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Born This Way: A Cause to Celebrate?
A few years ago, Lady Gaga came out with her hit song “Born This Way”—which I still hear over the radio often. It’s catchy, and I’m sure many of us could easily sing along to the chorus. But I recently took a closer look at the lyrics, and became rather concerned.
What if God was “A Bowl of Ice Cream”?
Of all the presents I received for my eighth birthday—coloring books, fancy stationery, and toys— the children’s Bible was the best gift. I recall racing through Genesis to Jude, but staying away from Revelation because I did not like thinking about the End Times.
Ripples of Hope
In 1966, U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy made an influential visit to South Africa. There he offered words of hope to opponents of apartheid in his famous “Ripple of Hope” speech at the University of Cape Town. In his speech, he declared, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
At…
To Be Continued . . .
Growing up in the 1950s, I often attended the Saturday matinee at a local movie theater. Along with cartoons and a feature film, there was an adventure serial that always ended with the hero or heroine facing an impossible situation. There seemed to be no way out, but each episode concluded with the words “To Be Continued . . . ”
The apostle Paul was no stranger to life-threatening situations. He was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked as he sought to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people. He knew that someday he would die, but he never considered…
What If It’s True?
It’s the great debate: Is there a God or not? Let’s take it one step further and ask, “Is Jesus really God?” There’s a lot riding on the answer. It only makes sense to keep an open mind while figuring out the dilemma. Looking at the facts in Scripture as well as stories from contemporary […]
A powerful exchange between Jesus and a religious lawyer
The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the greatest short stories Jesus ever told. Today we take a look at the stirring conclusion to a powerful exchange.
A narrow-minded heart exposed
Teachers cringe at this question from their students: “Is this going to be on the test?” This question reveals to teachers that the students have focused their interest on getting a good grade, rather than learning. Join us on “Discover the Word” as we discuss why Jesus told the classic story of the Good Samaritan.
One of the most familiar stories Jesus ever told
Questions and answers. Sometimes we ask questions we already know the answer to. Sometimes we ask questions to reveal what the other person does not know! Today on “Discover the Word,” we explore how Jesus used questions and answers to reveal a man’s heart. Don’t miss this insightful conversation.
Jesus, a master communicator
In as little as eight verses, Jesus turned the tables on a religious lawyer seeking to embarrass Him. Discover how Jesus god straight to the heart in all His interactions as we continue our series on the Good Samaritan.
An unexpected hero
As Jesus began telling the story of the Good Samaritan, his audience more than likely had expected a different hero than the one they got. Join us on “Discover the Word” as we take a look at Luke 10 to reveal the story-telling strategy of Jesus. Why does it seem that all the wrong characters in the story are getting things right?
Baking with Jess
One morning as Lilia prepared for work, her 4-year-old daughter Jess set to work too. The family had purchased a conveyor toaster, and the concept of cycling bread through the small countertop oven fascinated Jess. Minutes later, Lilia discovered a loaf and a half of toast piled on the counter. “I’m a very good baker!” Jess declared.
It’s no miracle that an inquisitive girl could turn bread into toast. But when Jesus transformed a boy’s five loaves and two fish into a meal for thousands, the crowd on the hillside recognized the miraculous nature of the event and wanted to make…
Einstein and Jesus
We remember Albert Einstein for more than his disheveled hair, big eyes, and witty charm. We know him as the genius and physicist who changed the way we see the world. His famous formula of E=mc2 revolutionized scientific thought and brought us into the nuclear age. Through his “Special Theory of Relativity” he reasoned that since everything in the universe is in motion, all knowledge is a matter of perspective. He believed that the speed of light is the only constant by which we can measure space, time, or physical mass.
Long before Einstein, Jesus talked about the role of light…
A Portrait of Jesus
In Portraits of Famous American Women, Robert Henkes writes, “A portrait is not a photograph, nor is it a mirror image.” A portrait goes beyond the outer appearance to probe the emotional depth of the human soul. In a portrait, a true artist tries “to capture what the person is really about.”
Over the centuries, many portraits have been painted of Jesus. Perhaps you’ve seen them in a church or museum of art or even have one in your home. Not one of these is a true portrait, of course, because we have no photograph or mirror image of our Lord’s…
Debits and Credits
When my husband was teaching an accounting class at a local college, I took one of the tests just for fun to see how well I could do. The results were not good. I answered every question wrong. The reason for my failure was that I started with a faulty understanding of a basic banking concept. I reversed debits and credits.
We sometimes get our debits and credits confused in the spiritual realm as well. When we blame Satan for everything that goes wrong—whether it’s bad weather, a jammed printer, or financial trouble—we’re actually giving him credit that he doesn’t…
How Jesus comforts us
On the eve of His death, Jesus had an intimate meal with His disciples, and He loved them to the end. The disciples had no idea what plans Jesus had for them. Join us for a rich discussion about how Jesus comforted His disciples, and us!
