Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and John 18:1-12.

Every hour of this day is as the sacred hour of Jesus that has come. Be moved at every moment by a holy awareness that Jesus died for you. I suggest that you take chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John, dividing each one into two parts, creating four sacred quarters of the day. Be with Jesus as the movements of his passion take place. Be in the crowd, but close to Jesus in fidelity, lest distance from him draw you into the courts of temptation, as happened for Peter.

1. 6 am (or on rising) Arrest, Trial, Denial of Peter 18:1–27
2. 9 am Jesus and Pilate 18:28–40
3. 12 pm Scourging, Crown of Thorns, Crucifixion 19:1–30
4. 3 pm Piercing the Side; Burial 19:31–42

Be with Jesus. Let him change you. Note the points of irony. Dwell on all the meanings of the final words of Jesus.

John 18:1–19:42

Create your own Bible Breaths Learn More…
A sample from today’s reading:
You are the One whom I seek. John 18:4

Fridays are dedicated to the Gospels.
In Lent and Easter we generally read the Gospel of John.

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and 1 Corinthians 15:3-11.

On this sacred day of community, ministry, and Holy Communion, ponder these chapters of Paul. Be open to the full activity of the Holy Spirit in your life. Acknowledge the manifold gifts that demonstrate the presence and power of the Spirit as expressed in chapter 14. Experience the movement of Paul’s thought about the resurrection in chapter 15, preparing yourself for the gift of Easter Sunday and its impact upon the way that you live now.

Pause with Paul at those verses where you find his words touching you. Allow yourself to move into those new spiritual places of understanding and love that the Spirit will bring about in you through these powerful words. Dwell on the utter reasonableness of 15:14: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

1 Corinthians 14—15

Find out all about Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example: My gifts building up the church 14:12

Thursdays are dedicated to the letters of Paul, other letters,
the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation.
In the season of Lent this year we read the Letter of James, and 1 Corinthians 14-15.

For all the Firestarters in the original version, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these Firestarters with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information.

Listen to Pastor Nick read the “Firestarter” and the Psalm.

Tap here for a video meditation on Psalm 108.

Are there times you cannot see beyond the limits of your own world? Do obsessive thoughts about a person or situation hold you hostage in your head, tempting you to think that there is no way out? This is temptation. Let this psalm break those bonds, lifting you above, where you will touch the mercy and truth of the Lord to which the sky and the clouds cling.

The psalm has this effect for the sacred writer, who collects some of his favorite verses from Psalm 57:7–11 and 60:5–12. There will be verses that lift your spirit, stretching you into the presence of the Lord. God will be totally in charge of your situation, if you let him. Watch how each verse gradually leads you into the prayer of total victory of the final verse.

Psalm 108

What are Bible Breaths? Learn More
Example: My heart is steadfast, O God. v. 1

During Lent each year we read a third of the fifteen “Songs of Ascent”–

For all the Firestarters I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet. Check the menu options at the site for more information