I received this wonderful spiritual observation from someone in my church…

Thanks M!

Some people are kind, polite and sweet-spirited — until you try to get into their pew. (George Goldtrap)

As part of my teaching series called “Response-ability: Responding to the grace of God!”, I handed out a small card with these words: “Lord, I commit myself, with Your help, to making every effort to grow and improve in this area: _______________________”

How do we decide an area to grow in? Continue reading ‘A commitment to grow!’ »

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A.W.Tozer

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours, no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ’s compassion to the world.
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless others now.”
St. Teresa of Avila

I would love to have you join me in reading the bible and posting a few sentences of thoughts/reflections in the comment section at the bottom. Using this blog is a great way to provide encouragement and accountability.

Read this post to see why I post my bible reflections online.

I have set up the schedule as follows:

1. Monday – Thursday (shorter readings from the Gospels each day)
2. Friday – Saturday (longer readings from the rest of the bible)
3. Sunday (a Psalm for each Sunday)

This schedule is designed to be flexible, and to allow you to focus on Jesus and His teaching. Don’t worry if you miss a day (or two or more),  just step in when and how you can.

Check out my reflection on today’s reading here! 

To help you I am posting my own reflections for each daily reading. Please feel free to post your comments or questions. If you ask questions, I will try to suggest some answers, but you may also answer each other’s questions. This is a conversation! Once you submit your comments, they will be public. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use a nickname when you first sign in.

I don’t recommend this, but some people like to use a checklist when it comes to measuring themselves and others. They point out how others are ‘living in sin’ because of a particular sin on God’s list. But do they really want to relate to God based on a checkist?

Below is a list someone made of 1050 commands (imperative statements) from the New Testament. Check out this list if you think you want to relate to God based on this list. Again, I don’t recommend it, because I guarantee you will fail.

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10)

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)

But maybe by looking at this list you will realize how futile it is to measure ourselves and others by a list. Much better to admit our failure, and come to God in humility and honesty, trusting Him for His mercy and grace to help us change, one step at a time.

1050 NT Commands

My initial response to this quote is positive.
I like how it acknowledges the problem of sin, that we DO have a sin problem.
But I also like how it challenges us to focus on our own sin, not on someone else’s.
Are there any concerns with what this quote says?
What do you think?