The Forgotten God
By Priskila Dewi Setyawan, Indonesia In this world, we often forget God We do not rely on God and His authority. We like to hold on to our personal desires, and the things we believe will lead us to beautiful and perfect destinations. So we experience a variety of emotions: Dilemma, anxiety, frustration, and desperation. [...]
I Just Saw Jesus
Years ago I lost my job in my chosen profession due to circumstances beyond my control. So I took on two lesser-paying jobs in order to try to make ends meet. Yet it still was very difficult to earn enough to pay my monthly expenses.
The challenges of living as responsible residents of two worlds
Friday, September 21, 2012, Part 3
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
IDEA: The kingdom is where the king is.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grasp the dimensions of Christ’s kingdom.
Much Trouble
A young boy named Riley started a fight with Avery on the school playground after a soccer match. The teacher broke it up, and both boys were sent to the principal’s office. Later, Avery said, “And of course, like always, we both got in trouble.” But he shared that he learned a lesson: “God is always with us, even if we get in as much trouble as this.”
Down The Drain
By Megan Low, Singapore I have a lively imagination. It can sometimes bring me to strange places. Just the other day, I was stuck in a stormwater drain because of it (thankfully not literally). I had imagined someone falling into the large drain, being trapped inside. How did they fall? Did they drop something and [...]
Discover the diverse ways people understand what God’s kingdom really means
Thursday, September 20, 2012, Part 2
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
IDEA: The kingdom is where the king is.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grasp the dimensions of Christ’s kingdom.
Words In Space
True confession: When I found out that astronaut Rex Walheim would be taking a copy of Our Daily Bread with him into space for the last mission of the shuttle Atlantis, I looked ahead to find out which devotionals I had written that he would be reading. The idea of having my words read in outer space seemed, well, pretty amazing for this small-town kid.
Entering God’s kingdom doesn’t require us to jump through any hoops
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, Part 1
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
IDEA: The kingdom is where the king is.
PURPOSE: To help listeners grasp the dimensions of Christ’s kingdom.
Standing In The Fire
Wrapped in blankets in my grand- parents’ pickup, I watched as fire consumed our home. My father says I slept soundly as he carried my brother and me and our puppies out to safety. When I woke up and saw the huge blaze, I was already safe. I was too curious and too young to be scared.
Anger
by Audrie Goh, Singapore Ever felt lost in the uncontrollable angst of the moment? The line between sinful and godly anger seems to blur all too easily. Is it even possible to discern the difference between the two? Take heart, for the indwelling Holy Spirit helps us monitor and learn from our emotions. Check out [...]
Let’s take a closer look at the perplexing timeline of God’s kingdom
Tuesday, September 18, 2012, Part 2
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
IDEA: When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are praying for something that touches on the past, the present, and the future.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand what we pray for when we ask, “Your kingdom come.”
The Lure Of A Message
You’re sitting in a darkened theater enjoying a concert, a play, or a film, when suddenly a smartphone screen lights up as a person reads an incoming text and perhaps takes time to reply. In his book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr says that in our connected world, “The sense that there might be a message out there for us” is increasingly difficult to resist.
Looking to the Scriptures for direction on what Jesus meant when He prayed “Thy kingdom come”
Monday, September 17, 2012, Part 1
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9).
IDEA: When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we are praying for something that touches on the past, the present, and the future.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand what we pray for when we ask, “Your kingdom come.”
Correct Them
Therapist and mother Lori Gottlieb says that parents who are obsessed with their children’s happiness may actually contribute to their becoming unhappy adults. These parents coddle their children, do not equip them to deal with the real world, look the other way when their children do wrong, and neglect disciplining them.
