Mindful Worship

This meditation is the fifth of a ten part series on The Fruit of the Spirit. It has often been said that if you need patience, you shouldn’t ask God for it because the only way to grow patience is to be put in stressful situations where you have to be patient. But what about our patience towards God? And more importantly, what about our patience towards other people? It’s so easy to become frustrated when others don’t act the way we expect them to. It’s so easy to want to rush to correct them, to chastise them, and to change them. God wants us to bear the fruit of His patience through us that His higher purposes might be achieved–the fruit of the Spirit is Patience.

We began this series with a contemplative overview of The Fruit of the Spirit, and the next three episodes focused on the fruits of Love, Joy, and Peace. If you would like to do this particular series of biblical meditations in order, you’ll want to begin with these four meditations.

This has been my most challenging meditation to write yet. It’s hard to believe that it has been over 3 months since I’ve published a new meditation. I believe that God has been growing the fruit of patience in my life during this time, and in yours too–especially if you’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of this meditation. I’m excited about the work that He is doing in my life and yours, regardless of the methods He uses to achieve it. It’s a wonderful journey and I’m glad to take it with wonderful listeners like you. (Photo by Meg Wills. Original on flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License)

Scriptures in this meditation: Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew 18:23-27, 2 Peter 3:15, 2 Peter 3:9, Hebrews 6:13-15, and 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Time: 30:35
File Size: 28.0 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #28 – The Fruit of the Spirit is Patience

 

 Standard Podcast [30:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit begins to live in us so He can teach us and lead us. As He lives in us, and we grow in Him, He builds nine characteristics of Godliness in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are all characteristics that all followers of Jesus should be producing in our lives. In this meditation, you will contemplate the The Fruit of the Spirit in your own life.

This particular meditation provides an overview of the nine fruits of the Spirit. In the upcoming guided Christian meditations, we will focus on each of the individual fruits more deeply, so that God may more plant them more deeply in our hearts. Be sure to let me know about your experience with this Christian guided meditation in the comments. (Photo by Nicu Buculei. Original on flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License)

Scriptures in this meditation: Galatians 5:22-23
Time: 23:16
File Size: 21.3 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #24 – The Fruit of the Spirit

 

 Standard Podcast [23:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John 3:16 is probably the most well known and most loved Bible verse in the world. In only a few words, it encapsulates the entirety of the gospel. You may have committed it to memory, but have you ever really meditated on it? Have you chewed on this verse like a sheep chews grass to get every bit of flavor and nutrition from it that you can? In this meditation, we’ll contemplate this verse in small sections, allowing God to reveal to you meaning and application for your life—for God so loved.

Although most of my listeners have probably already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, it’s possible that you may not have. If this meditation helps you recognize the incredible gift God has given you in Jesus and you decide to completely trust Him as a result of this meditation, please email me and let me know so I can pray for you and help you in your Christian walk.

Scriptures in this meditation: John 3:16
Time: 23:23
File Size: 21.4 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #19 – For God So Loved

 

 Standard Podcast [23:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My pastor recently finished a sermon series entitled Password. In this series, he talks about how we protect so much of our personal information with passwords, yet we don’t have a password to keep harmful things away from what matters most: our heart, our soul, and our mind. This meditation was inspired by one of those sermons. I hope it helps you to guard your heart.
You can download and listen to the four sermons in the Password series yourself in the Sermons area of the Rich Fork Baptist Church web site. These sermons were delivered between January 18, 2009, and February 8, 2009.

Scriptures in this meditation: Proverbs 4:20-27
Time: 20:30
File Size: 18.7 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #15 – Guard Your Heart

 

 Standard Podcast [20:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This week I was reading some of the shortest Psalms. With only 3 verses, Psalm 131 is certainly one of the shortest. When I noticed the beginning of the second verse, I knew I wanted to spend some serious time meditating on this particular passage. As I contemplated the passage line by line I began to identify areas of pride in my life and then repented as God brought those areas to light. After coming clean before my Lord, I was able to rest in his presence like a child would rest in the arms of a parent. With full trust in God, rather than myself, I could clearly see a new hope for the future in Christ. When I come into God’s presence with simple child-like faith, surely, I have stilled and quieted my soul.

Regular readers will notice that I now offer the Mindful Worship Premium Edition. I will continue to publish a free guided Christian meditation at the first of each month, but the other weeks will be available only to subscribers of the Premium Edition. The cost is only $10 for a 3-month subscription and will help me to continue publishing high-quality Christian guided meditations. I invite you to join Mindful Worship and receive a new guided meditation each week for less than a dollar each. If you have questions or comments about the Premium Edition, please contact me.

