The Classroom of the Spirit: Shared Praxis and Christ Education

This reflection continues to grow as God keeps revealing more. Feel free to return here or subscribe on my site if you’d like to walk with me as the revelation unfolds. (last update 10/15 at 8:10 a.m.)

When God Woke Me at 2 A.M.(on Oct. 15, 2025)

It was 2:00 in the morning, and I was recovering from surgery. My body was still healing, but my spirit was wide awake. In moments like this I wonder. “is someone praying for me?”

The Divine Forming Mystery—the Father who forms us (Isaiah 64:8),

the Son who reforms us (2 Corinthians 5:17),

and the Spirit who transforms us (2 Corinthians 3:18)—

stirred me gently from sleep.

It wasn’t loud; it was love.

That quiet but unmistakable nudge: “Wake up, Listen, I have something to share with you.”

As I lay there, revelation began to flow like water—steady, clear, unstoppable.

The Spirit started speaking about education, formation, and the difference between learning about God and being shaped by God.

In that moment I realized I wasn’t just recovering physically; God was restoring my sight spiritually.

“You’ve been trying to plant Kingdom seeds in traditional soil.”

Right then I understood—this was not just a message for me.

It was a call to the Church.

Christian education doesn’t need better programs—it needs new wine.

So I got out my phone and started writing the revelation, and what you’re about to read began to flow straight from the classroom of the Spirit.

Traditional Education vs. Christ Education

Traditional Education says:

“I’m the one who knows, and you can’t know unless I tell you.”

It builds hierarchy, control, and measurement.

But Christ Education says:

“You already know, because you were created in the image of the One who knows.” (Genesis 1:27)

It begins with relationship, not information.

It points us toward infinite knowing, not finite knowledge.

Traditional Education teaches us to master content.

Christ Education (CE) teaches us to let the Source master us. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

That changes everything—because CE knows how to hold space for the Teacher—capital “T”—to show up in the room (John 14:26).

I can teach math without integrity or kindness.

But I can’t teach relationship with God without those virtues alive in me (Galatians 5:22-23).

That’s what makes Christ Education sacred, it’s not about mastering information; it’s about being mastered by Love.

Because it’s not informational—it’s incarnational. It’s Christ alive in us, not concepts about Him

Shared Praxis: The Heartbeat of Christ Education

This method was taught to me by one of my favorite seminary professors, Dr. Beverly Johnson Miller

Thomas Groome, a Christian educator, taught that faith learning happens through participation in transformation.

Shared Praxis joins reflection and action.

Teacher and learner bring their stories into conversation with Scripture and the Spirit—

much like Jesus walking with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32).

The rhythm (this is very abbreviated version research this method):

1. Start with life.

2. Reflect through faith.

3. Engage in action.

4. Return to reflection.

It’s not a cycle of repetition—it’s a spiral of growth (James 1:22-25).

When we learn this way, we’re not just talking about God—we’re meeting Him in real time.

Why Passive Learning Leaves Shallow Roots

According to the Learning Pyramid, we retain about 5 percent of what we hear in a lecture,

but up to 90 percent when we discuss or teach others.

So if most of our teaching is lecture-based, the roots will always be shallow (Matthew 7:24).

That’s why people can go to church week after week,

attend Sunday School and Bible study,

and still not grow deep roots.

They’ve been sitting under the sprinkle—never drinking the water (John 7:37-39).

Shared Praxis moves us from hearing to doing—

from lecture to living encounter.

Preaching and teaching in a lecture-style, passive way is like sprinkling water on someone who’s dehydrated.

It might cool them for a moment, but it won’t sustain them.

Active learning, though—that’s like hooking them up to an I.V.—Internal Virtue (Luke 8:46).

It delivers life straight to the source.

It restores virtue—that divine flow of power that transforms from the inside out.

This isn’t just an I.V.—it’s the flow of healing running through the Body.

The Internal Virtue of Christ is moving again,

running through the I.V. for the sick to be made well.

Because this is what formation really is—

the life of Jesus circulating through His people

until what was weak becomes strong again.

Why One-on-One Discipleship Forms Deeper Roots

Corporate discipleship often keeps learning passive.

But one-on-one discipleship invites reflection and relationship—

just like Jesus did with His disciples (Mark 9:28-29).

The best way to learn is to teach—

not by lecturing, but by reasoning together (Isaiah 1:18).

Transformation happens not in the crowd but in the conversation— not in the performance of knowledge, but in the practice of relationship.

The Silence of Revelation

We’ve taught believers to listen only for what they already know.

We’ve made people comfortable with repetition

and suspicious of revelation.

But revelation isn’t rebellion—it’s relationship.

The Spirit of Truth still guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

Shared Praxis reawakens holy curiosity. It whispers, “Lord, speak again.”

