Oaks Parish: Recent Episodes
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Scripture Text: Acts 2:1-13
Quotes for Reflection
Charles Wesley, O Thou Who Camest from AboveO Thou who camest from above,
the pure celestial fire to'impart,
kindle a flame of sacred love
upon the altar of my heart.
Richard Belward Rackham’s commentary, The Acts of the Apostles: An ExpositionEvery new beginning in thought or life is inevitably accompanied by disturbance. There is the struggle with the old, and the re-adjustment to the new, environment. So the coming of the Spirit is followed by irregular and abnormal phenomena. Like Jordan, the full and plenteous flood of the Spirit ‘overflows all its banks’ (Josh. 3:15). At first the old worn-out vessels of humanity cannot contain it; and there is a flood of strange and novel spiritual experiences. But when it has worn for itself a deep channel in the church, when the laws of the new spiritual life are learnt and understood, then some of the irregular phenomena disappear, others become normal, and what was thought to be miraculous is found to be a natural endowment of the Christian life.
N.T. Wright, Acts for EveryoneThe coming of the spirit at Pentecost, in other words, is the complementary fact to the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The risen Jesus in heaven is the presence, in God’s sphere, of the first part of ‘earth’ to be transformed into ‘new creation’ in which heaven and earth are joined; the pouring out of the spirit on earth is the presence, in our sphere, of the sheer energy of heaven itself. The gift of the spirit is thus the direct result of the ascension of Jesus. Because he is the Lord of all, his energy, the power to be and do something quite new, is available through the spirit to all who call on him, all who follow him, all who trust him.
Application Questions
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How has a season of waiting shaped your life recently? In what ways might God be using that tension to deepen your trust in him?
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Why is Jesus’ ascension essential for shaping our perspective in times of waiting, longing, or uncertainty?
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Where is the Spirit inviting you to trust more deeply as you seek to live out God’s calling in your life?
Scripture Text: Acts 1:1-11
Quotes for Reflection
N.T. Wright, Acts for EveryoneThe point of the resurrection itself is that without it there is no gospel, no Deeds and Teachings of King Jesus II. There would only be the sad and glorious memory of a great, but failed, teacher and would-be Messiah. The resurrection of the Jesus who died under the weight of the world’s evil is the foundation of the new world, God’s new world, whose opening scenes Luke is describing.
C.S. Lewis, Mere ChristianityIf you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.
Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey MountainI had never before seen a real Catholic Mass and I had no idea what it was all about. I had heard that it was in Latin and that it was mysterious and incomprehensible to a Protestant, and indeed, to anyone who did not know Latin. That was all I knew about it. And I liked the idea. I liked it for the very same reason that I liked the Gregorian chant I had heard in records: because it was strange and archaic and solemn. It was beautiful. And when I went into that quiet, peaceful church, and saw the tall, old priest with his white hair, and heard him saying Mass at the altar, in a low voice, and the server answering in Latin, and the silence and the kneeling people and the candles and the statues and the crucifix on the altar, and the dim quietness and the slanting light—I was enthralled. It was beautiful. That was all I knew. And I wanted to know more, to be a part of it. I had the sense that something was happening there that was much more real than anything that had ever happened to me before.
F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of LukeFrom the earliest times in Israel, God was acknowledged as king (cf. Ex. 15:18). His kingship is universal (Ps. 103:19), but is manifested most clearly where men and women recognize it in practice by doing his will.
Application Questions
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How does the ascension of Jesus help you reimagine worship?
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Where in your life do you need the ministry that is uniquely available in the ascension of Jesus?
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What is one choice that you can make this week to bring your life into conformity with Christ as king?
Scripture Text: Luke 16:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
N. T. Wright, Luke for EveryoneThe key to it all is in the opening verses: it’s about faithfulness. Money is not a possession, it’s a trust: God entrusts property to people and expects it to be used to his glory and the welfare of his children, not for private glory or glamour. Money also, according to this passage, points beyond itself, to the true riches which await us in the life to come. What they are, we can hardly guess; but there are ‘true riches’ which really will belong to us, in a way that money doesn’t, if we learn faithfulness here and now.
Timothy Keller, Every Good EndeavorChristians should be aware of this revolutionary understanding of the purpose of their work in the world. We are not to choose jobs and conduct our work to fulfill ourselves and accrue power, for being called by God to do something is empowering enough. We are to see work as a way of service to God and our neighbor, and so we should both choose and conduct our work in accordance with that purpose. The question regarding our choice of work is no longer "What will make me the most money and give me the most status?" The question must now be "How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God's will and of human need?"
J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the GospelsThe truth here propounded by our Lord appears, at first sight, too obvious to admit of being disputed. And yet the very attempt which is here declared to be useless is constantly being made by many in the matter of their souls. Thousands on every side are continually trying to do the thing which Christ pronounces impossible. They are endeavouring to be friends of the world and friends of God at the same time. Their consciences are so far enlightened, that they feel that must have some religion. But their affections are so chained down to earthly things, that they never come up to the mark of being true Christians. And hence they live in a state of constant discomfort. They have too much religion to be happy in the world, and they have too much of the world in their hearts to be happy in their religion. In short, they waste their time in labouring to do that which cannot be done. They are striving to 'serve God and mammon.'
Application Questions
- How does eternity shape your relationship with money?
- In what way is God calling you to faithfulness?
- How have you tried to serve two masters? What is your first step of repentance?
Scripture Text: Luke 15:1-32
Quotes for Reflection
Andrew Murray, Humility: The Journey Toward HolinessJust as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature humble and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.
The Bruised Reed, Richard SibbesThose who feel the furthest from comfort are actually the most ready for it. Most people don't feel lost enough to truly seek a Savior. A holy despair in ourselves is the foundation of true hope. In God, the fatherless find mercy (Hos. 14:3); if people felt more like orphans, they would experience more of God's fatherly love from heaven. For God, who lives in the highest heavens, also dwells in the lowest soul. Christ's sheep are weak and lacking in one way or another; he therefore meets the needs of each sheep. In Ezekiel 34, he seeks the lost, brings back those who have strayed, binds up the broken, and strengthens the weak. His tenderest care is for the weakest.
Timothy Keller, Prodigal GodMost readings of this parable have concentrated on the flight and return of the younger brother—the ‘Prodigal Son.’ That misses the real message of the story. This parable of Jesus is actually about two sons. It’s the story of a man who had two sons, and Jesus spends nearly as much time on the elder brother as he does on the younger. The younger son represents the way of self-discovery: ‘I’m going to live how I want to live.’ But the elder brother represents the way of moral conformity: ‘I’m going to do what’s right and good and God will owe me a good life for it.’ Both sons are lost, and both represent different ways to be alienated from God. There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord: one is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course, and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being very, very good.
Application Questions
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Why is recognizing that you are lost essential to experiencing true gospel transformation?
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How does it reshape your view of God to know He eagerly meets you in the lowest place?
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Each parable ends in joyful celebration. How can this shape your life in Christ this week?
Scripture Text: Luke 13:1-10
Quotes for Reflection
J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of LukeWith Christ nothing is impossible. He can soften hearts which seem as hard as the lowest millstone. He can bend stubborn wills which for eighteen years have been set on self-pleasing, on sin, and on the world. He can enable sinners who have been long poring over earthly things to look upward to heaven and see the kingdom of God. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. He can create, and transform, and renew, and break down, and build, and quicken with irresistible power. He lives who formed the world out of nothing, and He never changes.
Jonathan Rauch, Why Christianity Needs to Help Save Democracy (Econtalk Podcast 04.21.25)Christianity is fundamentally a counter-cultural religion. It was born outside of the state. Jesus, of course, was a deeply counter-cultural teacher, counter to everything that Roman society around him taught. Christianity is at its best when it's counter-cultural.
N.T. Wright, Luke for EveryoneOne action in one synagogue on one sabbath; what can this achieve? But when Jesus sows the seed of the kingdom, nobody knows what will result. Or the kingdom as a small helping of leaven, hidden apparently in the flour. It seems insignificant and ineffectual; but before long the whole mixture is leavened. One healing of one woman – but every time you break the satanic chains that have tied people up, another victory is won which will go on having repercussions.
Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of AmazementWe are almost stunned by the simplicity of these parables. In our culture, unless you are a gardener or a baker, your imagination will probably not resonate with these simple images. But once you have planted a tiny seed and over time witnessed the enormous plant that grows from it, or once you have placed a small pinch of yeast in a large lump of dough and seen it rise and expand over the sides of the bowl—then you will begin to understand how a series of small encounters two thousand years ago between religious leaders and an obscure itinerant rabbi has resulted in a kingdom whose reign extends across the universe.
Application Questions
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Where in your life do you feel bound or twisted this morning — and need to hear Jesus’s words, “You are freed”?
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When have you experienced the small beginnings of faith that grew into something greater?
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How can you trust God with one small counter-cultural act this week that, over time, could make a difference?
Scripture Text: Luke 12:35-48
Quotes for Reflection
John Calvin, The InstitutesGod is not to be feared as if He were ready to punish us, but rather to be revered because He has loved us so much.
Rebecca DeYoung, Glittering VicesAt its core, acedia is aversion to our relationship to God because of the transforming demands of his love. God wants to kick down the whole door to our hearts and flood us with his life; we want to keep the door partway shut so that a few lingering treasures remain untouched, hidden in the shadows.”
Frederick Buechner, Wishful ThinkingThe place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
Application Questions
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As you reflect on the parables of Luke 12, how might your view of God’s character be off?
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What are your daydreams telling you?
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Reflect on the quote from Frederick Buechner. Describe that “place” in your own life.
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Quotes for Reflection
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of ChristChrist rose once from the dead, and now dies no more. Death shall no longer have dominion over Him. Rejoice, for you are called to share in His victory.
C.S. Lewis, MiraclesThe New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ the pioneer of life; He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so.
Karl Barth, Dogmatics in OutlineThe Easter message tells us that our enemies, sin, the curse, and death, are beaten. Ultimately, they can no longer start mischief. They still behave as though the game were not decided, the battle not fought. We must still reckon with them, but fundamentally we must cease to fear them anymore.
N.T. Wright, Paul for EveryoneChristianity, you see, isn’t a set of ideas. It isn’t a path of spirituality. It isn’t a rule of life. It isn’t a political agenda. It includes, and indeed gives energy to, all those things; but at its very heart it is something different. It is good news about an event which has happened in the world, an event because of which the world can never be the same again. And those who believe it, and live by it, will (thank God!) never be the same again either.
Application Questions
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If there were no resurrection, what impact would that have on the Christian faith?
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Why is it significant that the resurrection was a physical reality, not just a spiritual one?
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How does the resurrection give you hope in an area of your life marked by grief, fear, or uncertainty?
Scripture Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Quotes for Reflection
Thomas Merton, Baptized by DarknessNow He is sent. He has come. He has descended into the far end of night, gathered our Fathers, the Patriarchs and Prophets, to Himself in Limbo. Now we will all be manifest. We will see one another with white garments, with palm branches in our hands. The darkness is like a font from which we shall ascend washed and illumined, to see one another, no longer separate, but one in the Risen Christ.
N.T. Wright, Matthew for EveryoneThe people wanted a prophet, but this prophet would tell them that their city was under God’s imminent judgment. They wanted a Messiah, but this one was going to be enthroned on a pagan cross. They wanted to be rescued from evil and oppression, but Jesus was going to rescue them from evil in its full depths, not just the surface evil of Roman occupation and the exploitation by the rich. Precisely because Jesus says ‘yes’ to their desires at the deepest level, he will have to say ‘no’ or ‘wait’ to the desires they are conscious of, and expressed.
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of GloryObedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality.
Application Questions
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How can the grace of the gospel free you to obey in faith rather than responding in fear or pride?
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What captures your deepest affection and awe right now—and how might the beauty of Christ in the gospel reshape your posture into one of true worship?
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Where might you have an opportunity this week to help someone see more clearly who Jesus is and what it means to live in Him?
Scripture Text: Exodus 20:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
Kevin D. Young, The Ten CommandmentsThere’s nothing necessarily wrong with noticing what other people have, but most of us don’t stop and notice so that we can give thanks to God for his blessings to others. We notice and then stop being thankful for all that God has given to us.
The Westminster Larger CatechismThe duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbor, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that good which is his.
Mary Oliver, The GiftBe still, my soul, and steadfast. Earth and heaven both are still watching though time is draining from the clock and your walk, that was confident and quick, has become slow.
So, be slow if you must, but let the heart still play its true part. Love still as once you loved, deeply and without patience. Let God and the world know you are grateful. That the gift has been given.
Application Questions
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How does the Christian vision of longing differ from other worldviews?
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If I only had ___________, I would finally be happy. What’s in that blank and what does it truly reveal?
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What’s one simple habit of gratitude that helps you feel more content with God when you’re feeling restless or wanting more?
Links to resources mentioned in this episode:
- The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness (Tim Keller)
- Losing My Nonreligion (Wall Street Journal)
Questions or comments about this podcast episode? Click here to email us!
Scripture Text: Exodus 20:1-16
Quotes for Reflection
from the Westminster Larger Catechism
Q. 144. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.
Q. 145. What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.
Scripture Text: Exodus 20:1-15
Quotes for Reflection
Paul David Tripp, Redeeming MoneyGod created us to be dependent. He created us to follow his commands and to submit to his will. Real life and true freedom are found when we willingly and joyfully surrender to the One who created us, knows what we need, and rules what we could never control. But something else is vital to remember: we were never designed to put ourselves in the center of our world and make our lives all about us. We were never created to live for little more than our personal comfort, pleasure, happiness, and success. In God’s plan for us, we will never find the rest of heart that we all seek until we live according to the purpose and glory of the One who created us.
Kevin D. Young, The Ten CommandmentsHave you ever noticed that Jesus is sometimes less “spiritual” than we might think? That doesn’t sound right, but here’s what I mean: we might think that Jesus would tell us, “Do you want possessions? Shame on you. Do you want security and safety? Shame on you. Why don’t you desire something more important?” He doesn’t do that, though. Instead, he taps into the desires of all human beings. We want to make sure that we have something that will last. We want to make sure that we have enough for the future. Jesus says, “Okay, I get that. Let me tell you how to really be happy: store up treasures in heaven!”
John Frame, Doctrine of the Christian LifeThe biblical ideal is certainly not that we all become poor. Rather, it is, first, “godliness with contentment” (1 Tim. 6:6). The wisdom teacher recognizes that there are temptations in both wealth and poverty, so he asks God to give him just enough: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me” (Prov. 30:8; compare “our daily bread” as the Christian’s request in Matt. 6:11). But if God does give poverty, or riches, we must expect temptation and be ready to deal with it.
R. Kent Hughes, Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life
Every time I give, I declare that money does not control me. Perpetual generosity is a perpetual de-deification of money.
Application Questions
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Why can our relationship to the material world become enslaving?
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As a central aspect of worship, how can tithing deepen our relationship with God?
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Within each of our vocations, God brings about opportunities to help those in need. How can Oaks Parish partner with you?
Scripture Text: Luke 6
Quotes for Reflection
J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of LukeThe Christian must be altogether another style of man. His feelings of love and his deeds of kindness must be like his Master’s – free and gracious. He must let men see that he loves others from higher principles than the ungodly do, and that his charity is not confined to those from whom he hopes to get something in return.
Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to LoveReturning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says ‘Love your enemies,’ he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies—or else? The chain reaction of evil—hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars—must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of AmazementYou have a storeroom. It’s called your heart. If your heart is good, only good things will come out of the storeroom. If it is evil, then all you’ll have stored up is evil. Out of the overflow of the storeroom of your heart your mouth speaks. Whether it’s the image of the house or the storeroom or the good tree or the thorn bush, Jesus is painting images to recapture our imaginations. I don’t want my life to count for nothing, just as I wouldn’t want my house to be washed away by a storm. I don’t want to fall blindly into a deep pit, just as I don’t want my discipleship to be shallow and meaningless. If it is an unimaginable kingdom into which you and I are being called, then only the parables and the Spirit can enable us to imagine our way in. If it is an impossible command that Jesus demands that we follow, then only by his hesed will we be able to obey.
