“Pray without ceasing,” the Apostle Paul taught us (1 Thess. 5:17). He also said, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). John Wesley referred to this as “continuing instant in prayer.” Probably you’re more familiar with the terminology of “practicing God’s presence.” Mark in his Gospel seeks to draw…
There is a part of you that is determined to defeat you at every turn. You were born with this enemy and right now he may be hiding in the darkness of your unconscious experience, ready to ambush you when you least expect it. I’ve had to deal with this lurking enemy of my soul…
“Love is the fountain of life, and the soul which does not drink from it cannot be called alive.” These are the ancient words of Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153), a great lover of God and considered the last of the Church Fathers. Bernard was Cistercian monk and followed very strict disciplines. He chose to…
What if while Jesus was being crucified he would’ve gotten angry at the people who tortured him? Imagine if he would’ve said things like, “Father, zap those soldiers with lighting!… Cause an earthquake to swallow up those Pharisees!… Look at these people who are mocking me even though I give my life to them in love –…
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross provides not only our forgiveness of sins but also our eternal living in the Kingdom of the Heavens. The Bible text for this sermon is Luke’s account of Jesus’ death on the cross (Luke 23:26-49).
An ancient tool for helping us learn to practice God’s presence and grow in a more intimate relationship with the Lord is called the Examen of Consciousness or simply “The Examen.” The Examen? If you’re not familiar with it then it probably doesn’t sound appealing! The idea of being examined is something most of us want to…
For a number of years now as Christmas approaches I’ve been doing an Advent meditation that’s a great blessing! I ask the Holy Spirit to help me pick a Bible character from the Christmas story to companion during advent. In addition to the Gospel accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Christ, I’ve used…
“Forgive and forget,” some say. “Just let it go to God and move on,” urge others. Often it’s not that easy. Maybe you grew up in a family in which it wasn’t okay to express anger. Or the pain and violation seem too great. Or you’re not sure how to forgive. Read on and you’ll…
Psalm 23 is for people in recovery. It’s not just alcoholics who need to get in recovery — we’re all sinners in need of recovery. We’ve all been damaged by sin — our own and other people’s — and we need God to restore us to himself and his life. We’re all learning not to…
Bill Gaultiere’s Notes from Dallas Willard’s Talk These are my notes from the talk that Dallas Willard gave at the Institute for Spiritual Formation at Talbot Seminary, Biola University, on September 27th, 2011. As best I can I have used Dallas’ wording, but this is not a transcript—some of what Dallas said I didn’t write…