Topic > Christian Beliefs
How to Be Perfect
Christmas is the time of year when the pressure to be perfect intensifies. We imagine the perfect celebration and then put forth our best effort to make it happen. We shop for the perfect gifts. We plan the perfect Christmas Day meal. We choose the perfect greeting cards or write the perfect family letter. But our striving leads to discouragement and disappointment when our ability to imagine perfection exceeds our ability to implement it. The carefully chosen gift receives only a halfhearted thank you. Part of the meal is overcooked. We find a typo in our Christmas greeting after we’ve…
A miracle that demonstrates God’s provision
Today on “Discover the Word,” we wind up a couple of weeks on “The Miraculous Life of Elisha” talking about a miracle that demonstrates God’s provision in a very personal way. Elisha’s miracles were largely public events. Until a distressed widow boldly asked Elisha to help her and her two sons. As we’ll see, the widow did what she could and through Elisha, God performed a miracle of multiplication. Another chapter in “The Miraculous Life of Elisha,” today on “Discover the Word”!
Has Christmas Been Tamed?
Whenever I see advertisements about clothing, cosmetics, or electronic items which use Christmas to promote sales, I feel disturbed. I feel the same whenever I hear “Christmas songs” being played in department stores
A surprisingly redemptive message
Today on “Discover the Word,” we reveal yet another uncomfortable Bible story, one that involves child sacrifice. It’s a violent story, but one with a surprisingly redemptive message. Be part of the group as they continue to explore “The Miraculous Life of Elisha,” right here on “Discover the Word”!
Like Shooting a Fly
Macarena Valdes’s skill in mapping underground mines made a real difference in the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners trapped after an explosion in October 2010. Drilling to find the exact place where the men were located was like “trying to shoot a fly from 700 meters away,” she said. With her mining experience, Valdes was able to guide the probe to where the miners were entombed, which helped bring about their dramatic rescue.
In efforts to carry out spiritual rescues, it’s easy to become discouraged. Although the apostle Paul faced even greater obstacles, he said, “We do not lose heart”…
Elisha’s miracle of displaying God’s mercy
It’s Christmas—a time when we sing about the three kings who came to worship Jesus. But today on “Discover the Word,” we’re going to discuss three kings of Israel who are not worth singing about—kings who worshiped pagan idols, yet still believed God would give them victory over their enemy, Moab. So why would Elisha perform a miracle displaying God’s mercy to them?
5 things I Want for Christmas
Christmas is a special time of the year for many people. Whenever December comes, I often hear my friends express their desires for this season, such as:
Just the Ticket
When a police officer stopped a woman because her young daughter was riding in a car without the required booster seat, he could have written her a ticket for a traffic violation. Instead, he asked the mother and daughter to meet him at a nearby store where he personally paid for the needed car seat. The mother was going through a difficult time and could not afford to buy a seat.
Although the woman should have received a fine for her misdemeanor, she walked away with a gift instead. Anyone who knows Christ has experienced something similar. All of us deserve…
Elisha and the two bears
Here’s a bedtime story you probably wouldn’t read to your kids, the story of Elisha and the two bears. After a gang of young men mocked the prophet Elisha, two bears suddenly showed up and mauled forty-two of them. Well, today on “Discover the Word,” we’ll talk about this strange and disturbing event. Is it possible there’s more to this story than meets the eye? Join us today for “Discover the Word”!
Important lessons for our own lives
You’re invited to join the group today on “Discover the Word” as we explore a few Bible stories about water. John baptizing Jesus . . . Moses turning bitter waters into sweet . . . Christ at the well with the Samaritan woman . . . and the prophet Elisha purifying the waters of Jericho. It’s a theme that has important lessons for our own lives.
Poem : When Life Hurts
Written By Desiree U. Angeles, Philippines Oh Lord, is this our punishment For turning against you? Chaos and natural disasters everywhere Misunderstandings abound, scuffles in the air. Love seems to slowly fade It’s no longer the paradise you’ve made. Living in a complete mess, where lost souls dwell. We have ourselves to blame, into sin […]
For God So Loved
Christmas is a time of wonder. It’s a time when people from all nations can join together and ponder the humble birth of a baby who came to earth as part of God’s plan. And it was simply because He loved us.
The Birth of Christmas
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and then to shepherds with good news for the world (Luke 1:26-27; 2:10), was it good news to this teenage girl? Perhaps Mary was thinking: How do I explain my pregnancy to my family? Will my fiancé Joseph call off the betrothal? What will the townspeople say? Even if my life is spared, how will I survive as a mother all alone?
When Joseph learned about Mary’s pregnancy, he was troubled. He had three options. Go ahead with the marriage, divorce her publicly and allow her to be publicly scorned, or break off the…
What Christmas Is All About
Fifty years ago A Charlie Brown Christmas was first broadcast on American television. Some network executives thought it would be ignored, while others worried that quoting the Bible would offend viewers. Some wanted its creator, Charles Schulz, to omit the Christmas story, but Schulz insisted it stay in. The program was an immediate success and has been rebroadcast every year since 1965.
When Charlie Brown, the frustrated director of the children’s Christmas play, is discouraged by the commercial spirit of the holiday season, he asks if anyone can tell him the real meaning of Christmas. Linus recites Luke 2:8-14 including the words, “For…
