Topic > Christian Beliefs
Relief for the Troubled
One of my favorite scenes in literature occurs when a feisty aunt confronts an evil stepfather over the abuse of her nephew, David Copperfield. This scene takes place in Charles Dickens’ novel named after the main character.
When David Copperfield shows up at his aunt’s house, his stepfather is not far behind. Aunt Betsy Trotwood is not pleased to see the malicious Mr. Murdstone. She recounts a list of offenses and does not let him slither out of his responsibility for each act of cruelty. Her charges are so forceful and truthful that Mr. Murdstone—a normally aggressive person—finally leaves without a…
God’s Enduring Word
At the beginning of World War II, aerial bombings flattened much of Warsaw, Poland. Cement blocks, ruptured plumbing, and shards of glass lay strewn across the great city. In the downtown area, however, most of one damaged building still stubbornly stood. It was the Polish headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society. Still legible on a surviving wall were these words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35).
Jesus made that statement to encourage His disciples when they asked Him about the “end of the age” (v. 3). But His words also…
Context is king!
If your friends around the table could only give you one piece of advice about how to read and study the Bible, what do you think it would be? Most likely, it would be “Pay attention to the context!” and so today on “Discover the Word,” we remember that context is king! Listen today on “Discover the Word”!
The Spirit Delivers
Until recently, many towns in rural Ireland didn’t use house numbers or postal codes. So if there were three Patrick Murphys in town, the newest resident with that name would not get his mail until it was first delivered to the other two Patrick Murphys who had lived there longer. “My neighbors would get it first,” said Patrick Murphy (the newest resident). “They’d have a good read, and they’d go, ‘No, it’s probably not us.’ ” To end all this mail-delivery confusion, the Irish government recently instituted its first postal-code system which will ensure the proper delivery of the mail.
Sometimes…
What to do with conflicting Bible verses
What are we to do with conflicting Bible verses like, “Don’t answer a fool according to his folly” and “Answer a fool according to his folly”? Today on “Discover the Word,” we begin a “Discover the Word 101” conversation that can help you make sense of even apparent contradictions in the Bible! Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!
Jesus Wept
I was engrossed in a book when a friend bent over to see what I was reading. Almost immediately, she recoiled and looked at me aghast. “What a gloomy title!” she said.
I was reading “The Glass Coffin” in Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and the word coffin disturbed her. Most of us don’t like to be reminded of our mortality. But the reality is that out of 1,000 people, 1,000 people will die.
Death always elicits a deep emotional response. It was at the funeral of one of His dear friends that Jesus displayed strong emotions. When He saw Mary, whose brother had recently died,…
How did Jesus model true manhood?
When we talk about Jesus, it’s mostly in association with the major events of His life: His birth, death, and resurrection. But what about all those years between His birth and His death? What kind of person was Jesus; how did He live as a man? Today on “Discover the Word,” the group and guest Carolyn Custis James discuss how Jesus often upset preconceived ideas about how a man should act. Discover how Jesus modeled true manhood today on “Discover the Word”!
The God Who Paints
Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472) may have had a difficult name to pronounce, but his name is full of significance. It means “Hungry Coyote,” and this man’s writings show a spiritual hunger. As a poet and ruler in Mexico before the arrival of the Europeans, he wrote, “Truly the gods, which I worship, are idols of stone that do not speak nor feel. . . . Some very powerful, hidden and unknown god is the creator of the entire universe. He is the only one that can console me in my affliction and help me in such anguish as my heart feels; I…
The Apple of His Eye
A friend’s baby was suffering seizures, so they sped to the hospital in an ambulance, her heart racing as she prayed for her daughter. Her fierce love for this child hit her afresh as she held her tiny fingers, recalling too how much more the Lord loves us and how we are “the apple of His eye.”
The prophet Zechariah employs this phrase in his word to God’s people who had returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. He calls them to repent, to rebuild the temple, and to renew their hearts of love for the true God. For the…
Being treated like outsiders
Have you ever felt marginalized because of your gender? Well, today on “Discover the Word,” the group continues their series called “Malestrom” by observing that both women and men can be treated like outsiders because of their gender. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group and author Carolyn Custis James discuss how that happens today even in church. Join us today on “Discover the Word”!
Great Sacrifice
W. T. Stead, an innovative English journalist at the turn of the 20th century, was known for writing about controversial social issues. Two of the articles he published addressed the danger of ships operating with an insufficient ratio of lifeboats to passengers. Ironically, Stead was aboard the Titanic when it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912. According to one report, after helping women and children into lifeboats, Stead sacrificed his own life by giving up his life vest and a place in the lifeboats so others could be rescued.
There is something very stirring about self-sacrifice. No…
The real message behind Deborah and Barak
Many people interpret the story of Deborah, a judge and prophetess of Israel, and Barak, the chief military commander in Israel, to be about gender. One where the male doesn’t “man up” and a woman has to step in. But is this true? Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, along with author Carolyn Custis James, talks about the real message behind Deborah and Barak. Join the discussion today on “Discover the Word”!
Confessions of a Christian Life Hacker
I watch, impressed, as a friend tears open a bag of crisps, tucks in the bottom corners of the packet and keeps rolling the sides under until he’s created an instant snack bowl from nothing but the original packaging—ingenious!
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…
The favored son
Most parents try not to play favorites with their children. But that wasn’t true for some famous families in the Bible. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss, along with our guest Carolyn Custis James, how Jacob’s obvious preference for his younger son, Joseph, created a deep father-wound in his son, Judah. It’s an overlooked “side note” in the Bible that’s critical for us to learn from. A revealing conversation today on “Discover the Word”!
