Topic > Christian Beliefs
Abba, Father
The scene belonged on a Father’s Day card. As a dad muscled a lawn mower ahead of him with one hand, he expertly towed a child’s wagon behind him with the other. In the wagon sat his three-year-old daughter, delighted at the noisy tour of their yard. This might not be the safest choice, but who says men can’t multitask?
If you had a good dad, a scene like that can invoke fantastic memories. But for many, “Dad” is an incomplete concept. Where are we to turn if our fathers are gone, or if they fail us, or even if…
Defeat or Victory?
Each year on June 18 the great Battle of Waterloo is recalled in what is now Belgium. On that day in 1815, Napoleon’s French army was defeated by a multinational force commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Since then, the phrase “to meet your Waterloo” has come to mean “to be defeated by someone who is too strong for you or by a problem that is too difficult for you.”
When it comes to our spiritual lives, some people feel that ultimate failure is inevitable and it’s only a matter of time until each of us will “meet our Waterloo.”…
Learning to share in our brokenness
Dealing with painful circumstances tends to draw us inward. Sometimes we even forget there are others around us struggling with brokenness and sorrow as well. Today on Discover the Word, the group challenges us to take God’s message of healing to those in need. We’re learning how to share “The Beauty of Broken” . . […]
Marathon Reading
When the sun came up on the first day of the seventh month in 444 bc, Ezra started reading the law of Moses (what we know as the first five books of the Bible). Standing on a platform in front of the people in Jerusalem, he read it straight through for the next six hours.
Men, women, and children had gathered at the entrance to the city known as the Water Gate to observe the Festival of Trumpets—one of the feasts prescribed for them by God. As they listened, four reactions stand out.
They stood up in reverence for the Book…
Embracing the pain
Has a broken relationship left a hole in your heart? Perhaps a recent hurt has crushed your defenses. Today on Discover the Word, we explain how embracing the pain can open us up to more of God’s love and healing. Don’t miss this encouraging discussion today on Discover the Word!
Some Assembly Required
Around our home, the words “some assembly required” have been the cause of great frustration (mine) and great humor (my family). When my wife and I first married, I attempted to make simple home repairs—with disastrous results. A repaired shower handle worked perfectly—if the plan was for the water to run between the walls. My fiascoes continued after we had children, when I assured my wife, Cheryl, I “don’t need instructions” to put these “simple” toys together. Wrong!
Gradually, I learned my lesson and began to pay strict attention to the instructions and things went together as they should. Unfortunately, the…
Putting the pieces back together
When a prized possession in our home shatters, we’re prone to simply throw away the pieces. Thankfully, that’s not what God does with broken things! Today on Discover the Word, we study how the fractured parts of our families bring us closer to God. Looking to put the pieces back together in your family? Join […]
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…
“The Beauty of Broken”
Maybe our family portrait isn’t what we thought it would be. And even when we try to touch up the picture of our home life the flaws still show through. Today on Discover the Word, the group shows us how to see God’s goodness through the cracks of our family relationships. We’re talking about “The […]
Broken family & shattered relationships
In the midst of broken families and shattered relationships, we often feel completely alone. Like no one understands the pain and hurt we’re experiencing. But today on Discover the Word, we’re reminded that God knows exactly what it is like to be broken! Discover the God who understands . . . today on Discover the […]
Repeat After Me
When Rebecca stood on stage to speak at a conference, her first sentence into the microphone echoed around the room. It was a bit unsettling for her to hear her own words come back at her, and she had to adjust to the faulty sound system and try to ignore the echo of every word she spoke.
Imagine what it would be like to hear everything we say repeated! It wouldn’t be so bad to hear ourselves repeat “I love you” or “I was wrong” or “Thank You, Lord” or “I’m praying for you.” But not all of our words are…
Safety Net
For years I thought of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7) as a blueprint for human behavior, a standard no one could possibly meet. How could I have missed the true meaning? Jesus spoke these words not to encumber us, but to tell us what God is like.
Why should we love our enemies? Because our merciful Father causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good. Why store up treasures in heaven? Because the Father lives there and will lavishly reward us. Why live without fear and worry? Because the same God who clothes the lilies and…
Is your life characterized by gratitude?
No one likes a whiner, we’d much rather hang around someone who is grateful! Today on Discover the Word, the group meets us where we all live, asking the question that convicts us all: “Is your life characterized more by gratitude or complaining?” Be listening on Discover the Word!
The need to be rooted as we walk out our faith
“Let’s burn that bridge when we come to it.” That’s what’s known as a mixed metaphor. It doesn’t make sense! Today on Discover the Word, we will talk about a mixed metaphor in the Bible. Like the need to be rooted, as we walk out our faith while standing on a firm foundation. Join the group […]
Grace: Accepting God’s Gift to You
Ephesians 2 uses the phrase “dead in your sins.” But what does that really mean? Dead means lifeless, powerless, inanimate. It means we were incapable of doing anything to change our situation. But God is loving and merciful, and He chose to give us new life. That’s the beauty of His grace—we’ve done nothing to […]
