• Topic > Christian Beliefs > Salvation >

    Secret Menu

    Meat Mountain is a super-sandwich layered with six kinds of meat. Stacked with chicken tenders, three strips of bacon, two cheeses, and much more, it looks like it should be a restaurant’s featured item. 

    But Meat Mountain isn’t on any restaurant’s published menu. The sandwich represents a trend in off-menu items known only by social media or word of mouth. It seems that competition is driving fast-food restaurants to offer a secret menu to in-the-know customers.

    When Jesus told His disciples that He had “food” they knew nothing about, it must have seemed like a secret menu to them (John 4:32). He…

    He Came for You

    In his novels The Trial and The Castle, Franz Kafka (1883–1924) portrays life as a dehumanizing existence that turns people into a sea of empty faces without identity or worth. Kafka said, “The conveyer belt of life carries you on, no one knows where. One is more of an object, a thing, than a living creature.”

    Early in His ministry, Jesus went to a synagogue in Nazareth, stood up in front of the crowd, and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to…

    True confidence comes in Christ alone

    In the film, “The Sound of Music,” Maria von Trapp sings, “I have confidence in sunshine, I have confidence in rain.” But nature can’t help you when you need answers to prayer. The apostle Paul modeled true confidence. His trust was in Christ alone and the power of prayer to transform people into His image. Don’t miss this important conversation today on “Discover the Word”!

    Our need for God’s love and forgiveness

    Although God called David “a man after his own heart,” David still messed up, royally! But he also knew how to repent. Is having a heart after God about perfection or is it about understanding our need for God’s love and forgiveness? Today, we conclude our discussion with “Our Daily Bread for Kids” author Crystal Bowman, on how David learned to know God as a child. It’s a valuable discussion for any parent who wants to teach their child God’s ways.

    Why God chose David as king over Israel

    David wasn’t the first choice in his family to be Israel’s king. Was he overlooked because he was so young? Or because they needed him out in the field, tending sheep? Whatever the reason, it’s clear God chose David to be the next king because of what He saw inside of him, not what was on the outside. Don’t miss the conversation with our guest Crystal Bowman. That’s today on “Discover the Word.”

    The childhood faith of David

    King David was a mighty man of faith, but he wasn’t an overnight success, he learned God’s ways throughout his youth. Today on “Discover the Word” we begin our discussion with special guest, “Our Daily Bread for Kids” author Crystal Bowman on the childhood faith of David. What did David mean when he said, “Since my youth, God, you have taught me”? Join the study today on “Discover the Word”!

    Wells of Salvation

    When people drill holes deep into the earth, it is normally for pulling up core samples of rock, accessing oil, or finding water.

    In Isaiah 12, we learn that God wanted His people, who were living in a spiritual desert as well as a geographical desert, to discover His “wells of salvation.” The prophet Isaiah compared God’s salvation to a well from which the most refreshing of all waters can be drawn. After many years of turning their back on God, the nation of Judah was destined for exile as God allowed foreign invaders to conquer the nation, scattering the people.…

    Why are believers called children of God?

    Why are believers called children of God? Today on Discover the Word, we conclude our discussion on how children “discover the Word” with “Our Daily Bread for Kids” author Crystal Bowman. Join us for this engaging conversation on “Discover the Word.”

    This Could Be the Year

    My dad was a pastor, and on the first Sunday of each new year he preached about the return of Christ, often quoting from 1 Thessalonians 4. His point was always the same: “This could be the year that Jesus will return. Are you ready to meet Him?” I’ll never forget hearing that sermon at age 6, thinking, If that’s true, I’m not sure I will be among those He’s coming for. I felt certain that my parents would be going to heaven, and I wanted to go too. So, when my dad came home after church, I asked how I could be…

    3 Things I Learned About My Sin-Filled Life

    Ever felt the urge to do something you knew was wrong in God’s eyes, but stopped because you mustered up the strength and courage to put off the earthly, ungodly desires of the heart? And then found yourself going ahead and committing the sin moments later, because the flesh was weak even though the spirit was willing?

    An Invitation to Rest

    At a friend’s bedside in a hospital emergency ward, I was moved by the sounds of suffering I heard from other patients in pain. As I prayed for my friend and for the ailing patients, I realized anew how fleeting our life on earth is. Then I recalled an old country song by Jim Reeves that talks about how the world is not home for us—we’re “just a-passin’ through.”

      Our world is full of weariness, pain, hunger, debt, poverty, disease, and death. Because we must pass through such a world, Jesus’ invitation is welcome and timely: “Come to me, all you…

    Diamond Dust

    During a bitterly frigid winter in our part of Michigan, there were many mixed emotions about the weather. As the snowy winter season pressed on into March, most people had long before fallen out of love with snow and were bemoaning long-range forecasts of low temperatures.

    Yet the majestic beauty of the snow continued to amaze me. Even as I threw endless shovelsful of it from my driveway onto the over-my-head snowbanks, I was enthralled with the white stuff. One particular day, ice crystals filtered down from the sky to fall atop old snow. As my wife and I took a…

    His atoning work on the cross

    In John chapter 3 we read that Jesus said He didn’t come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. Today on “Discover the Word,” we talk about how Christians often condemn the very people that Jesus included through His atoning work on the cross. Continue to study the context of one of the Bible’s most familiar statements: “For God so loved the world.”

    Why Christmas Doesn’t Make Sense

    No, seriously. Nothing much about Christmas makes sense, when you think about it. Here’s why:

    One Size Fits All

    Like most children, I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas. With great anticipation, I would snoop under the tree to see what toys and games awaited my eager grasp. So I felt deflated when I started getting things like shirts and pants. Grownup gifts were no fun! Then last Christmas, my kids gave me some cool socks with bright colors and designs. I almost felt young again! Even grownups could wear these socks, as the label reassured me: “One size fits all.”

    That welcome phrase “one size fits all” reminds me of the best gift of Christmas—the good news that Jesus is for everyone.…