Your Safe Place
My daughter and I were arranging to attend an extended family gathering. Because she was nervous about the trip, I offered to drive. “Okay. But I feel safer in my car. Can you drive it?” she asked. I assumed she preferred her more spacious vehicle to my compact one so I responded, “Is my car too cramped?” “No, it’s just that my car is my safe place. Somehow I feel protected there.”
Her comment challenged me to consider my own personal “safe place.” Immediately I thought of Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run…
How do we share that the gospel really is “good news”?
The Bible tells us that Jesus came to bring abundant life! So how do we live that life with today’s post-Christian culture? And how do we best convince that culture that the gospel really is “good news”? Today on Discover the Word, we’ll wrap up the first week of their series “Engagement” with Darrell Bock. […]
When Beauty Never Ends
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to…
My Friend Left the Church Because of Me
“I need a break from church and from y’all to think about what happened,” a good friend wrote in a text message to me one day. And with that one message, Jasmine* never returned to my church again.
Sharing God’s grace in a whole new way
Ever wonder how to offer truth and love to a hostile culture? Today on Discover the Word, we continue our conversation with Darrell Bock, as we learn to share God’s grace in a whole new way. It’s a strategy we’d probably never come up with on our own. Be sure to join your friends at the […]
We’ve Got the Power!
The loud crackling noise startled me. Recognizing the sound, I raced to the kitchen. I’d accidently tapped the start button on the empty coffee maker. Unplugging the appliance, I grabbed the handle of the carafe. I touched the bottom of the container to ensure it wasn’t too hot to place on the tile counter. The smooth surface burned my fingertips, blistering my tender skin.
As my husband nursed my wound, I shook my head. I knew the glass would be hot. “I honestly do not know why I touched it,” I said.
My response after making such a mistake reminded me of Paul’s…
How do we engage a broken world?
How do we successfully engage a broken world? Today on Discover the Word, Darrell Bock shares with us that Christians don’t need to be perfect to be ambassadors for Christ. And pretending otherwise might have disastrous consequences. It’s a discussion about authentic transformation . . . today on Discover the Word!
How Can I Love the Church that Hurt Me?
Seven days after I came into the world, my dad became the pastor of the church that I would grow up in. Unlike my siblings, I never knew a time when my Dad wasn’t a pastor.
An Encounter with Stones
After centuries of war and destruction, the modern city of Jerusalem is literally built on its own rubble. During a family visit, we walked the Via Dolorosa (The Way of Sorrow), the route tradition says Jesus followed on His way to the cross. The day was hot, so we paused for a rest and descended to the cool basement of the Convent of the Sisters of Zion. There I was intrigued by the sight of ancient pavement stones unearthed during recent construction—stones etched with games played by Roman soldiers during their idle moments.
Those particular stones, even though likely from a…
How do we effectively represent God to our culture?
What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? And how do we effectively represent God to our culture? Today on Discover the Word, we continue the two-week series with Darrell Bock titled, “Engagement.” It’s a paradigm shift in our understanding of the “culture war” in which we find ourselves. Be part of the […]
I’m Not Who You See on Instagram
One square photo. One little box under our fingertip that we scroll through daily. That’s all it takes for us to form an opinion about someone or something.
Invisible Influence
On a visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, I saw a masterpiece called “The Wind.” The painting showed a storm moving through a wooded area. Tall, thin trees leaned to the left. Bushes thrashed in the same direction
In an even more powerful sense, the Holy Spirit is able to sway believers in the direction of God’s goodness and truth. If we go along with the Spirit, we can expect to become more courageous and more loving. We will also become more discerning about how to handle our desires (2 Tim. 1:7).
In some situations, however, the Spirit…
How do we best engage the culture around us?
Does it sometimes feel that, as Christians, we’re at war with the culture around us? Well, today the Discover the Word team sits down with seminary professor and New Testament scholar Darrell Bock to explore how to best engage with the culture around us. Darrell shifts the paradigm of who the enemy really is and […]
Can I Really Make A Difference?
There is no lack of websites that encourage people to make a difference. One of the most common quotes which often pops up comes from the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, who said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
Room 5020
Jay Bufton turned his hospital room into a lighthouse.
The 52-year-old husband, father, high school teacher, and coach was dying of cancer, but his room—Room 5020—became a beacon of hope for friends, family, and hospital workers. Because of his joyful attitude and strong faith, nurses wanted to be assigned to Jay. Some even came to see him during off hour
Even as his once-athletic body was wasting away, he greeted anyone and everyone with a smile and encouragement. One friend said, “Every time I visited Jay he was upbeat, positive, and filled with hope. He was, even while looking cancer and death…
