Work Together
My wife makes an amazing pot roast dinner. She takes raw meat, along with raw sliced white and sweet potatoes, celery, mushrooms, carrots, and onions and throws them into the slow cooker. Six or seven hours later the aroma fills the house, and the first taste is a delight. It is always to my advantage to wait until the ingredients in the slow cooker work together to achieve something they could not achieve individually.
When Paul used the phrase work together in the context of suffering, he used the word from which we get our word synergy. He wrote, “We know…
God often answers our prayers in unexpected ways
Have you ever heard someone say, “Expect the unexpected”? Well, that’s one of the messages of the book of Habakkuk and it’s our subject today on Discover the Word. We’re learning that God often answers our prayers in unexpected ways! Be prepared to be surprised today on Discover the Word!
Random Acts of Kindness
Some say that the American writer Anne Herbert scribbled the phrase “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a placemat at a restaurant in 1982. The sentiment has since been popularized through film and literature and has become a part of our vocabulary.
The missing note is “Why?” Why should we show kindness to others? For those who follow Jesus, the answer is clear: To show the tender mercy and kindness of God.
There’s an Old Testament example of that principle in the story of Ruth, the emigrant from Moab. She was a foreigner, living in a strange…
When 2017 Starts Off on the Wrong Foot
I blame it on the two cups of tea and one cup of coffee I had earlier that day. Though it was almost 2am, my mind was still active and raring to go.
Discover the healing benefits of being honest in prayer
The only way to be fully loved is to be fully known. So, why do we resist being fully honest with God in prayer? Today on Discover the Word, we continue our discussion in the book of Habakkuk. Join us to discover the healing benefits of being completely honest in prayer. That’s today on Discover the […]
Old Yet New
In 2014, a sinkhole opened up under the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky, swallowing eight vintage, irreplaceable Chevrolet Corvette sports cars. The automobiles were severely damaged—some beyond repair.
One car in particular received a lot of attention. The one-millionth Corvette, which rolled off the assembly line in 1992, was the most valuable in the collection. What happened to that gem after it was pulled from the sinkhole is fascinating. Experts restored the car to mint condition, mainly by using and repairing its original parts. Although this little beauty was in horrible shape, it now looks as good as it did the…
Put Down Your Burdens
A man driving his pickup truck on a country track saw a woman carrying a heavy load, so he stopped and offered her a lift. The woman expressed her gratitude and climbed into the back of the truck.
A moment later, the man noticed a strange thing: the woman was still holding onto her heavy load despite sitting in the vehicle! Astonished, he pleaded, “Please, Madam, put down your load and take your rest. My truck can carry you and your stuff. Just relax.”
What do we do with the load of fear, worry, and anxiety we often carry as we go…
Our Source of Provision
In August 2010, the attention of the world was focused on a mine shaft near Copiapó, Chile. Thirty-three miners huddled in the dark, trapped 2,300 feet underground. They had no idea if help would ever arrive. After 17 days of waiting, they heard drilling. Rescuers produced a small hole in the mine shaft ceiling. That hole was followed by three more, establishing a delivery path for water, food, and medicine. The miners depended on those conduits to the surface above ground, where rescuers had the provisions they would need to survive. On day 69, rescuers pulled the last miner to…
What do you do when God is not answering your prayer?
We all respond differently to stress. Some exercise or clean the house, while others crash on the sofa and get lost in sports or a movie. What do you do when you’re stressed and waiting to hear from God? We’ll see what Habakkuk did, today on Discover the Word, as the team continues our discussion […]
Someone to Celebrate
Many manger scenes depict the wise men, or magi, visiting Jesus in Bethlehem at the same time as the shepherds. But according to the gospel of Matthew, the only place in Scripture where their story is found, the magi showed up later. Jesus was no longer in the manger in a stable at the inn, but in a house. Matthew 2:11 tells us, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Realizing that the…
A memorable image to help you keep praying
When we’re expecting to hear from someone, it’s easy to get anxious, checking our email continually or glancing at our phone to see if they’ve texted or called. We expect them to answer soon, and we don’t want to miss it. Today on Discover the Word, the team will discuss how prayer can be like […]
How God Taught Me to Give
I am surrounded by giving people. Their tireless generosity is inspiring to me, and I want to emulate their giving spirit.
Listening to God
My young son loves to hear my voice, except when I call his name loudly and sternly, followed by the question, “Where are you?” When I do that, I am usually calling for him because he has been into some mischief and is trying to hide from me. I want my son to listen to my voice because I’m concerned about his well-being and do not want him to get hurt.
Adam and Eve were used to hearing God’s voice in the garden. However, after they disobeyed Him by eating the forbidden fruit, they hid from Him when they heard Him…
So this morning I spent some time repairing an old drill I have. (I currently have 3 but I like this one) I had acquired this tool when someone had written it off years ago because it had a frayed cord. I used this drill for years before the cord finally gave up (and probably would have shocked me. So this morning I sat down to repair it. I realized when I was putting this too back together after my tinkering that I had been using a screwdriver, someone had thrown away and that I actually found in a bag of leaves. Leaves that were set at the curb to be disposed of but I took home for compost in my garden. I don't say all this to brag or boast but it made me think that someone out there might feel beyond repair, broken, thrown away, and disposed. But there is One out there to fix you, repair you, give you a purpose and use you!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
