Craig Desmarais

LECTIO DIVINA: DIVINE READING

LECTIO DIVINA: DIVINE READING

Lectio Divina is a form of spiritual reading that has been practiced for centuries by Christians as a means of deepening their relationship with God.
The four steps of the practice are:

1. Lectio (reading): 

The first step involves a slow and attentive reading of a passage from scripture. The goal is to listen to the text with an open heart, allowing it to speak to the reader.

2. Meditatio (meditation): 

In this step, the reader reflects on the meaning of the passage and its message. This is done by asking questions, considering the context, and pondering the implications of the text.

3. Oratio (prayer): 

After meditating on the passage, the reader responds to what they have learned through prayer. This may involve expressing gratitude, asking for guidance, or petitioning God.

4. Contemplatio (contemplation): 

In the final step, the reader sets aside all distractions and simply rests in the presence of God. The goal is to allow the message of the scripture to penetrate the heart and inspire a deeper relationship with the divine.

Adding Lectio Divina as a Daily Discipline

Christians have valued the practice of Lectio Divina as a way to nourish the soul and deepen one’s relationship with God. It is often done in silence and solitude and can be a powerful tool for spiritual growth and transformation.

Now, it’s time to put it into action. Here are a few verses that you can use to practice the steps above to gain a deeper understanding of God’s word and draw closer to Christ:

  • 1 John 3:1-3 
  • John 17:20-26 
  • Ephesians 1:3-10 
  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 
  • Colossians 1:15-20

Here is an excellent practice devotional on Glorify that reminds us that even in the wilderness, God can provide: A Wilderness Lectio Divina.

Try this approach and reflect on how it impacts how you read the Bible.

BONUS: Did you make it this far? Congrats. Click this link to get a year of Glorify for Free as our gift to you.

Craig Desmarais

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EP06: DATING, PORN & FAMILY

EPISODE 06

DATING, PORN & FAMILY

In this episode, join us for a round table discussion where we unpack some actual questions from our Remnant community and practical wisdom about relationships, being a dad and a husband, and even touching on
combating addiction, plus much more.

We know this episode has something every man can take away to improve their life.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:


WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • What to look for in a future spouse.
  • How to live a well-balanced life.
  • Being mindful of the state of your home.
  • Problems to overcome when you first get married.
  • Overcoming a porn addiction.
  • Practically pastoring your family.
  • How to connect young men to the church community


KEY TAKEAWAYS:

0:57 – 🔑 THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR SINGLE MEN LOOKING FOR A SPOUSE?

  • Don’t get so focused on the person you’re pursuing that you lose sight of Jesus.
  • Make sure you have accountability over your life, some men that can speak wisdom and guidance into your situation. 
  • Allow God to lead you to the right person at the right time.


3:36 – 🔑 AS THE MAN OF THE HOUSE, HOW DO YOU BALANCE EVERYTHING FROM THE FAMILY TO CAREER TO ALONE TIME?

  • Get (and keep) a calendar. You schedule time for what’s important to you. Set your non-negotiables.
  • Get up earlier. Starting your day earlier keeps you on track.
  • Be agile with your calendar – every season requires a shift.
  • Have regular check-in with your spouse to make sure you’re aligned.
  • Always ask God for guidance about the state of your home.
  • Leading your wife does not mean changing your wife. Love your wife, and let God change her. Die daily so that she may live an abundant life.
  • Listening to your wife can make you even better. You can lead your home without being a dictator.


11:30 – 🔑 HOW TO HELP SOMEONE WHO’S ADDICTED TO PORN?

  • Get accountability.
  • You can cast a spirit off of a person, but you cannot release that person’s grip on that spirit. They need to let it go.
  • Genuinely walk with the person and be there for the peaks and the valleys.
  • You have to decide: You must put the lust to death, or you’re going to die to it.
  • Ask God to reveal what the addiction you’re struggling with is doing to your life.


