Month: May 2019

Here for You

On the outskirts of Paris, as in other cities around the globe, people are coming to the aid of the homeless in their communities. Clothing, covered in waterproof bags, is hung on designated fences for those living on the streets to take according to their needs. The bags are labeled, “I’m not lost; I’m for you if you’re cold.” The effort not only warms those without shelter, but also teaches those in the community the importance of assisting the needy among them.

The Bible highlights the importance of caring for those who are poor too, instructing us to be “openhanded” toward…

Fearless Love

For years I wore a shield of fear to protect my heart. Eventually, my fear became an excuse to avoid trying new things, following my dreams, and obeying God. But more importantly, fear of loss, heartache, and rejection hindered me from developing loving relationships with God and others. Fear made me an insecure, anxious, and jealous wife, and an overprotective, worrying mother. As I continue learning how much God loves me, however, He’s changing the way I relate to Him and to others. Because I know my loving God will care for me, I feel more secure, more willing to…

The Empty Bed

I was eager to return to St. James Infirmary in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and reconnect with Rendell, who two years earlier had learned about Jesus’s love for him. Evie, a teenager in the high school choir I travel with each spring, had read Scripture with Rendell and explained the gospel, and he personally received Jesus as his Savior.

When I entered the men’s section of the home and looked toward Rendell’s bed, however, I found it was empty. I went to the nurse’s station, and was told what I didn’t want to hear. He had passed away—just five days before we…

Children

Children

It’s never too early to introduce your children to Jesus! These colourful story books, daily readings, activity books and lively CDs offer lots of ways for them to explore Jesus’ story and enjoy getting to know Him.

Due to the current circumstances and government advice, our Our Daily Bread Ministries office in the UK has now closed for the foreseeable future.…

Teen

Teen

As a teenager you have big questions you’re asking and big challenges you’re facing up to. That’s why we have a whole range of resources to meet you where you’re at and talk meaningfully about the things that are important to you. Come and wrestle with your questions, read the Bible each day with the Our Daily Bread Teen Editions and…

“The Widow Of Nain”

When you’re in a crowd, it’s easy to get caught up in the group’s emotion. Well, today on Discover the Word, the team will examine an emotional encounter when a crowd following Jesus crossed paths with a funeral procession. It’s a thought-provoking discussion in their series about “The Widow of Nain” today on Discover the Word!

God, Give Me A Husband Who Loves Washing Dishes!

Embarrassing as it is to admit, the title of this article had in fact been a prayer of mine.

I had only been a Christian for a short time then and was encouraged to pray for my future marriage, I listed out 10 items I expected in my “ideal husband.”

Never Alone

While writing a Bible guide for pastors in Indonesia, a writer friend grew fascinated with that nation’s culture of togetherness. Called gotong royong—meaning “mutual assistance”—the concept is practiced in villages, where neighbors may work together to repair someone’s roof or rebuild a bridge or path. In cities too my friend said, “People always go places with someone else—to a doctor’s appointment, for example. It’s the cultural norm. So you’re never alone.”

Worldwide, believers in Jesus rejoice in knowing we also are never alone. Our constant and forever companion is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Far more than…

The Power Of Tears

In times of sorrow, it can feel as if we’re alone in our suffering. But God never lets a single tear fall without His notice. Today on Discover the Word, we consider the power of tears and find hope in the truth that Jesus understands our grief. Join the group as they introduce a new series […]

Why Are You Running?

Read: Hebrews 12:1–2   What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

It is…

A Living Memorial of Kindness

I grew up in a church full of traditions. One came into play when a beloved family member or friend died. Often a church pew or possibly a painting in a hallway showed up not longer after with a brass plate affixed: “In Memory of . . .” The deceased’s name would be etched there, a shining reminder of a life passed on. I always appreciated those memorials. And I still do. Yet at the same time they’ve always given me pause because they are static, an inanimate object, in a very literal sense something “not alive.” Is there a way…

When Half My Home Burned Down

17 September 2015 is a day I will never forget. On that day, my aunt’s house was burned down in a fire accident.

The Call to Courage

Among a display of male statues (Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, and others) in London’s Parliament Square, also stands a lone statue of a woman. The solitary woman is Millicent Fawcett, who fought for the right of women to vote. She’s immortalized in bronze and holding a banner displaying words she offered in a tribute to a fellow suffragist: “Courage calls to courage everywhere.” Fawcett insisted that one person’s courage emboldens others—calling timid souls into action.

As David prepared to hand his throne over to his son Solomon, he explained the responsibilities that would soon rest heavy on his shoulders.…

Shackled but Not Silent

In the summer of 1963, after an all-night bus ride, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and six other black passengers stopped to eat at a diner in Winona, Mississippi. After law enforcement officers forced them to leave, they were arrested and jailed. But humiliation wouldn’t end with unlawful arrest. All received severe beatings, but Fannie’s was the worst. After a brutal attack that left her near death she burst out in song: “Paul and Silas was bound in jail, let my people go.” And she didn’t sing alone. Other prisoners, restrained in body but not in soul, soon joined…

Why Does The Gospel Of John Stand Out From The Rest?

Most pastors and theologians agree, if you could only read one gospel, you should read the gospel of John. So what makes this account stand out from the rest? Today on Discover the Word, the team explores the “heaven-down” perspective John brings to the story of Jesus. Join us at the table for Discover the Word!