Washed Clean
I couldn’t believe it. A black gel pen had hidden itself in the folds of my white towels and survived the washing machine, only to explode in the dryer. Ugly black stains were everywhere. My white towels were ruined. No amount of bleach would be able to remove the dark stains.
As I reluctantly consigned the towels to the rag pile, I was reminded of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s lament describing the damaging effects of sin. By rejecting God and turning to idols (Jeremiah 2:13), Jeremiah declared that the people of Israel had caused a permanent stain in their relationship with…
Who Is That?
When a man installed a security camera outside his house, he checked the video feature to ensure that the system was working. He was alarmed to see a broad-shouldered figure in dark clothing wandering around his yard. He watched intently to see what the man would do. Somehow, though, the interloper seemed familiar. Finally he realized he was not watching a stranger roam his property, but a recording of himself in his own back yard!
What might we see if we could step out of our skin and observe ourselves in certain situations? When David’s heart was hardened and he needed…
Jesus Was Laid In The Tomb
On Easter, we celebrate the day when Jesus conquered the grave and rose from the dead. But there would be no Easter Sunday if not for Good Friday. Today on Discover the Word, we imagine the somber scene that took place as Jesus was laid in the tomb. Join us for a special Good Friday edition of Discover […]
The Torn Veil
It was a dark and somber day in the outskirts of Jerusalem. On a hill just outside the city walls, a Man who’d been attracting crowds of eager followers for the past three years hung in disgrace and pain on a rough wooden cross. Mourners wept and wailed in sorrow. The light of the sun no longer brightened the afternoon sky. And the intense suffering of the Man on the cross ended when He cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” (Matthew 27:50; John 19:30).
At that very moment, another sound came from the great temple across town—the sound…
Submitting To Death On The Cross
Jesus could literally have done anything He wanted—performed any miracle. Yet He chose to submit to death on a cross and all the pain that went with it. Today on Discover the Word, we consider the terrible suffering that Jesus endured during his final moments on the cross. It’s another conversation in their series “Cross Stations,” today on Discover […]
In the Moment
The ambulance door was about to close—with me on the inside. Outside, my son was on the phone to my wife. From my concussed fog, I called his name. As he recalls the moment, I slowly said, “Tell your mom I love her very much.”
Apparently I thought this might be goodbye, and I wanted those to be my parting words. In the moment, that’s what mattered most to me.
As Jesus endured His darkest moment, He didn’t merely tell us He loved us; He showed it in specific ways. He showed it to the mocking soldiers who had just nailed Him…
When I Realized I Was Lukewarm
In 2012, I was in a near-fatal car accident and suffered extensive brain injury as a result. Up till then, I had been working as a family doctor in northwest Indiana, USA, for six years.
Jesus Cares For His Mother
Few things are more heartbreaking than experiencing the death of a child. And even as He hung on the cross, Jesus tried to comfort His grieving mother. Today on Discover the Word, we look at the final moments between Jesus and His mother, Mary. Join us for another “Cross Station,” today on Discover the Word!
Flourishing Like a Flower
My youngest grandson is only two months old, yet every time I see him I notice little changes. A few weeks ago as I cooed to him, he looked up at me and smiled! And suddenly I began crying. Perhaps it was joy mixed with remembering my own children’s first smiles, which I witnessed so long ago, and yet it feels like just yesterday. Some moments are like that—inexplicable.
In Psalm 103, David penned a poetic song that praised God while also reflecting on how quickly the joyful moments of our lives pass by: “The life of mortals is like…
Should Israel Folau Have Said What He Said? – Part 2
About a year ago, Israel Folau made a post on his personal Instagram account that polarized the rugby world and the Australian public.
One On His Right And One On His Left
On the day of His death, Jesus hung on a cross between two criminals. But even the criminals could tell Jesus didn’t belong there. Today on Discover the Word, we examine the interactions Jesus had with the two men hanging on either side of Him. Pull up a chair to the table, today on Discover the Word!
Celebrating Creativity
A rarely seen jellyfish waltzed with the currents, four thousand feet deep in the ocean near Baja, California. Its body shone with florescent shades of blue, purple, and pink, bright against the backdrop of black water. Elegant tentacles waved gracefully with each pulsing of its bell-shaped hood. As I watched the amazing footage of the Halitrephes Maasi jellyfish on the National Geographic video, I reflected on how God chose the specific design of this beautiful, gelatinous creature. He also fashioned the other 2,000 types of jellyfishes that scientists have identified as of October 2017.
Though we acknowledge God as Creator, do we…
Jesus Addresses The Women Who Mourn
In Jesus’s day, it was common for women to be marginalized and undervalued. But Jesus made a special effort to include them. Today on Discover the Word, we look at a surprising conversation between Jesus and a group of mourning women on His way to the cross. The group continues their series “Cross Stations” today on Discover the […]
The Marks of Friendship
As a little boy growing up in Ghana, I enjoyed holding my father’s hand and walking with him along crowded places. He was both my father and my friend, for holding hands in my culture is a mark of true friendship. Walking along, we would chitchat about a variety of subjects. Whenever I felt lonely, I found consolation with my father. How I valued our companionship!
The Lord Jesus called His followers friends, and He showed them the marks of His friendship. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you,” He said (John 15:9), even laying down His…
