Author Archives: Michelle Bauer

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you.” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” – John 8:1-11

Do you remember a time of feeling absolutely free? Maybe as a child on a swing or on the first day of summer? How did it feel?

This poor woman in the scripture passage is not free. She is being held captive by the religious leaders, and she is trapped in sin. Using your imagination, fill in the details of this woman’s story. What life choices and circumstances led to her decision to be a part of an adulterous relationship? How did she get caught? What was her night in jail like? How do you feel about this woman?

As our text suggests, “But Jesus” is a powerful phrase. How have these words affected your life – times when you were trapped or suffocating, but Jesus…? What impossible thing has God done in your life? Do you have a “but Jesus…” story?

As it turns out, Jesus was the only truly free person present that day. The crowd was made to see that they were sinners too. How might this event have changed the men who had been so quick to punish?

Jesus offers the woman forgiveness and encourages her to leave her life of sin. What sinful parts of your life would you like to leave behind? How might your life be different?

Receiving God’s forgiveness makes us free. Have you found it easy or hard to receive forgiveness?

What stands in your way of believing you are forgiven?

What do you think the rest of this woman’s life was like? How would freedom from sinful habits and patterns change your own life? How would you use your freedom to help others experience healing and wholeness?

How would a greater experience of freedom allow you to enter into Sabbath rest more freely?

Leave this quiet time trusting that you have been set free.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” – Isaiah 61:1

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'” – Luke 4:14-21

Once you have found a comfortable place, spend a few moments in silence.  Take a few deep breaths and feel your body begin to relax. When you feel your mind becoming quiet, offer a simple prayer to God, thanking him for his presence and inviting him to speak to you.

Jesus celebrated the Sabbath by going to the synagogue. Do you celebrate the Sabbath? Do you find it restful? Is there something you need to add or remove to make this day more restful?

The poor, the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed – one writer summarized this list as describing “those who have been traumatized by the stuff of life.” How have you been traumatized by the stuff of life? What affect does this have on you today?

We normally think of poor people as those who have no money, but there are other ways in which we can be poor. Some of us are emotionally poor. Some of us are poor spiritually. Others are poor in healthy relationships. In what ways are you poor? What would it look like to be rich in that area?

Has it ever felt like you have been held prisoner by something? How did you get free? In what area of life do you struggle to be free? Ask God to “proclaim freedom” to that part of your life. People who are oppressed struggle to share the freedom of those around them. In what ways are you helping others who are oppressed?

Jesus declared that this prophetic passage from the Old Testament book of Isaiah was being fulfilled. Do you sense these things being fulfilled in your life? Where are you experiencing freedom?

Where are you looking for freedom?

Have you ever had a day where you worried that you weren’t going to have enough? Enough love. Enough patience. Enough energy. Enough smarts. Enough food. Enough money.

Jesus and his disciples had a day like that. Five thousand unexpected guests showed up for dinner and they were a long way from a grocery store. Just when everyone was about to panic, Jesus turns a little boy’s lunch into a feast – complete with leftovers.

When we are willing to surrender our lunches – our resources – Jesus specializes in turning “not enough” into plenty. Consider the story from the Gospel of John:

Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelves baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. – John 6:1-15

In North America we talk about being hungry a lot, but often what we really mean is, “it would be fun to eat.” Have you ever been truly hungry? Have you ever lived through a period of time when you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from? How has that experience affected how you view food?

John explains that the crowd was following Jesus because of the miracles he was performing, especially healing the sick. What do you think the crowd was hoping for as they followed Jesus from place to place? How do you think Jesus felt about the crowd’s motivation? Why do you follow Jesus?

Throughout the gospels we see Jesus in the mountains. It must have been a place of peace and refuge for him. Where is the place where you feel the most peaceful?  What is it about that place that brings you peace?

What a gift the disciples received! To be able to sit down with Jesus on a mountainside must have been an extraordinary experience. In what ways is Jesus inviting you to sit down with him? Are you resisting or accepting his invitation? Why?

All of a sudden, Jesus’ quiet time with his disciples was invaded by a large, miracle-hungry crowd.  Take a moment and imagine the scene from a variety of perspectives – the crowd arriving, Jesus, and the disciples experiencing an interruption.

Jesus immediately anticipated the crowd’s physical needs. They may have been following him with mixed motives, but Jesus loves and serves them regardless. Are you ever tempted to think that Jesus is unaware or callous towards your needs? In what ways is he meeting your needs during this time in your life?

Why do you think Jesus was testing Philip? How do you feel about Jesus testing Philip? Have you ever felt tested by God? How did you respond?

Offer your thoughts to God and ask him to speak to you. Offer a prayer in words to God. Thank God for his presence. Express your desire to experience his presence in a deeper way.

Leave this time trusting that your needs will be met.

And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  ~ I Corinthians 13: 1-8a

What is your definition of love? How has this definition changed through the different seasons of your life? I John 4:8 tells us that, “God is love.” How does this truth fit with your definition of love?

What is the most annoying noise you can imagine? That’s how verse one describes people who have amazing spiritual gifts but haven’t learned how to love. Do you know anyone like this?

Verse two of this passage says that being loving ranks higher than some other pretty important things. What are they? What damage can be done if people exercise their spiritual gifts without love? Have you ever been the victim of this kind of person?

What, besides love, can motivate someone to give to the poor or sacrifice themselves? Take a moment to examine your motives and ask God to make them pure.

In what situations is it easy for you to love? In what situations do you struggle to love? What makes a person hard or easy to love?

Who loves you well? How do you know this person loves you? Take a few minutes to write this person a note, email or text thanking them for their love.

Who in your life would you like to love better? What keeps you from loving them well? What would need to change in you in order to love them well? Ask God to give you his love for this person.

