Topic > Christian Beliefs
The Drinkable Book
Because it is so difficult in parts of the world to find clean drinking water, an organization called Water Is Life developed a wonderful resource called “The Drinkable Book.” The paper in the book is coated in silver nanoparticles that filter out almost 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria! Each tear-out page can be used and reused to filter up to 100 liters of water at the cost of only four pennies per page.
The Bible is also an unusually “drinkable” Book. In John 4, we read of a particular kind of thirst and a special kind of water. The woman at the…
Virtues that should be present in the life of a believer
In Second Peter chapter one, we find a list of virtues that the apostle Peter says should be present in the lives of those who have a relationship with Christ. Today on Discover the Word, the group suggests there’s a foundational virtue that provides the base for all the others. Hear the conclusion of the […]
Grasping the Cross
In 1856, Charles Spurgeon, the great London preacher, founded the Pastors’ College to train men for the Christian ministry. It was renamed Spurgeon’s College in 1923. Today’s college crest shows a hand grasping a cross and the Latin words, Et Teneo, Et Teneor, which means, “I hold and am held.” In his autobiography, Spurgeon wrote, “This is our College motto. We . . . hold forth the Cross of Christ with a bold hand . . . because that Cross holds us fast by its attractive power. Our desire is that every man may both hold the Truth, and be held…
Growing closer to God through life’s trials
Nothing deepens your relationship with the Lord like having Him walk through a difficult situation with you. Perhaps you’re going through a tough time right now. Today on Discover the Word, the group will share how they’ve grown closer to God through the trials in their lives and how those seasons brought them greater compassion […]
Praising and Asking
Teen Challenge, a ministry to at-risk youth in New York City, was born from an unusual commitment to prayer. Its founder, David Wilkerson, sold his television set and spent his TV-watching time (two hours each night) praying. In the months that followed, he not only gained clarity about his new endeavor but he also learned about the balance between praising God and asking Him for help.
King Solomon’s temple dedication prayer shows this balance. Solomon began by highlighting God’s holiness and faithfulness. Then he gave God credit for the success of the project and emphasized God’s greatness, declaring, “The heavens,…
Enduring the trials of life
What are you struggling with today? What burden would you love to get off your back? Today on Discover the Word, the group will offer biblical encouragement for enduring the trials and tough times that turn our lives upside down. Get an inspiring boost to keep going, today on Discover the Word!
How a Message on a T-Shirt Convinced Me to Break Up
Like many other girls, I have wished for a boyfriend since primary school. However, because I was a shy bookworm, I only ever played the part of secret admirer. Then one day in high school, another student asked me out.
How our faith in Christ helps us be to be patient
Life has a way of pushing our buttons. People, pressures, and overwhelming priorities can really stretch our patience! Today on Discover the Word, we will explore how to experience God’s kind of patience in our daily life. We’re looking at Second Peter chapter 1 today on Discover the Word!
Setting Prisoners Free
When my wife and I visited the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force near Savannah, Georgia, we were especially moved by the prisoner-of-war exhibit, with its re-creation of a German prisoner-of-war camp’s barracks. Marlene’s dad, Jim, served in the Eighth Air Force, the “Mighty Eighth,” as they flew missions over Europe during World War II. During the war, the Eighth Air Force suffered over 47,000 injuries and more than 26,000 deaths. Jim was one of those shot down and held as a prisoner of war. As we walked through the exhibit, we recalled Jim telling about the absolute…
When the Spirit of God is at work in our lives
You’ve taken the first step and given your life to Christ. But how does that really impact your daily life? Today on Discover the Word, we continue a thought-provoking study in Second Peter with a helpful discussion about what it looks like when the Spirit of God is at work in our lives because of […]
God’s Reminders
My friend Bob Horner refers to Jesus as “the Master Reminder.” And that is good, because we are so doubting and forgetful. No matter how often Jesus met the needs of the people who came to Him when He was here on earth, His first disciples feared they would somehow be left in need. After witnessing miracles, they failed to understand the greater meaning the Lord wanted them to remember.
On a journey across the Sea of Galilee, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring bread and were talking about it. Jesus asked them, “Do you still not see…
Hold On
Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China, is considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. To view its towering cliffs in all their glorious splendor, you must take the Tianmen Shan cable car, which covers a distance of 7,455 meters (4.5 miles). It’s amazing how this cable car can travel such long distances and scale such steep mountains without any motor on the car itself. Yet it moves safely up these spectacular heights by keeping a strong grip on a cable that is moved by a powerful motor.
In our journey of faith, how can we finish the race…
Bad Faith, Good Faith
“You gotta have faith,” people say. But what does that mean? Is any faith good faith?
“Believe in yourself and all that you are,” wrote one positive thinker a century ago. “Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” As nice as that platitude may sound, it falls to pieces when it crashes into reality. We need a faith in something bigger than ourselves.
God promised Abram he would have a multitude of descendants (Gen. 15:4–5), so he faced a huge obstacle—he was old and childless. When he and Sarah got tired of waiting for God to make…
Within a Stone’s Throw
As a group of religious leaders herded an adulterous woman toward Jesus, they couldn’t know they were carrying her within a stone’s throw of grace. Their hope was to discredit Him. If He told them to let the woman go, they could claim He was breaking Mosaic law. But if He condemned her to death, the crowds following Him would have dismissed His words of mercy and grace.
But Jesus turned the tables on the accusers. Scripture says that rather than answering them directly, He started writing on the ground. When the leaders continued to question Him, He invited any of…
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 . . . .…
