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Worshipping God in spirit and in truth

By Dave Henning / April 19, 2013

In the second of his Spiritual Maxims, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (that’s his full name) lists 3 ways to worship God in spirit and in truth: 1.  When we worship God  in spirit and in truth we are worshipping God as we ought to worship Him.  Our “humble and true spiritual adoration” resides in […]

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Best practices- Part 2

By Dave Henning / April 18, 2013

Brother Lawrence continues with Practices 4-6 for living in the presence of God, taken from his Spiritual Maxims. 4.  It is beneficial to stop for a brief moment, as often as is practical to do so, to “adore God deep within our hearts and take pleasure in Him.”  Brother Lawrence notes that when we inwardly […]

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The presence of God- best practices

By Dave Henning / April 17, 2013

Brother Lawrence left few effects upon his death.  Among them was a manuscript entitled Spiritual Maxims.  In his first maxim, Brother Lawrence discusses 6 practices necessary to acquire the spiritual life.  The first 3 practices are covered here. 1.  Brother Lawrence first defines what it means to practice the presence of God: “To practice the […]

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God’s infinite treasures and abundant grace

By Dave Henning / April 15, 2013

In a letter written June 1, 1682, Brother Lawrence notes that Christians sometimes become content with so little, even though God’s infinite treasures are available: “God has infinite treasures to give us.  Yet a little tangible devotion, which passes away in a moment, satisfies us.  How blind we are, since in this way we tie […]

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Flooded with God’s grace

By Dave Henning / April 14, 2013

At the time Brother Lawrence took his monastic vows, his soul was afflicted with great internal suffering.  The Abbe of Beaufort pointed out that one reason for this suffering was God’s process of purification.  As painful as the situation was for Brother Lawrence, the Abbe noted that God often uses such situations to test His […]

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Daily living in God’s grace

By Dave Henning / April 13, 2013

The Practice of the Presence of God begins with the Eulogy delivered by the Abbe of Beaufort on the occasion of Brother Lawrence’s death.  In his address, he cites Brother Lawrence as an example of one who retained in himself the fruits of the spirit, yet transmitted that spirit to others and caused that spirit […]

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Attaining the peace of God

By Dave Henning / April 12, 2013

As the Foreword to The Practice of the Presence of God indicates, the book is not by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (1611-1691).  Rather, it is a compilation by a teacher of the church in Brother Lawrence’s day.  The compilation consists of Lawrence’s letters and spiritual maxims as well as conversations with him. The writer […]

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God’s power in our weakness

By Dave Henning / April 11, 2013

In Chapter 35 of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren notes that while we typically define weaknesses as flaws and imperfections, we also may be weakened by uncontrollable circumstances such as finances or job loss.  Usually, he adds, we deny, defend, excuse, hide, or resent our weaknesses.  Yet, just as our birth was no accident, […]

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The SHAPE of things to come

By Dave Henning / April 10, 2013

In Chapters 30-31 of The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren uses the acrostic SHAPE to list and describe 5 factors that illuminate the unique combination of capabilities with which God equips us for our calling.  Rick summarizes this process at the beginning of Chapter 30: “Before God created you, he decided what role he […]

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Growing in spiritual maturity

By Dave Henning / April 9, 2013

In the concluding section of Chapter 28 of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren lists 4 ways to incorporate God in the process of growing our spiritual maturity: 1.  Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it.  Just as the earth has seasons, so does our spiritual life.  Short, intense […]

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What’s the rush?

By Dave Henning / April 8, 2013

At the beginning of Chapter 28 (“It Takes Time”) of The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren notes that while we’re concerned about how fast we grow spiritually, God is concerned with how strong we grow.   Jesus chooses to develop us slowly, preferring to work in incremental steps in our lives.  Rick offers 5 reasons […]

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Defeating temptation- Part 3

By Dave Henning / April 7, 2013

At the conclusion of Chapter 27 of The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren presents the third and fourth keys to defeating temptation (as always, the author’s words are in bold type). 3.  Resist the devil.   In its entirety, James 4:7 reads: “Submit yourselves to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  […]

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