Meditation is in vogue. Mindfulness is in fashion. yet, the Scriptures have spoken to this discipline for several millennia. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter walks us through the what, why and how of meditation.
Show notes:
Question | Answer |
What is meditation? | Meditation is deliberately setting our mind on a certain thing and remaining with our mind set upon it. |
Why should we meditate? | Through the discipline of meditation, we become more mentally healthy as well as spiritually healthy people. The reason for this is because our thoughts give attention to those things that are true. |
In what ways is meditation a skill set? | Meditation is a skill set because it is a learned and practiced skill by which a person can more fully focus their attention on a selected matter of the mind. |
What lies at the center of meditation? | Attention lies at the core of mediation. Dismissing unwanted distractions and focusing on desired interests is key. |
What qualities do I need to have in order to meditate well? | Patience and focus are required for meditation. |
How do I meditate? | To meditate, we must slow down, identify a matter to contemplate on, focus on that matter with curiosity, remain with that matter over time. |
How is mediation different than Bible study? | In Bible study, we are the agent, and the Scriptures are the subject we act upon. In meditation, we are the subject, and the Scriptures is the agent that act on us. |
Are mindfulness and meditation the same thing? | Yes. These terms are similar. Mindfulness is focusing on the present moment. |
When is meditation unwise? | Meditation is unwise when we adopt the modern notion that truth lies within us and meditation seeks to access that self-goodness. |
Behind our vices is often a lie we believe. Reversing the lie goes a long way in reversing the vice. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Arlan and Matt speak to the health that comes by way of truth. As truth embodied, Christ wants to upset our lies.
We live in a broken world and wounds happen. Furthermore, wounds compound and compact on top of each other. They build up over time. While some wounds are huge (abuse, etc) wounds don’t have to be huge to be impactful. In fact, often, the subtle unnoticed hurts pack the biggest punch because they go without our notice and their effect is assumed negligible.
Wounds give way to lies and lies give way to vice.
A healthy life skill is being able to heal from the wounding we are bound to get.
Truth will have a living effect on our lives. We will begin to live according to the truth.
Example:
There is a path through grief. Helping our grieving teens make progress along that path is so important. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Craig Stickling give us practical tips on doing just that.
Things to remember as you walk with a grieving teen:
Grief is always hard no matter the age. Yet, our teens experience a unique challenge when it comes to working through loss. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Craig Stickling walk us through the complexities of grief on the maturing heart and mind.
Grief and loss can be troubling to teens...
While a teen’s grieving experience varies dramatically, it will likely include...
The cigarette is falling out of favor with the general public. Stepping into its place and gaining favor is the modernized e-cigarette. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Dr. Aaron Plattner helps us understand the growing appeal of vaping.
Sometimes little things make big differences. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer relays three small things that exist in happy marriages.
3 Small Things
Be Purposeful
Be Present
Be Positive
Taken from “The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference” by Shaunti Feldhahn
Like a faulty check engine light that comes on prematurely, some consciences trigger signals of guilt when they shouldn’t be triggered. This is called false guilt. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr explains the difference and how to detect if that check engine light is real or not.
How to deal with false guilt: A person dealing with false guilt typically hold themselves to standards they would not impose on others. They may benefit from getting perspective and counsel from other people. They should focus on moving forward and will need to elevate Christ’s promises to them and not allow their feelings to undermine the truth.
Both guilt and shame are similar feelings. Both can be triggered for similar reasons. But they each motivate us toward drastically different ends. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. sorts out the distinctions between guilt and shame and how we should respond to each.
Birth is sacred and yet, so is death. For many people they will have the opportunity and responsibility to care for their folks as they age and pass. This responsibility is met with challenges, difficulties, opportunities, and blessings. Roger Gasser and Tim Funk let us in on some of these responsibilities and help prepare us to walk these important days with our aging parents.
