Month: October 2012

A glimpse of God’s plan for pain

Wednesday, October 17, 2012, Part 2

Worry: concerned or consuming?

by Audrie Goh, Singapore Is our worry motivated by a genuine concern for the people and issue at hand or is there perhaps a deeper root of doubt in God’s goodness? Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The root of all sin is the suspicion that God is not good.” Do we trust God enough to provide [...]

No More; No Less

Recently I was reading about how easy it is to mishandle the message of the Bible. We may try to make it support what we already believe is true instead of allowing it to speak to us with God’s intended message. Some people use the Bible to defend one side of an issue, while others use the Bible to attack that same issue. Both quote Scripture to support their views, but both can’t be right.

The group answers an important question about salvation as they study Hebrews chapter 2

Monday, October 15, 2012

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?” (Hebrews 2:1-4).

IDEA: This passage is about the danger of not taking the gospel seriously.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand the seriousness of what the gospel says.

An Escort Through The Valley

I’ve heard people say, “I’m not afraid of death because I’m confident that I’m going to heaven; it’s the dying process that scares me!” Yes, as Christians, we look forward to heaven but may be afraid of dying. We need not be ashamed to admit that. It is natural to be afraid of the pain that comes with dying, of being separated from our loved ones, of possibly impoverishing our families, and of regret over missed earthly opportunities.

Gangnam Style!

By Megan Low, Singapore So for those who haven’t seen the Gangnam Style viral video, it’s now the most watched Korean-pop video on YouTube. After all, it’s hard to ignore the comical rap-dancing, PSY’s singing, and most of all, the repeated words “Gangnam style”. But what does it represent? What are the rest of the [...]

Lessons From A Fence

When a section of fence around our house blew down in a howling March wind, my first reaction was to blame the man who built it for me only a few months before. On further reflection, I knew the fault was mine. As the fence was nearing completion, I told him there was no need to replace four existing posts from the previous fence with new ones set in concrete. “Just attach the new fence to the old posts,” I said. “It will be fine.” It was—until the winds came.

Corn Palace

The walls of the Mitchell Corn Palace exhibit beautiful murals every year. Scenes include birds in flight, Conestoga wagons heading West, Native American teepees, and rural settings. There is one peculiarity about these murals though—they are made out of corn, seeds, and grasses. The outside murals are replaced each year with a new theme, partly because hungry birds eat from them.

Find fresh focus for your prayer life!

Friday, October 12, 2012, Part 5

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

IDEA: People pray that God’s will be done who have never thought about God’s will before.

PURPOSE: To help listeners sense the hypocrisy in requesting that God’s will be done.

The Name Stealer

By Luke Edward McGorlick, Australia I didn’t even see him coming. But he stole it—a prized possession. My master had told me that there would be thieves, but I did not expect this one to come around so fast. Shaking my head, I put on my armor: belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword. I [...]

A Working Church

My wife, Shirley, and I enjoyed a cruise along the fjords of Norway in celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. As we journeyed northward, we stopped in numerous towns and villages, often visiting churches. Among them was a 12th-century church that our guide described proudly as “still a working church.” I asked, “What do you mean?” She referred to the days of the state church, when the state-appointed pastors simply collected their paychecks but no one attended the services.

Let’s look at the paradox of Christ’s return, and clear the confusion surrounding it

Thursday, October 11, 2012, Part 4

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

IDEA: People pray that God’s will be done who have never thought about God’s will before.

PURPOSE: To help listeners sense the hypocrisy in requesting that God’s will be done.

Panic Or Pray?

An 85-year-old woman, all alone in a convent, got trapped inside an elevator for 4 nights and 3 days. Fortunately, she had a jar of water, some celery sticks, and a few cough drops. After she tried unsuccessfully to open the elevator doors and get a cell phone signal, she decided to turn to God in prayer. “It was either panic or pray,” she later told CNN. In her distress, she relied on God and waited till she was rescued.

How the past, present, and future come together in the storyline of history

Wednesday, October 10, 2012, Part 3

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

IDEA: People pray that God’s will be done who have never thought about God’s will before.

PURPOSE: To help listeners sense the hypocrisy in requesting that God’s will be done.