In the conversation for Sunday, October 8, 2017, Pastor Stuart Nice helps us to see repentance as the pathway to change because to repent is to believe that it’s possible to change your life because God has the power to help restart your life.

Sacred Reading 00:00-15:50, Conversation 15:50-46:52

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 (NASB)

Sacred Reading

A note about the recording of the Sacred Reading:
The reader will pause between each of the four readings. The pauses have been left in the recording so that the listener can experience the rhythm of the gathering and even participate in the reading. Below are the guidelines for each of the four readings of the practice.

Read: Read the passage and receive it as God’s message to you.
Reflect: Read the passage again and look for the word or phrase that the Holy Spirit highlights to your heart.
Respond: Take the highlighted words and make them a prayer.
Rest: Rest your heart in God’s promises.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:17-21 (NIV)