Creation Care
The “big browns” are spawning in the Owyhee River—brown trout beginning their fall nesting ritual. You can see them excavating their nests in the gravelly shallows.
Wise fishermen know that fish are spawning and try not to disturb them. They avoid walking on gravel bars where they might trample the eggs, or wading upstream from the nests where they might dislodge debris that can smother them. And they don’t fish for these trout, though it’s tempting to do so as they rest near their nests.
These precautions are part of an ethic that governs responsible fishing. But there is a deeper and…
Held by God
As I was nearing the end of lunch with my sister and her children one afternoon, my sister told my three-year-old niece Annica it was time get ready for her nap. Her face filled with alarm. “But Aunt Monica did not hold me yet today!” she objected, tears filling her eyes. My sister smiled. “Okay, she may hold you first—how long do you need?” “Five minutes,” she replied.
As I held my niece, I was grateful for how, without even trying, she constantly reminds me what it looks like to love and be loved. I think sometimes we forget that our…
Loving others well . . . even our enemies
Today on Discover the Word, the team wraps up another installment in their series, “Falling into Love” with a powerful discussion on loving others well, even our enemies. It’s something that requires a true change of heart that comes from God alone. Join us as we seek God’s heart today on Discover the Word!
Blade Runner 2049: What Does It Mean To Be Christian?
What does it mean to be human? That was the question at the heart of Ridley Scott’s neo-noir science fiction masterpiece Blade Runner (1982). It’s a question further explored and dissected in Blade Runner 2049
A New Name
In the article “Leading by Naming,” Mark Labberton wrote about the power of a name. He said: “I can still feel the impact of a musical friend who one day called me ‘musical.’ No one had ever called me that. I didn’t really play an instrument. I was no soloist. Yet . . . I instantly felt known and loved. . . . [He] noticed, validated, and appreciated something deeply true about me.”
Perhaps this is what Simon felt when Jesus renamed him. After Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he immediately found his brother Simon and brought him…
The Secret I Hid From My Sister That Could Tear Us Apart
On January 4, 2016, I genuinely thought my life was falling apart. I remember sitting on my couch, alone in my apartment.
Love keeps a record . . . just not a record of resentments
The Bible tells us that love keeps no record of wrong. But that doesn’t mean there’s never any value in keeping good records and writing things down! Today on Discover the Word, we’ll discuss how love keeps a record, just not a record of resentments. Join us today for Discover the Word!
The Good Shepherd
I sat in the hospital room with my husband, waiting anxiously. Our young son was having corrective eye surgery and I felt the butterflies jostle in my stomach as I fretted and worried. I tried to pray, asking God to give me His peace. As I leafed through my Bible, I thought about Isaiah 40, so I turned to the familiar passage, wondering if anything fresh would strike me.
As I read, I caught my breath, for the words from so many years ago reminded me that the Lord “tends his flock like a shepherd” as He “gathers the lambs in…
Loving God and loving others
Jesus told us the greatest commandment had two parts: to love God and to love one another. So today on Discover the Word, we will bring to the table the topic, How do we overcome impatience and irritability to love others the way God loves us? It’s a challenging and lively discussion today on Discover […]
7 Prayers for Those Battered by Natural Disasters
Like many of you, my eyes have riveted on stories about hurricanes Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria, which have dismantled the lives of thousands across the Caribbean. Added to these are the earthquakes in Mexico, the pummelling by Hurricane Harvey, and wildfires which have torched the western portion of the USA.
Two-Winged Sun
For five years, an ancient clay seal remained in a closet in Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology. After the seal was dug up at the foot of the southern part of Jerusalem’s old city wall, initial examination failed to establish the significance of the nearly 3,000-year-old object. But then a researcher carefully scrutinized the letters on the seal, resulting in a major discovery. The inscription, written in ancient Hebrew, reads: “Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah.”
At the center of the seal is a two-winged sun surrounded by two icons symbolizing life. The archaeologists who discovered the seal believe…
Surrendering our need for control and trusting God
You’ve probably met someone who you might call a “control freak.” Maybe you look at one in the mirror every morning! Well, today on Discover the Word, we’ll discuss how we can surrender our need for control and trust God more. Join the team and learn how to truly fall in love with God when […]
I Almost Got a Divorce
When I was younger, I used to think that I could overcome anything as long as my husband loved me. But after getting married, my husband’s poor health, among other things, almost led me to give up on my marriage.
Wake-Up Call!
During the years when I traveled frequently and stayed in a different city every night, I always scheduled a wake-up call when I checked into a hotel. Along with a personal alarm, I needed a jangling telephone to help get me out of bed and moving in the morning.
The book of Revelation contains a spiritual wake-up call in the apostle John’s letters to the seven churches in the province of Asia. To the church in Sardis he wrote this message from Jesus Himself: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!…
