When Yes Means No
I thanked God for the privilege of serving as my mom’s live-in caregiver during her battle against leukemia. When medicines began to hurt more than help, she decided to stop treatment. “I don’t want to suffer anymore,” she said. “I want to enjoy my last days with family. God knows I’m ready to go home.”
I pleaded with our loving heavenly Father—the Great Physician—confident He could work miracles. But to say yes to my mom’s prayers, He would have to say no to mine. Sobbing, I surrendered, “Your will be done, Lord.”
Soon after, Jesus welcomed my mama into a pain-free eternity.
In…
Love is the glue that holds us all together
The Bible tells us that the church is the body of Christ. And when a foot goes one way, and a hand goes another, tensions are bound to arise. So today the Discover the Word team gathers to talk about how the way we love each other is the glue that holds us together. Listen to […]
The Greatest Invitation
During a recent week, I received several invitations in the mail. Those inviting me to attend “free” seminars on retirement, real estate, and life insurance were immediately thrown away. But the invitation to a gathering honoring a longtime friend caused me to reply immediately, “Yes! I accept.” Invitation + Desire = Acceptance
Isaiah 55:1 is one of the great invitations in the Bible. The Lord said to His people who were in difficult circumstances, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money…
Lessons From The Parables
We cordially invite you and your loved ones to join us to feast on God’s Word together.
At our Kota Kinabalu Bible Conference, Rev. Mike Raiter will be sharing the lessons from the parables of Jesus.
Date: Saturday, April 21
Time: 10:00a.m. - 3:30p.m.
Session 1
The sower – Matthew 13:1-23
The Treasure and The Pearl – Matthew 13:44-46
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Discover how Christ changes our hearts to be like His
The Bible tells us that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. But even that is worthless without this one thing. Today on Discover the Word, the team continues their study of 1 Corinthians 13 titled, “Falling into Love.” We’ll see how Christ changes our hearts to be like His. Join us […]
Life and Death
I’ll never forget sitting at the bedside of my friend’s brother when he died; the scene was one of the ordinary visited by the extraordinary. Three of us were talking quietly when we realized that Richard’s breathing was becoming more labored. We gathered around him, watching, waiting, and praying. When he took his last breath, it felt like a holy moment; the presence of God enveloped us in the midst of our tears over a wonderful man dying in his forties.
Many of the heroes of our faith experienced God’s faithfulness when they died. For instance, Jacob announced he would soon…
The Day My Heart Stopped
In the second half of 2015, I was appointed cell group leader in my university’s Christian Fellowship (CF). It was my first time serving as cell group leader, so I took on the role excitedly.
There is no substitute for love
Everyone with a smartphone has an entire library in their pocket. A few taps or clicks, and we can get the information we have questions about in mere seconds. But we’ll see today on Discover the Word that knowledge is no substitute for love. Join us around the table as we talk about “Falling into […]
Are You Questioning What You Believe?
In my 30 years, I’ve never really questioned my faith all that much. I’ve wondered about evolution and about the problem of evil existing in the world.
Trial by Fire
Last winter while visiting a natural history museum in Colorado, I learned some remarkable facts about the aspen tree. An entire grove of slender, white-trunked aspens can grow from a single seed and share the same root system. These root systems can exist for thousands of years whether or not they produce trees. They sleep underground, waiting for fire, flood, or avalanche to clear a space for them in the shady forest. After a natural disaster has cleared the land, aspen roots can sense the sun at last. The roots send up saplings, which become trees.
For aspens, new growth is…
“Falling into Love”
We all know someone with the gift of gab. When they talk, everyone listens. But today, the Discover the Word team sits down to discuss how even the most eloquent speakers are just empty noise if they lack this one thing. It’s from the group’s study of 1 Corinthians 13 titled “Falling into Love.” And […]
Bearing Good Fruit
The view from my airplane window was striking: a narrow ribbon of ripening wheat fields and orchards wending between two barren mountains. Running through the valley was a river. Life-giving water, without which there would be no fruit.
Just as a bountiful harvest depends on a source of clean water, the quality of the “fruit” in my life—my words, actions, and attitude—depends on my spiritual nourishment. The psalmist describes this in Psalm 1: the person “whose delight is in the law of the Lord…is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season” (v. 1-3). And…
Why We Must Engage Both Mind and Heart
When I was a much younger Christian, I was taught that feelings were unreliable.
