Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 5:22-23 (New Living Translation) 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jairus is […]

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2 Timothy 2:24 (New Living Translation) A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Servants of God must be able to teach. Pretty plain statement here. “I’m not a school teacher. I don’t know how to teach.” Someone should […]

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Malachi 1:7-8 (New Living Translation) …“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased?… A long time ago in a prior millennium, we had this saying—Sunday best. We […]

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2 Timothy 4:5a (New Living Translation) But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Paul is dictating a letter to Timothy. He is encouraging Timothy to tell people about Jesus, the Christ or Messiah, the one appointed to take away all our sins. In the preceding lines, Paul warns Timothy that people will […]

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2 Timothy 2:8 (New Living Translation) Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. Paul is dictating a letter to Timothy. Perhaps this is a translation twist, but Paul tends to say things backwards—it seems that way to me. It would […]

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Mark 5: 18-19 (New Living Translation) 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” These verses are near the […]

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Mark 4:2 (New Living Translation) He taught them by telling many stories… This is how Jesus taught. He told many stories. When I was a child (many years ago, or was it yesterday? Sometimes I confuse the two), people read me Bible Stories. My father read me Bible Stories. My teacher (it was a Christian […]

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John 4:48 (New Living Translation) Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” Jesus is about to perform another miracle of healing. Some people wouldn’t believe unless they saw something that convinced them (just like us today). What do we need to see to believe? Do you remember […]

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1 Peter 3:3-4 (New Living Translation) 3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. Women should not wear fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorites. […]

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—The Declaration of Independence The “founding fathers” of the United States of America declared their independence from the King of England […]

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