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    5 Facts that Helped Me Choose Forgiveness

    We all react differently when people hurt us. Some of us lash back, some of us brood quietly, and some turn to other sources of comfort for solace. Sometimes, we can become bitter after being hurt, and it eventually destroys our relationships.

    Praying For You Today

    When we face a perplexing situation or a tough problem, we often ask our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for us. It’s a great encouragement to know that others who care are holding us up to God in prayer. But what if you don’t have close Christian friends? Perhaps you live where the gospel of Christ is opposed. Who will pray for you?

    Romans 8, one of the great, triumphant chapters of the Bible, declares, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans . . . .…

    What’s the one word you associate with the gospel?

    What one word do you associate with the gospel and salvation? Many would say “grace” or “rescue” or “forgiveness.” But there’s one word the New Testament uses that might surprise you! Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock reveal what that word is and why we need to know it! Be part […]

    My Struggle With Alcohol: The Spirit That Never Satisfies

    I used to drink a lot. Once, I had one too many that I stumbled about the streets and passed out outside a shopping mall in the wee hours. Some kind strangers woke me up and asked if I needed to be sent to the hospital.

    Doing What He Says

    I needed an underground water tank and knew precisely how I wanted it constructed, so I gave clear instructions to the builder. The next day when I inspected the project, I was annoyed when I realized that he had failed to carry out my instructions. He had changed the plan and therefore the effect. The excuse he gave was as irritating as his failure to follow my directives.

    As I watched him redo the concrete work, and as my frustration diminished, a guilty conviction swept over me: How many times have I needed to redo things in my life in obedience…

    How Can I Be Filled With The Holy Spirit?

    Find sound, practical answers to the questions you have about the Holy Spirit as author Herb Vander Lugt examines Scripture to help you gain clarity about what it means to live a Spirit-filled life. Discover how putting Christ at the center of your life, reading His Word, submitting to His will, and having complete trust in His promises can show evidence of His Spirit operating in your life.

    God’s Mouthpiece

    My nerves fluttering, I waited for the phone to ring and the radio interview to start. I wondered what questions the host would ask and how I would respond. “Lord, I’m much better on paper,” I prayed. “But I suppose it’s the same as Moses—I need to trust that you will give me the words to speak.”

    Of course I’m not comparing myself with Moses, the leader of God’s people who helped them escape slavery in Egypt to life in the Promised Land. A reluctant leader, Moses needed the Lord to reassure him that the Israelites would listen to him. The…

    God Talk

    Recently, my son-in-law was explaining to my granddaughter Maggie that we can talk with God and that He communicates with us. When Ewing told Maggie that God sometimes speaks to us through the Bible, she responded without hesitation: “Well, He’s never said anything to me. I’ve never heard God talk to me.”

                Most of us would probably agree with Maggie, if hearing an audible voice telling us, “Sell your house, and go take care of orphans in a faraway land,” is what we mean by God communicating with us. But when we talk about hearing God “speak,” we usually mean…

    Living Out Our Faith

    How do you live out your faith in your everyday life? God calls you to live a life that obeys the words of Jesus Christ. This course will show you how to continue to grow in your faith and to live out your faith in every area of your life.

    We deeply appreciate the provision of these course materials from Urban Youth Workers Institute. If you have interest in their ministry please visit uywi.org.

    True Communication

    Walking in my North London neighborhood, I can hear snatches of conversation in many languages—Polish, Japanese, Hindi, Croatian, and Italian, to name a few. This diversity feels like a taste of heaven, yet I can’t understand what they’re saying. As I step into the Russian café or the Polish market and hear the different accents and sounds, I sometimes reflect on how wonderful it must have been on the day of Pentecost when people of many nations could understand what the disciples were saying.

    On that day, pilgrims gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of the harvest. The Holy…

    Set free from sinful habits and thought patterns

    Statistically, as many as two-thirds of released prisoners find themselves back in jail. Today on “Discover the Word,” our team, along with guest Karen Swanson, reveals how it is possible to be set free from habits and thought patterns and not go back to them. The conclusion of our series “We’re All Prisoners,” today on “Discover the Word”!

    Flowing Peace

    “I’m not surprised you lead retreats,” said an acquaintance in my exercise class. “You have a good aura.” I was jolted but pleased by her comment, because I realized that what she saw as an “aura” in me, I understood to be the peace of Christ. As we follow Jesus, He gives us the peace that transcends understanding (Phil. 4:7) and radiates from within—though we may not even be aware of it.

    Jesus promised His followers this peace when, after their last supper together, He prepared them for His death and resurrection. He told them that though they would have trouble…

    Time to Grow

    In Debbie’s new home, she discovered an abandoned plant in a dark corner of the kitchen. The dusty and ragged leaves looked like those of a moth orchid, and she imagined how pretty the plant would look once it had sent up new bloom-bearing stems. She moved the pot into a spot by the window, cut off the dead leaves, and watered it thoroughly. She bought plant food and applied it to the roots. Week after week she inspected the plant, but no new shoots appeared. “I’ll give it another month,” she told her husband, “and if nothing has happened…

    The Spirit Delivers

    Until recently, many towns in rural Ireland didn’t use house numbers or postal codes. So if there were three Patrick Murphys in town, the newest resident with that name would not get his mail until it was first delivered to the other two Patrick Murphys who had lived there longer. “My neighbors would get it first,” said Patrick Murphy (the newest resident). “They’d have a good read, and they’d go, ‘No, it’s probably not us.’ ” To end all this mail-delivery confusion, the Irish government recently instituted its first postal-code system which will ensure the proper delivery of the mail.

    Sometimes…