Application Questions
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How can scholar J.C. Ryle say that Christians are altogether ‘another style of man’? What does that actually mean?
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How can gospel-centered love help you love someone in particular this week?
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Of the five illustrations that Jesus uses in Luke 6:37-49 to paint a picture of the Christian life, which picture speaks to you the most right now and why?
Please note: A couple minutes are missing from the beginning of this replay, but jump right in for the majority of the sermon!
Scripture Text: Luke 4:1-30
Quotes for Reflection
J.C. Ryle, The Gospel of LukeThe first event recorded in our Lord’s history, after His baptism, is His temptation by the devil. From a season of honor and glory He passed immediately to a season of conflict and suffering. First came the testimony of God the Father: “You are My beloved Son.” Then came the sneering suggestion of Satan: “If You are the Son of God.” The portion of Christ will often prove the portion of Christians. From great privilege to great trial, there will often be but a step.
C.S. Lewis, Screwtape LettersNearly all vices are rooted in the Future. Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.
N.T. Wright, Luke for EveryoneIt is a central part of Christian vocation to learn to recognize the voices that whisper attractive lies, to distinguish them from the voice of God, and to use the simple but direct weapons provided in scripture to rebut the lies with truth. The Christian discipline of fighting temptation is not about self-hatred, or rejecting parts of our God-given humanity. It is about celebrating God’s gift of full humanity and, like someone learning a musical instrument, discovering how to tune it and play it to its best possibility. At the heart of our resistance to temptation is love and loyalty to the God who has already called us his beloved children in Christ, and who holds out before us the calling to follow him in the path which leads to the true glory. In that glory lies the true happiness, the true fulfilment, which neither world, nor flesh, nor devil can begin to imitate.
Henri Nowen, Life of the BelovedYou have to keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief.
Application Questions
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How have you recently experienced temptation and why this challenge?
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What is the meaning of Jesus’s victory for your own spiritual battles?
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What do you learn from this passage that gives you hope in the face of temptation?
Please note: A couple minutes are missing from the beginning of this replay, but jump right in for the majority of the sermon!
Scripture Text: Luke 3:1-21
Quotes for Reflection
N.T. Wright, Simply Good NewsMany people today assume that Christianity is one or more of these things – a religion, a moral system, a philosophy. In other words, they assume that Christianity is about advice. But it wasn’t and isn’t. Christianity is, simply, good news. It is the news that something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place.
J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of LukeLet us work on, and believe that help will come from heaven when it is most needed. In the very hour when a Roman emperor and ignorant priests seemed to have everything at their feet, the Lamb of God was about to come forth from Nazareth and set up the beginnings of His kingdom! What He has done once He can do again. In a moment He can turn His church’s midnight into the blaze of noonday.
Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of AmazementLuke devotes sixteen verses to John the Baptist and his followers beside the Jordan, yet only two for the unexplainable baptism of Jesus. It is unexplainable because One who has never and would never sin submits to a baptism that is a sign of repentance. He is not repenting; he is identifying. It is the first step toward an eventual death on the cross. Here, with John, he submits to a baptism of repentance for sins he never committed. On Golgotha he will die for sins he never committed so that he can forgive each and every sin.
Application Questions
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How does Luke 3:1-2 situate us in the world of John and Jesus and how does this give us hope for our own time?
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How is baptism a form of imperial rebellion?
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Follow the through line of Luke’s point in chapter three. Where do you need to repent of your own “small-scale injustices” so that your life is aligned the coming of God’s kingdom?
Scripture Text: Luke 2:1-21
Quotes for Reflection
Frederick DankeThe faith of the shepherds is revealed by their decision to proceed to Bethlehem to see this thing. Like Mary in an earlier recital (Luke 1:39) they went with haste. What they found at Bethlehem is spelled out in detail in order to emphasize the nature of the response that follows. Depth of spiritual commitment is determined by the quality of one's fidelity after the majestic voice is no longer heard. They find an ordinary Jewish couple and the child who lies in the manger. Instead of being disappointed they published the angelic interpretation of this child. Thus they are the first evangelists.
Alfred EdersheimTo the question, whether this hope has ever been realised—or rather, whether One has appeared Whose claims to the Messiahship have stood the test of investigation and of time—impartial history can make only one answer. It points to Bethlehem and to Nazareth. . . . Admittedly, He was the One perfect Man—the ideal of humanity; His doctrine the one absolute teaching. The world has known none other, none equal. And the world has owned it, if not by the testimony of words, yet by the evidence of facts. Springing from such a people; born, living, and dying in circumstances, and using means, the most unlikely of such results—the Man of Nazareth has, by universal consent, been the mightiest Factor in our world’s history: alike politically, socially, intellectually, and morally. If He be not the Messiah, He has at least thus far done the Messiah’s work. If He be not the Messiah, there has at least been none other, before or after Him. If He be not the Messiah, the world has not, and never can have, a Messiah.
Bishop John HooperRead the second chapter of St Luke, and there ye shall see how the shepherds that watched their sheep all night, as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem, by and bye must go to see him. They did not reason nor debate with themselves who should keep the wolf from the sheep in the meantime, but did as they were commanded and committed their sheep to him whose pleasure they obeyed. So let us do, now we be called; let us commit all other things unto him that called us. He will take heed that all things shall be well. He will help the husband; he will comfort the wife. He will guide the servants; he will keep the house; he will preserve the goods; yea, rather than it should be undone, he will wash the dishes, and rock the cradle. Cast, therefore, all your care upon God.
Application Questions
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When was the last time you experienced the good news about Jesus as “great joy”?
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How might you make space to treasure and ponder the truth about Jesus?
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What about the shepherds’ response challenges you?
Scripture Text: Luke 1:39-56
Quotes for Reflection
Marcus Aurelius, MeditationsYour mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of DiscipleshipBewilderment is true comprehension.
Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of AmazementThey were, all of them, quite simply amazed. Zechariah’s friends, the shepherds, all who heard the shepherds, Joseph and Mary, the people in his hometown of Nazareth, those in Capernaum, those who heard the boy Jesus in the temple, the disciples, the parents of the girl who had died, even the Pharisees: all were amazed, astonished, in awe and afraid. Three decades later, as Luke interviews the ever-decreasing group of eyewitnesses, he finds them still amazed, still struggling to put into words just what it was like to encounter the rabbi from Nazareth. And thirty years away from the event that was Jesus’ life, Luke still finds himself amazed as well.
Dane Ortlund, Gentle and LowlyThe dominant note left ringing in our ears after reading the Gospels, the most vivid and arresting element of the portrait, is the way the Holy Son of God moves toward, touches, heals, embraces, and forgives those who least deserve it yet truly desire it.
J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of LukeLet us learn from this holy woman’s example to lay firm hold on Bible promises. It is of the deepest importance to our peace to do so. Promises are, in fact, the manna that we should daily eat and the water that we should daily drink as we travel through the wilderness of this world. We do not yet see all things put in subjection under us. We do not yet see Christ, and heaven, and the Book of Life, and the mansions prepared for us. We walk by faith, and this faith leans on promises. But on those promises we may lean confidently. They will bear all the weight we can lay on them. We shall find one day, like Mary, that God keeps His word, and that what He has spoken, so He will always in due time perform.
Application Questions
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What good news have you received recently, and why did it bring you joy?
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What amazes you about Jesus, and how might these insights refresh your faith?
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How is faith an extension of belief? In what specific way can your history with God strengthen your faith this week?
Scripture Text: Matthew 5:13-16
Quotes for Reflection
Pliny the Elder, Natural HistoryBut of all the things that are necessary to the life of man, nothing is more useful than salt and sunshine.
Wendell Berry, The Art of the CommonplaceIf you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.
George Elliot (Mary Ann Evans), Middle MarchFor the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.
