Topic > Christian Beliefs
Calming Your Soul
While attending a concert, my mind detoured to a troublesome issue that insisted on my attention. Thankfully, the distraction was short-lived as the words of a beautiful hymn began to reach deep into my being. A men’s a capella group was singing “Be Still, My Soul.” Tears welled up as I listened to the words and contemplated the restful peace that only God can give:
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side! Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change He faithful will remain.
When Jesus was denouncing the unrepentant towns where He…
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 […]
Reliving the Horrific 2015 Nepal Earthquake
25 April 2015. It was the day my friend came to Nepal to visit me (I was mid-way through my one-year missions stint in Nepal). It was also the day the world witnessed the most horrific earthquake to strike Nepal since 1934.
Words for the Weary
A few days after his father died, 30-year-old C. S. Lewis received a letter from a woman who had cared for his mother during her illness and death more than two decades earlier. The woman offered her sympathy for his loss and wondered if he remembered her. “My dear Nurse Davison,” Lewis replied. “Remember you? I should think I do.”
Lewis recalled how much her presence in their home had meant to him as well as to his brother and father during a difficult time. He thanked her for her words of sympathy and said, “It is really comforting to be taken…
What did Jesus mean when he said he would “sit at His Father’s right hand”?
Today on Discover the Word, discover what Darrell Bock means by a “cultural script” and how a “cultural script” in a statement by Jesus provided the Jews with all the motivation they needed to plan His arrest and death. Join the group and their guest Darrell Bock as they explain the cultural significance of Jesus […]
The Gates of Worship
When you enter some of the greatest cities in the world, you can encounter famous gates such as the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin), the Jaffa Gate (Jerusalem), and the gates at Downing Street (London). Whether the gates were built for defensive or ceremonial purposes, they all represent the difference between being outside or inside certain areas of the city. Some are open; some are closed to all but a few.
The gates into the presence of God are always open. The familiar song of Psalm 100 is an invitation for the Israelites to enter into the presence of God through the temple…
“Miracle in reverse”
Author and seminary professor Darrell Bock says that all the accounts of the miracles of Jesus recorded in the New Testament start with the miracle and end with the audience’s reaction to it, all except one. Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock discover the significance of this “miracle in reverse.” Tune […]
Appreciating the great debt Jesus paid for you
Are you struggling in your Christian life? Could it be you’ve developed a “pinch of spiritual entitlement”? Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock remind us how appreciating the great debt Jesus paid for us can cure us of that entitled feeling and get us back on the right track spiritually. […]
Connecting the Dots
In the 1880s French artist Georges Seurat introduced an art form known as pointillism. As the name suggests, Seurat used small dots of color, rather than brush strokes of blended pigments, to create an artistic image. Up close, his work looks like groupings of individual dots. Yet as the observer steps back, the human eye blends the dots into brightly colored portraits or landscapes.
The big picture of the Bible is similar. Up close, its complexity can leave us with the impression of dots on a canvas. As we read it, we might feel like Cleopas and his friend on the…
A needed perspective
Imagine you’ve gone back in time and you’re watching Moses part the Red Sea, after observing all the plagues that convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Many believers wish they could have witnessed those dramatic miracles. But today on Discover the Word, the group, and our guest Darrell Bock give us a needed perspective on […]
Making Preparations
As we viewed my father-in-law’s body in his casket at the funeral home, one of his sons took his dad’s hammer and tucked it alongside his folded hands. Years later, when my mother-in-law died, one of the children slipped a set of knitting needles under her fingers. Those sweet gestures brought comfort to us as we remembered how often they had used those tools during their lives.
Of course, we knew that they wouldn’t actually need those items in eternity. We had no illusions, as the ancient Egyptians did, that tools or money or weapons buried with someone would better prepare…
The Survival Float
Sunlight glittered on the swimming pool in front of me. I overheard an instructor speaking to a student who had been in the water for quite a while. He said, “It looks like you’re getting tired. When you’re exhausted and in deep water, try the survival float.”
Certain situations in life require us to spend our mental, physical, or emotional energy in a way that we can’t sustain. David described a time when his enemies were threatening him and he felt the emotional weight of their anger. He needed to escape the distress he was experiencing.
As he processed his feelings, he…
Recognizing our need for God!
“You gotta have faith!” Tough to argue with that, but what does that mean, exactly? Today on Discover the Word, the group and guest Darrell Bock discuss how faith is more than a belief in the truth. At faith’s core is the humble recognition of our need for God, 24/7. Join us for Discover the Word!
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.
