Church Online

“Rule of Life”
March 9, 2025
Cityline Church
Jack Anthony Sheets
Lead Pastor

“If you do what you have always done, you will get what you’ve always got.” –Henry Ford

10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. John 10:10

FAUX FULLNESS

• Inspiration
• Information
• Insulation

28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Orthodoxy – What we believe.
Orthopraxy – How we live or practice what we believe.

“The way of Jesus, combined with the truth of Jesus brings about the life of Jesus.” -Eugene Peterson

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  6  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  7  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  8  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8

Remain (Meno)- To abide, to dwell, to stay put.

Rule of Life (Regula)- regular, regulate, ruler.

Trellis – A support system for a vine or plant that enables it to grow upward or in a desired direction and bear good fruit.

Rule of Life – A rhythm of practices that empower us to live well and grow more like Jesus by helping us experience God in everything we do.

THE NEED FOR A RULE

• The Gap
• The Façade
• The Drift

“A Rule of Life tries to answer two questions, ‘Who do I want to be”? and “How do I want to live?” – Ruth Haley Barton

DEVELPOING A RULE OF LIFE

• Start where you are, not where you want to be.
• Be specific.
• Don’t over overload or overcomplicate.
• Consider your personality, stage of life, and stage of apprenticeship.
• Keep a balance of structure and spontaneity.
• Put it in writing but remember this is a working document.
• Understand a good rule of life is a means to and end.

“A good rule can set us free to be our true and best selves. It is a working document, a kind of spiritual budget, not carved in stone but subject to regular review and revision. It should support us but never constrict us.” -Margaret Guenther

The goal for having a rule of life is not necessarily a balanced life, but rather to live with Jesus at the center of our entire life.

“Almighty God, give me wisdom to perceive You, intelligence to understand You, diligence to seek You, patience to wait for You, eyes to behold You, a heart to meditate upon You and life to proclaim You, through the power of the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.” – St. Benedict of Nursia