The Ten Commandments

10/19/22 • 32 min

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
How can the Ten Commandments be used as a positive spiritual practice? In this episode, Adam and Micki Ann move past the common negative view of the Ten Commandments and show how they can be used to bring us closer to God and the life He created us for.
Especially in the context of creation, the Ten Commandments help answer the question, “What would my life be like if it was as God intended?” They act as a calling both to holiness and to human flourishing. Through prayer (and memorization!), the Ten Commandments can be used to evaluate our own lives, allowing God to reveal areas of sin and help us realign ourselves with His morality.
Listen in to this episode to hear some of Adam’s experience with this practice and tips for incorporating it into your own spiritual walk.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

[0:49] Why the Ten Commandments?
[4:24] The Ten Commandments and human flourishing
[7:00] The Ten Commandments and human spirituality
[10:52] Remembering the “upward call”
[13:44] Changing popular perception of the Ten Commandments
[18:58] How to use the Ten Commandments as a spiritual discipline
- Memorization
- Praying through them
[21:25] Challenges of this practice
[26:12] Exploring the Ten Commandments in the context of a prayer retreat

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[0:49] Why the Ten Commandments?
[4:24] The Ten Commandments and human flourishing
[7:00] The Ten Commandments and human spirituality
[10:52] Remembering the “upward call”
[13:44] Changing popular perception of the Ten Commandments
[18:58] How to use the Ten Commandments as a spiritual discipline
- Memorization
- Praying through them
[21:25] Challenges of this practice
[26:12] Exploring the Ten Commandments in the context of a prayer retreat

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Previous Episode

Lectio Divina

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
There are many ways to read Scripture, but Lectio Divina (Latin for “sacred reading”) is a slowed-down approach with the aim of engaging in conversation with God through the text. In this episode, Adam and Micki Ann look at the four movements of Lectio Divina and how these practices can be used to hear God in unexpected places.
The movements of Lectio Divina are easy to remember: Read (slowly!), Reflect (on “shimmery” words/passages), Respond (in prayer), and Rest (allow the Word to settle). Although they can go by different names, these are the four pieces that have been practiced for hundreds of years. Several “bonus” movements can be added, including a time of preparation before reading and an opportunity to Resolve at the end. As Micki Ann notes, the more you practice Lectio Divina, the more the movements become habits that help you to become aware of how God can speak to you through nature, a conversation, and even art.
Listen in to this episode to hear how changing the way you read the Bible can revitalize your spiritual journey, and find out how Adam connects Lectio Divina to Batman.

About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[1:18] What is Lectio Divina?
[9:30] “Dryness” and changing the way you read Scripture
[14:53] The four movements of Lectio Divina
- (Bonus) Preparation
- 1. Read
- 2. Reflect
- 3. Respond
- 4. Rest
- (Bonus) Resolve
[24:20] Adam’s advice to task-oriented people
[26:07] How the movements of Lectio Divina can help you hear God outside of reading Scripture
[31:34] The invitational aspect of Lectio Divina

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Next Episode

The Examen

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
This episode’s spiritual discipline is the Examen – but don’t worry, this isn’t a test! It’s an ancient practice combining prayer, thankfulness, and reflection. As they walk through the steps of the Examen, Adam and Micki Ann discuss the importance of reflective practices.
In simplest terms, the Examen is the process of prayerfully reflecting on your day. As you go over the events, feelings, and conversations that happened, invite God to highlight moments to you, offering thanks and asking forgiveness as needed. Part of what makes this practice unique is the focus on feelings. As Micki Ann explains, God speaks to us through our hearts, so knowing ourselves better is helpful in growing closer to God.
Listen in to this episode to hear Micki Ann’s thoughts about getting to live your day twice and why the Examen is so valuable.

About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[0:37] Why talk about spiritual practices on this podcast
[1:34] The etymology of “examen”
[2:51] What is The Examen?
[6:19] The steps of The Examen
- 1. Looking back on your day with God
- 2. Reviewing your day and expressing thanks
- 3. Paying attention to feelings (consolations and desolations)
- 4. Asking for forgiveness
- 5. Looking ahead to the next day
[14:50] What it really means to examine our feelings
[18:20] Adam’s thoughts on this practice
[22:26] The benefits of “living your day twice”
[26:13] The importance of reflection
[29:20] The fruitfulness of The Examen
- Being able to see that God is at work in your life
- Knowing our own hearts
- Reflecting
[32:37] Closing thought from John Calvin