15:57 – 🔑 WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO PASTOR YOUR FAMILY?

  • Look for every opportunity to talk to your wife and kids about God and His creation.
  • Show your family what it’s like to live out your faith, pray with others and serve God and His people.
  • In everything you do, find a way to incorporate Christ; it’s at the forefront of your family’s mind.
  • Model what matters – even if you must apologize and repent of your shortcomings. It makes you more approachable.
  • You cannot replicate what you want; you can only replicate who you are. Who you are will show through your children.


20:29 – 🔑 WHAT IS A HEALTHY WAY FOR ME TO BEGIN DATING AND GETTING TO KNOW SOMEONE?

  • In the beginning, keep it casual – don’t be weird. 
  • Dating is friendship and getting to know them deeper. 
  • Be on guard not to cross lines mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Some things must be saved for marriage.


22:45 – 🔑 HOW CAN I GET MY 21-YEAR-OLD SON INTO CHURCH

  • First, become his friend, earn his trust, and encourage him to open up to you.
  • Model what the church is to your son, and continue to pray for him and his situation. 
  • Don’t undermine the power of your prayer; God is pursuing who you’re praying for.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

  • Which practical point are you going to apply in your life?

RESOURCES:

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EP04: THE SEVEN SUPPLEMENTS OF FAITH

EPISODE 04

THE SEVEN SUPPLEMENTS OF FAITH

Are you experiencing a lack in any area of your life? If so, this word is for you.
Wandson Santana shares a word to help men grow and gain victory in those areas.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How to add moral excellence to your faith.
  • What do you do when you lack understanding?
  • Advice for fighting your flesh.
  • How to love others as God loves you. 
  • PLUS much more…

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1:55 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 1: VIRTUE

  •  Virtue = Moral Excellence
  • Compartmentalization will ruin a man. You can’t live in 2 versions of yourself. 
  • You must have standards that you set in your life.

3:05 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 2: KNOWLEDGE

  • We must know what we believe and the doctrine that backs it up. 
  • We have no excuse not to have wisdom; if we lack it, ask God for understanding, and He will provide it.

4:09 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 3: SELF-CONTROL

  • Learn to apply self-restraint, mastery, and discipline over your thoughts and actions. 
  • Think about what you’re thinking about. 
  • Be cautious about allowing your mind to wander. It might take you to a place you don’t want to go. 
  • Feelings are not an excuse; you HAVE to fight against unrighteous urges. Don’t surrender to your flesh.

6:02 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 4: STEADFASTNESS

  • Another word for steadfastness is: Endurance (Or Patient Waiting)
  • No one celebrates the consistency it takes to have a healthy life, but it’s essential.
  • Jesus celebrates what culture ignores. (Well done, my good and faithful servant)

7:35 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 5: GODLINESS

  • Godliness means that there is reverence and devotion to your faith.
  • You need spiritual discipline and time devoted to building your relationship with Jesus. 

9:00 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 6: BROTHERLY AFFECTION

  • Loving, forgiving, and encouraging your brothers are keys to growing.
  • Comparison is not brotherly affection. Celebrate when others genuinely. 

6:02 – 🔑 SUPPLEMENT 7: LOVE (AGAPE)

  • Agape = Sacrificial Love. That’s not just for your brothers but even for your enemies.
  • Another perspective is charity, a love for all.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

  • Which of these spiritual supplements are you lacking?

RESOURCES:

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EP03: WHAT MAKES YOU WEAK

EPISODE 03

WHAT MAKES YOU WEAK

In this episode, Pastor Jordan Boyce shares what causes men to be weak and how they can overcome weakness and be strong and effective in society.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • The consequences of “hiding” things from God.
  • How to identify areas of your life where you’re trending towards defeat.
  • What to do once you spotlight secret sins.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

0:53 – 🔑 WHY SOME MEN ARE WEAK

  • “You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.”
  • God’s people can become weak and ineffective because what they keep hidden keeps them weak.
  • Hidden sin in the camp opens the door to defeat in battle. As long as men are gripped by hidden sin, they will be ineffective on the battlefield.

