Quiet on Purpose
By Heather Lieurance
Quiet on PurposeMay 01, 2024
Episode 81 - Refuge
I have to confess that over the years, in times of trouble or distress, God was not always the first place I turned for refuge. However, I know that when trouble comes or something distressing happens, there is One who can be trusted completely, and only One! We can take a deep breath, hit pause, and seek the Lord immediately, because through His Spirit He is always with us! While other trusted friends, confidants and counselors can be a great help, I want to learn to turn first to God, my refuge! You too? Listen in!
Read Psalm 16:1
Questions from today's episode: Do I take refuge in God before seeking it elsewhere? Where else do I seek refuge, what person or activity do I tend to turn to first? How can I train myself to take refuge first and foremost in God?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 80 - Layers of Hope
The verse we're considering in this episode appears, at first glance, to be repeating itself, just saying the same thing in different ways. But, when you look closer, considering it more deeply, you begin to uncover layers. "Layers of hope," I'm calling them. Listen in!
Read it here!
Questions from today's episode: Am I ready to ask God to show me His ways? Am I genuinely ready to be guided in His truth, or am I still trying to hold onto control and do life my way? If I’m still clinging to control, why? What scares me about giving Him control? Have I really made Him my Savior and put my hope in Him? Talk to God about your answers to these questions, and listen to what He might be saying to you today.
Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
Not familiar with Trader Joe's? Here's more info!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 79 - Believe His Goodness
What do you do when you don't feel God's love for you? What if you never feel it, on an emotional level? A recent conversation with a friend got me thinking about this, and I think today's verse speaks to that question. Listen in!
Read Psalm 27:13
Questions from today's episode: Is there an area of your life that feels desperate, that you are in danger of “despairing” over? Tell God about it. Are you struggling to see His goodness today? Ask Him to reveal something small that has happened in the past 24 hours that is a reminder of His goodness in your life. Ask Him to help your unbelief!
King of My Heart is a great song to remind me of the goodness of God! Listen to it here!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 78 - An Easter Episode
If you are part of a church that follows the liturgical church calendar, you will be very familiar with the fact that this week is Holy Week. For all Christian traditions, liturgical or not, this is certainly the most sacred week of the year, the one in which we celebrate the passion of Jesus Christ, culminating with His crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter morning, and all that it means for us. So I think it is only appropriate that in today’s episode we peer into the very moments of Jesus’ death. I hope you'll make this week's episode even a small part of your Easter preparations this year!
Questions from today's episode: Have you personally accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on your behalf yet? If not, are you ready to do that today? Take these next few minutes to talk to God about your gratitude that Jesus is the One who made it possible for you to have a relationship with Him, in spite of your imperfection and sins. If you’ve already come into a relationship with God through Jesus, spend these next few moments thanking God again for initiating the relationship with you and doing all that was required to make you right with Him. We did nothing to deserve it on our own!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 77 - Spiritual Practice: Honoring the Body
In episode 76, I introduced a spiritual practice for praying in the body. Today’s episode is a related spiritual practice on honoring the body in which we live out all of life, including our spirituality. This spiritual practice is rooted in the earliest writings of scripture.
Humans are created in the image of God, and this truth should inform not only the way we treat other humans, but also the way we treat our own selves. Today's episode, therefore, explores the spiritual practice of honoring the body we've been given by God. Listen in!
Today's spiritual practice:
- Close your eyes, and pay attention to your breathing. Paying attention to your breathing is one of the simplest ways of getting in touch with your body.
- Notice if your breathing is shallow, and take time to breathe deeply. Allow your breathing to release any tension you are holding in your back and your shoulders. Allow yourself to relax into your space as a physical expression of your trust in God.
- Now, gently turn your attention to your body, and invite God to speak to you through it.
- Think about what happens inside you when you consider the idea of honoring your body or meeting God in your body. Does this idea excite you? Scare you? Confuse you? Intimidate you? Just sit with that feeling for a moment, and don’t try to judge it.
- Next, consider, what is the condition of your body these days? Have you been caring for it consistently by eating right, sleeping and resting enough, exercising, attending to medical issues or concerns, or have you been ignoring it or even abusing it in some way? Sit with your awareness and talk to God about what comes to mind. Listen for His response.
- Next, listen to what your body might be trying to tell you. Is there any place of tension or discomfort that you’ve been ignoring? Any medical issues that need attending to? Are there feelings of dis-ease that are vaguely unsettling? Listen to see if there is anything you have been keeping outside your conscious awareness.