Leave this quiet time in peace knowing that you are loved by God.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.  – Luke 2:1-17

Mary and Joseph continued to have their lives interrupted by history. Very pregnant Mary finds herself on a donkey making the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. What would it mean for Mary to have her baby away from home?

As you celebrated Jesus’ birth by exchanging gifts, did you remember that God’s presence with us is the greatest gift we will ever receive? In what way might you receive the gift of God’s presence in crowded or hurried moments today?

Mary gave birth to Jesus in a barn or cave because no one would make room for them in the inn. These are people who refused to let Jesus’ birth interrupt their lives. What did they miss out on?

Has there been a time when you have refused to let Jesus interrupt your life? What were the consequences? Take a moment to remember a time in which you did allow Jesus to interrupt your life. What were the challenges? What were the blessings?

Have you noticed how King David’s name keeps popping up in this story? God is keeping a promise he made to David that his descendants would reign forever. God always keeps his promises. What promise are you holding onto today?

We have seen that when Jesus arrives, it often brings disruption and a change in plans. Offer a prayer to God surrendering your life and plans. Invite him to be God With You today and always.

Silent Night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon virgin mother and child!

Holy Infant so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”  

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”  

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:26-35; 38 

Imagine Mary, in her home one day, resting or working, when all of a sudden her whole life is turned upside-down. She is a young woman with her life planned – get married, have children, be a productive member of her community. What are the plans you have for your life? College, marriage, children, grandchildren, career? How would it feel to have them upended in a single moment? 

One of the first things the angel says to Mary is, “The Lord is with you.” This is the message of Christmas! God has come to be with us! When do you feel God with you?   

The angel also tells Mary to not be afraid. What do you think Mary might have been afraid of?  Imagine yourself as Mary, seeing the angel and hearing this news. What would your reaction have been? The angel told Mary some pretty incredible things! What do you think was the hardest to believe? Mary’s reply to this news is to ask, “How will this be?” What would your question have been? 

What kind of a man do you think Joseph was based on these verses? Would you have wanted him to marry your daughter or to be a part of your family in some way? Joseph, too, had an expectation for how he thought his life would unfold. In what ways were his plans disrupted? What effects would these events have on the rest of his life?  

The Christmas story, as told in the Bible, is full of people who are afraid but still chose to obey. How does God’s presence with us help us to obey even when we are afraid? 

Joy to the world! The Lord is come; 

Let earth receive her King; 

Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, 

And heav’n and nature sing,  

And heav’n and nature sing,  

And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing 

Thank God for his presence. Express your feelings about following God despite your fear. 

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”  

And as they went, they were cleansed. 

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” – Luke 17:11-19 (NIV) 

I invite you today to spend a few moments in silence. Offer a prayer of thanks to God for all the places in which you experience community – church, family, your workplace.  Thank God for inviting you into community with him. You don’t have to stand at a distance!  

Slowly read through Luke 17:11-19. You may want to continue to imagine yourself as a person in the story. This week we will focus our attention on verse 14 of this passage: “When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed.” 

Even though these men stood at a distance, Jesus saw them. Jesus made a choice to see these men. He could have ignored their cries. No one would blame him for wanting to avoid their disease. Are you ever tempted to shift your gaze from things that are hard or messy?  

Jesus heals people in many different ways throughout the Gospels. Can you recall some of them? Jesus healed a blind man with a mixture of spit and dirt. A woman was healed just by touching his clothes. What does this variety say to you about how Jesus sees people?  

Unlike some of the other healing stories, these men weren’t immediately healed. “As they went” they were healed.  As they obeyed Jesus’ instruction, the healing began.  Has there been a time in your life when obedience was linked with healing? 

In the time when this event took place, a priest had the authority to give a person a clean bill of health and allow them re-entry into the community.  What, then, were the risks associated with Jesus’ instructions? 

“And as they went, they were cleansed.”  

This feels like a progression of obedience and healing. In what areas have you felt yourself being progressively cleansed by God? Is there an area in which you long for more cleansing? Ask God for that now. Perhaps you feel invited to follow the leper’s model and ask Jesus for pity.  

Thank God for the blessings of your day. Ask him for guidance as you live the rest of your day.  

Be at peace knowing that you are being made whole by Jesus.

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17: 11-19 (NIV) 

As we enter into a season focused on thankfulness, take a moment to name one thing that you are grateful for today.  Offer your gratitude to God for this gift.   

Slowly reread through Luke 17:11-19. You may want to experiment with reading it out loud. Pause in between each verse to allow time for the words to really sink in. Can you imagine yourself in this story? Are you an observer? Are you one of the men who have leprosy? 

This group of ten men made contact with Jesus as he was going into the village.  They were not allowed into the village because of the contagious disease they carried. What must it have felt like to be excluded from village life? Even though these men were marginalized from society, perhaps they had formed a community among themselves. In what places do you find community? 

It seems as if these men were anticipating Jesus’ arrival. What do you imagine their hopes and fears were as they waited for him? Have you ever sensed yourself waiting for Jesus to arrive into a situation or season of your life? What were your hopes and fears? 

When Jesus does arrive, the ten men keep their distance. What keeps them from approaching him? Have you ever been hesitant to approach Jesus? Calling out in a loud voice sounds a little undignified, doesn’t it? What, if anything, would make you nervous to address Jesus in this way? 

To have pity on someone means to feel sorry for them and to be moved to show them compassion. Are you comfortable asking Jesus to have pity on you? Is there something specific in your life or history that you would like Jesus to have pity on? 

Offer a prayer to God. Thank him for the blessings of your day. Ask him for guidance as you live the rest of your day.  And leave this time in peace, knowing that you are seen by Jesus.