Without Love I Am Nothing

Make a Heart for Jesus!A Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2013

The famous love chapter in the Bible is often misunderstood. It’s not about romance. It’s not even about human love. If we read about the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13 and then try to be more loving we’re in trouble! That’s a lot of pressure, guilt, and failure! In 1 Corinthians 13 it is God’s love — perfect and unfailing Love — that is being described.

Love is not about me and what I can muster up in order to care for others. The source of love is the [...]

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May 20th, 2013 | Tags: , | Category: Experiences

With Jesus in The Storm on the Sea of Galilee: A Meditation on Rembrandt’s Painting

The-Storm-on-the-Sea-of-Galilee-Rembrandt's-paintingA Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2013

You probably know well the story of Jesus and his disciples in their boat at sea during a raging storm (Mark 4:35-41). But you may not have ever meditated on it by using Rembrandt’s famous painting of this story, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. Recently I was inspired to do this by an article in the Conversations journal, “In the Storm.”

Linger with Rembrandt’s masterpiece painting of this Gospel story and you’ll begin to feel the stormy gale blowing in your face and the enormous waves tossing you up and down and splashing [...]

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March 29th, 2013 | Tags: , , | Category: Experiences

Inner Healing Prayer with Psalm 46

soul-flowing-like-a-streamA Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2013

What have you done with the painful things you’ve experienced in your past? How might they be influencing you today?

We may try to forget painful memories and move on but in that case the problem lives on deep inside us, affecting how we relate to God, others, and ourselves in ways that we may not realize. Anxiety, depression, addiction, and chronic relationship problems usually have roots in a history of being rejected, abused, or growing up in a dysfunctional family.

Common problems like insecurity, anxiety, self-condemnation, or chronic tiredness may also be related [...]

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February 13th, 2013 | Tags: , , | Category: Experiences

Simple Prayers of the Heart

heart-love-ocean-wavesSoul Shepherding Experiences

By Bill Gaultiere © 2013

It hits you as soon as you open your mail box — information overload! It’s everywhere. Not just your physical mail box, but especially your e-mail, Facebook, and…

Information overload is stressing you on your To Do List. It’s in cluttering your your closet and garage. It’s heating up your hand when you hold a remote control or a smart phone. It’s blaring in your ears when you walk in a store or maybe even when you try to worship in church.

The words are too many! The words are too loud!

Information [...]

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February 13th, 2013 | Tags: | Category: Experiences

Dynamic Leadership for Christ

saint-paul-preachingA Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2013

The Apostle Paul was routinely criticized as being a boring speaker, especially compared to Apollos, and a second rate Apostle because he wasn’t part of the original group that was with Jesus during his days on earth. He was like a Rodney Dangerfield in his time, “I don’t get no respect!”

It seems that people even called him ugly! Maybe that was because his personality was intense and lacking in charm. Maybe it’s because he was short. Or maybe it’s because his body was covered with scars from the being whipped, beaten, and stoned.

The Apostle [...]

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January 30th, 2013 | Tags: , | Category: Experiences

A Magnificat Advent Meditation

A Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2012

I’d like to share with you an Advent meditation that we used in the Soul Care Groups I lead for pastors. You may want to share it with your small group or you can use it in your personal devotions.

An Advent Meditation on Mary’s Magnificat

For two thousand years Mary’s Magnificat has been a source of daily prayer for Christ-followers who use The Liturgy of the Hours. She exclaimed these words upon hearing her older cousin Elizabeth confirm that she was indeed carrying Christ the Lord in her womb!

We seem to have the [...]

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December 3rd, 2012 | Tags: , | Category: Experiences

Count Your Blessings

A Soul Shepherding Experience

By Bill Gaultiere © 2012

“Count your blessings.” It’s an expression most of us know well. It was made famous by a great old hymn that you may not know if you’re younger. This inspiring hymn of thankfulness to God makes for a wonderful meditation for your private devotions or to share in a time of quiet prayer and reflection with a small group, as I did last night.

The Story Behind Count Your Blessings

Johnson Oatman, Jr. grew up in New Jersey in the middle of the 19th Century singing hymns with his father. His life is a testimony to the [...]

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November 15th, 2012 | Tags: | Category: Experiences
 
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