- Talk to God about your body, reflecting on what you have discovered in this exercise, and how you are caring, or not caring, for it. Ask Him if there is anything He might be calling you to do now as an act of honoring your body as His dwelling place. Ask Him to show you one practical way you can grow in the area of honoring Him by honoring your body as made in His image and as the dwelling place of His Spirit. Then, respond to His leading.
Episode 76 - Spiritual Practice: Prayer in Your Body
Spiritual director and author, Ruth Haley Barton says “we are in need of a sacramental approach to life, in which the body is understood to be sacred because it is the place where God’s Spirit has chosen to dwell. Given this, all aspects of life in the body can become places where we meet and know God in unique ways.” As we pay attention to what is going on internally, in our body, it is possible to also become more aware of God's presence with us in our body and in our experiences. Taken from Ruth's book Sacred Rhythms, today's spiritual practice is a simple way of praying, talking to God, when we may not have the words to express what we are feeling. I hope you'll join in. I'd recommend listening to today's episode when you have time to be still and uninterrupted.
Ruth Haley Barton's website. Today's material taken largely from Sacred Rhythms.
Prayer Movements: First, hold your hands in your lap, palms open to the sky. As you do this, bring to mind one element of your life, such as your family, your work, or yourself. You don’t need to put words around it, just allow your thoughts to flow into your consciousness. Allow yourself to think about any joys you are celebrating, any concerns or desires you have, any problems that need resolving. For the 2nd movement, lift your hands slightly and hold these thoughts in God’s presence. For the 3rd movement, raise your hands all the way up and move them apart to surrender your prayer to God. When you are done, return your hands to your lap, again with palms open, and just rest in the awareness that you’ve released your prayer into God’s capable hands.
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 75 - On God's Core Character
Today's episode is on an encounter between God and Moses on Mt. Sinai, where God has, amazingly, agreed to show Moses His glory. When God displayed his glory to Moses it was astonishingly beautiful and downright shocking. Listen in as we talk about what God revealed to Moses in this encounter and how it informs our view of Him today!
Is there something astonishing that God is revealing to me today? Is He pushing my boundaries, revealing something in my heart that I have believed to be true of Him that is, in fact, untrue? Is He inviting me to see Him with fresh eyes today? If so, how will I respond?
Episode 74 - On Dwelling
I mentioned in episode 73 that my word for 2024 is “Dwell”. I am already so excited about what God is doing in my heart this year as I choose each day to dwell in His presence; in the safety of His embrace. I want to explore more places in scripture that talk about what it’s like to dwell with Him, but I’m reminded that before any scriptures talk about us choosing to dwell with Him, they talk about Him choosing to dwell with us! Today's scripture comes from the book of Exodus, when God first reveals to a recently emancipated group of slaves that He is going to "dwell" with them! Listen in!
Read Exodus 25:8 here!
Questions from today's episode: In this episode, I provide a few minutes for us to simply be in the presence of God. As you sit in the silence, I encourage you to invite God to reveal how He has been near to you, perhaps in a recent crisis, or simply in small moments that have passed by, unnoticed by you. Ask Him to give you eyes to see how He has made His dwelling with you. Then simply sit in the beauty and magnitude of that reality.
Episode 73 - Who I Am
Happy New Year! I’m so excited to be beginning the 4th season of Quiet on Purpose, and so grateful to have you here with me! This week's episode is from John 13:3-5. Recently, my husband and I were reading together and something from this well-known scene caught my attention that I'd never noticed before! Listen in today as I focus in on what it tells us about why Jesus did what he did in these verses, and how that might inform our lives!
Read John 13:3-5 on Bible Gateway
Questions from today's episode: I’m going to provide time for each of us to simply sit in the loving presence of God. As you sit, I invite you to wait expectantly for him to warmly embrace you and whisper of his love for you today.
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 72 - Love
This episode is set to release after Christmas, but it is still the fourth week of Advent. We have reached the end of this season of waiting with hopeful anticipation for the birth of Jesus! During this season, we’ve been following along with the themes the church follows throughout the 4 weeks of Advent, preparing our hearts for the climactic celebration of Christmas with the birth of the Messiah!
The theme of the 4th week of Advent is Love, and so we complete our Advent series with the topic of God’s love, which ultimately is the whole point of Christmas! Our scripture today is Exodus 34:5-7: Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” This is the word of the Lord. It is absolutely true and given to us in love. Thanks be to God.
