Topic > Christian Beliefs
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 […]
Watch and Pray
From my window I can see a 1,700-meter hill called the Cerro del Borrego or “Hill of the Sheep.” In 1862, the French army invaded Mexico. While the enemy camped in the central park of Orizaba, the Mexican army established its position at the top of the hill. However, the Mexican general neglected to guard access to the top. While the Mexican troops were sleeping, the French attacked and killed 2,000 of them.
This reminds me of another hill, the Mount of Olives, and the garden at its foot where a group of disciples fell asleep. Jesus rebuked them, saying, “Watch and…
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.
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…
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 […]
At Risk of Falling
When my friend Elaine was recovering after a bad fall, a hospital worker placed a bright yellow bracelet on her wrist. It read: Fall Risk. That phrase meant: Watch this person carefully. She may be unsteady on her feet. Help her get from place to place.
First Corinthians 10 contains something like a “Fall Risk” warning for believers. With a glance back at his ancestors, Paul noted the human potential to fall into sin. The Israelites complained, worshiped idols, and had immoral relationships. God grew unhappy with them and allowed them to experience consequences for their wrongdoing. However, Paul said,…
Dance of the Saints
“Eyes fixed where the Son reigns. Color them great cloud of witnesses now crowned, now reigning, dancing where the Son stay. They stayed, they stood, they praised and prayed, endured for the sake of the gospel. . . . Be not afraid to light up the dance floor, and dance more.” —Ciara Jones
Pursuing excellence
In an effort to be the best, do you find yourself drivin’ and strivin’ . . . provin’ and pressin’ to excel? Well, there’s a right way and a wrong way to pursue excellence. Today on Discover the Word, the team along with author Adele Calhoun returns to continue their series “Invitations from God.” Of […]
Your Father Knows
I was only four years old as I lay by my father on a floor mat on a hot summer night. (My mother, with a baby, had her own room at the time.) This was in northern Ghana where the climate is mostly dry. Sweat covered my body and the heat parched my throat. I felt so thirsty I shook my father awake. In the middle of that dry night, he rose up and poured water from a jar for me to quench my thirst. Throughout my life, as he did that night, he exemplified the image of a caring…
When We Don’t Understand
Although I depend on technology every day to get my job done, I don’t understand much about how it works. I turn my computer on, bring up a Word document, and get to work on my writing. Yet my inability to comprehend how microchips, hard drives, Wi-Fi connections, and full-color displays actually function doesn’t get in the way of my benefiting from technology.
In a sense, this mirrors our relationship with God. Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God is far beyond us: “’My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are…
God invites us to wait with Him
Waiting on God is never easy. And yet in the process of waiting on God we find an invitation to wait with God, drawing us closer to Him. Today on Discover the Word, the group, and author Adele Calhoun continue their series “Invitations from God,” by discussing how we can wait well. Would you say […]
Seeing ourselves as others see us
The poet Roberts Burns once said, “Oh the gift to see ourselves as others see us.” Today on Discover the Word, special guest Adele Calhoun joins the group to discuss the gift she received when her husband told her the brutal truth . . . that she interrupted people! So, what happened when she gave up […]
No Fear
Nearly every time an angel appears in the Bible, the first words he says are “Do not be afraid!” (Dan. 10:12, 19; Matt. 28:5; Rev. 1:17). Little wonder. When the supernatural makes contact with planet Earth, it usually leaves the human observers flat on their faces in catatonic fear. But Luke tells of God making an appearance on earth in a form that does not frighten. In Jesus, born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough, God finds at last a mode of approach that we need not fear. What could be less scary than a newborn baby?
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