Topic > Biblical Studies
Biblical Geography Basics
Although the Bible is not a geography book, it is a book filled with geography—geography that shaped the way the writers of the Bible thought and communicated. Therefore, to the degree that we miss or misunderstand the geography in our Bibles, we may miss or misunderstand a part of what the Lord wants to share with us. This course, led by Jack Beck, is designed to explore the absolutely vital relationship between what the Almighty has to say and the place from which He says it.
Jesus Doesn’t Overlook Anyone – Even Though We May
Do you remember the Sunday school song, “Zacchaeus was a wee, little man”? Zacchaeus might get all the attention but there is actually another man in that story Jesus had His sights on. And today on Discover the Word, the team will take a closer look at how Jesus doesn’t overlook anyone, even when we […]
The Gift of the Magi
A young married couple had more love than money. As Christmas neared, both struggled to find a gift that would show how much they cared for the other. Finally, on Christmas Eve, Della sold her long, knee-length hair to buy Jim a platinum chain for the watch he’d inherited from his father and grandfather. Jim, however, had just sold the watch to buy a set of expensive combs for Della’s hair.
Author O. Henry called the couple’s story The Gift of the Magi. His creation suggests that even though their gifts became useless and may have caused them to look foolish on…
A Christmas promise
Today the Discover the Word team wraps up their series titled “A Christmas Promise.” And it’s their final discussion of 2017! You won’t want to miss this capstone conversation with the team. Launch into the New Year with the satisfaction, contentment, and joy that came on Christmas. Grab a seat at the table today for […]
Discover how peace and contentment can endure
Do you have a favorite place where you feel completely at peace? Maybe it’s reading by the fire or sitting on a fishing dock at dawn. Don’t you wish that feeling could last forever? Today on Discover the Word, we return to Luke chapter 2 to reveal how peace and contentment can endure. Be part […]
Anchor your hopes in Jesus
Broken promises can hurt. But today on Discover the Word, the team will show us how to anchor our hopes in the one Person who will never let us down! Listen today as we learn from Simeon, a man who found true satisfaction and joy in the fulfilled promises of God. “A Christmas Promise” that […]
“Be prepared”
Do you know the Boy Scout motto? It’s, “Be prepared.” And it’s actually a good motto for all of us! It’s also the posture of a man we’re meeting in Luke chapter 2 this week on Discover the Word. Join us at the table and learn from Simeon how to be prepared and always hopeful! […]
What Do We Do Now With All Those Christmas Gifts?
Can you believe it? Christmas Day has come and gone—just like that. Over the last month or possibly just this past week, you probably spent a great deal of time writing Christmas cards
Experience peace despite our present circumstances!
We’re told that Christmas is the season to be jolly, but what if we’re dealing with deep disappointment and broken relationships? Today on Discover the Word, we’ll explore an aspect of the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, to find how we can experience peace and contentment despite our present circumstances! Listen to Discover the […]
Hang On, Should Christians be Celebrating Christmas?
I don’t know about you, but when it gets this close to Christmas, I often look at the tinsel, the sparkling lights, and the crowded stores and wonder if I should be engaging in all the hype.
A Thrill of Hope
Reginald Fessenden had been working for years to achieve wireless radio communication. Other scientists found his ideas radical and unorthodox, and doubted he would succeed. But he claims that on December 24, 1906, he became the first person to ever play music over the radio.
Fessenden held a contract with a fruit company which had installed wireless systems on roughly a dozen boats to communicate about the harvesting and marketing of bananas. That Christmas Eve, Fessenden said that he told the wireless operators on board all ships to pay attention. At 9 o’clock they heard his voice.
He reportedly played a record…
God with Us
“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left . . .” These hymn lyrics, written by the fifth-century Celtic Christian St. Patrick, echo in my mind when I read Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth. They feel like a warm embrace, reminding me that I’m never alone.
Matthew’s account tells us that God dwelling with His people is at the heart of Christmas. Quoting Isaiah’s prophecy of a child who would be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Isa. 7:14), Matthew points to the…
How Excited Are You For Christmas?
Fairy lights. Pretty baubles. Marshmallows roasting over the fire. The fresh smell of pine trees. Loved ones gathered around a table sharing stories and good food.
Have you allowed the true meaning of Christmas to impact your life?
I’d encourage you to get together with the Discover the Word team today. They have a question they’d like you to think about. Beyond the lights and the presents, when did the true meaning of Christmas impact your life? When did Christmas become Christmas for you? Has it? Well, join us to hear how “Christmas […]
Silent Night of the Soul
Long before Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber created the familiar carol “Silent Night,” Angelus Silesius had written:
Lo! in the silent night a child to God is born,
And all is brought again that ere was lost or lorn.
Could but thy soul, O man, become a silent night
God would be born in thee and set all things aright.
Silesius, a Polish monk, published the poem in 1657 in The Cherubic Pilgrim. During our church’s annual Christmas Eve service, the choir sang a beautiful rendition of the song titled “Could but Thy Soul Become a Silent Night.”
The twofold mystery of Christmas is that God became…
