The God Of Second Chances
There’s no such thing as a do-over button in life. But God often gives us second chances to make things right. Today on Discover the Word, we’ll look at how God gave Jonah a second chance at obedience, and how God might be offering that same opportunity to you today. Listen today, to Discover the Word!
Expect Delays
Are you kidding me? I was already late. But the road sign ahead instructed me to adjust my expectations: “Expect Delays,” it announced. Traffic was slowing down.
I had to laugh: I expect things to work on my ideal timeline; I don’t expect road construction.
On a spiritual level, few of us plan for crises that slow us down or reroute our lives. Yet, if I’m paying attention, I can recall many times when circumstances redirected me—in big ways and small. Delays happen.
Solomon never saw a sign that said, “Expect Delays.” But in Proverbs 16, he does contrast our plans with God’s providential…
Christian Hospitality
Hospitality is not about fancy dinners and great impressions... it’s about humbling your heart and being open to meeting people where they are. It’s exactly what Christ did for us, and we have the privilege of following His example. Click to here to read more.
Learning to Love God in the Midst of Grief
The church was full: full of faces, food, color and noise. And yet, it somehow felt empty. To an outsider, it may have looked like a party . . . but the one person we were there to honor wasn’t able to celebrate with us.
Take Comfort In Knowing God Is With Us During The Storms Of Life
Life never seems to run out of difficulties and trials. But drawing from the story of Jonah, we can take comfort in knowing that God is with us through it all. Today on Discover the Word, the team continues their series called “Surprise!” as they explore the book of Jonah together, on Discover the Word!
Swept Away
When he invented the pencil eraser, British engineer Edward Nairne was reaching instead for a piece of bread. Crusts of bread were used then, in 1770, to erase marks on paper. Picking up a piece of latex rubber by mistake, Nairne found it erased his error, leaving rubberized “crumbs” easily swept away by hand.
With us too the worst errors of our lives can be swept away. It’s the Lord—the Bread of Life—who cleans them with His own life, promising never to remember our sins. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,” says Isaiah…
Bible Conference - Elisha
Elisha may be one of the most under-appreciated character in the Old Testament, in part because he is so overshadowed by his famous predecessor, Elijah. But, as Elisha steps into the prophet's big shoes, his life teaches us important lessons on wisdom, dependence, and spiritual service.
At our Tawau Bible Conference, Bill Crowder, regular writer of Our Daily Bread,…
The Greatest Rescue Mission
On February 18, 1952, a massive storm split the SS Pendleton, a tanker ship, into two pieces about ten miles off the Massachusetts coast. More than forty sailors were trapped inside the ship’s sinking stern in the midst of fierce winds and violent waves.
When word of the disaster reached the Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Boatswain’s Mate First Class Bernie Webber took three men on a lifeboat to try to save the stranded crew against nearly impossible odds-and brought thirty-two of the seemingly doomed sailors to safety. Their courageous feat was deemed one of the greatest rescues in United States…
Welcoming Strangers
When my friends lived in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, they were overwhelmed by the welcome they received there, especially from other Christians. Once they took some clothes and provisions to a couple from their church who were very poor, yet who were fostering several children. The couple treated my friends like honored guests, giving them sweet tea and, despite their protests, something to eat. As my friends left with gifts of watermelons and other fruits and vegetables, they marveled at the hospitality they experienced.
These Christians embody the welcome that God commanded His people, the Israelites, to…
3 Ways to Glorify God With Your Emotions
Motherhood has revealed that I’m not the calm person I once thought I was. One minute, I’m upset with my son for not cleaning up his toys; the next, I’m laughing as he pats his crayons to sleep. Joy, frustration, delight, exhaustion, empathy, impatience, excitement, sadness—it’s a daily rollercoaster of emotions.
Worshiping God When Going Through The Storm
It’s much easier to praise God when life is smooth sailing than when you’re in the throes of a storm. Today on Discover the Word, we look at the time when Jonah found himself in the belly of a fish, but surprisingly still chose to worship God. We’ll save you a seat at the table today for Discover the […]
Gentle Yet Powerful
As the enemy occupation of the Netherlands grew, Anne Frank and her family bravely prepared and then moved to a secret hiding place to escape the danger. They remained there two years during World War II before being found and sent to concentration camps. Yet Anne, writing in what became her famous Diary of a Young Girl said this: “In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”
Gentleness can be a complicated issue as we deal with real life.
In Isaiah 40 we get a picture of God that shows Him to be both gentle…
How Do You Respond To The Storms Of Life?
Sometimes the storms of life are enough to bring us to our knees! And today on Discover the Word, the team will discuss the great storm that came upon Jonah’s boat at sea. They were sure they were going down. But this series is called “Surprise!” so discover the crew’s surprising response to a life-threatening storm […]
When I Was Blinded By Success
There was a period when I had offered to write almost one article a week to help my ministry team meet deadlines. Even though my command of English is ordinary, I love relating to God’s Word and began writing a lot of my experiences and thoughts.
Escaping the Noise
Several years ago, the president of a college suggested that students join her in “powering down” for an evening. Although the students agreed, it was with great reluctance that they laid aside their cell phones and entered the chapel. For the next hour, they sat quietly in a service of music and prayer. Afterward, one participant described the experience as “a wonderful opportunity to calm down . . . a place to just tune out all of the extra noise.”
Sometimes, it’s difficult to escape “extra noise.” The clamor of both our external and internal worlds can be deafening. But when…
