Topic > Christian Beliefs
This Could Be the Year
My dad was a pastor, and on the first Sunday of each new year he preached about the return of Christ, often quoting from 1 Thessalonians 4. His point was always the same: “This could be the year that Jesus will return. Are you ready to meet Him?” I’ll never forget hearing that sermon at age 6, thinking, If that’s true, I’m not sure I will be among those He’s coming for. I felt certain that my parents would be going to heaven, and I wanted to go too. So, when my dad came home after church, I asked how I could be…
3 Things I Learned About My Sin-Filled Life
Ever felt the urge to do something you knew was wrong in God’s eyes, but stopped because you mustered up the strength and courage to put off the earthly, ungodly desires of the heart? And then found yourself going ahead and committing the sin moments later, because the flesh was weak even though the spirit was willing?
An Invitation to Rest
At a friend’s bedside in a hospital emergency ward, I was moved by the sounds of suffering I heard from other patients in pain. As I prayed for my friend and for the ailing patients, I realized anew how fleeting our life on earth is. Then I recalled an old country song by Jim Reeves that talks about how the world is not home for us—we’re “just a-passin’ through.”
Our world is full of weariness, pain, hunger, debt, poverty, disease, and death. Because we must pass through such a world, Jesus’ invitation is welcome and timely: “Come to me, all you…
What Does Jesus Mean to You?
One Tuesday night at Bible Study class, our teacher—after pacing back and forth in his usual manner, with one finger over his lips—looked at us and asked: “What is Jesus to you?”
A Place of Shelter
Homeless people in Vancouver, British Columbia, have a new way to find nighttime accommodations. A local charity, RainCity Housing, has created specialized benches that convert into temporary shelters. The back of the bench pulls up to create a roof that can shield a person from wind and rain. At night, these sleeping spaces are easy to find because they feature a glow-in-the-dark message that reads: THIS IS A BEDROOM.
The need for shelter can be physical, and it can be spiritual as well. God is a refuge for our souls when we are troubled. King David wrote, “I call as my…
Diamond Dust
During a bitterly frigid winter in our part of Michigan, there were many mixed emotions about the weather. As the snowy winter season pressed on into March, most people had long before fallen out of love with snow and were bemoaning long-range forecasts of low temperatures.
Yet the majestic beauty of the snow continued to amaze me. Even as I threw endless shovelsful of it from my driveway onto the over-my-head snowbanks, I was enthralled with the white stuff. One particular day, ice crystals filtered down from the sky to fall atop old snow. As my wife and I took a…
His only Son
Today on “Discover the Word,” we celebrate Christmas and wind up the series “For God So Loved.” The chapter with the Bible’s most familiar verse has provided the context for our conversations for Christmas this year. John 3:16 of course gives us the reason why Jesus came, but you’ll discover the surprising way John chapter 3 concludes when you join us today on “Discover the Word”!
Celebrate the light of the world
Have you ever noticed how lights are such a major part of celebrating Christmas? Well, today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss a verse in John chapter 3 that talks about light and darkness and will make a memorable connection to all the lights you’ll be exposed to on this Christmas Eve. Celebrate the coming of the Light of the world with the group, today on “Discover the Word”!
He Knows If You’ve been Knotty or Nice
“It can’t be done,” my friend said matter-of-factly. We were in the process of decorating our very own “Christmas tree”—made up of stacked Starbucks paper cups—and wanted to wrap glittery garlands around it.
Into This Darkness
Darkness. The world was in darkness. But we knew the Light was coming because God promised His arrival. Suddenly, one night so long ago, He came bursting into our world as a baby. And just like the morning sun, He overcame the dark of night and gave us hope.
Christmas Mystery
As Charles Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol begins, there is mystery surrounding Ebenezer Scrooge. Why is he so mean-spirited? How did he become so selfish? Then, slowly, as the Christmas spirits marched Scrooge through his own story, things become clearer. We see the influences that changed him from a happy youth into a selfish miser. We observe his isolation and his brokenness. As the mystery is solved, we also glimpse the path to restoration. Concern for others pulls Scrooge from his self-absorbed darkness into a new joy.
A far more important mystery, and one much harder to explain, is that which Paul…
His atoning work on the cross
In John chapter 3 we read that Jesus said He didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. Today on “Discover the Word,” we talk about how Christians often condemn the very people that Jesus included through His atoning work on the cross. Continue to study the context of one of the Bible’s most familiar statements: “For God so loved the world.”
Why Christmas Doesn’t Make Sense
No, seriously. Nothing much about Christmas makes sense, when you think about it. Here’s why:
One Size Fits All
Like most children, I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas. With great anticipation, I would snoop under the tree to see what toys and games awaited my eager grasp. So I felt deflated when I started getting things like shirts and pants. Grownup gifts were no fun! Then last Christmas, my kids gave me some cool socks with bright colors and designs. I almost felt young again! Even grownups could wear these socks, as the label reassured me: “One size fits all.”
That welcome phrase “one size fits all” reminds me of the best gift of Christmas—the good news that Jesus is for everyone.…
Expectations for the coming Messiah
If Jesus had used the word rescue with Nicodemus as the reason for His coming, how would a first-century religious leader like him have interpreted that? Today on “Discover the Word,” we’ll discuss what the expectation of the Jewish people was for the coming Messiah. Was it the reason Jesus said He came?