N.T. Wright, Matthew for EveryoneOur present passage, then, is a kind of gateway to all that will follow, and its theme is clear. Jesus is calling the Israel of his day to be Israel indeed, now that he is there. What he says here can now be applied to all Christians, but its original meaning was a challenge to Jesus’ own contemporaries. God had called Israel to be the salt of the earth; but Israel was behaving like everyone else, with its power politics, its factional squabbles, its militant revolutions. How could God keep the world from going bad – the main function of salt in the ancient world – if Israel, his chosen ‘salt’, had lost its distinctive taste?
Application Questions
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In what ways has the church lost its saltiness in our culture? How might we reclaim our identity as salt and light in a way that impacts our society?
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Why is our physical presence in a place essential to understanding God’s ongoing work in the world?
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Faithful presence embraces limitations and includes staying close to the light, being rooted in place, and discerning with commitments. Which of these areas is God inviting you to focus on in your current season of life?
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:11-22
Quotes for Reflection
David Brooks, How to Know a PersonPeople need social skills. We talk about the importance of “relationships,” “community,” “friendship,” “social connection,” but these words are too abstract. The real act of, say, building a friendship or creating a community involves performing a series of small, concrete social actions well: disagreeing without poisoning the relationship; revealing vulnerability at the appropriate pace; being a good listener; knowing how to end a conversation gracefully; knowing how to ask for and offer forgiveness; knowing how to let someone down without breaking their heart; knowing how to sit with someone who is suffering; knowing how to host a gathering where everyone feels embraced; knowing how to see things from another’s point of view.
Tim Keller, Prodigal GodChristians commonly say they want a relationship with Jesus, that they want to “get to know Jesus better.” You will never be able to do that by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church, in Christian community, with strong relationships of love and accountability. Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness.
N.T. Wright, Ephesians for EveryoneFor Christians a church building is not a ‘Temple’ in the strict sense. It is the people themselves who are the ‘place’ where God is now deciding to live. One might almost say that God himself has, in a sense, become a stranger and asylum-seeker within his own world, the more so since, as the early Christians knew, the Jerusalem Temple itself had been solemnly condemned by Jesus. The living God was now seeking to make his home in the hearts and lives, and particularly the communities, that had declared their loyalty to Jesus, and were determined to live by the gospel.
Application Questions
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Why do you think it’s so difficult to experience unity in our culture today?
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What can it mean that Christ makes us into a new community, the dwelling place of God himself?
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Consider the David Brooks quote from his work How to Know a Person. Among the social skills listed, what stands out for your growth as an “illuminator”?
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Scripture Text: Colossians 3:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
Robert M Thune and Will Walker, The Gospel-Centered LifeEvery good story has a hero. And the hero of the Gospel Story is Jesus. Humanity needs a Savior, a Redeemer, a Deliverer to free us from the bondage and condemnation of sin and to restore the world to its original good. This Rescuer must be truly human in order to pay the debt we owe to God. But he can’t be merely human because he must conquer sin. We need a substitute-one who can live the life of obedience we’ve failed to live, and who can stand in our place to bear the punishment we deserve for our disobedience and sin. This is why God sent Jesus into the world to be our substitute.
Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of TreesThere is a good reason for this ideal appearance: stability. The large crowns of mature trees are exposed to turbulent winds, torrential rains, and heavy loads of snow. The tree must cushion the impact of these forces, which travel down the trunk to the roots. The roots must hold out under the onslaught so that the tree doesn’t topple over. If there is a weak spot anywhere in the tree, it will crack. In the worst-case scenario, the trunk breaks off completely and the whole crown tumbles down. Evenly formed trees absorb the shock of buffeting forces, using their shape to direct and divide these forces throughout their structure.
N.T. Wright, Colossians for EveryoneLearning to think, rather than merely going with the flow of the world on the one hand, or blindly obeying what look like stringent regulations on the other, is part of the key to it all. One aspect of Christian maturity, and certainly one of the road signs on the surprising route to Christian holiness, is that the mind must grasp the truth: ‘you died, and your life has been hidden with the king, in God!’ Once the mind has grasped it, the heart and will may start to come on board. And once that happens the way lies open to joyful Christian holiness.
Application Questions
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How does who/what we love shape who we become?
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In what particular ways does Colossians 3:1-17 reveal the uniqueness of the gospel compared to other approaches to personal change and transformation?
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What earthly patterns or behaviors need to be put to death in your life, and how might a shift in your spiritual rhythms lead to lasting transformation?
Scripture Text: John 15:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
T.S. Elliot, “Little Gidding”, Four QuartetsWe shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Tim Keller, Prodigal GodThe prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.
Dane Ortlund, Gentle and LowlyHe astounds and sustains us with his endless kindness. Only as we walk ever deeper into this tender kindness can we live the Christian life the New Testament calls us to. Only as we drink down the kindness of the heart of Christ will we leave in our wake, everywhere we go, the aroma of heaven, and die one day having startled the world with glimpses of a divine kindness too great to be boxed in by what we deserve.
D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to JohnJesus insists that his own obedience to the Father is the ground of his joy; and he promises that those who obey him will share the same joy–indeed, that his very purpose in laying down such demands is that their joy may be complete (cf. 1 Jn. 1:4). What is presupposed is that human joy in a fallen world will at best be ephemeral, shallow, incomplete, until human existence is overtaken by an experience of the love of God in Christ Jesus, the love for which we were created, a mutual love that issues in obedience without reserve. The Son does not give his disciples his joy as a discrete package; he shares his joy insofar as they share his obedience, the obedience that willingly faces death to self-interest (12:24–26).
Application Questions
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In what ways does the anatomy of a tree illustrate the gospel of grace available to us in Christ? Consider the roots, branches, and fruit in your reflection.
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Grace is the paradoxical means by which God produces fruit in our lives. As you reflect on your heart, what attitudes, habits, or distractions might God be calling you to prune so that the fruit of His grace can flourish?
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As we embark on a new ministry year, what intentional step can you take to deepen your relationship with Jesus and experience His grace more fully?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 30
Quotes for Reflection
Roger Ellsworth, The Shepherd King: Learning from the Life of DavidTo strengthen ourselves in God means we remind ourselves of what Scripture says about God and his promises, and we bring those truths to bear on the situation. Every trial causes opposing voices to ring in the ears of the child of God. One is the voice of our circumstances, telling us that our situation is hopeless. The other is the voice of faith, telling us that our God is sufficient for the trial.
Ralph David, 1 SamuelHere is a sobering and disturbing picture for God’s people. Are there not times when you think it cannot get any worse? And 1 Samuel 30 says, Yes, it can. There are times when you conclude that your present trouble is the last straw; you simply cannot take any more. Then comes Ziklag, the last straw after the last straw.
John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic WisdomWhen you send love out from the bountifulness of your own love, it reaches other people. This love is the deepest power of prayer. Prayer is the act and presence of sending this light from the bountifulness of your love to other people to heal, free, and bless them.
Application Questions
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How have you experienced “the last straw after the last straw”?
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Why does the victory of Jesus lead to the restoration of life?
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What’s one thing you can change about your habits in order to be strengthened in the Lord?
Scripture Text: Revelation 1:9-20
Quotes for Reflection
G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the DivineThe description of the Son of Man is full of Old Testament phrases, which we may track down to their various sources. . . But to compile such a catalogue is to unweave the rainbow. John uses his allusions . . . for their evocative and emotive power. . . His aim is to set the echoes of memory and association ringing. . . John has seen the risen Christ, clothed in all the attributes of deity, and he wishes to call forth from his readers the same response of overwhelming and annihilating wonder which he experienced in his prophetic trance.
James Denney, Studies in TheologyThere is not in the New Testament from beginning to end, in the record of the original and genuine Christian life, a single word of despondency or gloom. It is the most buoyant, exhilarating and joyful book in the world. The men who write it have indeed all that is hard and painful in the world to encounter; but they are of good courage, because Christ has overcome the world, and when the hour of conflict comes they descend crowned into the arena. All this is due to their faith in Christ’s exaltation, and in his constant presence with them in the omnipotence of his grace.
Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of RevelationRevelation . . . reminds us that the church’s witness to the world is authentic only as primarily a witness to truth – to the one true God and the truth of his righteousness and grace. In western societies today this witness to the truth . . . faces a relativistic despair of the possibility of truth and, even more, a consumerist neglect of the relevance of truth. . Revelation . . . shows the power of a theocentric vison to confront oppression, injustice and inhumanity. In the end it is only a purified vision of the transcendence of God that can effectively resist the human tendency to idolatry. . . The worship of the true God is the power of resistance to the deification of military and political power and economic prosperity. In the modern age we may add that it is what can prevent movements of resistance to injustice and oppression from dangerously absolutizing themselves.
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 28:3-25
Quotes for Reflection
Paul Miller, A Praying LifeBut unlike these other kinds of experts, power in prayer comes from being in touch with your weakness. To teach us how to pray, Jesus told stories of weak people who knew they couldn’t do life on their own. The persistent widow and the friend at midnight get access, not because they are strong but because they are desperate. Learned desperation is at the heart of a praying life.
John of Landsberg, A Letter from Jesus ChristI know those moods when you sit there utterly alone, pining, eaten up with unhappiness, in a pure state of grief. You don’t move towards me but desperately imagine that everything you have ever done has been utterly lost and forgotten. This near-despair and self-pity are actually a form of pride. What you think was a state of absolute security from which you’ve fallen was really trusting too much in your own strength and ability. Profound depression and perplexity of mind often follow on a loss of hope, when what really ails you is that things simply haven’t happened as you expected and wanted. In fact, I don’t want you to rely on your own strength and abilities and plans, but to distrust them and to distrust yourself, and to trust me and no one and nothing else. As long as you rely entirely on yourself, you are bound to come to grief. You still have a most important lesson to learn: your own strength will no more help you to stand upright than propping yourself on a broken reed. You must not despair of me. You may hope and trust in me absolutely. My mercy is infinite.
Eugene H. Peterson, Run with the HorsesIt is, of course, far easier to languish in despair than to live in hope, for when we live in despair we don't have to do anything or risk anything. We can live lazily and shiftlessly with an untarnished reputation for practicality, current with the way things appear. It is fashionable to espouse the latest cynicism. If we live in hope, we go against the stream.
Application Questions
- Are there any circumstances in life that make you feel desperate? How might you direct your desperation toward God?
- How is God calling you to seek him wholeheartedly?
- Is there any part of God’s will for your life that you have not yet embraced?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 27:1-12; 28:1-2
Quotes for Reflection
Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for YouThe state of our hearts is often shaped by what we say to our hearts.
A.W. Pink, The Life of DavidAlas, when unbelief dominates us, God is forgotten, and deliverance, our own ease, obsess the mind; and hence it is that—unless divine grace interpose—we seek relief in the wrong quarter and by unspiritual means.
Richard D. Phillips, 1 SamuelIt is true—no, it is a glorious truth—that the heroes of the Bible, excepting Jesus Christ, are all scoundrels and criminals, breakers of God’s law and sinners to the core. This shows the Bible’s honesty; no other religious tome dares to display the human weakness and sins of its heroes the way the Bible does, because the Bible is not trusting in man but in God.
Application Questions
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David was concerned not only for himself but also for the welfare of family, friends, and others entrusted to him. How does this resonate with your own experience?
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In what way might you be tempted to take matters into your own hands right now? What has resulted from that decision in the past, and what does it look like to trust God instead?
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How do you need to preach the gospel to yourself this week?
Scripture Text: Colossians 3:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian ReligionNearly all the wisdom which we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings for the other is not easy to discern.
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 24
Quotes for Reflection
David Brooks, How to Know a PersonJimmy’s gaze when he greets a person derives from a certain conception of what a person is. Jimmy is a pastor. When Jimmy sees a person—any person—he is seeing a creature who was made in the image of God. As he looks into each face, he is looking, at least a bit, into the face of God. When Jimmy sees a person, any person, he is also seeing a creature endowed with an immortal soul—a soul of infinite value and dignity. When Jimmy greets a person, he is also trying to live up to one of the great callings of his faith: He is trying to see that person the way Jesus would see that person. He is trying to see them with Jesus’s eyes—eyes that lavish love on the meek and the lowly, the marginalized and those in pain, and on every living person. When Jimmy sees a person, he comes in with the belief that this person is so important that Jesus was willing to die for their sake. As a result, Jimmy is going to greet people with respect and reverence. That’s how he’s always greeted me.
A.W. Pink, The Life of DavidOne stroke of his sword, and he steps into a throne. Farewell to poverty! Farewell the life of a hunted goat. Reproaches, sneers, defeat, would cease; adulations, triumphs, riches would be his. But his at the sacrifice of faith; at the sacrifice of a humbled will, ever waiting on God’s time; at the sacrifice of a thousand precious experiences of God’s care, God’s provision, God’s guidance, God’s tenderness. No, even a throne at that price is too dear. Faith will wait.
Tim Keller, ForgivenessForgiveness is more of an event or a process. At first, when you make those commitments—granting forgiveness—you don’t feel forgiving at all. You are still angry. But if you keep the commitments in a disciplined way…then slowly but surely you will feel the forgiveness you have granted.
Application Questions:
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How have you experienced the power of mercy in your life?
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To experience gospel-empowered mercy requires sacrifice but offers great gain. How is this true?
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Is there someone in your life who needs mercy?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 23
Quotes for Reflection
Andrew Murray, Waiting on GodOh, the blessedness of waiting on such a God! a very present help in every time of trouble; a shield and defense against every danger. Children of God! will you not learn to sink down in entire helplessness and impotence, and in stillness to wait and see the salvation of God? In the utmost spiritual famine, and when death appears to prevail, oh, wait on God. He does deliver, He does keep alive. Say it not only in solitude, but say it to each other— Psalm 33 speaks not of one but of God's people—'Our soul waits on the Lord: He is our help and our shield.' Strengthen and encourage each other in the holy exercise of waiting, that each may not only say it of himself, but of his brethren, 'We have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.'
Mark Vroegop, Waiting Isn’t a WasteWaiting on God is living on what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what’s true about my life.
Henry SmithO Lord, grant that I may dedicate all my hope unto your providence, power, and mercy, only commending all my troubles, miseries, calamities, adversities, and crosses whatsoever unto you only to be relieved and comforted. O let me not so much as think that the hand of man can hold me up in the least of my dangers, and yet my God, since you work sometimes by means, and sometimes without means, let me not refuse the aid of man, whom it may please you to raise and appoint for my good. Amen.
William Cowper, stanzas 3-5 of “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds that you much dread,
are big with mercy and will break in blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.
Application Questions:
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Concerning what specific situation in your life is God calling you to seek him?
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What truth or promise do you need to cling to for your own encouragement or share with someone else for their encouragement?
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How have you experienced God’s providential deliverance from trouble?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 21
Quotes for Reflection
Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow, A Novel
Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always more to tell than can be told.
Dane Ortland, Deeper
To grow as a disciple of Christ is not adding Christ to your life but collapsing into Christ as your life. Closed vents can’t be cleaned, full cups can’t be filled, and the Spirit does not enter where we are quietly operating out of self-dependence. But the distraught, the empty, the pleading, the self-despairing, those tired of paying the tax of obedience to God and trying to live on what’s left over—theirs are hearts irresistible to the humble Holy Spirit
Roger Ellsworth, The Shepherd King
It is, to be sure, a most costly decision. Those who left Saul’s kingdom to join David left behind many comforts and conveniences and entered into a life that entailed sacrifice and suffering, but the peace and joy of being a follower of David far surpassed the hardships involved. So it is for all those who, by the grace of God, leave Satan’s kingdom for Christ’s.6
Tim Chester, 1st Samuel for You
David describes his experience in the cave of Adullam in Psalms 57 and 142. In Psalm 142:4 he says: “I have no refuge”. But immediately in the next verse he goes on to say of the Lord: “You are my refuge”. This encourages us to think of all the times when we are tempted to think or to say: I have no refuge; I have no hope; I have no future; I have no one. This may be our experience and it is real enough. But there is a bigger reality, and it is to this that faith turns: God is my refuge; God is my hope; God is my future; I have God.
