Water and Life
As Dave Mueller reached down and turned the handle, water rushed from the spigot into a blue bucket. Around him people applauded. They celebrated as they saw fresh, clean water flowing in their community for the first time. Having a clean source of water was about to change the lives of this group of people in Kenya.
Dave and his wife, Joy, work hard to meet people’s needs by bringing them water. But they don’t stop with H2O. As they help bring people clean water, they also tell them about Jesus Christ.
Two thousand years ago, a man named Jesus stood at…
Should Christians Strive For Excellence At Work?
I enjoy work—both work itself and the act of working in a team towards a common goal and then enjoying the fruit of our labor together. In fact, depending on who you ask, I may even be a little too passionate (or obsessed) about getting the job done, and done well.
Repair or Replace?
It was time to fix the trim on the windows of our house. So I scraped, sanded, and applied wood filler to get the aging trim ready for paint. After all of my efforts—including a coat of primer and some too-expensive paint—the trim looks, well, pretty good. But it doesn’t look new. The only way to make the trim look new would be to replace the old wood.
It’s okay to have weather-damaged window trim that looks “pretty good” to our eye. But when it comes to our sin-damaged hearts, it’s not enough to try to fix things up. From God’s…
Christmas: It's All About Family
Christmas: it’s all about family
For most of us, Christmas is a great time for enjoying a few days with the people we care about. We share good food, bad cracker jokes and plenty of presents! But for some, the absence of family makes the Christmas holidays a difficult season.
Whether you’re surrounded by family or not, Christmas is a time when…
When I Think of My Successful Friends
Since young, I’ve had the privilege of having friends with brilliant minds who went on to achieve enviable success in school and at work. Many of them graduated from prestigious schools and are now holding well-paying positions as computer engineers, doctors, lawyers, judges, and financial experts.
Spending your life in a holding pattern?
Today on “Discover the Word,” we will talk about how we often spend our time thinking about the “not yet” at the expense of the “already here.” In the spiritual sense, many believers view life as what they’ve got to get through to go to heaven. They in many ways spend their lives in a holding pattern. But in Psalm 23 we’re told that His goodness and mercy will follow us each and every day of our lives.
The Storms of Life
In the book of Mark we read about a terrible storm. The disciples were with Jesus on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. When a “furious squall came up,” the disciples—among them some seasoned fishermen—were afraid for their lives (4:37-38). Did God not care? Weren’t they handpicked by Jesus and closest to Him? Weren’t they obeying Jesus who told them to “go over to the other side”? (v. 35). Why, then, were they going through such a turbulent time?
No one is exempt from the storms of life. But just as the disciples who initially feared the storm later came…
How to draw closer to Jesus
Today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss how we all spend time in the valley of the shadow of death, be it through the loss of a loved one or our own ticking life clock. Yet in the midst of our mortality we can still “fear no evil.” We won’t always be kept from evil, but as we draw closer to Jesus, the Good Shepherd will help us go through that valley with our souls securely intact. That’s today on “Discover the Word”!
When Passion Clashes with Obedience
Sometime in high school, I decided I had to do something about the political troubles in my country. I spent hours poring over the news, trying to get fully acquainted with the political complexities and their social consequences.
Don’t Touch the Fence!
As a young girl I went with my parents to visit my great-grandmother, who lived near a farm. Her yard was enclosed by an electric fence, which prevented cows from grazing on her grass. When I asked my parents if I could play outside, they consented, but explained that touching the fence would result in an electric shock.
Unfortunately I ignored their warning, put a finger to the barbed wire, and was zapped by an electrical current strong enough to teach a cow a lesson. I knew then that my parents had warned me because they loved me and didn’t want…
Jesus restores and cares for you and me
Psalm 23 begins by using sheep to illustrate the Good Shepherd’s tender care for us. But then David goes beyond the basics and into the deep recesses of the soul. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will talk about the meaning behind the words, “He restores my soul and guides me in the paths of righteousness.” During those times when we’re tired, anxious, or upset, Jesus gives us a restored sense of peace and rest. That’s today on “Discover the Word.”
