Isaiah 55:10-13 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 beautifully complement one another. Isaiah compares God’s Word to rain and snow that water the earth and always accomplish God’s purpose. Jesus builds on this image in the Parable of the Sower, showing that God’s Word is generously scattered like seed. When it falls on receptive hearts, it takes root, grows, and produces an abundant harvest of love, faithfulness, and transformed lives.
Matthew 11 brings together two movements: a generation resistant to both John and Jesus, and a gracious invitation from Christ to find rest. Together, these passages reveal the tension between human resistance and divine compassion
Sometimes the smallest act carries the greatest meaning. Matthew 10:40-42 reminds us that welcoming others in love is, in truth, welcoming Christ himself.
Matthew 13:1-9…“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up…’” vss. 3-4 Jesus didn’t lack for crowds in the course of his Galilean ministry. Wherever he went people gathered, and he taught them many things, often in the form of parables. The one about the sower is familiar and shows how he felt about those…
Romans 8:9-11…“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10 Just because we are believers doesn’t mean that life is going to be a bed of roses for us. In fact some of the most faithful people are also subject to regular battles with depression. They do their best to cope and paste smiles on their faces to show others that they are just fine, but…
Romans 8:1-7…“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” vss. 1-2 Paul had nothing but good news for the Romans. He had figured out the answer to the dilemma of sin and death. He’d been caught up in that game of perfection for years and now he had been set free, and…
I came for the Healing of Memories workshop for veterans, and I almost didn’t come because of the trauma I wrestle with, but your staff, the workshop leaders and the quiet and safe campus held me there and I’ve found a new sense of peace and healing.
A retreat for religious leaders who have experienced emotional, psychological and spiritual distress in their personal or professional lives — facilitated by the Institute for Healing of Memories — is coming June 3-6, 2024.