What if peace isn’t something you achieve but something you receive? We open a quiet door into that truth with a gentle, guided meditation rooted in Psalm 131 and shaped by breath, posture, and tender imagery. Rather than urging more effort, we lean into surrender—letting the spine rise like a tree, feeling the ground hold us without condition, and noticing how, breath by breath, the nervous system finds its way back to safety.

We move from body awareness into a dawn field where cool mist lifts, the sky opens, and the mind’s waves settle toward glass. The language is simple on purpose: warm light loosens the shoulders, a slow exhale releases striving, and the soul remembers the child who rests in a mother’s arms. Along the way, we explore how receiving peace shifts physiology, how visualization can lower the wind across the lake of the mind, and why “being held” is not passivity but a wiser kind of responsiveness. The meditation folds scripture and sensory practice together so calm becomes more than an idea—it turns into an atmosphere you can feel.

By the end, gratitude rises, and a small flame of stillness is ready to travel with you. We name practical ways to carry it into real life—before a meeting, in a traffic jam, between messages—so serenity becomes portable and steady. If you’re longing for rest that lasts beyond the cushion, press play, breathe with us, and see how returning to presence can change the texture of your day. If this practice meets you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a quiet moment, and leave a review to help others find their way to this gentle space.

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This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving

In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake

What if a few quiet minutes could remake the way you remember your day? We offer a gentle, guided examen that begins with breath and stillness, invites the Holy Spirit to lead, and helps you see ordinary moments as places where love showed up. It’s a slow, spacious journey through memory that replaces self-criticism with compassion and turns small details—a kind word, warm sunlight, a shared laugh—into signs of grace.

We start by settling the body and naming God’s nearness as closer than our own breath. From there, we welcome the Spirit’s guidance to awaken memory and imagination so we can look honestly at what unfolded. Gratitude anchors the practice as we ask where we received and gave love, then we retrace the day from the present backward, noticing scenes, conversations, and emotions with a tender, nonjudgmental eye. Joy points to alignment, emptiness reveals what needs care, and resistance becomes a clue for tomorrow’s courage.

As the review deepens, we linger where grace glows and hold our misses in mercy, trusting that transformation grows best in kindness. Ancient promises steady our hearts: a prepared table in the midst of pressure, anointing for the hours ahead, goodness and tender love in pursuit. We close in confidence, not because the future is simple, but because we are not alone. If this reflection brought you peace, share it with a friend, subscribe for more guided prayer, and leave a review to help others find rest and clarity today.

Support the show

This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving

In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake

Have you ever considered that the Kingdom of God might be closer than you think? Not a distant future or a faraway realm, but right within you—as accessible as your next breath?

This powerful message explores the revolutionary concept that Christ's presence within us transforms everything about how we move through the world. Drawing inspiration from Colossians 1, we unpack what it truly means that Christ is "the divine portrait of the invisible God" and how this understanding frees us from religious bondage into authentic relationship.

Along the way, we discover unexpected spiritual wisdom through quantum computing—how God has wired infinite possibilities for joy and transformation into the very fabric of our existence. Just as quantum computing considers all possibilities simultaneously rather than sequentially, our lives with Christ open us to profound possibilities in every moment.

The episode contrasts harmful religious practices (like "Bible fighting") with Jesus's radical approach to love and liberation. We share deeply personal stories about moving beyond legalism into grace—including a particularly moving account of a delivery person's transformation through unexpected kindness during a baptism celebration. These everyday encounters reveal how "Christ in you" manifests as healing, compassion, and liberation in practical ways.

Perhaps most importantly, we challenge the notion that Christianity is merely a "sin management program," inviting listeners into something far more revolutionary: becoming co-creators with God in bringing heaven to earth. From grocery store encounters to global injustice, we explore how small acts of kindness become sacred moments that transform both giver and receiver.

Ready to see yourself and others through God's eyes—as holy, flawless, and restored? Join us as we discover what happens when we stop trying to earn God's approval and start embracing our true purpose as carriers of divine light and love in a world desperate for both.

Support the show

This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving

In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake