Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Week 12: Chapter 11 — Guidance

Read Chapter 11 of Celebration of Discipline. Key Scripture: Proverbs 11:14; John 16:13; Acts 15:28.

Guidance is the corporate discipline of seeking God's will together — trusting that the Spirit speaks not only to individuals in isolation but to and through the community of believers. This week, consider both how you seek God's guidance and whether you seek it with others.

Discussion Questions

7 questions

1.Foster argues that much of modern Christianity approaches guidance as an intensely private matter — just me and God, listening for a word. What are the risks of that approach? What might be lost when we seek guidance in isolation?

2.He draws on the Quaker tradition of the 'clearness committee' — a small group of trusted believers who gather specifically to help a person discern a major decision. What is the spiritual logic behind that practice? Does it appeal to you or make you uncomfortable? Why?

3.Foster emphasizes that corporate guidance requires both genuine openness (a willingness to be corrected or redirected) and genuine participation (a willingness to speak honestly into another's situation). Which of these is more difficult for you in practice?

a.Have you ever submitted a major decision to a trusted group for counsel? What happened?

b.Is there a decision you are currently facing where you might invite that kind of community discernment?

4.He cites the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) as a biblical model of corporate discernment, culminating in the phrase 'it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.' What does it say about the nature of the church that the Spirit chooses to work through the deliberation of a community rather than simply bypassing it?

5.Foster addresses the danger of mistaking our own desires or fears for the voice of God. How do you tell the difference between genuine spiritual guidance and wishful thinking — or anxious thinking? What disciplines and checks help you discern?

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Closing Prayer

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Spirit of truth, we confess that we are far better at telling You our plans than at waiting for Yours. We seek guidance when we are desperate and ignore it when life feels manageable. Forgive us for our spiritual self-sufficiency. Teach us the wisdom of community — to seek counsel, to listen to the body of Christ, and to hold our own conclusions loosely. Lead us, not just individually, but together — as a community of people learning to follow You. Amen.

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