Subscribe & Share
Category Archives: Reflections
Set your hearts and minds
…set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. In the first part of verse 1 we are reminded of the foundation of the spiritual life – that we have been raised with Christ. Now, the Apostle Paul begins to teach us how we are to live in this new way of life (because remember salvation is not just about waiting for heaven one day, it is about living in God’s kingdom here and now!). We begin by “setting” our hearts and … Continue reading
Posted in Bible study, Reflections
View Comments
We have been raised with Christ…
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, “ This whole section is based on the assumption of our having been “raised with Christ”. If we attempt to follow the teaching of the proceeding verses outside of the resurrection power, we will be doing so out of our own strength and it will all be in vain. The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 6:4-6 that… 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5If … Continue reading
Posted in Bible study, Reflections
View Comments
Yellow Light Moments
“…our spiritual enemy is always enticing us to speed. This is the fatallest of fatal things.” Frederick Faber (1814-1863) I’m personally discovering that there are some days in which there seems to be an extra amount of external pulls – do this, do that, quicker, faster, NOW! Of course, sometimes these are unavoidable and we simply have to do what needs to be done and do it quickly. However, I’m wondering if there are days and moments when these seemingly external influences (and the subsequent pressure we feel to hurry up) are actually pointing to an internal struggles against hurry … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
View Comments
Moment by Moment
I am currently in a class titled “Christian Spirituality in Everyday Life” and we are currently discussing the topic of discovering the sacred in what may seem like the mundane – experiencing God’s presence in ordinary life. A basic foundation is the truth that God is “omni-present”, everywhere at all times. Consider Psalm 139:7-12. But, how do we learn to “practice the Presence” in ordinary times? It can be “easy” to experience God when we are at worship or participating in communion, but what about when we are at home doing chores or at the office keeping up with work? … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
View Comments
The Open-Handed Disciple
God calls us to live “open-handedly”, generously, as an outward expression of a changed heart that no longer puts its trust in worldly materials, but in God alone.
Part of the process of our spiritual transformation into Christ-likeness is the shift that we make from trusting our self to trusting God. Continue reading
A Story of Spiritual Direction
There was a young man hiking in the wilderness, enjoying the beauty of nature and admiring what he saw and heard. After a few hours though, he started to feel as though he was simply going in circles. He wasn’t quite lost, but he felt as though there must be more to experience. After a while of having these thoughts and continuing to walk, he came up to a rest area where he met another hiker. He initiated conversation with this fellow nature lover, hoping that he might gain some wisdom from this man who looked as though he had … Continue reading
Capturing Contentment
We live in a world that is very much against contentment. We are told to be more, buy more and do more. If we don’t buy into this mode of thinking, we are led to believe that something is wrong with us. The Apostle Paul did not buy into this way of thinking. All throughout the book of Philippians Paul’s focus is on Christ. Consider some of the things Paul writes in Philippians: To live is Christ, to die is gain Wrong Turn full movie Frost/Nixon ipod The Art of Pain video Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy … Continue reading