Listen in and consider God's incredible love for you!
Questions from today's episode: Do I really believe in the compassionate and gracious love of God? Or do I believe something contradictory to how He has revealed Himself here? Am I ready to let go of the lies I’ve believed and embrace Him as He describes Himself? What is He saying to me today? What do I want to say to Him?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 71 - Joy
This is the third week of Advent, a season of waiting with hopeful anticipation for the birth of Jesus. During this season, we are following along with the themes the church follows each of the 4 weeks of Advent, preparing our hearts for the climactic celebration of Christmas and the birth of the Messiah!
In most traditions, the theme of the 3rd week is Joy, so this week we are also focusing on joy. Our scripture in today's episode is 1 Chronicles 16:27: Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. Listen in, as we contemplate the Joy that accompanies God's "dwelling place"!
Questions from today's episode: Am I a joyful person? If not, have I ever invited God to make his home in me through Jesus? Is this something I want to do today? If I have already invited God to make his home in me, am I also growing in the area of continually “abiding” in him? Making Jesus my “home” as well? Is there an invitation that God is extending to me today? How will I respond?
Did you invite God to dwell in you through Jesus? Click here, then select "Send voice message" and tell me about it! I'd love to connect with you!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 70 - Peace
The second week of Advent traditionally focuses on the theme of "Peace". So, this week, our episode is taken from a quote of Jesus in the Gospel of John, "Peace I leave with you..." Jesus left his peace with us as a gift! It's ours to have, but we have to learn how to take hold of it! Listen in as we consider what that looks like!
Read John 14:27
Questions from today's episode: What is going on in my heart right now? What anxieties and fears are trying to take hold there? As I sit with Jesus in these next few moments, what invitation is He extending to me personally? And how will I respond?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 69 - Hope
This is the first week of Advent, and our theme is Hope! In a world where life often fails to meet our expectations, Hope is something we all need, and struggle to take hold of. Listen in today for a little infusion of Hope into your life!
Today's verse: Isaiah 55:8
Another awesome message of Hope
Questions from today's episode: What would it look like for me to embrace “Hope” today? Is there an expectation I need to release my grip on so that I can be open to receive the good gift God is offering me in its place? What is God’s invitation to me today? What is my response?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 68 - Let Them Give Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving! It's no secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I love to remind myself and you that the practice of gratitude is something that should extend way beyond one day! In preparation for your own celebration, or as a way to wrap it up, listen in to this short, fun episode about "Giving Thanks"!
Read Psalm 107 here!
For consideration, from this episode: “God, show me what I’ve been overlooking. Help me to see new evidence in my own life of your unfailing love and your wonderful deeds to me!” And then, let’s give him thanks for all that he reveals to us!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 67 - Trust
There are times, circumstances in life, when the road God has put in front of us is painful, difficult, and we can't see how it could possibly be "good" for us! And yet, His word says that He is good and everything He does is good. So how do we reconcile what we're facing with that? Trust is a concept we understand easily, but an exercise we struggle to practice. We need His help. Listen in today as we take time to consider where we might be struggling to trust Him and ask for His help.
Read Psalm 119:68 here
Questions from today's episode: Is there some difficulty, some circumstance I’m facing today that is causing me to question God’s goodness? Is there some story in my life that I can draw on in the midst of this difficulty to remember His goodness in the past? Even if I can’t immediately see it, will I choose to trust Him today?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 66 - Return
Sometimes what God offers us is incomprehensible. Or so contrary to the way we think that it's just impossible to wrap our heads around! In today's verse, we're being reminded of the fundamental truth that God has removed all our offenses and sins; they've disappeared the way morning fog burns off and the sun shines through! And on top of that, He invites us to return to Him, to enjoy the warmth of His love and the closeness of relationship with Him. What an incredible invitation! Listen in!
Read Isaiah 44:22 on Bible Gateway
Questions from today's episode: Have I been avoiding God in any area of my life, trying to manage my sin on my own? What is He saying to me today? What is my response?
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 65 - Trust
When it comes down to it, do I really trust God? When I desire to maintain control of situations, am I really relying on His wisdom, His ways, and His goodness, or am I relying on my own, finite, flawed understanding, my own limited ability to see into the future? Today's episode provides us with an opportunity to take a minute to consider ways that we're still relying on our own understanding. Listen in!
Read it here!