6:12 – 🔑 HOW TO COMBAT SECRET SINS

  • When we begin to confess, confront and contend with our secret sins, we get our strength back.
  • The process of sin: You See » You Covet » You Act 
  • Sin can be keeping for ourselves what belongs to God.
  • What areas of your life are you saving for yourself and holding back from God?
  • What remains uncommitted to God often is an open door for the enemy.

12:50 – 🔑 GOD’S GOAL IS TO GET ALL OF YOU

  • God wants all of you committed to Him.
  • God is Good — He comes to you so that you would not be condemned but so that you would confess, to get freedom, so that you can become a conqueror again.
  • Make no space for the devil in your camp. If the enemy can get a foothold in your life, he can build a stronghold in your life. Don’t make a hidden place for your sin.
  • What’s hidden is the very thing that is holding you back from who God’s called you to be — and to be the strong man in your home.
  • Everything in the dark will eventually come into the light.
  • What you don’t contend with now will eventually conquer you later.

19:24 – 🔑 DON’T GET CAUGHT, CONFESS.

  • When you confess, you get right with God and take back the power from the enemy.
  • Confess to someone that’s an authority in your life and partner with them in prayer.
  • Confession breaks the control of shame and sickness over your life.
  • Sin and secrecy is the thing that makes us weak, but when we commit it to Christ, we get to live in freedom.
  • Your sin does not just affect you; it always attacks the next generation.

RESOURCES:

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EP02: 5 KEYS TO WEALTH & SUCCESS

EPISODE 02

5 KEYS TO WEALTH & SUCCESS

In this episode, Pastor Steve Boyce shares the five key traits that lead to wealth and success.
As you work these traits into your identity, you will see a massive change in your personal and professional life.

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN:

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How honesty is the foundation of true lasting success in life.
  • How a “Can-Do” attitude can change your people’s perspective of you at work.
  • Why do likable people succeed more than others?
  • Why you should take ownership of your company—even if you’re not the boss.
  • Why you should go to God first when it comes to any problem.

5 KEY TRAITS FOR WEALTH & SUCCESS:

2:05 – 🔑 Trait #1: Honesty

  • Honesty is the foundation of all of these traits.
  • Dishonesty will keep you in a place of mediocrity.
  • If you’re not honest, you can’t have confidence because you’re living a lie.

6:58 – 🔑 Trait #2: Positive Attitude

  • Embrace the job you’re in right now and become the expert in that position. If you’re not the expert, get to that place.
  • A Can-Do Attitude says, “If it can be done, I can do it.”
  • “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right,” – Henry Ford.

9:45 – 🔑 Trait #3: Likability

  • Traits that can make you unlikable: know-it-all, someone who’s opinionated, moody, stingy, petty, prideful, and one who’s insecurity.
  • Prideful people struggle with insecurity, and insecure people struggle with pride.
  • Be an encourager—have a good word for everybody.

12:43 – 🔑 Trait #4: Responsibility

  • In your job, you should have responsibility for every aspect of that job. Fully understand the job, what the company needs and how you can support the mission.
  • You are not just a task doer but an integral part of the company.
  • Take responsibility for the company. Ownership develops respect, confidence, and trust in you.
  • Your work and the abilities God put in you are a gateway to wealth.

16:23 – 🔑 Trait #5: Problem Solver

  • God knows more about everything than anyone. Why not ask him for the solution to the problem in front of you?
  • The Holy Spirit will give you divine ideas if you ask Him, and you’re open to taking ownership for your company. 
  • The most well-paid people in the world are the ones that solve the most significant problems. 
  • Ask God to partner with you in solving the issues in your workplace. 
  • If you’ve plateaued in your job, start solving problems, and you’ll soon see a shift.
  • Always be looking for the next challenge to overcome.

RESOURCES:

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