Application Questions
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Distressed, delirious, downtrodden- Do any of these terms describe your life right now?
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Why is vulnerability a prerequisite for the power of the gospel? How do you personally find yourself resistant to this posture?
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How did God meet David in his time of need, and how might that give you hope for your circumstance?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
William Blaikie, 1 SamuelIn the case of Jesus Christ, we have all the noble qualities of Jonathan in far higher excellence than his, and we have this further consideration, that for us He has laid down His life, and that none who receive His friendship can ever be separated from His love.”
Jeremey Linneman, Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church?It’s helpful to think of our daily lives in terms of discipleship patterns, the habits of life we have learned both intentionally and unintentionally. In this broad sense, discipleship is always happening: We become what we consume, as our patterns of life direct and dictate our deepest feelings, thoughts, and motives. We are always being conformed to the heart and personality and lifestyle of another person or system.
C.S. Lewis, The Four LovesIn Friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting—any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others. They are no greater than the beauties of a thousand other men; by Friendship God opens our eyes to them. They are, like all beauties, derived from Him, and then, in a good Friendship, increased by Him through the Friendship itself, so that it is His instrument for creating as well as for revealing. At this feast it is He who has spread the board and it is He who has chosen the guests. It is He, we may dare to hope, who sometimes does, and always should, preside. Let us not reckon without our Host.
Application Questions
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Consider someone who’s been a good friend to you. What’s made them a good friend?
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How did gospel faith characterize David’s friendship with Jonathan and Michal?
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What’s one action you can take this week to cultivate friendship?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 18:5-30
Quotes for Reflection
Richard D. Phillips, 1 Samuel, The Reformed Expository CommentaryThe safest habit is for us to leave others’ opinions of us to themselves, concerning ourselves more deeply with what God thinks of our character and actions. Saul shows us what becomes true of anyone who craves personal praise: he loses the capacity for both joy and love. Not long previously, we were told that “Saul loved [David] greatly” (1 Sam. 16:21). Now, because of his own proud and insecure spirit, Saul begins to loathe and fear a young man who has been nothing but faithful in service to him.
Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey MountainEnvy feeds on our illusions and misunderstandings about ourselves and others. When we come to understand our true identity in God, we realize that we are uniquely loved and gifted. This awareness diminishes the power of envy, as we no longer feel the need to compare ourselves with others. Instead, we can appreciate our unique path and the blessings bestowed upon us, recognizing that God’s love is abundant and tailored for each individual
Timothy Keller, “The Evil of Envy”, Gospel in LifeEnvy is a complex emotion that involves more than just a desire for what others possess. It encompasses a deep sense of resentment and discontentment with one’s own situation, coupled with an inability to rejoice in others’ blessings. This emotion can eat away at one’s peace and joy, creating a cycle of bitterness and dissatisfaction.
S. G. DeGraaf, The Promise and DeliveranceOnly faith makes us willing to be the lesser. Faith causes us to surrender the rights we pretend to have.
Application Questions
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Where does envy tend to show up in your life?
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What do we learn about envy’s effect from Saul’s experience?
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What’s one way that the gospel can set you from the bondage of envy this week?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 17:20-50
Quotes for Reflection
Jeremiah 9:23-24Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.
Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 121.4, Sixth CenturyAll that we read prefigured in David at that time, dearly beloved, we know was accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ; for he strangled the lion and the bear when he descended into hell to free all the saints from their jaws.
William Blaikie, Expository Lectures on 1 SamuelShould we not pray more really, more earnestly if we did realize these possibilities? . . . Is it not a good habit, as you kneel each morning, to think, ‘For aught I know, this may be the most important day of my life. The opportunity may be given me of doing a great service in the cause of truth and righteousness; or the temptation may assail me to deny my Lord and ruin my soul. O God, be not far from me this day; prepare me for all that Thou preparest for me!’
Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository CommentaryDavid’s response to the situation at Elah teaches us that the great affairs of life are all essentially theological. What we do with our lives, how we decide whom to marry, or not, what priorities we pursue, or whether we witness the gospel to friends and neighbors all reveal what we really believe about God. Regardless of our formal profession of faith, if we seldom act on the basis of biblical truth, we show that the world holds greater sway over our minds and hearts than God does. If we shrink from doing difficult things for God, we show that we think him weak, distant, or indifferent.
Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 SamuelGoliath is not really the problem here. A leather strap and a little rock can fix him. The real menacing giant in this story is the unbelief that dominates the hearts of God’s people. The obstacle is not found in God; it is not found in God’s opponents; it is found in God’s own people. I suspect God was more insulted by Israel’s disbelief than He was by Goliath’s blatant, blasphemous defiance.
Application Questions
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What feels overwhelming right now?
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What does this story have to say about our tendency to trust in outward appearance?
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How can trust in the victory of Christ change how you approach a particular this week?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 16
Quotes for Reflection
Isaiah 53:2 (NRSV)He had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
Paul David TrippEven if your struggles are your own making and your problems are caused by your foolishness, God still offers his forgiving and rescuing grace.
Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for YouSamuel had to appoint a king. In a sense it is a task we all have. We must choose who will be king over our lives. Who or what will have our ultimate allegiance? It might be a person. It might be an ideology. It might be material possessions. It might be ourselves—our comfort or power or pride. There might be a number of things competing for our allegiance. But something will rule our hearts. How will we decide?
Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 SamuelMost of us have tried to measure up to the world’s criteria, but few people ever feel as if they have succeeded. The stress of trying to have the perfect body, a successful career, a conflict-free family—all these have eluded us. It comes as refreshing, freeing news that God is not particularly concerned with our earthly successes.
Application Questions
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Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Why can we call this gospel-centered evaluation?
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How might your life change by seeing yourself and others as the Lord sees?
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How does David’s ministry to Saul epitomize gospel-centered evaluation and help us understand the ministry of Jesus in our own life?
Notes:
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation“Why should I worry about losing a bodily life that I must inevitably lose anyway, as long as I possess a spiritual life and identity that cannot be lost against my desire? Why should I fear to cease to be what I am not when I have already become something of what I am? Why should I go to great labor to possess satisfactions that cannot last an hour, and which bring misery after them, when I already own God in His eternity of joy? It is the easiest thing in the world to possess this life and this joy; all you have to do is believe and love; and yet people waste their whole lives in appalling labor and difficulty and sacrifice to get things that make real life impossible. This is one of the chief contradictions that sin has brought into our souls: we have to do violence to ourselves to keep from laboring uselessly for what is bitter and without joy, and we have to compel ourselves to take what is easy and full of happiness as though it were against our interests, because for us the line of least resistance leads in the way of greatest hardship and sometimes for us to do what is, in itself, most easy, can be the hardest thing in the world.”
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 14
Quotes for Reflection
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of ContemplationWhy should I fear anything that cannot rob me of God, and why should I desire anything that cannot give me possession of Him?
Tim Keller, Prodigal GodA person motivated by love rather than fear will not only obey the letter of the law, but will eagerly seek out new ways to carry out business with transparency and integrity.
Heather Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 SamuelYou can always tell whether a tree is rooted in the ground by seeing if it grows and bears fruit. For instance, a live Christmas tree, after it has been in the house for about a week, starts to deteriorate—the needles fall off and it bears no cones. Likewise, Saul did not bear fruits of victory and true righteousness because he was not planted in the Lord.
Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for YouIn faith, we can attempt brave things for God. But Jonathan is more than an example; he is also a pointer to Jesus, and we must not miss the thrill. We can be brave because Jesus has won the victory by descending to the cross. He has gone through the jaws of death, and death consumed him. But he has risen again to overcome sin and death. In 1 Samuel 14, we are not to place ourselves in Jonathan’s shoes; Jesus is the one who has stood there, cosmically and finally. We are called to follow; to trust the Son, who takes us through death and to life, and to trust him enough to walk behind him.
