• Topic > Christian Beliefs > Salvation >

    The Gift and the Giver

    It’s only a keychain. Five little blocks held together by a shoelace. My daughter gave it to me years ago when she was 7. Today the lace is frayed and the blocks are chipped, but they spell a message that never grows old: “I ♥ DAD.”

             The most precious gifts are determined not by what went into them, but by who they are from. Ask any parent who ever received a bouquet of dandelions from a chubby hand. The best gifts are valued not in money but in love.

             Zechariah understood that. We hear it in his prophetic song as he praised…

    The Basics of Our Faith

    This course will explain the foundations of the Christian Faith as found in the Bible.  You will learn about the Bible, who God is as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; what Salvation is and what the Church is and is not.  This is a great course for group study with teens and those searching for truth about God.

    We deeply appreciate the provision of these course materials from Urban Youth Workers Institute. If you have interest in their ministry please visit uywi.org.

    In the Beginning

    Does God really exist? If God does exist, why is that important? This course will introduce you to the idea that God does exist, who He is, what He wants from you, and why this is important for you. This is a great course for group study with teens and those searching for truth about God.

    We deeply appreciate the provision of these course materials from Urban Youth Workers Institute. If you have interest in their ministry please visit uywi.org.

    Our Saving Faith

    This world was once a perfect place where God and Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship. Unfortunately the world did not stay that way. This course will reveal how that once-perfect relationship was wrecked through sin and that now all mankind is born sinful. You will also learn about the one person who can wipe away all your sin. This is a great course for group study with teens and those searching for truth about God.

    We deeply appreciate the provision of these course materials from Urban Youth Workers Institute. If you have interest in their ministry please visit uywi.org.

    Stuck in your own “shame fest”

    Ever been to a “shame fest” where you get stuck focusing on your regrets, mistakes, and disappointments? Today on Discover the Word, the group shares a candid conversation on their personal experiences with pity parties and how to decline those invitations. “The Beauty of Broken”—be listening today on Discover the Word!

    Forgiveness for those who hurt us the most

    Is there a family hurt you can’t seem to get past? A word, an action, or a mistake that makes forgiveness seem impossible? Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss how to offer God’s forgiveness to those who’ve hurt us the most. We’re finding “The Beauty of Broken” today  on Discover the Word!

    Defeat or Victory?

    Each year on June 18 the great Battle of Waterloo is recalled in what is now Belgium. On that day in 1815, Napoleon’s French army was defeated by a multinational force commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Since then, the phrase “to meet your Waterloo” has come to mean “to be defeated by someone who is too strong for you or by a problem that is too difficult for you.”

                When it comes to our spiritual lives, some people feel that ultimate failure is inevitable and it’s only a matter of time until each of us will “meet our Waterloo.”…

    Putting the pieces back together

    When a prized possession in our home shatters, we’re prone to simply throw away the pieces. Thankfully, that’s not what God does with broken things! Today on Discover the Word, we study how the fractured parts of our families bring us closer to God. Looking to put the pieces back together in your family? Join […]

    Grace: Accepting God’s Gift to You

    Ephesians 2 uses the phrase “dead in your sins.” But what does that really mean? Dead means lifeless, powerless, inanimate. It means we were incapable of doing anything to change our situation. But God is loving and merciful, and He chose to give us new life. That’s the beauty of His grace—we’ve done nothing to […]

    Relationship is central to being rooted in Christ

    Most of us have heard the statement that “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.”  Well, today on Discover the Word, we will continue the series of conversations this week by talking about why we place such a high value in life on our relationships, and why relationship is at the center of this discussion of […]

    Broken to Be Made New

    During World War II my dad served with the US Army in the South Pacific. During that time Dad rejected any idea of religion, saying, “I don’t need a crutch.” Yet the day came when his attitude toward spiritual things would change forever. Mom had gone into labor with their third child, and my brother and I went to bed with the excitement of soon seeing our new brother or sister. When I got out of bed the next morning, I excitedly asked Dad, “Is it a boy or a girl?” He replied, “It was a little girl but she…

    Knowing and Doing

    Chinese philosopher Han Feizi made this observation about life: “Knowing the facts is easy. Knowing how to act based on the facts is difficult.”

                A rich man with that problem once came to Jesus. He knew the law of Moses and believed he had kept the commandments since his youth (Mark 10:20). But he seems to be wondering what additional facts he might hear from Jesus. “ ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ” (v. 17).

                Jesus’ answer disappointed the rich man. He told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the…

    Praise from Pure Hearts

    During my friend Myrna’s travels to another country, she visited a church for worship. She noticed that as people entered the sanctuary they immediately knelt and prayed, facing away from the front of the church. My friend learned that people in that church confessed their sin to God before they began the worship service.

                This act of humility is a picture to me of what David said in Psalm 51: “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (v. 17). David was describing his own remorse and repentance for his…

    Breaking free from resentment

    Holding on to anger and bitterness is like ingesting poison and expecting the other person to die. And today on “Discover the Word,” the Institute for Prison Ministries director Karen Swanson and our team share keys that will help us break free from resentment. Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!