Questions from today's episode: Are there areas of my life that I am struggling to entrust to God, preferring to try to control them myself? Asking God for “holy imagination”, can I imagine ways in which the “undesirable outcomes” might in fact be God’s gift or protection in my life? Am I ready to surrender to Him?
The best way to make French Press
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 64 - Walk Humbly with Your God
The invitation to walk with God is a stunning one! But to truly walk with God also requires the characteristic of humility. In Matthew, Jesus describes himself as humble, which is shocking, really, when you consider that he also claims to be the Son of God! I don't know anyone who is naturally humble. It requires a work of God in our hearts, and a true journey with Him, for us to become humble people. Are you ready to consider responding to that invitation? Today's episode is here to help you take the first, or the next, step! Listen in!
Read it here!
Questions from today's episode: Am I able to see and admit my own pride and conceit? Am I ready to ask God to give me a heart of humility instead? What next step is God inviting me to take on my own journey of humility? How will I respond?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 63 - It's Not Fair
Just like children, insisting that life feel "fair," we often approach God expecting Him to treat us "fairly," whether that means we think things ought to be better for us, or perhaps, we come with our tail between our legs, expecting to be punished. The beautiful truth, of course, is that God isn't always "fair." But He IS just. And He IS merciful. And He invites us into His justice and mercy, both to receive it and to give it away! I hope you'll listen in as we explore in this episode what it might mean for us to "love mercy"!
Episode 62 - Do Justly
While "justice" is a "hot topic" and a buzzword in our culture these days, I wonder how much of our time is honestly spent considering what lies within our realm of power, our own sphere of influence, that we could do something about, something to enact justice, but perhaps we're too busy casting blame on someone else, someone with more power, someone who ought to be behaving more justly, at least in our own humble opinion. Today's episode isn't about big picture justice, and how certain political leaders do or don't help that cause. Rather, as is our practice in this podcast, we're going to look at our own hearts, and allow God to highlight for us what it might look like to "do justly" right where he has us today. I hope you'll listen in!
Read it on Bible Gateway
Questions from today's episode: Is there anyone toward whom I’ve been acting unjustly? Is there anyone in my sphere who needs my efforts on their behalf to bring about justice? Or is there an organization that is working to bring justice for mistreated individuals that God is prompting me to get involved with on some level? How can I “do justly” today?
Episode 61 - Look to the Heavens
Sometimes our view of God seems to grow smaller, or be obscured by the mountainous problems or other demands of life. This week's verse invites us to "look to the heavens" and consider just how BIG and how GOOD God is! It's a refreshing, perhaps much needed, reset to our perspective! I hope you'll listen in!
Read today's verse!
Questions from today's episode: What threatens to obscure your view of who God is today? What is God revealing to you about himself as you shift your gaze to the heavens? How will you respond to this new perspective or this reminder of his character?
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 60 - All That is Within Me
We often ask God to "bless" others, or to "bless" us, or to "bless" our food. But have we considered that we are called to "bless" the Lord? How do we do that? The answer is "with all that is within you!" And, if we're honest, that feels about as impossible as leaping across The Grand Canyon! Is there a simple answer that can make it feel more accessible to me? Listen in!
Read today's verse!
Questions from today's episode: What feels most challenging right now about the exhortation to “bless the Lord” with all that is within me? What feels most exciting about it? Do I sense an invitation from the Spirit at this moment, a prompting that will help me move in that direction? What is my response?
Spurgeon's notes on Psalm 103
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 59 - This I Know
What is one thing you know? One thing you anchor your soul to, that keeps you from drifting, even in the tough times? In today's episode, we'll talk about one option. Perhaps you don't have an anchor like this. Or perhaps you need to be reminded what your anchor is. I hope you'll listen in today. I think you'll be encouraged and refreshed!
Read today's verse!
Questions from today's episode: What set of circumstances in your life is most likely to threaten your confident hope that God is for you? As you bring this truth into the presence of God, is there an invitation He is extending to your soul today? How will you respond?
Episode 58 - I Know the One I Trust
Have you ever had one of those moments when God seems to speak to your soul by reminding you of a Bible verse you've memorized? Often those verses we've memorized come in the form of a song we've sung. I'm grateful for the many song writers who have put scripture to song. Among the oldest of these is the old hymn "I Know Whom I Have Believed". Check out the link below if you're unfamiliar. You can also check out the links for more information about the songwriter. I hope you'll listen in today for an encouraging episode about entrusting your most tender concerns to the One who can be trusted!
