Month: September 2017

My Netflix Had No Chill

A young woman comes home after a long day. She sets her things down, throws her hair up, and changes into comfy clothes in record time. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, she grabs her laptop and flips it open.

The Best Portion of All

“His piece is bigger than mine!”

When I was a boy my brothers and I would sometimes bicker about the size of the piece of homemade pie mom served us. One day Dad observed our antics with a lifted eyebrow, and smiled at Mom as he lifted his plate: “Please just give me a piece as big as your heart.” My brothers and I watched in stunned silence as Mom laughed and offered him the largest portion of all.

If we focus on others’ possessions, jealousy too often results. Yet God’s Word lifts our eyes to something of far greater worth than…

“The Character of a Leader”

We all have people we influence—whether we know it or not. And so in that sense, we are all leaders. Today the Discover the Word team invites Dr. John Townsend back to the table to discuss what it takes to be a godly leader. Learn to lead with integrity and wisdom, wherever God has placed you! […]

Singleness: The Line I Can’t Seem to Cross

What is the purpose of a line? It is used to separate things into two categories. From where I’m standing, the people on the other side of the line are either attached or married. And here I am, on my side of the line, waiting to cross it.

Watch the Conductor

World-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, has an unusual way of leading the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a 44-member chamber orchestra. Instead of waving a baton he directs while playing his Stradivarius with the other violinists. Bell told Colorado Public Radio, “Even while I’m playing I can give them all kinds of direction and signals that I think only they would understand at this point. They know by every little dip in my violin, or raise in my eyebrow, or the way I draw the bow. They know the sound I’m looking for from the entire orchestra.” 

            Just as the orchestra members…

Removing the Barriers

I saw Mary every Tuesday when I visited “the House”—a home that helps former prisoners reintegrate into society. My life looked different from hers: fresh out of jail, fighting addictions, separated from her son. You might say she lived on the edge of society.

Like Mary, Onesimus knew what it meant to live on the edge of society. As a slave, Onesimus had apparently wronged his Christian master, Philemon, and was now in prison. While there, he met Paul and came to faith in Christ (v. 10). Though now a changed man, Onesimus was still a slave. Paul sent him back…

Removing the Barriers

I saw Mary every Tuesday when I visited “the House”—a home that helps former prisoners reintegrate into society. My life looked different from hers: fresh out of jail, fighting addictions, separated from her son. You might say she lived on the edge of society.

Like Mary, Onesimus knew what it meant to live on the edge of society. As a slave, Onesimus had apparently wronged his Christian master, Philemon, and was now in prison. While there, he met Paul and came to faith in Christ (v. 10). Though now a changed man, Onesimus was still a slave. Paul sent him back…

When I Let Fear Rule Me

Everyone has their own irrational fears. Sometimes, they affect us so much that we are imprisoned by them. For me, it escalated from a common cold. I woke up one day with a sore throat, which turned into a cough.

Anger Management

As I had dinner with a friend, she expressed how fed up she was with a particular family member. But she was reluctant to say anything to him about his annoying habit of ignoring or mocking her. When she did try to confront him about the problem, he responded with sarcastic remarks. She exploded in anger at him. Both parties wound up digging in their heels, and the family rift widened.

I can relate, because I handle anger the same way. I also have a hard time confronting people. If a friend or family member says something mean, I usually suppress…

God is in the business of transformation

Feeling blue? God’s in the business of transformation! And you’re invited to join us today on Discover the Word, to hear the transformative series finale of our three-week discussion on how God responds to our deepest emotions. See how God turns our mourning into dancing and our tears into laughter. That’s on Discover the Word today!

3 Ways to Deal With Bullying

I didn’t realise I was different until kids at primary school kept pointing it out. You see, I have ginger hair. No one else had ginger hair in my school apart from my brother, but they always picked on me, never on him.

What’s Your Father’s Name?

When I went to buy a cellphone in the Middle East, I was asked the typical questions: name, nationality, address. But then as the clerk was filling out the form, he asked, “What’s your father’s name?” That question surprised me, and I wondered why it was important. Knowing my father’s name would not be important in my culture, but here it was necessary in order to establish my identity. In some cultures, ancestry is important.

The Israelites believed in the importance of ancestry too. They were proud of their patriarch Abraham, and they thought being part of Abraham’s clan made them…

Baltimore Power Up Sports Ministry Conference

A one-day events for sports chaplains, coaches, athletic directors, or anyone involved in sports leadership.

God doesn’t just wipe our tears away, He makes all things new

What are we supposed to do when we’re sad? Does God just expect us to keep a “stiff upper lip”? Today on Discover the Word, we gather again to discuss how God responds to our tears! He doesn’t just wipe them away, but He consoles, justifies, and makes all things new! Find out how that […]

We Have a King!

After attacking my husband with hurtful words when a situation didn’t go my way, I snubbed the Holy Spirit’s authority as He reminded me of Bible verses that revealed my sinful attitudes. Was nursing my stubborn pride worth the collateral damage in my marriage or being disobedient to God? Absolutely not. But by the time I asked for forgiveness from the Lord and my spouse, I’d left a wake of wounds behind me−the result of ignoring wise counsel and living as if I didn’t have to answer to anyone but myself.

There was a time when the Israelites had a rebellious…