Trading guilt and shame for rescue and relief
Have you ever practiced “self-protection,” where you hide your failures and try to control how people perceive you? Today on Discover the Word, the group talks about how King David’s attempt to hide his sins put him in a precarious place with God. That is, until he confessed and was able to trade his songs […]
Is God’s Will My Will?
This is the will of God, your sanctification… —1 Thessalonians 4:3
Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me— is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and…
POEM: What is Life?
What is life but
Strolling, trotting, jogging, racing,
Talking, laughing, sighing, crying,
Schooling, working, loving, bearing,
Caring, tearing, daring, sharing,
Your Journey
I grew up in the rebellious 1960s and turned my back on religion. I had attended church all my life but didn’t come to faith until my early twenties after a terrible accident. Since that time, I have spent my adult years telling others of Jesus’ love for us. It has been a journey.
Certainly “a journey” fittingly describes life in this broken world. On the way we encounter mountains and valleys, rivers and plains, crowded highways and lonely roads—highs and lows, joys and sorrows, conflict and loss, heartache and solitude. We can’t see the road ahead, so we must take…
David’s “year of hiding and denial”
“I’ll lose control, I’ll lose credibility, I’ll lose face.” That’s what we often fear will happen if we “come clean” about our sins. But we lose a whole lot more when we’re too stubborn to “fess up,” and continue to try and hide things—from God and from others. Today on Discover the Word, we’ll discuss […]
I’m No Superwoman and It’s Perfectly Okay
In English novelist Jane Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice, there is a particular discussion on the attributes of an “accomplished woman”.
Desert Solitaire
Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey’s personal history of his summers as a park ranger in what is now called Arches National Park in Utah. The book is worth reading if only for Abbey’s bright language and vivid descriptions of the US Southwest.
But Abbey, for all his artistry, was an atheist who could see nothing beyond the surface of the beauty he enjoyed. How sad! He lived his entire life in praise of beauty and missed the point of it all.
Most ancient peoples had theories of origins enshrouded in legend, myth, and song. But Israel’s story of creation was unique: It told of…
Where Can I Go?
You can travel the extremes this earth has to offer. From the physical heights and depths to the emotional highs and lows . . . God is always with you. He created you, and He knows everything about you. What a comfort to be intimately known and understood.
Forgiveness and correction go hand in hand
Most of us wince a little when someone corrects us. It’s awkward, and sometimes painful. But we love it when someone extends forgiveness! Today on Discover the Word, we will take a look at Psalm 32. It’s a poem that shows how forgiveness and correction go hand in hand . . . and both are a […]
When I Realized Working Hard Isn’t Everything
A colleague of mine recently retired after working for the same organization for 35 years. He was one of those who worked 24/7 and gave his heart and soul to the job at hand.
From the Heart
In many cultures, loud weeping, wailing, and the tearing of clothing are accepted ways of lamenting personal sorrow or a great national calamity. For the people of Old Testament Israel, similar outward actions expressed deep mourning and repentance for turning away from the Lord.
An outward demonstration of repentance can be a powerful process when it comes from our heart. But without a sincere inward response to God, we may simply be going through the motions, even in our communities of faith.
After a plague of locusts devastated the land of Judah, God, through the prophet Joel, called the people…
The joy of God’s correction
Nobody likes being corrected. The reality is, most people would choose just about anything over being disciplined! But today on Discover the Word, the group begins a study in Psalm 32—where King David talks about the joy of God’s correction. Really? The joy of correction? Is this an oxymoron? Find out today on Discover the […]
Am I Giving Enough For God?
Living a faithful, godly life in the area of finances is something I am desperately trying to do. I give generously, but I still feel like I am doing it all wrong. About five times a year, I decide I am going to give away all of my money to the poor.
Do We Have To?
Joie started the children’s program with prayer, then sang with the kids. Six-year-old Emmanuel squirmed in his seat when she prayed again after introducing Aaron, the teacher. Then Aaron began and ended his talk with prayer. Emmanuel complained: “That’s four prayers! I can’t sit still that long!”
If you think Emmanuel’s challenge is difficult, look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray continually” or always be in a spirit of prayer. Even some of us adults can find prayer to be boring. Maybe that’s because we don’t know what to say or don’t understand that prayer is a conversation with our Father.
Back in the…
The Key to the Master’s Orders
Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. —Matthew 9:38
The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work— that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary’s difficult task…