Read the verse here!
Questions from today's episode: What are you most likely to fret over today? Do you hear God’s invitation to entrust it to Him today? Do you believe that He is big enough, strong enough, and good enough to guard what you are willing to entrust to Him? How will you respond?
Lyrics here
Hymn writer bio here
YouTube version here
Podcast music composed and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 57 - Redemption in Abundance
There are abundant definitions for the word "redeem" but the one that I resonate most with is one of the simplest: "to buy back." I love that God promises to buy back the messes we make and the time that we have wasted when we turn our lives over to Him! Redemption is one of the most beautiful and most fundamental characteristics of God. We see it woven throughout the story of the Bible, and we see it woven into our own stories, as well! Listen in to this encouraging episode today!
Read it!
Questions from today's episode: Is there a circumstance in your life right now that is ugly or seems beyond redemption? If so, I invite you to bring it before the Lord right now, and ask Him to give you hope, in order to see His redeeming work in the midst of it. Is there a circumstance in your past that God has redeemed? Give Him praise right now for that, and ask Him if there’s someone you can encourage today with your redemption story.
Episode 56 - My Whole Being Waits
Waiting is hard! Whether we're waiting 2 minutes at a stoplight or months on end for something important, it's a given that we're inclined to treat the wait as though it were an unwelcome guest. But how we wait influences who we become on the other end. So, what might it look like to "wait on the Lord" in the waiting? To "hope in his word"? Today's episode takes a gentle look at how waiting is both hard and holy. Listen in!
Questions from today's episode: What are you waiting for right now? Are you tempted to “fake wait”? What would it look like to wait upon the Lord with your whole being today? Are you willing to put your hope in him as you wait?
Thinking about a Magnolia Journal subscription? Check it out here!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 55 - There is Forgiveness
We tend to hold onto the sins of the past for dear life. We keep a record of the wrongs done to us, thinking we have to hold people accountable. We keep a record of the wrongs we've done, thinking that somehow we will make them right. When all along, God extends a different invitation to us. One that offers more peace, freedom and joy than we can imagine! Listen in!
Read it on Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Where do I find myself today in the cycle of shame and forgiveness? Is there something specific I need to simply name out loud in the presence of God and then surrender to His love and forgiveness? Take some time now to respond to Him.
Episode 54 - Out of the Depths
Can you think of a time when you've cried to God "out of the depths?" Maybe you've found yourself in some dire situation, your life crumbling all around you, despair threatening? If you've made it even as far as Jr. High, this scenario has probably been true of you on at least one occasion! If so, listen in. You might find some comfort in today's episode!
Read today's verses!
Questions from today's episode: Do I find myself today in a situation I might describe as "the depths?" If so, regardless of how I got here, am I willing to call out to God for mercy and plead with him to hear my voice? And as I cry for mercy, am I willing to surrender the outcome to him?
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 53 - To Live Simple & Free
Sometimes life feels so complicated! It doesn't have to, but it does. It's part of the human experience. But, there is a way to experience life in a beautiful simplicity. And the more I live by the principles in Psalm 37:3, the more I experience it exactly that way! Listen in today, there's an invitation for you here.
Questions from today's episode: As I listened in today, did one of these phrases jump out at me as an area I might be "hung up" on? Is it keeping me from enjoying a simple life of freedom and joy in Christ? As I pause and consider this verse, what is His invitation to me today? How will I respond?
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 52 - The Compassionate God
I don't think I'm alone in admitting that over the years, I've often thought that God went through some kind of metamorphosis between the Old Testament and the New Testament. We tend to think of "Old Testament God" as angry, vengeful, harsh and demanding, but "New Testament God" as soft, fluffy, and full of grace. In an astonishing account of God revealing himself and his character to Moses, today's verse shows us some phenomenal descriptions of a compassionate and gracious God. In the Old Testament. It blows me away, and beckons me near. I hope you'll listen in!
Read it!
Questions from today's episode: Do I believe, today, that God's disposition toward me is one of compassion? If not, what do I believe instead? Knowing that God calls himself compassionate and gracious, is he inviting me today to lay down whatever lie I may have embraced and receive his compassionate love instead? How will I respond?
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 51 - Joy Restored!
