Topic > Christian Beliefs
Breaking the Silence
At the end of the Old Testament, God seems to be in hiding. For four centuries, the Jews wait and wonder. God seems passive, unconcerned, and deaf to their prayers. Only one hope remains: the ancient promise of a Messiah. On that promise the Jews stake everything. And then something momentous happens. The birth of a baby is announced.
You can catch the excitement just by reading the reactions of people in Luke. Events surrounding Jesus’s birth resemble a joy-filled musical. Characters crowd into the scene: a white-haired great uncle (Luke 1:5–25), an astonished virgin (1:26–38), the old prophetess Anna (2:36).…
Extreme Measures
A few years ago, a friend of mine lost track of her young son while walking through a swarm of people at Union Station in Chicago. Needless to say, it was a terrifying experience. Frantically, she yelled his name and ran back up the escalator, retracing her steps in an effort to find her little boy. The minutes of separation seemed like hours, until, suddenly—thankfully—her son emerged from the crowd and ran to the safety of her arms.
Thinking of my friend who would have done anything to find her child fills me with a renewed sense of gratitude for the…
Big World, Bigger God
As we drove through northern Michigan, Marlene exclaimed, “It’s unbelievable how big the world is!” She made her comment as we passed a sign marking the 45th Parallel—the point halfway between the equator and the North Pole. We talked about how small we are and how vast our world is. Yet, compared to the size of the universe, our tiny planet is only a speck of dust.
If our world is great, and the universe is vastly greater, how big is the One who powerfully created it? The Bible tells us, “For by [Jesus] all things were created, both in the heavens…
Global impact begins with our local community
I think it’s safe to say we all want to make a difference in the world, in some small or big way. But where do we start? Today the Discover the Word team concludes their weeklong study in the gospel of John, with the revelation that global impact begins in our local community. Making a […]
Why I’m In Awe of Baby Jesus
This month, I celebrate one year of motherhood. Yes, that means my baby has turned a year old, and what a year it has been! It may be a cliché, but what’s been said about motherhood is true: it’s tiring, trying, and stretching, yet every single bit of it is worth it.
More Than a Hero
As Star Wars fans around the world eagerly await the release of Episode 8, “The Last Jedi,” people continue to analyze the remarkable success of these films dating back to 1977. Frank Pallotta, media reporter for CNNMoney, said that Star Wars connects with many who long for “a new hope and a force of good at a time when the world needs heroes.”
At the time of Jesus’s birth, the people of Israel were oppressed and longing for their long-promised Messiah. Many anticipated a hero to deliver them from Roman tyranny, but Jesus did not come as a political or military hero. Instead,…
Jesus is making all things new
Out with the old, in with the new! Today on Discover the Word, the team continues their study in the gospel of John, looking at how Jesus removes anything that stands in the way of our relationship with God, even if that “thing” is religion. Jesus is making all things new, and that includes you […]
With God’s Help
As I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed more joint pain, especially when cold weather hits. Some days, I feel less like a conqueror and more like someone conquered by the challenges of becoming a senior citizen.
That’s why my hero is an older man named Caleb—the former spy sent by Moses to scout out Canaan, the Promised Land (Num. 13–14). After the other spies gave an unfavorable report, Caleb and Joshua were the only spies out of the twelve whom God favored to enter Canaan. Now, in Joshua 14, the time for Caleb to receive his portion of land had come. But…
The first miracle Jesus performed
You’ve probably heard someone say, “Everything happens for a reason”! Well today on Discover the Word, we will take a closer look at the first miracle Jesus performed, playing wine steward at a wedding in John chapter one. What was John’s reason for recording this miracle? Listen today to Discover the Word!
Putting your beliefs into action
We can say we believe something, but until we put those beliefs into action you have to question whether we actually do believe. Today on Discover the Word, the team continues their series titled, “The Call to Believe.” And answering the call begins by hearing. So listen today, as together we study the life-changing wisdom […]
“The call to believe”
Comics write jokes to get a laugh, news anchors write to share information, and the apostle John wrote to announce . . . what? Well, today on Discover the Word, the team kicks off a gripping new series examining John’s gospel and why he told the Jesus story the way he did. It’s a persuasive […]
It’s All a Gift!
London’s Café Rendezvous has nice lighting, comfortable couches, and the smell of coffee in the air. What it doesn’t have are prices. Originally started as a business by a local church, the café was transformed a year after it started. The managers felt that God was calling them to do something radical—make everything on the menu free. Today you can order a coffee, cake, or sandwich without cost. There isn’t even a donation jar. It’s all a gift.
I asked the manager why they were so generous. “We’re just trying to treat people the way God treats us,” he said. “God…
Restored Failures
A guest band was leading praise and worship at our church, and their passion for the Lord was moving. We could see—and feel—their enthusiasm.
Then the musicians revealed that they were all ex-prisoners. Suddenly, their songs took on special meaning, and I saw why their words of praise meant so much to them. Their worship was a testimony of lives broken and restored.
The world may embrace success. But stories of failure offer people hope too. They assure us that God loves us no matter how many times we have failed. In his book Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay, pastor Gary Inrig…
A Letter To My Future Self in 2027
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you from the tail end of 2017, a perfect time in which I find myself reflecting on my achievements and failures and reviewing what the year has meant to me.
Jesus Loves Maysel
When my sister Maysel was little, she would sing a familiar melody in her own way: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells Maysel.” This irritated me to no end! As one of her older, “wiser” sisters, I knew the words were “me so,” not “Maysel.” Yet she persisted in singing it her way.
Now I think my sister had it right all along. The Bible does indeed tell Maysel, and all of us, that Jesus loves us. Over and over again we read that truth. Take, for example, the writings of the apostle John, “the disciple whom Jesus…
