It’s easy to forget in these crazy times, and in the calmer times too, that God has so much in store for you. As a human being made in God’s image, you are a creature of the future, and your future does not have to be determined by your past. Today, I--the Shepherd--talk about how you can turn your future into all that God wants for you through spiritual formation, specifically by reading the Scriptures.
In this episode, I go into what it means to be a human being and what it means to be made in the image of God. I talk about what spiritual formation is, and I explain why it can’t happen without God. I talk about the different ways to grow spiritually, and I note that their power lies not in themselves but in the fact that they all converge in Christ. I distinguish between love and niceness, and I note the importance of discipline. I discuss the inescapable power of the Bible, and I talk about its history. I explain how to approach the Bible, and I address its difficulties. I talk about what it means to be in a war for souls, and I talk about the weapon we need to fight it: the Holy Scriptures. I share what it looks like to pray the Scriptures, and I introduce the five steps of Lectio Divina, reading and meditating on a short passage from Luke. I talk about the importance of a listening heart and unhurried expectation, I note the value of short passages, and I end with a question for you to take into the rest of your day.
“If you were to realize that there is so much more to you than you realize, it would take your breath away.”
“Because of Jesus, your past does not have to equal your future.”
This week on Shepherd & the Shrink:
Resources mentioned
Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together
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