Old Wine, Old Wineskins: The Drought of Revelation

We’re pouring old wine into old wineskins (Mark 2:22).

Recycling what was once fresh.

Repurposing other people’s revelation.

Serving what no longer satisfies the thirsty.

The tragedy is that we’ve mistaken aroma for substance.

It still smells like something sacred,

but when you taste it — there’s no power left in the pour.

It doesn’t refresh. It doesn’t revive.

It fills the cup, but it no longer fills the soul.

The Spirit isn’t asking us to admire what once had fragrance —

He’s inviting us to drink what’s still alive.

We’re not allowing the water to be turned into the choice wine like Jesus did at Cana (John 2:10).

Because when the living water becomes choice wine,

it doesn’t just quench thirst — it awakens revelation.

When I say Divine Forming Mystery, some even you may have raised your eye brows and wanted to immediately want to discount it.

But Scripture shows us that God is Divine (Psalm 99:9),

God is Forming (Isaiah 64:8),

and God is Mystery (Romans 11:33).

The Father forms us, the Son reforms us, and the Holy Spirit transforms us. That’s not New Age—that’s new wine.

And when I talk about formation power, Scripture agrees:

“It is God who works in you to will and to act.” (Philippians 2:13)

We form or deform others by how we speak and act (Ephesians 4:29).

Even when Scripture describes God as a Father and a mother, some clutch their pearls, and raise their brows when scripture says, the Divine Forming Mystery is “a mother to the motherless” (Psalm 68:5), we still resist what doesn’t sound familiar - in our teaching, in our sermons and in our converations.

This is why we must bring out the new wine—

because pouring the old into new skins isn’t forming Christ in us with the depth and discipleship needed to impact generations to come.

Generation Alpha is rising—and they’re watching.

Facilitating Shared Praxis: The Rhythm

1. Start with life — “Where have you seen God this week?”

2. Name the tension — “What feels unresolved?”

3. Bring in the story of faith — read and reflect together.

4. Discern together — “What is the Spirit saying?”

5. Respond — “How will you live this truth?”

6. Reflect again — “What has changed?”

It’s not about teaching more—it’s about teaching differently.

Reintroducing the Church to the classroom of the Spirit.

When the Teacher Showed Up

I’ve seen what happens when people come out of passive learning.

When I began using Shared Praxis in Bible study—it’s actually the only method I use—

the atmosphere shifted.

I call it the 20/80 Rule: I speak 20 percent of the time; they speak 80 percent of the time.

That’s when the Teacher—capital “T”—shows up (John 14:26).

People discover the Spirit speaks to them and through them.

I hold space—even when something sounds off—because we learn by reasoning together (Acts 17:2).

Sometimes we leave without a “right” answer,

but we leave with deeper relationship.

And when that happened, Bible study exploded.

People who had never come before started showing up.

They were excited to open Scripture again—not because they were being taught at, but because they were being taught with.

They were hearing God for themselves.

They were being transformed.

This is what happens when Christ Education is present.

This is what happens when we stop pouring the old wine and finally bring out the new.

Many of our churches have been planting in traditional soil—relying on familiar methods for sharing the Word and making disciples.

Those methods have produced faithfulness but not always depth.

We’ve depended on what was once fruitful, but we’re discovering that it no longer allows people to dig their roots deep.

So when they encounter what is out of alignment with God, they often don’t even recognize it.

It’s time to till the soil again—to create space for roots to reach the Living Water—the new wine.

Do we really want to be like Jesus?

He preached to the masses (Matthew 5–7),

He met with His small group of disciples (Mark 4:10; Mark 9:30–31), and He invested in one-on-one discipleship — conversations that formed hearts, not just minds (John 3:1–2 with Nicodemus; John 21:15–17 with Peter).

Jesus modeled the counterbalance of public teaching, intimate community, and personal formation.

If we want to form Christ in others, we must return to His way.

We need it all—

sermons that stir hearts,

small groups that build community,

and one-on-one discipleship that forms character.

This is the new wine.

And the classroom of the Spirit is pouring it out.

This is a Rooted & Rising Reflection

Information can inform you,

but only relationship can transform you.

We are not guardians of old information we are stewards of ongoing revelation.

“The Word of God is living and active.” (Hebrews 4:12)

The Spirit is still teaching.

The question is—will we let Him be the Teacher in the classroom?

Reflection Question: How is God inviting you to bring out the new wine in your teaching or leadership?

To learn more about the Rooted & Rising Pilot Journey and explore resources from the Ignite the Church Initiative, visit www.joycelynignites.com.

Head to the homepage to join the journey.

If you would like Joycelyn to teach this method to you and your cingregation, contact joycelyn@joycelynignites.com

Let’s make disciples together. Pull out the new wine, the choice wine and serve those who are thirsty for the living water.