Christian Meditation Podcast

770 You Became an Example to All the Believers, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 with the Recenter With Christ app

770 You Became an Example to All the Believers, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 NET 7 As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath. RSV 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedo′nia and in Acha′ia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedo′nia and Acha′ia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Reflection on Scripture: What does it mean to become an imitator of Jesus Christ? When I was out driving today I saw a sign for a church that said they were a friendly church. Many people point to the acceptance of jesus Christ and claim that he would reach out to all and be friendly. I have heard other Christians resist this notion claiming that Jesus was not nice and that is just us reading our modern sensibilities into scripture and that Jesus holds people accountable and prefers confrontation with the Word to bring people to truth.  Since we are trying to be like Jesus and as Paul says here, to be an imitator of Jesus, it is far from a philosophical point to wonder how Jesus would approach sinners.  Jesus had an amazing ability to make sinners both feel challenged but also loved. I think a characterization that demands we choose between Jesus accepting sinners, and permitting sin is a quite limited perspective that does not align with Jesus’ actions in life. He wanted people to depart from activities that would cause them to be less like Him. Things that God calls sins do not become meaningless just because Jesus is willing to forgive us for them.  I think it is a fundamentally important point that as we turn from our sin and try and reject the idolatry of the word, that this is one of the ways this scripture points to us following the example. Equally important is what it says in the verses we covered in the last episode, that we be filled with the Joy of the Holy Spirit. I believe that as we live in that joy it will pour out of our lives and help others to feel loved, but hopefully to aspire to the kind of relationship with God that feeds this joy. This week I was talking with someone who had engaged in something that they saw as a grievous sin. Both he and I agreed that it was a poor choice but due to the way I engaged with him, he felt completely loved but also completely convicted of that sin. He committed to bring it to God and return his heart to the Lord. I think this is an example of the kind of balance we can make between departing from sin but also rejoicing in the spirit. Above all the greatest invitation is for us to place our trust on the Son who was raised to heaven and will deliver us from the wrath to come. Let us ponder how we are doing with our goals to emulate this kind of loving faith  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

769 Free Form Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app

ESV 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

768 Our Gospel Did Not Come To You In Word Only, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app

768 Our Gospel Did Not Come To You In Word Only, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6 NIV 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ESV 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, Meditation on Scripture: You are beloved and chosen of God. Raw intellect is not the complete package in terms of faith. How is it that a testimony of God grows and develops? Is it expressly because a person acquires the right facts? I would suggest that knowledge is an element of faith but it is far from the most important. It is more important to experience God’s spirit. Sometimes we can say that we understand that then we live as though it is true.Through that spirit we receive faith. Through that spirit we are transformed. I think this means that it is important for us to focus on welcoming the Gospel and that Spirit into our heart. I certainly don't claim that our effort dictates the activity of God’s spirit but if we look past God speaking to our hearts we miss much of what he would say to us individually. As God speaks to our heart, this becomes the foundation of our faith.  So I think it is incredibly important that we prioritize our focus on the way God’s spirit speaks to us. A couple days ago I was praying for someone I love. I was praying that they could experience peace. In my heart I felt the answer from the Lord is that this was the phase of life they were in. I then had this distinct answer that any words of comfort would need to come from me. This inspired me to try and be even more thoughtful about my answers to this person. I certainly don't think this sets any systemic theology. In some ways the objective truth of this inspiration doesn't matter, it blessed my life, and as a result blessed the life of the person I was praying for. I think for me, this represented a connection with God’s spirit. The still small voice. It is both subtle but also power.  So in moments of meditation focus on listening to the Spirit of God. Also in moments of prayer and quiet that don't quite ascend to the depth of what we would call mediation, focus on listening also. It is not by words only that God through the gospel came to you and continues to transform your life.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

767 Free Form Meditaiton on 1 Thessalonians 1:-3 The Author and Finisher of Our Faith , A Guided Christian Meditation on Hebrews 12:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app

NASB 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope [b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

766 We Remember Before Our God, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app

766 We Remember Before Our God, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation 1 Thessalonians 1 NIV 1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. NASB 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope [b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, Meditation on Scripture: As I have mentioned in the past, my mom experiences a degenerative memory that is progressively worsening over time. I’m visiting with her this week. I’ve been thinking a lot about memory. How much of who we are is generated through memory and Where do memories reside? Some people may say the brain but does that mean if our spirit leaves our body we lose all our memories? It seems that a scriptural understanding of memory suggests that memory is maintained even when we are disembodied, as a result memory is not a human phenomenon.   I love the phrase here in this scripture, to remember before God the work of faith. Our actions in life are objectively seen by God and imperfectly remembered by us. There is a power in our attempts to remember. A powerful way to stay connected to the Lord is to constantly hold Him in our rememberance, to reflect on God’s grave and love toward us.  As I was talking with my loved one I was realizing that without memory we cannot live for the future or the past, but only for the moment. We can actively choose faith in this current moment regardless of how imperfect our human memory is.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod