My Way
Two small boys were playing a complicated game with sticks and string. After a few minutes the older boy turned to his friend and said crossly, “You’re not doing it properly. This is my game, and we play it my way. You can’t play anymore!” The desire to have things our own way starts young!
Naaman was a person who was accustomed to having things his way. He was commander of the army of the king of Syria. But Naaman also had an incurable disease. One day his wife’s servant girl, who had been captured from the land of Israel, suggested…
As an actress, Gwendolyn Briley-Strand was used to playing strong female roles—women of faith and perseverance. But playing a resilient character is far easier than being one in real life. Two rounds of cancer, including exhausting chemotherapy and radiation treatments, reinforced Gwen’s belief that she needed to turn to the healing words of the Bible for her strength. She refused to let the cancer define her even though she knew it would be a long and difficult road to healing. Gwen can confidently say, “No other experience brought more connection to Him and began to transform my way of thinking…
Praying when crushed by sorrow
Long ago one believer wrote about God, saying, “He has broken my teeth with gravel.” These are stark words! Today on “Discover the Word,” our hosts and our special guest, Jean Syswerda, provide a frank and striking discussion about suffering and praying the psalms in sorrow.
When Others Called me Fat
When I was studying in China, there were many occasions when sales assistants would just ignore me whenever I walked into shops or boutiques around my university.
Tears of a Teen
As I sat with four teenagers and a 20-something homeless man at a soup kitchen in Alaska, I was touched by the teens’ compassion for him. They listened as he talked about what he believed and then they gently presented the gospel to him—lovingly offering him hope in Jesus. Sadly, the man refused to seriously consider the gospel.
As we were leaving, one of the girls, Grace, expressed through her tears how much she didn’t want the man to die without knowing Jesus. From the heart, she grieved for this young man who, at least at this point, was rejecting the…
Strength and comfort in times of great sorrow
What is the psalm most frequently heard at funerals? You guessed it: Psalm 23. Today on “Discover the Word,” our special guest Jean Syswerda discusses how praying the psalms in our darkest hour can make a difference.
Why I’m Dying to The Beauty Ideal
Growing up, I was no beauty queen. I had a mouthful of braces to realign my Bugs Bunny-esque teeth, and I wore wire rimmed glasses to correct my short sightedness. To complement my already awkward features, I had short—and often frizzy—hair. Best of all, weekend activities spent under the hot, tropical sun had given me an ugly tan.
A Given Name
Most families have their own family stories. One in our family has to do with how I got my name. Apparently, when my parents were in the early days of their marriage, they disagreed about what to name their first son. Mom wanted a son named after Dad, but Dad wasn’t interested in naming a son “Junior.” After much discussion, they reached a compromise, agreeing that only if a son was born on Dad’s birthday would he be given Dad’s name. Amazingly, I was born on my dad’s birthday. So I was given his name with a “Junior” attached to…
Finding our bearings when we feel forsaken by God
As strange as it seems, feeling forsaken by God is common to believers, but always painful. Join us today as we talk about finding our bearings by focusing on God’s faithful deliverance in the past. What can we learn by looking back?
Should We Love Ourselves?
“You really beat yourself up too much. I bet you’re the only one who felt you did a lousy job,” I said to my friend. She had just told me about her stressful experience acting with a stellar cast of veteran actors in her most recent show—which included an embarrassing case of stage fright on opening night.
Transformed Hearts
During the early 1970s in Ghana, a poster titled “The Heart of Man” appeared on walls and public notice boards. In one picture, all kinds of reptiles—symbols of the vile and despicable—filled the heart-shaped painting with the head of a very unhappy man on top of it. In another image, the heart-shape was clean and serene with the head of a contented man. The caption beneath the images read: “What is the condition of your heart?”
In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus explained what pollutes a person. “The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile…
Leadership Luncheon
Thank you for your interest in signing up to be a part of our Leadership Luncheon on September 27, 2016. In order to reserve your seat, please complete and submit the following information for each person who is planning to attend.
[contact-form-7 id="170031" title="Luncheon 2015"]If you have any questions prior to the event, please contact Sue at events@odb.org.
Trusting God when life turns upside down and sideways
Join us today as we talk about getting through grief and how the Bible gives hope when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death. Don’t miss this important conversation!
5 Ways to Live for Yourself
What’s all this about “denying yourself” and “living for others”? Look, I know we can’t decide when we were born and when we will die, but come on, I have every right to decide how I should live. This life belongs to me.
The Likes of Us
In the late 19th century, William Carey felt a call to travel to India as a missionary to share the good news of Jesus. Pastors around him scoffed: “Young man, if God wants to save [anyone] in India, He will do it without your help or mine!” They missed the point of partnership. God does very little on earth without the likes of us.
As partners in God’s work on earth, we insist that God’s will be done while at the same time committing ourselves to whatever that may require of us. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done,” Jesus taught…
