Topic > Christian Beliefs
The Great Crescendo
My parents taught me to love all sorts of music—from country to classical. So, my heart beat rapidly as I walked into the Moscow Conservatory, one of Russia’s great music halls, to hear the Moscow National Symphony. As the conductor drove the musicians through a masterful Tchaikovsky piece, themes developed that gradually built to a powerful crescendo—a profound and dramatic musical climax. It was a magical moment, and the audience stood to roar its approval.
The Scriptures move toward the most powerful crescendo of history—the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the moments following Adam and Eve’s fall into sin…
Having Access To God’s Lifechanging Power
Have you noticed the popularity of all the superhero movies? Well, because of Jesus Christ, we all have access to some “super powers” of our own! Today on Discover the Word, the team reminds us that we have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Take a seat at the table, […]
Where Is Peace?
“Do you still hope for peace?” a journalist asked Bob Dylan in 1984.
“There is not going to be any peace,” Dylan replied. His response drew criticism, yet there’s no denying that peace remains ever elusive.
About 600 years before Christ, most prophets were predicting peace. God’s prophet wasn’t one of them. Jeremiah reminded the people that God had said, “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Jeremiah 7:23). Yet they repeatedly ignored the Lord and His commands. Their false prophets said, “Peace, peace” (8:11), but Jeremiah predicted disaster. Jerusalem fell in 586 bc.
Peace is…
God Gives The Gift Of Knowledge And Understanding
You can pore over the pages of Scripture. You can read all of the footnotes and commentaries. But at the end of the day, only God can give the gift of true knowledge and understanding. Today on Discover the Word, we’ll explore how our prayers will be answered when we ask to be “enlightened” by […]
Impossible to Hold
Swimming with friends in the Gulf of Mexico, Caitlyn encountered a shark, which grabbed her legs and pulled at her body. To counter the attack, Caitlyn punched the shark in the nose. The predator unclenched its jaws and swam away in defeat. Although its bite caused multiple wounds, which required over 100 stitches, the shark was unable to keep Caitlyn in its grasp.
This story reminds me of the fact that Jesus delivered a blow to death, ending its power to intimidate and defeat His followers. According to Peter, “It was impossible for death to keep its hold on [Jesus]” (Acts…
Nothing of the Old Life!
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17
Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We tend to think that God has some special interest in our particular prejudices, and are very sure that He will never deal with us as He has to deal with others. We…
How To Know God Through Scripture
You might get to know a person by spending time with them, talking with them, or sharing a meal. But how do you get to know the holy and infinite God of the universe? Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss how to know God through what He reveals to us in Scripture. Join […]
Being Filled With The Fullness Of God
Perhaps you’ve experienced moments in life that were filled with emotion, with joy, with sadness, with excitement, with fear. But have you ever been filled with the fullness of God? Today on Discover the Word, the team begins a new study in the book of Ephesians about the effect of our praying two prayers Paul […]
The Witness of the Spirit
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit… —Romans 8:16
We are in danger of getting into a bargaining spirit with God when we come to Him— we want the witness of the Spirit before we have done what God tells us to do.
Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to you? He cannot. It is not that He will not, but…
My Real Face
For years, feelings of unworthiness and shame over my less-than-godly past had an adverse impact on every aspect of my life. What if others discovered the extent of my blemished reputation? Though God helped me muster up courage to invite a ministry leader to lunch, I strived to seem perfect. I scrubbed my house spotless, whipped up a three-course meal, and donned my best jeans and blouse.
I rushed to turn off the front-yard sprinklers. Twisting the leaking nozzle, I screamed when a gush of water drenched me. With towel-dried hair and smeared makeup, I changed into dry sweats and a T-shirt…
Is God’s Will My Will?
This is the will of God, your sanctification… —1 Thessalonians 4:3
Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me— is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and…
Slowing Down In A World Of Distractions
In a world of distractions, sometimes we need to slow down and focus on just one thing. Today on Discover the Word, we will discover the “One Thing” that kept the apostle Paul going each day, even while he was being held prisoner in Rome. An important reminder about what really matters, today on Discover the Word!
The Unheeded Secret
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world —John 18:36
The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes …
Seeking What Is Most Important
If you could wish for one thing in the world, (and it can’t be more wishes!), what would it be? Today on Discover the Word, the team will find King David’s one desire, written in Psalm 27. We’re learning to seek what’s most important in life—“One Thing” today on Discover the Word!
A Piercing Thorn
The thorn pricked my index finger, drawing blood. I hollered and then groaned, drawing back my hand instinctively. But I shouldn’t have been surprised: trying to prune a thorny bush without gardening gloves was a recipe for exactly what just happened.
The pain throbbing in my finger—and the blood flowing from it—demanded attention. And as I searched for a Band-Aid, I found myself unexpectedly thinking about my Savior. After all, soldiers forced Jesus to don an entire crown of thorns (John 19:1–3). If one thorn hurt this much, I thought, how much agony would an entire crown of them inflict? And that just a small portion…