I admit, I've been spending a lot of time lately talking about how my own personal life has felt heavy, burdensome, and lacking in joy. I don't mean to be a downer, what I mean to be is authentic. If your struggle resonates with my own, maybe there's something for you here. One thing I deeply believe is that God intends for us to have joy. An authentic experience of a full, joyful life. So I'll keep pursuing it as long as there is breath in me, even if it doesn't come easily. Maybe especially because it doesn't come easily. I hope your life is full of joy today. But if you struggle sometimes too, listen in!
Read today's verse here
Questions from today's episode: Is my life lacking in joy right now? If the answer is yes, am I willing to invite God to reveal to me any unconfessed sin I might need to address? In the quiet of this space, is there a gentle invitation to turn back to him? How will I respond?
That story about King David and Bathsheba is here
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance. Thanks Caleb!
Episode 50 - Love Gives
We see some hard things in the Bible, including what kind of love we're called to if we want to follow Jesus. We're called to give up everything in our love for others, just like He did. But, just like so many other things, we're not asked to do this in our own strength. In today's episode, we're taking some time to remember what kind of love we're called to, and then to consider how we get there. I hope you'll listen and be encouraged!
Read it for yourself!
Questions from today's episode: When I think about giving everything to love others, what obstacle immediately comes to mind? I name that thing before Jesus and admit to him how hard it feels. I let him know if it feels overwhelming, confusing, or simply impossible. Then I ask him to show me what it might look like to recognize my dependence on him in this area. And I respond once again, to his invitation to get into his yoke and allow him to carry the burden of the doing.
If you're a Rich Mullins fan...and if you don't know the story about the Jesus Record
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance - thanks, Caleb!
Episode 49 - Rest for Your Soul
Continuing on from our previous episode, we're looking at Jesus' invitation to "take on" his "yoke" and his offer to provide rest for our souls. There are some super refreshing visuals in these two short verses that we might miss since most of us don't have much knowledge of historic farming practices. When it comes down to it, the kind of rest I'm looking for goes way beyond a spa day or even a tropical vacation. And that's what he's offering here. I hope you'll listen in and find this episode as refreshing to listen to as I found it was to write!
Read it for yourself!
Questions from today's episode: What am I struggling to surrender to Jesus today? Is it my whole life? Or maybe just one element that I'm not willing to let go control of? What is Jesus saying to me in the quiet right now? What is my response?
Soul Rest by Amy R. Dunham
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 48 - Rest for the Weary - Matthew 11:28
Sometimes life starts to feel heavy. When that happens, weariness sets in. But Jesus invites us to come to him for rest. It's such a beautiful invitation! Are you weary today? Listen in!
Read it for yourself!
Questions from today's episode: What weariness or burdens am I carrying today? Am I trying to carry them alone? The invitation today is clear, "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." What is my response?
Worn by Tenth Avenue North
O Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 47 - A New Year's Prayer
As we step gingerly into the year 2023, we can't help but acknowledge that we've all been more than a little beat up over the past few years. All that we've experienced globally and nationally has had a very real personal impact on every single one of us. And that truth has implications. Our natural tendency when feeling beat up and wounded is to withdraw, to turn inward. I'd like to suggest that true healing is found in a different posture, and I'd like to invite you to join with me as I pursue an openness that I believe will make a difference in my life and in the lives of those around me. Let's do this together!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway Version 2 here.
Questions from today's episode: Is there a particular type of person or circumstance where I struggle most to feel compassion? Is God inviting me to trust Him in a new way as I consider this struggle? What is my response?
Quiet on Purpose music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 46 - Advent Love 2022
This is the final week before Christmas, and here at Quiet on Purpose, we're working to make it easy for you to continue the practice of intentional, purposeful quiet. Just a few minutes of intentional stillness and listening makes all the difference in the way we show up this Holiday season, so listen in today, to this, our final episode of Advent - focused on Love.
Questions from today's episode: What is one way you've experienced God's tender love for you in the last week? Name one person you know personally who is in need of the tender love of God right now. If you are willing, ask God how He could use you to demonstrate His love to them this Advent. Then respond.
"Noel" featuring Lauren Daigle
Quiet on Purpose music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 45. Advent Peace 2022
The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just one day a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the third week of Advent - a season of anticipating the arrival of the Christ child. This year, each of our Advent episodes is focused on slightly longer portions from a Psalm. In this, our 3rd Advent episode, the topic is Peace, and the reading is Psalm 4. Listen in! *Also, scroll down for the link to a beautiful Christmas carol that talks about Peace!
