Monthly Archives: March 2013
Luke 16:1-18
16 Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s … Continue reading
Have You Had Your Mental Illness Yet?
Several years ago there was a large study conducted by the National Institute for Mental Health, that suggested that 55% of Americans will suffer from a mental disorder during their lifetime. Earlier studies like this were conducted in l984 and … Continue reading
Luke 15:11-36
11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his … Continue reading
Luke 15:1-10
15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a … Continue reading
The Four Steps in Meditation
Jan and I just returned from leading a church’s pastoral staff retreat, and in one of the sessions, we talked first about how our brains benefit from a regular practice of focused meditation, then we outlined the four traditional parts … Continue reading
Luke 14:15-35
15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When … Continue reading
Meditation or Mindfulness?
What do you think when you hear someone say the word “meditation?” What comes to mind for most people is what’s been called TM, or transcendental meditation. Its popularity some years ago kind of “highjacked” the term, and as a … Continue reading
Luke 14:1-14
14 One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. 2 There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in … Continue reading
Luke 13:22-35
22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try … Continue reading