Topic > Christian Beliefs
Need a New Heart?
The news was grim.
My father had been having chest pains, so his doctor had ordered a test to peer into his heart. The result? Blockage in three arteries.
Triple-bypass surgery was scheduled for February 14. My dad, though anxious, saw that date as a hopeful sign: “I’m getting a new heart for Valentine’s Day!” And he did! The surgery went perfectly, restoring life-giving blood flow to his struggling heart. A “new” heart. A second chance.
My father’s surgery reminded me that God offers us a new life as well. Because sin clogs our spiritual “arteries”—our capacity to connect with God—we need spiritual…
The Son Of God
In Jesus’s day, the people of Israel admired heroes such as Abraham, Moses, and David. Yet Jesus said He was greater than them all. Today on Discover the Word, the team will examine how Jesus outraged the Jewish leaders by claiming to be God Himself. We’re continuing our series called, “Great Expectations,” today on Discover the Word!
Watch Out!
I grew up in warm southern cities, so when I moved north, it took me a while to learn how to drive safely during the long, snowy months. In my first hard winter, I ended up stranded in a snowdrift three times! But after several years of practice, I began to feel comfortable driving in wintry conditions. In fact, I felt a little too comfortable. I stopped being as vigilant. And that’s when I hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a telephone pole on the side of the road.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but I learned something…
The Awaited Messiah
Your DNA can reveal a lot about you; your hair color, your skin color, even where your family is from. Today on Discover the Word, the team will discuss where Jesus came from and how the Pharisees struggled to understand His earthly and heavenly origins. Another fascinating discussion, today on Discover the Word!
The Lord Of The Sabbath
You would have expected the Jewish Messiah to fit right in with the religious leaders. The thing is, though, they rarely saw eye to eye. Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss why Jesus’s behavior seemed so shocking to the established religious people of His day. Pull a chair up to the table, today for Discover the […]
Unexplainable Love
Our small church decided to surprise my son on his sixth birthday. The people in our church decorated his Sunday school class with balloons and set up a small table with a cake on it. When my son opened the door, everyone shouted, “Happy birthday!”
Later on, as I was cutting the cake, my son came over and whispered in my ear, “Mom, why does everyone here love me?” I had the same question. These people had known us for only six months but were treating us as long-time friends.
Their love for my son reflected God’s love for us. We can’t…
The Danger Of Expectations
For centuries, Israel had been conditioned to look for a certain kind of Messiah. Today on Discover the Word, we will explore what Israel expected in a Messiah . . . and what they got instead. Join us for the start of a new series called, “Great Expectations,” today on Discover the Word!
Creator and Sustainer
Working with a magnifying glass and tweezers, Swiss watchmaker Phillipe meticulously explained to me how he takes apart, cleans, and reassembles the tiny parts of specialty mechanical watches. Looking at all the intricate pieces, Phillipe showed me the essential component of the timepiece, the mainspring. The mainspring is the component that moves all the gears to allow the watch to keep time. Without it, even the most expertly designed watch will not function.
In a beautiful New Testament passage found in the book of Hebrews, the writer eloquently praises Jesus for being the one through whom God created the heavens and…
Surrounded by God
In a busy airport, a young mother struggled alone. Her toddler was in full tantrum mode—screaming, kicking, and refusing to board their plane. Overwhelmed and heavily pregnant, the burdened young mother finally gave up, sinking to the floor in frustration, covering her face, and starting to sob.
Suddenly six or seven women travelers, all strangers, formed a circle around the young mother and her child—sharing snacks, water, gentle hugs, and even a nursery song. Their loving circle calmed the mother and child, who then boarded their plane. The other women then returned to their seats, not needing to discuss what they…
Remembering My Father
When I remember my dad, I picture him best outdoors hammering or gardening or downstairs working in his cluttered workroom, stuffed with fascinating tools and gadgets. His hands were always busy at a task or project—sometimes building (a garage or a deck or a birdhouse), sometimes locksmithing, and sometimes designing jewelry and stained-glass art.
Remembering my dad prompts me to think of my heavenly Father and Creator, who has always been busy at work. In the beginning, “[God] laid the earth’s foundations . . . [and] marked off its dimensions . . . while the morning stars sang together and all…
The Blessing Is Coming
A friend and I went for a walk with her grandkids. While pushing the stroller, she commented that her steps were being wasted—they weren’t being counted on the activity tracker she wore on her wrist because she wasn’t swinging her arm. I reminded her that those steps were still helping her physical health. “Yeah,” she laughed. “But I really want that electronic gold star!”
I understand how she feels! Working toward something without immediate results is disheartening. But rewards aren’t always immediate or immediately visible.
When that’s the case, it’s easy to feel that the good things we do are useless, even…
Obscured by Clouds
A rare super moon appeared in November 2016—the moon in its orbit reached its closest point to the earth in over sixty years and so appeared bigger and brighter than at other times. But for me that day the skies were shrouded in gray. Although I saw photos of this wonder from friends in other places, as I gazed upwards I had to trust that the super moon was lurking behind the clouds.
The apostle Paul urged the church at Corinth, in the face of their hardships, to believe what is unseen but will last forever. He said how their “momentary…
Dangers Of Pride
The Bible says that pride goes before a fall. Because no matter how high we try to lift ourselves up, we’ll always end up crashing down in the end. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Liz Curtis Higgs examine the dangers of pride as described in Proverbs 16:18. Pull up a chair […]
Bearing the Burden of Wrongs
On January 30, 2018, almost thirty-eight years after his conviction, Malcolm Alexander walked out of prison a free man. DNA evidence cleared Alexander, who had steadfastly maintained his innocence amid a myriad of court proceedings that were tragically unjust. An incompetent defense attorney (later disbarred), shoddy evidence, and dubious investigative tactics all put an innocent man in prison for nearly four decades. When he was finally released, however, Alexander showed immense grace. “You cannot be angry,” he said. “There’s not enough time to be angry.”
Alexander’s words evidence a deep grace. If injustice robbed us of 38 years of our lives and…
When Harmless Conversation Turns To Gossip
We all enjoy hearing and telling stories—stories about ourselves, and also stories about other people. But when does harmless conversation become gossip? Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Liz Curtis Higgs challenge us to examine our motives before sharing information about others. Join us today for Discover the Word!
