Isaiah 9:6-7:""For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He [...]
Isaiah 11:1-5 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and [...]
Psalm 93 1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. 2 Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. 3 The seas have lifted up, Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding [...]
Psalm 119:113-120 113 I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions. 114 You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. 115 Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. 116 Lord, sustain me as you [...]
Psalm 119:105-112 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. 106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. 107 I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised. 108 Lord, accept my offering of praise, [...]
Psalm 119:73-80 With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing [...]
Psalm 119:65-72 Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I’m thoroughly committed to living your way. Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I’m in step with your Word. You are good, and [...]
Psalm 119: 57-64 Because you have satisfied me, God, I promise to do everything you say. I beg you from the bottom of my heart: smile, be gracious to me just as you promised. When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the [...]
Psalm 119: 49-56 Remember what you said to me, your servant— I hang on to these words for dear life! These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me. The haters hate me without mercy, but I don’t budge from your revelation. I watch for your [...]
Psalm 119:41-48 Let your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word. Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever— your commandments are what I depend on. Oh, I’ll guard with my life [...]
33-40 God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! Give me an appetite for your words [...]
Psalm 119:25-32 NLT 25 I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. 26 I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your decrees. 27 Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. 28 I weep with sorrow; encourage me by [...]
Psalm 119:17-24 Be generous with me and I’ll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road. Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. I’m a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. My soul [...]
Psalm 119:9-16 How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. [...]
Psalm 119 MSG 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the [...]
Psalm 84:1-6 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds [...]
Habakuk 3:16-19 I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, [...]
Micah 6:8 NIV He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 MSG But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in [...]
Psalm 18 excerpts In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. [...]
Jeremiah 6:16 This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. Disturb us, Lord Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves, When our [...]
Psalm 25:4&5 Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. "My Lord God, I have no idea where [...]
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along [...]
Isaiah 35:8-10 NLT 8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not [...]
Luke 24:13-15 & 32 13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began [...]
Psalm 134 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord. 2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the Lord. 3 May the Lord, who made heaven and [...]
Psalm 133 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. 1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of [...]
Psalm 131 (NLT) A song of David for those journeying to worship. 1Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child [...]
Psalm 130 (MSG) A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1-2 Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy. 3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, [...]
Psalm 127 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon. 1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so [...]
Psalm 126 (The Voice) A song for those journeying to worship. 1 Remember when the Eternal brought back the exiles to Zion? It was as if we were dreaming— 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter; our tongues were spilling over into song. The word went out across the prairies and [...]
Psalm 125 A song of ascents Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. The wicked will not rule the land of the godly, for [...]
Psalm 124 (MSG) A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem 1-5 If God hadn’t been for us —all together now, Israel, sing out!— If God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us, We would have been swallowed alive by their violent anger, Swept away by the flood of rage, drowned in the torrent; [...]
Psalm 122 1-2 When they said, “Let’s go to the house of God,” my heart leaped for joy. And now we’re here, O Jerusalem, inside Jerusalem’s walls! 9For the sake of my family and friends, I say it again: live in peace! For the sake of the house of our God, God, [...]
Reflection: April 25, 2024 Psalm 121 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. [...]
Reflection: April 18, 2024 Psalm 120 NLT A Song of Ascent - for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. 2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars and from all deceitful people. 3 O deceptive [...]
Reflection: April 12, 2024 Psalm 133 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the [...]
Reflection: April 4, 2024 Psalm 8 1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. 2 You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. 3 When I look at the night sky and see [...]
Reflection: March 28, 2024 Philippians 2:5-11 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human [...]
Reflection: March 21, 2024 Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life." El-Shaddai - translated from the Hebrew root word sadday meaning mountain. Psalm 121 - A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. [...]
Reflection: March 14, 2024 Psalm 107:1-3 and 17-22 The Message 1-3 Oh, thank God—he’s so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven [...]
Reflection: March 7, 2024 Spend a few moments with Psalm 19 1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is [...]
Reflection: February 29, 2024 Spend a moment with Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7 & 8 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on [...]
Reflection: February 22, 2024 Spend a moment with Psalm 25:1-9 from the NLT and "Psalms for Praying" by Nan Merrill below: NLT: O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. [...]
Reflection: February 15, 2024 Spend a moment with the passage from 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 below in the NIV and First Nations Version. NIV: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s [...]
Reflection: February 8, 2024 Read the passage below. Mark 1:29-39 After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and [...]
Reflection: February 1, 2024 Read through Psalm 111 at least two times. Notice what word(s) or phrase stands out to you. Psalm 111 - MSG Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got— Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. God’s works are so great, worth A lifetime of [...]
Discerning Desire: What do I really want as I Lead and Serve? A webinar with venture1:9 with Dr. Ted Wueste. Leaders, oftentimes, are not fully aware of the desires of their OWN hearts, and unexamined desires can lead us to interact and guide people in ways that miss the mark. [...]
As a leader, you sometimes carry anger over disappointments, anxiety over the future, and shame over feeling like you don’t measure up. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus invites you to consider something different - HIS way of leadership that allows you to release, receive, and rest. It's time [...]
Most of us were taught to pray a certain way, whether if it was as a child or if we came to know Christ later on in life. My guess is that you were probably taught to pray using words. So when we come to verses that are about being [...]
Every leader should have a spiritual director! I generally do not like black and white, all or nothing, kind of statements, but I feel very strongly about this one. Let me explain. As my friend Steve Macchia likes to say, “The soul is the most neglected part of the leader’s [...]
As we journey through life, we often find ourselves in a desert kind of place. A place that feels desolate, lonely, harsh, and perhaps unfamiliar. And we might even feel the compulsion to escape and run to more familiar landscape. However, we are invited to resist that temptation for it [...]
I’ll admit it - I was cranky. After the initial coronavirus changes had sort of settled down we tried again and again to find some rhythms, but they seemed elusive. One morning I was feeling the weight of having to adjust yet again, in hopes of finding a rhythm and [...]
Breath Prayer The Breath Prayer we know today originated with the Desert Mothers and Fathers as a way to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). Historically, it is associated with the Eastern Church, particularly Greek and Russian Orthodox churches. Known more commonly as the “Jesus Prayer” early practitioners would repeat [...]
Examen God is always present with us. He is always shaping us and forming us. A vital spiritual practice is to notice these realities. How is He present with me? How is He at work around me? How might I more fully participate in His work in my life and [...]
Journaling Putting things into words (your own words), leads to the openness and receptivity that is vital to life change and growing intimacy with God. Jesus often asked people, “what do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:36, 51) He knew exactly what they wanted. But, He knew [...]