Questions from today's episode: What, if anything, is threatening your peace right now? Are you feeling afraid, anxious, angry, sorrowful? Take a moment to bring that into the light of God's presence. Then pause. What eternal truth is He whispering in the silence that brings peace to your soul today?
*Audrey Assad "Bells"
Quiet on Purpose music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 44. Advent Joy 2022
The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional, quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar into the second week of Advent - the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child. This year, each of our Advent episodes will be longer portions from a Psalm. Today our second Advent episode is on Joy, from Psalm 16. Listen in! *Also, scroll for the link below to a beautiful Christmas carol on Joy!
Questions from today's episode: Have you ever experienced the joy that the psalmist is talking about in this Psalm? Are you experiencing it now? If you've never experienced it, could it be that you are pursuing something other than a relationship with God as your ultimate prize and source of joy? Listen quietly for the invitation God might be extending to you today. Consider how you will respond.
*Phil Wickham's Angels We Have Heard on High
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 43. Advent Hope 2022
The weeks leading up to Christmas tend to be so busy for all of us, that even regular habits of intentional quiet listening can fall to the wayside. Quiet on Purpose is here to help us all take a few short minutes, even just once a week, to quiet our bodies, and our hearts, and listen to God. This week, we're following the traditional church calendar and beginning a 4 week series on Advent - the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child - and our first episode is on Hope. Listen in!
Questions from today's episode: Where have you placed your hope today? Is there an invitation for you here, at the beginning of Advent, to choose a new and better hope? What is your response?
Here's a beautiful about the kind of Hope we're talking about today!
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 42 Psalm 150 A Thanksgiving Episode
As we anticipate celebrating Thanksgiving this week, today's episode is even shorter than our usual episodes, but still provides a few minutes of intentional quiet to specifically focus on ways to worship God. Listen in!
Today's questions: Is God nudging me to find a church family to worship with communally? Can our homes, schools, and places of employment also be sanctuaries? Can our car, the grocery store, a restaurant or nature be a sanctuary? If so, how does this inform what it might look like to praise God with our every breath? Is He whispering an invitation to you today? How will you respond?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 41 - Psalm 118:28 "The Thankful Basket"
One of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions is what we call our "Thankful Basket." Our time in Psalm 118 is coming to a close, and in today's episode we take a look at how this entire Psalm is kind of like a thankful basket! Then, we spend some time giving thanks! What better way to spend a few minutes of your time? Listen in!
Read today's verse for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's show: Is the God of the Bible your God? If so, invite Him to reveal to you specific ways, over the past days, weeks, or months in which He has faithfully loved you. Then, give Him thanks! If you're not sure that He is your God, why not invite Him to speak to your heart right now, dispelling any doubts you may have that He is the One True God?
Want to know more about how to make sure He is your God? Check out this link that helps explain how you can be sure!
Longaberger Baskets are still a thing! Find them here!
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 40 - Psalm 118:24 "The Gift of Today"
Sometimes I struggle to be present in today. I think we all do. But this is the day the Lord has made, and we're called to rejoice and be glad in it! There must be a reason for that! I think it's because every day is a gift from God and it is good and He has good things in it for us! Although we might credit Grand Master Oogway (the elderly Galapagos tortoise) in Kung Fu Panda with this quote, I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who first said "Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present'." What gets in our way and prevents us from living like today is a gift? That's what today's episode is all about! Listen in!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Are you prone to live too much in the future or too much in the past, neglecting the present? Name one thing that might drain you from being present in and rejoicing over today. Now listen for the gentle invitation from your Father. How will you respond?
Episode 18: Daily Review
Grand Master Oogway "Today is a gift"
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 39 - Psalm 118:14 "Our Strength and Song"
I have a confession today - I hate admitting weakness and I hate asking for help! I know not everyone suffers with this malady, but I also know I'm not alone! So, if you, like me, struggle with admitting you are weak, listen to this episode! As it turns out, there is a deep beauty in weakness that we will miss if we insist on projecting strength. And besides that, let's just be honest - sometimes we do need help!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Are you struggling to admit that you too need help? Is there something you need help with right now? Do you hear a whispered invitation from the Savior? How will you respond?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 38 - Psalm 118:7-9 "A Better Hope"
Isn't it our tendency to long for relationships with people who understand us and will always have our back? And isn't it our experience that we are often disappointed in those expectations? Whether we put our trust in someone who ultimately betrays us, or we just struggle through the reality that we often misunderstand one another in relationships, eventually we all experience the let down I'm referring to. But, there is a "better hope." There is One who is our "helper" and our "refuge" and He will not let us down. What if we learned to put our hopes in Him instead? Listen in!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Are you feeling “let down” by anyone/anything today? Have you looked to someone or something else to be your “helper?” What is your “go to” when you’re feeling “threatened?” What is God’s invitation to you today? How will you respond?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 37 - Psalm 118:6 "God is For You!"
