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Naming God
In his book The God I Don’t Understand, Christopher Wright observes that an unlikely person is one of the first to give God a name. It’s Hagar!
Hagar’s story provides a disturbingly honest look at human history. It’s been years since God told Abram and Sarai they would have a son, and Sarai has only grown older and more impatient. In order to “help” God, she resorts to a custom of the day. She gives her slave, Hagar, to her husband, and Hagar becomes pregnant.
Predictably, dissension arises. Sarai mistreats Hagar, who runs away. Alone in the desert, she meets the…
A Father’s heart
Luke 15 and Jesus’s parable about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son—they all make the point that our heavenly Father’s heart is a heart that “seeks and saves” the lost. And whether we think we’re the best of the best or the worst of the worst, we have a pursuing Father […]
A wasted inheritance
“It’s not fair!” It’s not just whiny little kids who say that, because we all want justice. Today on Discover the Word, we will continue to discuss the parable of the prodigal son. We know about the runaway son who wasted his inheritance. But the older brother was wasting an inheritance too . . . his relationship with […]
A father’s love for his son
What does forgiveness look like to you? Next time on Discover the Word, the group will continue to look at the story of the prodigal son. It’s a parable retold in thousands of sermons, of a father’s love for his son and the forgiveness he extends. But is it just a story, one that we wish […]
Context is king
Context is king—that’s one of the guiding Bible study principles of the Discover the Word group. And today on Discover the Word, we will discuss the need to understand the story of the prodigal son in the times in which it was written and to whom it was written. Why the context holds the key to […]
4 Benefits of Being Weak
Every society aspires to be successful or strong. In my tiny city-state, that has meant a constant effort to survive and to find stability and security over the past 50 years.
Mission Possible
“Good morning listener, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to win the lost!” Today on Discover the Word, join us as they talk about “Mission Possible,” a “seek and save” rescue mission driven by a Father’s heart for the lost. Join the group for a fresh spin on Jesus’s most familiar parable—the […]
What Would Jesus Post?
Most millennials (myself included) take immense pride in sharing their daily lives on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to display or articulate who they are and what they stand for.
Love Your Neighbor
An anthropologist was winding up several months of research in an African village, the story is told. While waiting for a ride to the airport for his return flight home, he decided to pass the time by making up a game for some village children. His idea was to create a race for a basket of fruit and candy that he placed near a tree. But when he gave the signal to run, no one made a dash for the finish line. Instead the children joined hands and ran together to the tree.
When asked why they chose to run…
What does having a heart for God look like?
What does having a heart for God look like? Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss King David’s song of hopeful faith—Psalm 27. David starts out talking about his God, declaring his confidence in God’s deliverance. But in the end, he responds to his God. Explore why that’s an important distinction to make . . […]
Why Does God Allow Some to Suffer More Than Others?
At a recent political conference, I had the opportunity to meet individuals from different countries, many of whom were currently living amid political uncertainty. Listening to the struggles they faced in their own countries, I was intrigued.
Waiting for the Lord’s deliverance
Hope and faith—two pretty important words in the Christian’s vocabulary. And today on Discover the Word, we will look at Psalm 27 where we find King David in a time of crisis. In this song, David expresses both hope—that translates to courage, and faith—the act of waiting for the Lord’s deliverance. Psalm 27—a song of hopeful […]
“Fear of the Lord” . . . what does it mean?
What does “fear of the Lord” mean? Does it mean we should cower and cringe . . . hoping that God won’t punish us for our mistakes? Today on Discover the Word, the team discusses a helpful way of thinking about what it means to “fear the Lord.” It’s kind of a surprising end to […]
God wants to rescue all men and women!
How do you set your priorities? Today on Discover the Word, the team talks about why we should make it our priority to show the world God’s graciousness, His favor, and His love. It’s the same reason proclaimed in Psalm 67 . . . so that the world would know that God wants to rescue all […]
