Christmas Resources
Christmas
For many of us the Christmas holidays are filled with fun, food and family! And it can be easy for the Christmas story to become just another part of the festivities. But the birth of Christ was never meant to put us in the ‘holiday mood’—the reality of this event changes everything!
We have a range of Christmas resources to…
What did Jesus mean when he said he would “sit at His Father’s right hand”?
Today on Discover the Word, discover what Darrell Bock means by a “cultural script” and how a “cultural script” in a statement by Jesus provided the Jews with all the motivation they needed to plan His arrest and death. Join the group and their guest Darrell Bock as they explain the cultural significance of Jesus […]
The Gates of Worship
When you enter some of the greatest cities in the world, you can encounter famous gates such as the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin), the Jaffa Gate (Jerusalem), and the gates at Downing Street (London). Whether the gates were built for defensive or ceremonial purposes, they all represent the difference between being outside or inside certain areas of the city. Some are open; some are closed to all but a few.
The gates into the presence of God are always open. The familiar song of Psalm 100 is an invitation for the Israelites to enter into the presence of God through the temple…
Brangelina split: The end of Love?
Or so that is what some news reports have been saying, after news emerged yesterday that Hollywood’s golden couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, are ending a two-year marriage—after 12 years and six children together.
“Miracle in reverse”
Author and seminary professor Darrell Bock says that all the accounts of the miracles of Jesus recorded in the New Testament start with the miracle and end with the audience’s reaction to it, all except one. Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock discover the significance of this “miracle in reverse.” Tune […]
Why We Should Not be Politically Disengaged
“Politicians – they’re all the same, aren’t they? All of them are lying to us, so we just vote for the lies we like the sound of and hope that maybe a few of them will actually come true, even though we know deep down that they probably won’t.”
Fiery Trials
Fire can be one of the worst enemies of trees. But it can also be helpful. Experts say that small, frequent fires called “cool” fires clean the forest floor of dead leaves and branches but don’t destroy the trees. They leave behind ashes, which are perfect for seeds to grow in. Surprisingly, low-intensity fires are necessary for healthy growth of trees.
Similarly, trials—pictured as fire in the Bible—are necessary for our spiritual health and growth (1 Peter 1:7; 4:12). James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the…
When I Learned about My Husband’s Affair
On my birthday in 2005, I found out that my husband was having an affair. I can still remember the details vividly.
Appreciating the great debt Jesus paid for you
Are you struggling in your Christian life? Could it be you’ve developed a “pinch of spiritual entitlement”? Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock remind us how appreciating the great debt Jesus paid for us can cure us of that entitled feeling and get us back on the right track spiritually. […]
Connecting the Dots
In the 1880s French artist Georges Seurat introduced an art form known as pointillism. As the name suggests, Seurat used small dots of color, rather than brush strokes of blended pigments, to create an artistic image. Up close, his work looks like groupings of individual dots. Yet as the observer steps back, the human eye blends the dots into brightly colored portraits or landscapes.
The big picture of the Bible is similar. Up close, its complexity can leave us with the impression of dots on a canvas. As we read it, we might feel like Cleopas and his friend on the…
A needed perspective
Imagine you’ve gone back in time and you’re watching Moses part the Red Sea, after observing all the plagues that convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Many believers wish they could have witnessed those dramatic miracles. But today on Discover the Word, the group, and our guest Darrell Bock give us a needed perspective on […]
Why We May All be Guilty of Racism
Last week, a friend of our family was walking with his wife in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago when he was attacked by a gang of young men and badly beaten. He ended up spending the night in the hospital with several cracked bones in his face and other assorted cuts and bruises.
Worth the Calories?
I love egg roti prata, a popular pancake in my country of Singapore. So I was intrigued to read that a 125-pound (57 kg) person must run 5 miles (8 km) per hour for 30 minutes to burn 240 calories. That’s equivalent to only one egg roti prata.
Ever since I started working out in the gym, those numbers have taken on a new significance for me. I find myself asking: Is this food worth the calories?
While it is wise to watch our food consumption, it is even more important to watch our media consumption. Research shows that what we see can…
Making Preparations
As we viewed my father-in-law’s body in his casket at the funeral home, one of his sons took his dad’s hammer and tucked it alongside his folded hands. Years later, when my mother-in-law died, one of the children slipped a set of knitting needles under her fingers. Those sweet gestures brought comfort to us as we remembered how often they had used those tools during their lives.
Of course, we knew that they wouldn’t actually need those items in eternity. We had no illusions, as the ancient Egyptians did, that tools or money or weapons buried with someone would better prepare…