I don't think any of us would argue that the past 2 1/2 years have been years of increased fear and anxiety in many ways. But what if we actually knew, in the deepest part of us, that God was for us? What if we had absolute confidence that, no matter what, we would be ok, because the King of the Universe has our back? Would it make a difference? I'd like to suggest it would. And we can! Listen in today and see what God's invitation is for you right now.
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Do you truly believe that God is for you? Can you name what is threatening your confident hope in Him today? Are there voices you may need to quiet for a time in order to hear His whisper of love to you more clearly? What is His invitation to you right now? What is your response?
Watch this powerful video of Fear is a Liar by Zach Williams, live from Harding Prison
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 36 - Psalm 118:5 "Spacious Places"
We have all been in situations we would call "distressing" before. Maybe you're in one now. The Psalmist said when he called to the Lord in distress, the Lord answered him and put him in a spacious place; so why don't we always feel like that's happening for us? I think there's a key to "unlocking" that spaciousness we desire. It isn't necessarily easy, but it IS in our possession! Listen in!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Is there a prayer of desperation in your heart right now? Are you, like me, guilty of trying to tell God how He can and should answer it? What invitation is He whispering to your heart right now? How will you respond?
"Surrender" by Marc James
Podcast music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 35 - Psalm 118:1 "Rooted Gratitude"
Gratitude gets a lot of nods from a lot of sources, but in today's episode of Quiet on Purpose, we're considering, is there a foundational element to gratitude that makes a difference? What does it look like to have rooted gratitude? Listen in!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: Do you believe that God is good?Do you believe His faithful love for you endures in all circumstances, all seasons, and regardless of your behavior? What is God's invitation to your heart today? What is your response?
Article from Psychology Today
Article from Berkeley
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 34 - One Thing - Psalm 27:4
In the fast-paced, multi-tasking, "you can have it all!" world in which we live, it is difficult for us to slow our pace down and seek just ONE THING! The Psalmist in today's verse says there is just one thing he wants from the Lord, just one thing he seeks after. And it's not what you and I might be most inclined to seek, but I do believe it's what we most need. Listen in for an invitation to simplicity and beauty that your soul just might be longing for!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: What 'one thing' are you most likely to seek first thing each morning, or in those moments during the day that feel uncertain or chaotic? What shift can you make, either in your schedule or in your mindset, to be able to say, "Above and before everything else, I seek the beauty and presence of the Lord"? Are you willing to make that shift?
Check out Xel Ha!
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 33 - All Things Good Romans 8:28-29
We tend to judge our circumstances based on what we can see with our own eyes. Our perspective is pretty limited when it comes down to it. How cool is it that the God of the universe is actually at work in all of our circumstances, causing them to work out in exactly the way that will be for our absolute best in the long run?! This is not some trite thing we tell ourselves in order to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Nor is it a band-aid we quickly throw on someone else's genuinely horrific life circumstances. It is a deep truth we can cling to when we truly know the good, good God behind it all. Listen in!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway.
Questions from today's episode: Is there something in your past that you have seen only as negative, and which God is inviting you now to see as redeemed? Is there something in your present that you wish would just go away, and which God is inviting you now to consider with hopeful curiosity? Are you willing to let Him work in these things? What is your heart saying to Him right now?
THIS is not exactly what we're talking about here...but it's still amusing!
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance
Episode 32 - Advent Love
This week is the fourth and final week of Advent. Advent is all about anticipating the arrival of Jesus, and at this point in history, we are also anticipating his second arrival! May this episode about God's love fill your heart with hope, peace, joy and love. Merry Christmas!
Read it for yourself at Bible Gateway!
Questions from today's episode: God’s great love only begins to make sense when we realize how utterly helpless we would be if becoming friends with God depended on our own goodness. Have you taken time recently to consider your own helplessness (because of your sin)? Have you expressed your gratitude to Him for loving you even when you were His enemy? Would you like to do that now?
Music written and recorded by Caleb Lieurance