At some level, we all want to be successful. Yet success can have ill-effects. On this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter and Fred Witzig tackle this topic of success. Approaching the topic from a historical, clinical and biblical perspective helps provide insight into this “success” we all want.
Show Notes:
How healthy is my success?
Conviction of truth. Compassion for people. Context for our society. And comfort in Christ. These are our goals. Join Ted Witzig Jr. as he speaks to the important topic of gender and sexual identity with grace and truth.
Conviction of truth. Compassion for people. Context for our society. And comfort in Christ. These are our goals. Join Ted Witzig Jr. as he speaks to the important topic of gender and sexual identity with grace and truth.
Conviction of Truth
Compassion for People
Context for our Society
Comfort in Christ
Empathy is a gift we give to others. It is a gift for many reasons, not the least of which, is the selflessness required. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Amber Miller flushes out empathy. She helps us walk the fine line of looking within ourselves and accessing the God given skill set to turn outward and connect with another person.
Connection in marriage is possible. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer shares with us three keys in connecting with our spouse. Accessibility, responsiveness and engagement go a long way in moving us in the right direction - toward each other.
Marriage is far more than a living arrangement. It is a living relationship which meets a core need we each have for connection. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer exposes this core need and coaches us on how to achieve it.
Connection is made by being available, responsive and engaged with your spouse.
Conflict happens. Some conflict can be avoided. All conflict needs resolve. Sometimes little things make big differences. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer relays three small things that exist in happy marriages.
3 Small Things
Be Purposeful
Be Present
Be Positive
Taken from “The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference” by Shaunti Feldhahn
Uncertainty, unpredictability, unreliability, riskiness, chanciness, unsureness, changeability - 2020. It’s one thing to have expectations gone unmet. It’s another thing to be so uncertain that expectations can’t even be set. Those are the days we are in. And yet, there is an advantage these days afford. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Arlan Miller helps us see those advantages.
It is easy to overlook the losses our kids are enduring these days. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Craig Stickling highlights what many of our kids are experiencing as their lives have been put on hold during these days of COVID-19. Fortunately, parents are equipped with a few helpful tools to minister to their losses.
Some tools for the toolset:
What do we do with emotional pain when we can’t make it better? (Hint: David, Hannah, Jerimiah, Job, Habakkuk and Jesus all did it.) In fact, the example is so abundant in the Scriptures you can’t miss it. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. will answer this question and make it very accessible to all who endure pain.
Suffering nearly touches us all and is a common human experience. Suffering is bad. Period. Yet, God steps into this badness. Somehow His knowledge of it and presence in it has some redemptive qualities. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter with Fred Witzig take the topic of suffering head-on and expose the hope that suffering affords.
God has made us to be healthy through the COVID-19 crisis. Sometimes that’s hard to believe. On this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter helps us untangle our thoughts and emotions so we can walk these days with a healthy mind.
What we need to know about ourselves…
Prayer is a conduit of God’s power, provision and purposes. Through it God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. What should we pray for? And what do we do with unanswered prayer? Joe Gerber addresses these questions and casts a vision for a culture of prayer.
The Moravians, an unassuming, powerless, group of refugees prayed mightily for one hundred years. The effects of those prayers cannot be estimated and are still felt today. This is no surprise to anyone who understands intercessory prayer. Prayer makes a difference. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Joe Gerber recounts this history and lays a foundation for prayer today. Listeners will be inspired by the privilege and responsibility of prayer.
Sometimes little things make big differences. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer relays three small things that exist in happy marriages.
3 Small Things
Be Purposeful
Be Present
Be Positive
Taken from “The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference” by Shaunti Feldhahn
The apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian church to forbear with one another. Forbearance requires a skill set that is growing increasingly foreign in today’s world. A world where individual preferences abound and we have increasingly less reason to endure with those things that do not suit us. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Arlan Miller and Kaleb Beyer flush out the attribute of forbearance and expose it for its Christ-like beauty.