Real People, Real God
Several years ago I received a letter from an Our Daily Bread reader after I had written about a family tragedy. “When you told about your tragedy,” this person wrote, “I realized that the writers were real people with real problems.” How true that is! I look across the list of men and women who pen these articles, and I see cancer and wayward children and unfulfilled dreams and many other kinds of loss. We are indeed just regular, real people writing about a real God who understands our real problems.
The apostle Paul stands out in the Real People Hall of…
Embracing Freedom
Women’s Conference 2016
Embracing Freedom – From Broken to Beauty Full
with Elisa Morgan
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/embed/xcUvc8lCCUk?rel=0[/embed]
Victoria
Saturday, 27 February 2016
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Mitcham Baptist Church
8-12 Simla Street, Mitcham VIC
Queensland
Saturday, 5 March 2016
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lifepointe Baptist Church
186 Wises Road, Buderim QLD
…
The Day My Instagram Account Was Stolen
A couple of days ago, I woke up to a dozen or so messages on my phone telling me, in essence, that my Instagram account had been hacked. Apparently, after I went to bed the night before, my account had been taken over by an unknown person who proceeded to upload photos in my name.
Ocean-Polished Glass
It starts as broken glass. Ruined. Thrown away. But then something amazing happens. Over time, the useless shards are rolled and tumbled until something beautiful is created. It’s just like how God takes our broken pieces and crafts beauty.
You First!
Tibetan-born Sherpa Nawang Gombu and American Jim Whittaker reached the top of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963. As they approached the peak, each considered the honor of being the first of the two to step to the summit. Whittaker motioned for Gombu to move ahead, but Gombu declined with a smile, saying, “You first, Big Jim!” Finally, they decided to step to the summit at the same time.
Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to demonstrate this kind of humility. He said, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others”…
When Christ Was NOT the Solid Rock I stood on
Back in my hometown, there was a construction site that was left in a dilapidated state for a few years after a building project was abandoned halfway. Whenever my mother and I walked past it, she would shake her head in dismay and say what a shame it was that the project was not completed.
Minister of Reconciliation
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached on a Sunday morning in 1957, he fought the temptation to retaliate against a society steeped in racism.
“How do you go about loving your enemies?” he asked the Dexter Avenue Baptist congregation in Montgomery, Alabama. “Begin with yourself. . . . When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it.”
Quoting from the words of Jesus, King said: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you .…
A Hint of Heaven
The world-class botanical garden across the street from our church was the setting for an all-church community gathering. As I walked around the gardens greeting people I have known for years, catching up with those I hadn’t seen recently, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings cared for by people who know and love plants, I realized that the evening was rich with symbols of how the church is supposed to function—a little hint of heaven on earth.
A garden is a place where each plant is placed in an environment in which it will thrive. Gardeners prepare the soil, protect the plants…
Desiring Growth
The axolotl (pronounced ACK suh LAH tuhl) is a biological enigma. Instead of maturing into adult form, this endangered Mexican salamander retains tadpole-like characteristics throughout its life. Writers and philosophers have used the axolotl as a symbol of someone who fears growth.
In Hebrews 5 we learn about Christians who were avoiding healthy growth, remaining content with spiritual “milk” intended for new believers. Perhaps because of fear of persecution, they weren’t growing in the kind of faithfulness to Christ that would enable them to be strong enough to suffer with Him for the sake of others (vv. 7-10). Instead they were…
A Letter of Condolence to the US$1.6 billion Lottery Winner
Dear Lottery Winner, Having just heard of your winning the record-breaking US$1.6-billion Powerball lottery jackpot in US last week, I would like to offer you my deepest condolences.
Our need for God’s love and forgiveness
Although God called David “a man after his own heart,” David still messed up, royally! But he also knew how to repent. Is having a heart after God about perfection or is it about understanding our need for God’s love and forgiveness? Today, we conclude our discussion with “Our Daily Bread for Kids” author Crystal Bowman, on how David learned to know God as a child. It’s a valuable discussion for any parent who wants to teach their child God’s ways.
Meet The Readers In Chennai
You are invited to an evening of fellowship with Rick DeHaan, President, Our Daily Bread Ministries. We look forward to seeing you and exploring how we can best serve the Lord together.