Application Questions
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How did Jonathan experience blessing from trusting faith? How have you seen this true in your own life?
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How does fear affect our ability to trust God?
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How does the gospel idea of ransom set us free for faith?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 12
Quotes for Reflection
C.S. Lewis, Collected LettersYou surely don’t mean feeling that we are not worthy to be forgiven? For of course we aren’t. Forgiveness by its nature is for the unworthy. You mean feeling that we are not forgiven. I have known that. I ‘believed’ theoretically in the divine forgiveness for years before it really came home to me. It is a wonderful moment when it does.
Dane Ortlund, DeeperAt conversation we walk out of the courtroom, but throughout our lives of discipleship we suffer from gospel amnesia and keep walking back in.
1 Samuel for YouIsrael’s new start with a new king has foundered because the underlying unbelief and disobedience of humanity in Adam has not changed. We need a king who will not only rescue us from our enemies, but also from ourselves. We need a king who can take on sin and liberate us from our slavery to our sinful desires. We need a king who obeys God in all circumstances, even when put under the pressure of unfavourable circumstances. Saul is not that man. So his kingdom will not endure.
Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository CommentaryThere is no situation and no problem in which Christians cannot be blessed by God’s mighty help, if only we will turn to the Lord in sincere faith, humble ourselves before him as our Lord and God, and renew our commitment to walk in his Word. This is the all-purpose solution to every problem, and it works because God is so gracious and ready to receive his erring children as to put his blessing upon our heads. Repentance, faith, and new obedience are the way forward for every Christian from wherever we are, good or bad, right at this moment.
Application Questions
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Consider a recent failure. What does it tell you about your relationship with God?
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How does the gospel uniquely enable confession that leads to freedom?
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Samuel’s description of life-giving faith can be summarized as awareness, reliance, and remembrance. Which of these three elements stands out for you as a means of growing in the gospel this week?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 10
Quotes for Reflection
C.S. Lewis, Three Kinds of MenThe price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort-it is to want Him. It is true that the wanting itself would be beyond our power but for one fact. The world is so built that, to help us desert our own satisfaction, they desert us. War and trouble and finally old age take from us one by one all those things that the natural Self hoped for at its setting out. Begging is our only wisdom, and want in the end makes it easier for us to be beggars. Even on those terms the Mercy will receive us.
Timothy Keller, Counterfeit God’s (2009)One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief cornerstones of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, “What a shame, how difficult,” but rather “This is the end! There’s no hope!”
This may be a reason why so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel.
Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository CommentaryWe do have a choice. Everything that Saul represents is still alive today, enthroned in the worldly seats of power and holding forth enticing calls for our submission and worship. We have a choice between Saul, whose name identifies him as the king that the unbelieving world asked for, and Jesus, whose name identified him as the Savior sent by God to deliver his people from the penalty and power of their sins (Matt. 1:21). Our choice—to embrace the world or trust in Christ—will determine the kingdom in which our salvation will be found: either an earthly reign of unrighteous expedience and fleshly power or an eternal and heavenly kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Application Questions1. How does fear separate us from God?
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Why does the gospel give us a true sense of confidence?
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How might God be calling you to step out in trusting faith this week?
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 8
Quotes for Reflection
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, EthicsDo and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in him to sustain you. Then at last freedom will welcome your spirit amid great rejoicing.
Tim Keller, Reason for GodJesus is the only Lord who, if you receive him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail him, will forgive you eternally.
J.D. Greear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 SamuelAll earthly kings disappoint. But God is an altogether different King. He showed Israel time and time again that He had been faithful to them, even when they were not. They were unbelieving in the wilderness, but God gave them manna. They served idols, which led to other nations afflicting them; but when they called out to God in repentance, He immediately came to their aid and delivered them. Here is a King who not only supplies the needs of His own but also forgives and has mercy on those who fail Him. Why would anyone desire another king than Him?
Application Questions
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What is your typical response to seasons of confusion? How might that be happening right now?
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Israel wanted a king. What was the difference between how they imagined kingship and the reality of it?
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Why does God tell Samuel, “listen to their voice”? How have you seen God work in this way in your own life?
Scripture Text: Psalm 133; Hebrews 12:1-2
Quotes for Reflection
Mary Shelley, FrankensteinI collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.
Application Questions
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Where is Jesus present in the world? In Portland and the Metro Area? How do you know?
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Who or what is it that compels you to be a part of Oaks Parish?
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When you look around (Portland, Oaks, the mirror) - do you see a need for freedom or legal strategies of behavior modification?
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Quotes for Reflection
N.T. Wright, The Challenge of EasterThe church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make no mistake either way. The reason the early Christians were so joyful was because they knew themselves to be living not so much in the last days (that that was true too) as in the first days - the opening days of God's new creation. What Jesus did was not a mere example of something else, not a mere manifestation of some larger truth; it was itself the climatic event and fact of cosmic history.
Thomas Merton, New Seeds of ContemplationUltimately the only way that I can be myself is to become identified with Him in Whom is hidden the reason and fulfillment of my existence. Therefore there is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.
Tim Keller, Every Good EndeavorChristians should be aware of this revolutionary understanding of the purpose of their work in the world. We are not to choose jobs and conduct our work to fulfill ourselves and accrue power, for being called by God to do something is empowering enough. We are to see work as a way of service to God and our neighbor, and so we should both choose and conduct our work in accordance with that purpose. The question regarding our choice of work is no longer “What will make me the most money and give me the most status?” The question must now be “How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God’s will and of human need?
Application Questions
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What has Easter meant to you in the past and how might that change after today?
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What is one area in your life where you need to consider yourself dead to sin and what would it look like to be alive in Christ?
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What flag can you plant in the soil of your vocation that signals there’s a different way to be human, a gospel way?
Scripture Text: Matthew 28:1-10
Quotes for Reflection
Cornelius À Lapide, The Great CommentaryThe earth which trembled with horror at the death of Christ, as it were leaped with joy at the resurrection.
Michale J. Wilkins, MatthewThe stone that was sealed by the guards to assure that the body of Jesus would remain in the crypt now becomes the seat of triumph for the angel. The stone is rolled away, not to let the risen Jesus out but to let the women in to witness the fact of the empty tomb.
N.T. Wright, Matthew for EveryoneThe point, of course, is that what is happening is the action of God himself. The God who remained apparently silent on Good Friday is having the last word. He is answering the unspoken questions of Jesus’ followers, and the spoken question of Jesus himself on the cross. And what God is doing is not just an extraordinary miracle, a display of supernatural power for its own sake, or a special favour to Jesus. What God is doing is starting something new, beginning the new world promised long ago, sending the disciples to Galilee in the first place but then, as we shall see, on to the ends of the earth and the close of the age with the news of what has happened. A whole new world was opening up in front of them.
C.S. Lewis, Mere ChristianityGive up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.
Application Questions
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What are you looking for this Easter morning?
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Why is giving up yourself necessary to finding your real self in Jesus?
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How is God calling you to belong here at Oaks Parish, so that others can believe?
Scripture Text: Matthew 19:28-40
Quotes for Reflection
J.I. Packer, Rediscovering HolinessJust as there could be for Jesus no crown without the cross, so there can be for us no holiness without praise.
Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty BystanderHow absolutely central is the truth that we are first of all part of nature, though we are a very special part, that which is conscious of God. In solitude, one is entirely surrounded by beings which perfectly obey God.
N.T. Wright, Luke for EveryoneThat was the way the pilgrims came, with Jesus going on ahead, as he had planned all along. This was to be the climax of his story, of his public career, of his vocation. He knew well enough what lay ahead, and had set his face to go and meet it head on. He couldn’t stop announcing the kingdom, but that announcement could only come true if he now embodied in himself the things he’d been talking about. The living God was at work to heal and save, and the forces of evil and death were massed to oppose him, like Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt trying to prevent the Israelites from leaving. But this was to be the moment of God’s new Exodus, God’s great Passover, and nothing could stop Jesus going ahead to celebrate it.
