Everything We Need and More
In a field on the English countryside, G. K. Chesterton stood up from where he had been sitting and exploded with laughter. His outburst was so sudden and so loud that the cows could not take their eyes off him.
Just minutes before, the Christian writer and apologist had been miserable. That afternoon he had been wandering the hills, sketching pictures on brown paper using colored chalks. But he was dismayed to discover he had no white chalk, which he considered to be essential to his artwork. Soon, though, he began to laugh when he realized that the ground beneath him…
Are you complaining about God or to God?
We all know the Israelites grumbled when they were in “The Land Between” a lot! But Moses complained too, about them! So what’s the difference between Moses’s complaint and theirs? You’ll find out today when we, along with our guest, Jeff Manion, compare griping about God with complaining to God. One of these things is […]
Our Chief Task
When a British scholar called on the world’s religions to work together for worldwide unity, people everywhere applauded. Pointing out that the major religions share a belief in the Golden Rule, she suggested, “The chief task of our time is to build a global society where people of all persuasions can live together in peace and harmony.”
Jesus cited the Golden Rule in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12). In the same sermon, He said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (5:44). Putting those radical…
God’s not put off by our honest complaints
Any pastor can tell you that too much whining in the wilderness wears a leader down. It did for Moses. He complained to God and told Him the load of leadership was too much to bear! Today on Discover the Word, the group and pastor and author Jeff Manion discuss how God’s not put off […]
Important Reminders
Anthropologist Anthony Graesch says that the outside of a refrigerator reveals what’s important to people. During a research study of families in Los Angeles, Graesch and his colleagues noted an average of 52 items posted on the fridge—including school schedules, family photos, children’s drawings and magnets. Graesch calls the refrigerator “a repository of family memory.”
The Lord may use a tangible item like a photo, keepsake, or Scripture verse to remind us of His faithfulness and the call to obey His Word. When Moses addressed the Israelites just before they entered the land of Canaan, he urged them to keep all…
One question to ask ourselves before judging others
Could you eat one food—for every meal—for days, and not complain? Our guest this week on Discover the Word, Jeff Manion, tried that and today he tells us about his experiment. And the conversation reveals the one question we should ask ourselves when we’re tempted to judge others. Find out what that question is today […]
Strengthening the Heart
The neighborhood fitness center where I have worked out for years closed down last month, and I had to join a new gym. The former place was a warm, friendly facility, patronized by older folks who liked to socialize while they worked out. We hardly ever broke a sweat. The new gym is a hard-core facility filled with serious men and women, earnestly invested in building better bodies. I watch these people strain and toil. Their bodies look strong, but I wonder if their hearts are being strengthened with grace.
Physiologically, the heart is a muscle—the muscle that keeps the other…
Complaining is more than just a bad habit
What, manna again? Complaining about their food and everything else they didn’t like, kept the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years, delaying their destiny. Today on Discover the Word, we discuss with our guest, Jeff Manion, why complaining and grumbling is more than just a bad habit, it’s an enemy of our trust in […]
Coming Alongside
Her thirty classmates and their parents watched as Mi’Asya nervously walked to the podium to speak at her fifth grade graduation ceremony. When the principal adjusted the microphone to Mi’Asya’s height, she turned her back to the microphone and the audience. The crowd whispered words of encouragement: “Come on, honey, you can do it.” But she didn’t budge. Then a classmate walked to the front and stood by her side. With the principal on one side of Mi’Asya and her friend on the other, the three read her speech together. What a beautiful example of support!
Moses needed help and…
“The Land Between”
Most people would love to travel, but there’s one place nobody wants to travel to—the “Land Between.” Today on Discover the Word, our group, along with special guest Jeff Manion, begin a new series called, “The Land Between.” It’s a discussion about what to do after a job loss, a serious illness, the end of a […]
Join the Cry
A women’s prayer group in my country holds regular monthly prayer sessions for Ghana and other African countries. When asked why they pray so incessantly for the nations, their leader Gifty Dadzie remarked, “Look around, listen to and watch the news. Our nations are hurting: war, disaster, diseases, and violence threaten to overshadow God’s love for humanity and His blessing upon us. We believe God intervenes in the affairs of nations, so we praise Him for His blessings and cry for His intervention.”
The Bible reveals that God indeed intervenes in the affairs of nations (2 Chron. 7:14). And when God…
Waiting on God
I was sitting with a group of passengers on an airport shuttle heading to our connecting flight when the bus driver was told to “hold in place.” It looked like we would miss our flight, and this was more than one passenger could handle. He exploded at the driver, insisting he ignore his orders or “risk the wrath of a lawsuit.” Just then an airline employee came dashing up carrying a briefcase. Looking at the angry man, the airline employee triumphantly held up the briefcase. When he had caught his breath, he said, “You left your briefcase. I heard you…
Come Sit a Spell
When I was a kid, our family made a monthly excursion from Ohio to West Virginia to visit my maternal grandparents. Every time we arrived at the door of their farmhouse, Grandma Lester would greet us with the words, “Come on in and sit a spell.” It was her way of telling us to make ourselves comfortable, stay a while, and share in some “catching up” conversation.
Life can get pretty busy. In our action-oriented world, it’s hard to get to know people. It’s tough to find time to ask someone to “sit a spell” with us. We can get more…
Serving from a place of brokenness
Do you feel like your flaws and your family’s imperfections have disqualified you from being able to serve God? Well, today on Discover the Word, the group shares how it’s our very brokenness that often makes us candidates for service! Hear the conclusion of the series “The Beauty of Broken,” today on Discover the Word!
