Fleeing to Strength
“Parry four!”
When I began fencing in high school, my coach would shout the correct defensive position (“parry”) against the move he was making. When he extended his weapon and lunged, to repel the attack I had to listen and respond immediately.
That active listening brings to mind the prompt obedience Scripture calls for in the area of sexual temptation. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul writes to believers tempted to solicit pagan temple prostitutes, telling them to “flee from sexual immorality.” Sometimes we are to “stand firm” in challenging circumstances (Ephesians 6:11; Galatians 5:1), but here the Bible practically shouts our best…
Who Is My Neighbor In The Global Community?
Who is my neighbor? It’s a fair question! We’ve become a global community as we connect daily through social media, smartphones, and television. Tune in today to Discover the Word, as we explore how to answer this question by taking a look at the parable of the Good Samaritan. Learn to live and love like […]
The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative
Arise from the dead… —Ephesians 5:14
Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard— just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative.…
Loving All
I worship in a church located in a large, open field—a rare commodity on the island of Singapore (we’re just twenty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide). Some time back, people from abroad who work in my country started gathering on the church property for a picnic every Sunday.
This evoked a range of responses from fellow churchgoers. Some fretted about the mess the visitors would leave behind. But others saw this as a divine opportunity to extend hospitality to a wonderful group of strangers —without even leaving the church grounds!
The Israelites must have faced similar issues in their time. After they…
Miracles of Easter
The story of Easter is often told in three parts—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Jesus was not the only person to die and be resurrected in the Bible. What, then, makes the events that took place …
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”
None of us lives to himself… —Romans 14:7
Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers. We “sit together in the heavenly places…” (Ephesians 2:6). “If one member suffers, all the members suffer…
Love Is A Verb
Love is a noun, but it’s also a verb. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll look at how love plays out in the story of the Good Samaritan. It’s part of a study titled, “Me and My Neighbor.” Pull up a chair to the table today and listen to Discover the Word!
How to Teach the Bible
Teaching the Bible to others is an important responsibility that should be practiced with great care. This course introduces the foundational skills that will guide a Bible teacher step-by-step through the process of preparing an effective Bible-study course or session.
Following Where He Leads
As a child, I looked forward to our church’s Sunday evening services. They were exciting. Sunday night often meant that we got to hear from missionaries and other guest speakers. Their messages inspired me because of their willingness to leave family and friends—and at times, homes, possessions, and careers—to go off to strange, unfamiliar, and sometimes dangerous places to serve God.
Like those missionaries, Elisha left many things behind to follow God (1 Kings 19:19–21). Before God called him into service through Elijah, we don’t know much about Elisha—except that he was a farmer. When the prophet Elijah met him in…
Can I give a gift from an IRA?
If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can give your required minimum distribution from your IRA as a tax-free rollover gift. Contact our Planned Giving Representatives at 616-974-1670 for more information.
“Me And My Neighbor”
The word love can mean many things. But what does it mean to love others like Jesus? Today on Discover the Word, we continue our study of Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan titled, “Me and My Neighbor.” Find out how to truly love your neighbor when you listen today to Discover the Word!
The Discipline of Hearing
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. —Matthew 10:27
Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2). “Whatever I tell you…
“You’re still single? What’s wrong with you?”
Last week, I realized I may be a contender for a world record—the highest number of weddings attended by a single person under the age of 35. I’ve been counting and, although it seems impossible, the number has now reached 207.
The Advance Team
A friend recently prepared to relocate to a city more than 1,000 miles from her current hometown. She and her husband divided the labor of moving to accommodate a short timeline. He secured new living arrangements, while she packed their belongings. I was astounded by her ability to move without previewing the area or participating in the house hunt, and asked how she could do so. She acknowledged the challenge but said she knew she could trust him because of his attention to her preferences and needs over their years together.
In the upper room, Jesus spoke with His disciples of…
The Devotion of Hearing
Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” —1 Samuel 3:10
Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love…
