John 10 Communion Meditation

Listen to the Audio

Today we are taking communion over John 10:1-18 as a time of gratitude that Jesus is our good shepherd, and he came to give us life abundantly. 

Here is the passage...

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Today's Health/Workout Tip

One of the exercises on the Daily Workout is a 50 second set of cardio. This can be done with running, biking, rowing, jump rope, burpees, mountain climbers, boxing, kicking, or whatever you can do safely.

Why only one set of 50 seconds... Don't we need more cardio?

This is one of the best fitness lessons I have learned. If you get faster at short distances, it usually gives better results than doing lots and lots of cardio. If you simply improve your ability to do more in 50 seconds, your overall cardio will improve. A principle I have found to be true is that if you get faster at shorter distances, it makes you better at longer distances, but the reverse isn't true. For this exercise, start slow if you are a beginner and gradually build up what you can do in 50 seconds. The goal isn't to completely wear yourself out in the 50 seconds, but to slowly over time be able to do more. Think of 50 seconds like a small snapshot of your overall cardio capacity. 

I am praying for you. 

Daniel