Application Questions
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How does the Passover shed light on the meaning of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem?
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What role does praise of Jesus play in understanding his holiness?
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Jesus did not meet some people’s expectations. How might you be asking Jesus to follow you?
During Holy Week, we invite you to listen to this daily reflection, responding to the Scripture and poetry in personal meditation and prayer.
Monday’s Poetic Reflection: "The Anointing at Bethany" © Malcolm Guite (2012)
Tuesday’s Poetic Reflection: "Jesus Cleansing the Temple" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2024)
Wednesday’s Poetic Reflection: "The Pivot of Hope" © Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth (2002)
Thursday’s Poetic Reflection: "Dinner Before Death" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2022)
Friday’s Poetic Reflection: "Forsaken" © Andrew Shaughnessy (2023)
Saturday’s Poetic Reflection: "Buried" © Josh Hill (2023)
Sunday’s Poetic Reflection: "Christ at Emmaus" © Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, Drawn to the Light (2006)
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
Scripture Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
Quotes for Reflection
Julian of Norwich, The Complete Julian of NorwichWhen we are fallen because of frailty or blindness, then our gracious Lord inspires us, stirs us and calls us, and then he wills that we see our wretchedness and humbly let it be acknowledged. But He does not wish us to remain thus. Nor does He will that we busy ourselves greatly about accusing ourselves, nor does He will that we be full of misery about ourselves; for He wills that we quickly attend to Him; for He stands all alone and waits for us constantly, sorrowing and mourning until we come, and hastens to take us to himself, for we are His joy and delight and He is our cure and our life.
Dane Ortland, DeeperThe wraparound category of your life is not your performance but God’s love. The defining hallmark of your life is not your cleanness but his embrace. The deepest destiny of your life is to descend ever deeper, with quiet yet ever-increasing intensity, into the endless love of God. We grow spiritually by getting a head start on that project, right here in this fallen earthly life.
John Owen, Communion with the Triune GodSo much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him…If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will?
Application Questions
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What causes you to doubt God’s love?
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Slowly review Paul’s prayer. How does it inform our understanding of the gospel of grace?
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How do you need to comprehend God’s love this coming week? Express that to God in prayer.
During week 6 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
Scripture Text: Hebrews 12:1-17
Quotes for Reflection
C.S. Lewis, The Problem of PainIt is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.
John of the Cross, The Ascent to Mount CarmelOne dark night,
fired with love’s urgent longings
-ah, the sheer grace!-
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.
Dane Ortlund, DeeperOur natural instinct tell us that the way forward in the Christian life is by avoiding pain so that, in distracted, we can get down to the business at hand of growing in Christ. The New Testament tell us again and again, however, that pain is a means, not an obstacle, to deepening in Christian maturity. The anguish, disappointments, and futility that afflict us are themselves vital building blocks to our growth…Pain will foster growth like nothing else can-if we will let it.
J.C. Ryle, HolinessAs a general rule, in the long run of life, it will be found true that sanctified people are the happiest people on earth. They have solid comforts that the world can neither give nor take away.
Application Questions
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How has God used pain to draw you into deeper relationship with himself?
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To use a phrase of John of the Cross, what “appetite” is hindering holiness in your life? How can looking to Christ bring quiet to your soul?
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Holiness is happiness. How does this reality change your life with Jesus this week?
During week 5 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
During week 4 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:1-10
Quotes for Reflection
CS Lewis, The Problem of PainWe have so concentrated on one of the virtues — "kindness" or mercy— that most of us do not feel that anything except kindness to be really good or anything but cruelty to be really bad.....The real trouble is that "kindness" is a quality fatally easy to attribute to ourselves on inadequate grounds. Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying him at the moment… If, being cowardly, conceited and slothful, you have never done a fellow creature great mischief, that is only because your neighbor's welfare has not happened to conflict with your safety, self-approval, or ease.
During week 3 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
Scripture Text: 1 Peter 1:13-25
Quotes for Reflection
Rudyard Kipling, “The Way through the Woods”They shut the road through the woods
Seventy years ago.
Weather and rain have undone it again.
And now you would never know
There was once a road through the woods.
J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness“Holy” is both biblical languages means separated and set apart for God, consecrated and made over to Him. In its application to people, God’s “holy ones” or “saints,” the word implies both devotion and assimilation: devotion, in the sense of living a life of service to God; assimilation, in the sense of imitating, conforming to, and becoming like the God one serves. For Christians, this means taking God’s moral law as our rule and God’s incarnate Son as our model; this is where our analysis of holiness must start.
J.C. Ryle, HolinessMost people hope to go to heaven when they die, but few, it may be feared, take the trouble to consider whether or not they would enjoy heaven if they got there. Heaven is essentially a holy place. Its inhabitants are all holy. Its activities are all holy. To be really happy in heaven, it is clear and plain that we must be somewhat trained and made ready for heaven while we are on earth.
Henri Nouwen, Out of SolitudeGive me eyes to see and ears to hear. I know there is light in the darkness that makes everything new. I know there is a joy beyond sorrow that rejuvenates my heart. Yes, Lord, I know that you are, that you act, that you love, that you indeed are Light, Life, and Truth. People, work, plans, projects, ideas, meetings, buildings, paintings, music, and literature all can only give me real joy and peace when I can see and hear them as reflections of your presence, your glory, your kingdom.
Application Questions
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How is God’s holiness important for our culture today?
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Peter’s exhortation is to live as foreigners with reverent fear. How would that reshape your life?
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As we begin the season of Lent, where do you sense the need for holiness in your life?
During week 2 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
During week 1 of Lent, we invite you to listen to the following reflections throughout the week.
The first reflection can be done on any day of the week and follows the practice of Lectio Divina - listening to the Word of God and responding in prayer.
We recommend you listen to the second reflection at the end of the week, as an opportunity to look back on your week using the prayer practice of Examen.
Music © Courtland Urbano // Special thanks to Courtland Urbano, for his contribution of music to these daily reflections.
All Scripture is from the New Revised Standard Version © National Council of Churches (1989 )
All prayers are from the Book of Common Prayer © Public Domain (2019)
Episode Links:
- Rich Habits Podcast on Apple or Spotify
- Practicing the King’s Economy - Rhodes, Holt, and Fikkert
Scripture Text: 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 12:13-21
Quotes for Reflection
Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions, and EternityWater is a gift of God. Used properly, it gives life. Out of control, it floods, drowns, and destroys. Fire is a gift of God. Out of control, it brings horrible destruction and death. The greater a thing's potential for good when used rightly, the greater its potential for evil when used wrongly. So it is with money—it has vast potential to be used for either good or evil.
Kim King, When Women GiveMoney is simply a tool. Right? How do we use this tool? There are only three options: We can save. We can spend. We can give. None of these choices is inherently good or bad. What makes money good or bad is its use.
C.S. Lewis, Mere ChristianityIf our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little.
Thomas Merton, The Seven Storrey MountainAs the week went on, the house began to fill, and the evening before Holy Thursday there must have been some twenty-five or thirty retreatants in the monastery, men young and old, from all quarters of the country. Half a dozen students had hitch-hiked down from Notre Dame, with glasses and earnest talk about the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. There was a psychiatrist from Chicago who said he came down every Easter, and there were three or four pious men who turned out to be friends and benefactors of the monastery— quiet, rather women personages; they assumed a sort of command over the other guests. They had a right to. They practically lived here in this guest house. In fact, they had a kind of quasi-vocation all their own. They belonged to that special class of men raised up by God to support orphanages and convents and monasteries and build hospitals and feed the poor. On the whole it is a way to sanctity that is sometimes too much despised. It sometimes implies a more than ordinary humility in men who come to think that the monks and nuns they assist are creatures of another world. God will show us at the latter day that many of them were better men than the monks they supported!
Application Questions
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What do you learn about your own heart from the parable of the Rich Fool?
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Creating a cushion, ditching bad debt, and planning ahead are essential movements that enable generosity. What is God calling you to focus on in this season in order to become a cheerful giver?
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Looking back at this series, what’s your biggest takeaway?