Topic > Biblical Studies
Choosing faith over fear
As the Christmas carol tells us, Christmas brings “tidings of comfort and joy”! But it’s safe to say that not everyone buys into the Savior in the manger. Today on Discover the Word, we turn our attention to one person in the Christmas story who saw Christmas as a threat. Yes, “Christmas Changes Everything,” but […]
Home for Christmas
Christmas 1982 found me on assignment in a place many of my friends couldn’t locate on a map. Trudging from my worksite back to my room, I braced against the chill wind blowing off the bleak Black Sea. I missed home.
When I arrived at my room, I opened the door to a magical moment. My artistic roommate had completed his latest project—a nineteen-inch ceramic Christmas tree that now illuminated our darkened room with sparkling dots of color. If only for a moment, I was home again!
As Jacob fled from his brother Esau, he found himself in a strange and lonely…
Seeing Christmas in a New Light
My all-time favorite occasion is Christmas. Why, you may ask? Well, which other occasion can match up to the myriad of activities?
A closer look at the shepherds
Most nativity scenes are pretty similar. You’ve got Mary, Joseph, and Jesus of course, usually some sheep, a donkey, an angel, and a couple shepherds. Today on Discover the Word, we’ll take a little closer look at those shepherds, who discovered that “Christmas Changes Everything.” Be listening today to Discover the Word!
Breaking the Silence
At the end of the Old Testament, God seems to be in hiding. For four centuries, the Jews wait and wonder. God seems passive, unconcerned, and deaf to their prayers. Only one hope remains: the ancient promise of a Messiah. On that promise the Jews stake everything. And then something momentous happens. The birth of a baby is announced.
You can catch the excitement just by reading the reactions of people in Luke. Events surrounding Jesus’s birth resemble a joy-filled musical. Characters crowd into the scene: a white-haired great uncle (Luke 1:5–25), an astonished virgin (1:26–38), the old prophetess Anna (2:36).…
The Star of Bethlehem Was Not the Point
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” The Star of Bethlehem had a point, an important point.
So what made Joseph stay?
Today on Discover the Word, you’re invited to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Your fiancée comes to you and says, “I’m pregnant.” How would you react? Like Joseph, you’d probably consider the option of backing out of that marriage. So what made Joseph stay? Learn how “Christmas Changes Everything” when you join us today for […]
Christmas Can Be a Time of Loneliness
The Christmas season sometimes feels like an incredibly lonely one for me, and listening in on other people’s exciting holiday plans makes things worse. “Am I the only one doomed to be spending Christmas holed up in Auckland with my family?” I think.
Extreme Measures
A few years ago, a friend of mine lost track of her young son while walking through a swarm of people at Union Station in Chicago. Needless to say, it was a terrifying experience. Frantically, she yelled his name and ran back up the escalator, retracing her steps in an effort to find her little boy. The minutes of separation seemed like hours, until, suddenly—thankfully—her son emerged from the crowd and ran to the safety of her arms.
Thinking of my friend who would have done anything to find her child fills me with a renewed sense of gratitude for the…
How Christmas changed everything
Every generation has its heroes—valiant soldiers, daring inventors, and medical geniuses. But the most earth-shattering event in history had at its center, a teenage girl. Today on Discover the Word, the team will lead a discussion on how Christmas changed everything for Mary and how it continues to change everything for us. It’s a powerful […]
It’s Time to Re-Examine Why You Celebrate Christmas
We had barely entered the month of December when the Christmas lights went up in my new neighborhood. But it was the cheerful Christmas carols permeating the air each morning that was the icing on the cake for me.
Why I’m In Awe of Baby Jesus
This month, I celebrate one year of motherhood. Yes, that means my baby has turned a year old, and what a year it has been! It may be a cliché, but what’s been said about motherhood is true: it’s tiring, trying, and stretching, yet every single bit of it is worth it.
Jesus is making all things new
Out with the old, in with the new! Today on Discover the Word, the team continues their study in the gospel of John, looking at how Jesus removes anything that stands in the way of our relationship with God, even if that “thing” is religion. Jesus is making all things new, and that includes you […]
5 Practical Ways to Savor Christ this Christmas
Last year, my kids and I snuggled up to read a Christmas story. It’s the story of a boy whose parents are determined to throw him an epic birthday party—replete with guests, food, decor and party favors.
When Crisis Strikes at Christmas
I will never forget Christmas Day, 2014. It was the day my wife had a panic attack. We were getting ready to leave for church that day.
