Topic > Christian Beliefs > Humanity > Personal Behavior and Responsibility >
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”!
Breaking free from resentment
Holding on to anger and bitterness is like ingesting poison and expecting the other person to die. And today on “Discover the Word,” the Institute for Prison Ministries director Karen Swanson and our team share keys that will help us break free from resentment. Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!
How shame can be its own prison
When a prisoner from a disadvantaged upbringing is released, families often throw a “get out of jail” party. However that’s not usually true for inmates from middle or upper class homes. Their return to society is usually shrouded in secrecy. Today on “Discover the Word,” our guest Karen Swanson and the team discuss how shame can be a prison whether we’ve ever been in jail or not. That’s today at on “Discover the Word”!
How did Paul break free from the cycle of sin
Addiction puts people behind bars, both literally and figuratively. And we can become enslaved to a variety of things like drugs, gossip, TV, shopping, or a critical spirit! Today on “Discover the Word,” we discuss with our guest Karen Swanson the apostle Paul’s dilemma—one he expressed so honestly—“for what I want to do, I don’t do . . . but what I hate, I do!” How did Paul break free from that cycle of sin? And how can we? Tune in today to “Discover the Word”!
Enslaved by a prison of performance
Imagine being known for the worst thing you’ve done. That’s what happens to those who’ve been in prison. And even after they’ve been released, they’re constantly reminded by society of what they’ve done. In a sense, they still feel imprisoned. Today on “Discover the Word,” we, along with guest Karen Swanson, talk about how we all can be enslaved by a prison of performance. Listen today to “Discover the Word”!
It’s not where you are, but who you are
It’s possible to be behind bars, but still experience freedom. And it’s also possible to not be an inmate at a prison, yet still be enslaved by sin. It’s not where you are but who you are. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, and special guest Karen Swanson, talks about how pride can hold us in a prison of our own making while humility can set us free. Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!
“Prison religion”
When an inmate “gets religion” to help his or her chances for parole, what they have is often called “prison religion,” where post-release Jesus gets left behind. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, and Institute for Prison Ministries director Karen Swanson, talks about “prison religion” and also wants to know, when your circumstances change for the better, where is Jesus in your life? “Discover the Word” today!
Perpetrators and victims of sin
While victims of crime can struggle with anger and bitterness, the criminal can wrestle with the shame and the guilt of what they’ve done. And both end up being imprisoned by the things they battle. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, and special guest Karen Swanson, talks about how we’re both perpetrators of sin and victims of sin, making us all prisoners, until Christ sets us free. Join the study today on “Discover the Word”!
Heart Check
When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests.
Our choices are always…
Careless Words
My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure there!” I said.
“You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a grin.
She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my daughter quite bluntly.
I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory…
He Knows If You’ve been Knotty or Nice
“It can’t be done,” my friend said matter-of-factly. We were in the process of decorating our very own “Christmas tree”—made up of stacked Starbucks paper cups—and wanted to wrap glittery garlands around it.
The Power of Words
Nelson Mandela, who opposed the South African apartheid regime and was imprisoned for almost 3 decades, knew the power of words. He is often quoted today, but while in prison his words could not be quoted for fear of repercussion. A decade after his release he said: “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”
King Solomon, author of…
Web Wisdom
Scroll to the bottom of many online news sites and you’ll find the “Comments” section where readers can leave their observations. Even the most reputable sites have no shortage of rude rants, uninformed insults, and name-calling.
The book of Proverbs was collected about 3,000 years ago, but its timeless wisdom is as up-to-date as today’s breaking news. Two proverbs in chapter 26 seem at first glance to contradict each other, yet they apply perfectly to social media. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him” (v. 4). And then, “Answer a fool according…
5 Ways to Live for Yourself
What’s all this about “denying yourself” and “living for others”? Look, I know we can’t decide when we were born and when we will die, but come on, I have every right to decide how I should live. This life belongs to me.
