Contemplative Bible Reading

Hebrews 9:13-14 (New Living Translation) 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For […]

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James 1:3 (New Living Translation) 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James is writing to Jews who believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. These groups of believers had been scattered to the winds and found themselves in little groups here […]

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1 Timothy 1:13 (New Living Translation) In my insolence, I persecuted his (God’s) people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. This is Paul telling of his past sins and God’s mercy. Paul would smash into gatherings of Christians and kill and torture those he found. That is […]

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Galatians 1:4 (New Living Translation) 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. I hate to mention it, but we live in an evil world. Evil is everywhere. You don’t have to look far or long […]

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Galatians 1:9 (New Living Translation) 9 I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Paul writes to Christians in Galatia a long time ago. If anyone preaches something other than the Good News of Jesus, don’t listen to […]

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Luke 1:8-9 (New Living Translation) 8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. This was a big event. Zechariah was in the […]

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Hebrews 12:1 (New Living Translation) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. […]

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Luke 5:20 (New Living Translation) 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” This is part of the (hi)story of the crippled man and his friends. We heard this one many times in Sunday School as kids. The men carried their crippled friend on a stretcher to Jesus […]

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Ephesians 1:18 (New Living Translation) I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Paul is writing a letter to Christians in Ephesus. Paul describes his prayers for those Christians. […]

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Mark 10:2 (New Living Translation) 2 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?” I don’t remember how many times I have sat in a Christian discussion in which the topic was this verse and what follows. We love to discuss divorce and […]

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