In the conversation for Sunday, October 7, 2018, Pastor Stuart Nice gives an encouragement to keep our hearts focused on God’s love and purpose for our life, so that we can live a fulfilled life through loving God and loving others.
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NIV)
Think Big Picture
Keep Exchanging
Return to the Future
Sacred Reading 00:00-10:32, Conversation 10:32-44:16
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 on God’s promises.
Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going. Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. Abraham was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did. Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built.
Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIRV)