“John Mark . . . and Company”
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We’ve heard these names so many times and it’s easy to forget that they were real people. Today on Discover the Word, we invite you to get to know John Mark, the man God used to write the second gospel. What can we learn about him from the company he kept? […]
Helicopter Seeds
When our children were young, they loved trying to catch the “helicopter seeds” that fell from our neighbor’s silver maple trees. Each seed resembles a wing. In late spring they twirl to the ground like a helicopter’s rotor blades. The seeds’ purpose is not to fly, but to fall to earth and grow into trees.
Before Jesus was crucified, He told His followers, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified . . . unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces…
4 Lessons Only Failure Can Teach
There are many different ways to fail. I fail to read my Bible every day. I fail to tell the truth to my parents sometimes. I fail to say kind things to people who annoy or frustrate me.
Who are your friends?
If you want to know more about a person, it’s often a good idea to look at who their friends are. So today on Discover the Word, we will ask the questions, who wrote the gospel of Mark and what was he like? The answer to the first question is fairly obvious. To answer the […]
The Day We Were Robbed
“I’ve to run. My flat . . . someone’s entered my flat. I must go,” I told my boss in a barely audible whisper. I could hardly believe my ears when I received a phone call from my sister to say we had been robbed.
Take a Number
We have an ancient cherry tree in our backyard that had seen better days and looked like it was dying so I called in an arborist. He checked it out and declared that it was “unduly stressed” and needed immediate attention. “Take a number,” my wife, Carolyn, muttered to the tree as she walked away. It had been one of those weeks.
Indeed, we all have anxious weeks—filled with worries over the direction our culture is drifting or concerns for our children, our marriages, our businesses, our finances, our personal health and well-being. Nevertheless, Jesus has assured us that despite disturbing…
Seeing Masterpieces
My father creates custom quivers designed for archers to carry their arrows. He carves elaborate wildlife pictures into pieces of genuine leather, before stitching the material together.
During a visit, I watched him construct one of his works of art. His careful hands applied just the right pressure as he pressed a sharp blade into the supple leather, creating various textures. Then he dipped a rag into crimson dye and covered the leather with even strokes, magnifying the beauty of his creation.
As I admired my dad’s confident craftsmanship, I realized how often I fail to acknowledge and appreciate my heavenly Father’s…
Hide and Seek
“You can’t see me!”
When small children play “hide and seek,” they sometimes believe they’re hiding just by covering their eyes. If they can’t see you, they assume you can’t see them.
Naïve as that may seem to adults, we sometimes do something similar with God. When we find ourselves desiring to do something we know is wrong, our tendency may be to “shut God out” as we willfully go our own way.
The prophet Ezekiel discovered this truth in the vision God gave him for his people, exiled in Babylon. The Lord told him, “Have you seen what the elders of Israel…
God is able to keep us from stumbling
The older we get, the more concerned we become about stumbling and falling. A fall can be a real game changer for us, and for our loved ones. But falling physically is not the only way we can stumble. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll conclude the week-long series titled “God Is Able,” by […]
Are We Just Having Coffee Dates with God?
Sometimes, after a good, long time of Bible study, I go right into sinning. When I am alone at home, those sins that prey on solitude can easily sneak in. For me, it is often lust. And sometimes I don’t stop it.
Serve and Be Served
Marilyn had been ill for many weeks, and many people had encouraged her through this difficult time. How will I ever repay all their kindnesses? she worried. Then one day she read the words of a written prayer: “Pray that [others] will develop humility, allowing them not only to serve, but also to be served.” Marilyn suddenly realized there was no need to balance any scale, but just to be thankful and allow others to experience the joy of serving.
In Philippians 4, the apostle Paul expressed his gratitude for all those who shared “in [his] troubles” (v. 14). He depended…
God’s plans for your life exceed far beyond what you can imagine
Have you ever met a child with a particularly vivid imagination? Well, today, the Discover the Word team will help you understand what God is able to do in your life and that His plans exceed anything we could ever come up with! We can’t even imagine. Expand your vision of what God is able […]
Are You Burnt Out, Bored, and Barely Rested?
When I began working full-time earlier this year, I struggled with the long hours and intense work. Having been a student pretty much all my life, adjusting to the transition of #adulting was—and still is—painful.
In His Presence
The seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence, before a day’s work as cook in his community, would pray, “O my God . . . grant me your grace to stay in your presence. Help me in my labors. Possess all my affections.” As he worked, he kept talking to God, listening for His leading and dedicating his work to Him. Even when he was busiest, he would use intervals of relative calm to ask for His grace. No matter what was happening, he sought for and found a sense of his Maker’s love.
As Psalm 89 confesses, the fitting response to the Creator…
How firm is your foundation in Christ?
This week on Discover the Word, the group is exploring with you several things the Bible says God is able to do. And there’s a verse in Paul’s New Testament letter to the Romans that says that “God is able to establish you.” Discover how firm and secure your foundation is in Christ when you pull […]
