesus on the cross with your friends and family!
Solitude
We see that Jesus regularly left large crowds to be alone with God the Father. We live in a culture which is constantly bombarding us with noise which drowns out the most important voice we need to hear for ourselves, God’s. The spiritual discipline of silence and solitude could look like setting a 10-minute timer on your phone to simply meditate on God’s goodness or to take a 10-mile hike in the Cascades but whatever it looks like for you, be sure to practice it regularly.
Fasting
Jesus famously said that, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Fasting is a spiritual discipline that reminds us that we are not just physical beings with natural cravings but rather we are first and foremost spiritual beings which hunger and thirst for God. If Jesus regularly fasted which gave him mastery over his physical urges, how much more ought we to fast and master our own urges, addictions and inclinations?
Serve at Anthem
As, "Colossians 3:22-24 states, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Therefore, serving our community and our neighbors is not an obligation—it's a delight that brings joy to the Lord.
