The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Week 11: Chapter 10 — The Disciplines and the Power of God
Read Chapter 10 of The Spirit of the Disciplines. Key Scripture: Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.
Previewing Week 11 of The Spirit of the Disciplines
Read 3 of 6 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
In this final full chapter, Willard addresses the relationship between the disciplines and the power of the Holy Spirit — insisting that they are not alternatives but partners, and that genuine power for ministry grows from a life shaped by disciplined surrender.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Willard argues that the power of the Holy Spirit is not a substitute for human discipline, nor is discipline a substitute for the Spirit's power. How does he understand the relationship between the two? In your own tradition, which has been emphasized more, and at what cost?
2.He returns to the image of Jesus — whose ministry was characterized by extraordinary spiritual power — and notes that this power was exercised by a man who was disciplined, prayerful, and obedient. What does the combination of power and discipline in Jesus' life suggest about what genuine spiritual authority looks like?
3.Paul's famous statement in 2 Corinthians 12 — 'when I am weak, then I am strong' — might seem to undercut Willard's emphasis on training and discipline. But Willard reads it differently. How does the paradox of strength-in-weakness actually fit within his framework of the disciplines?
a.What kind of weakness does Paul have in mind, and how is it different from spiritual laziness or passivity?
b.How have you experienced God's strength in your own weakness?