Month: February 2018

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. —Philippians 2:17

Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, “I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him.…

The Good Samaritan!

Honest Abe, Doubting Thomas, the Good Samaritan! These monikers bring to mind some powerful testimonies. Today on Discover the Word, the team will gather to discuss a story we’re so familiar with, it’s become a part of our language. But is there something we’ve missed in the Good Samaritan story? Tune in today to Discover […]

When You Find Out Your Friend Has A Mental Illness

Simone and I were college-mates at university in England many years ago. Smart and popular, with a sarcastic sense of humor, she seemed to have it all: a strong Christian faith, a close circle of friends, top grades, and a guaranteed place in a prestigious postgraduate music program

True Love

 
 

Written by young people for young people, "Love Is A Four Letter Word" takes on sensitive and challenging questions on relationships, jealousy, lust, and homosexuality, and encourage readers to explore these issues while offering a biblical perspective. It targets a generation that is not afraid to ask difficult questions and reaches out to them through peers who have…

Listening to His Voice

I’m hard of hearing—“deaf in one ear and can’t hear out of the other,” as my father used to say. So I wear a set of hearing aids.

Most of the time the devices work well, except in environments where there’s a lot of surrounding noise. In those settings, my hearing aids pick up every voice in the room and I cannot hear the person in front of me.

So it is with our culture: a cacophony of sounds can drown out God’s quiet voice. “Where shall the Word be found, where will the Word resound?” poet T.S. Eliot asks. “Not here,…

The Compelling Majesty of His Power

The love of Christ compels us… —2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience.…

It Is Amazing!

In our natural state, we all fall short of it (Romans 3:23).

Jesus was the radiance of it (Hebrews 1:3), and those who knew Him saw it (John 1:14).

In the Old Testament, it filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–35), and the Israelites were led by it.

And we are promised that at the end of time, heaven will shine with it in splendor so great there will be no need for the sun (Revelation 21:23).

What is the “it” in all those statements above?

It is the glory of God. And He is amazing!

Throughout the Bible we are told that we can enjoy glimpses of God’s magnificent glory as we dwell on…

Becoming the “Filth of the World”

We have been made as the filth of the world… —1 Corinthians 4:13

These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves…

How to Change a Life

Sometimes our lives can change in a moment through the powerful impact of others. For rock ‘n’ roll legend Bruce Springsteen, it was the work of musical artists that helped him through a difficult childhood and a persistent struggle with depression. He found meaning in his own work through the truth he’d experienced firsthand, that “You can change someone’s life in three minutes with the right song.”

Like a compelling song, others’ well-chosen words can also give us hope, even change the course of our lives. I’m sure most of us could share stories of a conversation that forever impacted our…

The Compelling Force of the Call

Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16

Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was…

“A Mighty Fortress”

Do you have a favorite hymn? Well, for hundreds of years, Martin Luther’s classic hymn, “A Mighty Fortress” has served as a favorite for many. And today on Discover the Word, the team wraps up a weeklong discussion on Psalm 46, the psalm that inspired this powerful, and beautiful song. Find the protection and comfort […]

Stepping Into Opportunity

Like lots of people, I struggle to get enough exercise. So I recently got something to motivate myself to move: a pedometer that counts steps. It’s a simple thing. But it’s amazing how much difference this gadget makes in my motivation. Instead of grumbling when I have to get up, I see it as an opportunity to get a few more steps. Mundane tasks, like getting one of my kids a cup of water, become opportunities that help me work toward a larger goal. In that sense, my pedometer has changed my perspective and my motivation. Now I look to get…

Seeing God As Your Mighty Fortress

“A mighty fortress is our God.” The words of Martin Luther’s classic hymn ring through the ages, as a reminder of God’s love and protection. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll dig into the psalm that inspired Luther’s famous hymn. Learn to see how God is your “Mighty Fortress” when you listen today to […]

The Call of God

Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel… —1 Corinthians 1:17

Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by “the gospel,” namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way…