Scriptures in this meditation: Psalm 131
Time: 19:02
File Size: 17.4 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #11 – I Have Stilled and Quieted My Soul

 

 Standard Podcast [19:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Some time ago, I heard someone talking about dealing with stress in the workplace. He instructed his listeners to combat stress by periodically disengaging from what they were doing and taking a few silent minutes to get back in tune with the world around them. When I heard this, I thought about how the biggest source of stress in lives of most Christians is that we are too much in tune with the world, and too far out of tune with God. As we allow our spirits to become more in tune with Him, we are able to more clearly feel His presence in our lives, to hear His voice, and to do His will. I’ve written this meditation to help guide you in getting more in tune with Him. I think you’ll find it especially helpful in those times when your world has become more stressful and your focus has turned away from Christ and on to the issues of the day.

I always love to her your comments about these meditations, so feel free to let me know how this meditation has affected your life by posting a comment below. If you have ideas for scriptural meditations you would like to see here, please contact me to let me know.

Scriptures in this meditation: Psalm 46:10, Romans 12:2, Mathew 28:20, John 10:27
Time: 12:13
File Size: 11.1 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #7 – In Tune with Him

 

 Standard Podcast [12:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Recently, I’ve been thinking that it would be nice to do a guided meditation first thing in the morning, before I even get out of bed. With that in mind, I wrote my latest meditation, New Every Morning.

It’s not necessary to do this meditation while you are still in bed, but it is written with the assumption that it will be done some time early in the morning before you begin your day. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Scriptures in this meditation: Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 143:8, Psalm 5:3
Time: 14:41
File Size: 13.4 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #4 – New Every Morning
Background music: Sacred Ground by Jon Schmidt (used by permission)

 

 Standard Podcast [14:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s hard to believe that three months have passed since I posted the last Mindful Worship Christian guided meditation. I sincerely apologize to everyone. For a short part of that time, I was on a Missions trip to Zimbabwe. For the rest of the time, I was doing a lot of travel for work, and generally had a lot of other stuff going on my life that was more important at the time than recording meditations. I believe I’m back on track now to record and publish more frequently.

I also wasn’t content with the quality of the first two meditations I recorded. About a month ago I purchased some new equipment and I believe that you’ll find this meditation to be much higher quality. It still isn’t quite as professional as I would like, but it’s much better. If you have any information to pass on about how to improve them, please feel free to contact me.

I have wanted to record this particular meditation ever since I began this project. As a former amateur astronomer, this meditation builds on the countless hours that I have spent gazing into the night sky and fellowshipping with my wonderful and loving Creator. I believe that you will greatly enjoy it and listen to it over and over.

Scriptures in this meditation: Psalm 19:1, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 8:3-4
Time: 16:00
File Size: 14.6 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #3 – When I Consider Your Heavens
Background music: Within this Space by DAC Crowell (used by permission)

 

 Standard Podcast [16:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After I recored Mindful Worship Meditation #1 – A Tree and Its Fruit and distributed it to my Sunday School class, one of the ladies in my class told me that she had shared it with some of her co-workers. One day, one of them was incredibly stressed, so she gave shared it with them as an opportunity to relax and de-stress.

It’s nice to sometimes take a short break in the middle of my workday just to rest, share some time with my Savior, and meditate on His promises of peace and rest. Afterwards, I can then re-engage with my work day with a renewed energy and confidence. I wrote this meditation, Find Rest, O My Soul, to help you do that as well.

I originally wanted to keep it to around ten-minutes long, but I had to make it a little longer to get everything in there that I felt should be there, and not be too rushed, which would have defeated the purpose. I hope you enjoy this guided meditation. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Scriptures in this meditation: Matthew 28:20, Matthew 11:28-30, Exodus 33:14
Time: 15:17
File Size: 14.0 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #2 – Find Rest, O My Soul
Background music: Above the Clouds by Suzanne Teng (used by permission)

 

 Standard Podcast [15:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here is the first guided Christian meditation that I wrote and recorded. I was participating in a small group Bible study and we were tasked with reading, and studying, five different passages before our next meeting. One of those passages was Luke 6:43-45, where Jesus talks about a tree and its fruit.

As I studied this passage, I found myself meditating on it. I repeated short sections of it over and over in my mind. As I thought about particular phrases, other supporting scriptures came to mind, and I thought about them as well. Mostly, I though about how this all applied to me. God used this time of meditation to challenge me to evaluate different areas of my life.

As I meditated, I thought about the people in my small group and in my Sunday School class. I wondered how many of them regularly meditate on the scriptures, and if they had ever been taught to meditate. This prompted me to dig into the Word and see what God had to say about the discipline of meditation. That study became a lesson that I taught to my Sunday School class and I concluded the lesson by guiding them through a meditation much as I would do on my own.

The people in my Sunday School class seemed to really enjoy it, and several of them asked if I could record it. I did record it for them. Here is that original meditation, much as I presented it to the class that first time. I would recommend that you listen to it during a time when you will not be disturbed and you can focus on God’s Word.

Scriptures in this meditation: 1 Peter 5:7, Luke 6:43-45, Galatians 5:19-21, Galatians 5:22-23
Time: 13:26
File Size: 12.2 mb
Link to MP3: Meditation #1 – A Tree And Its Fruit
Background music: Above the Clouds by Suzanne Teng (used by permission)

 

 A Tree and Its Fruit [13:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download