Topic > Christian Living > Hope & Joy >
Discover how Jesus works through our emotions and tears
Isn’t it great to know that Jesus isn’t scared of our tears! In fact, He has a purpose for them. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll explore Luke 23 to see the big picture of how Jesus works through our emotions and our tears. Another example of a “Tearful Expression” when you listen to […]
The Turn
As the minister spoke at a funeral for an old military veteran, he mused about where the deceased might be. But then, instead of telling the people how they could know God, he speculated about things not found anywhere in Scripture. Where is the hope? I thought.
At last he asked us to turn to a closing hymn. And as we rose to sing “How Great Thou Art,” people began to praise God from the depths of their souls. Within moments, the spirit of the entire room had changed. Suddenly, surprisingly, in the middle of the third verse my emotions overwhelmed my…
From Grief to Joy
Kelly’s pregnancy brought complications, and doctors were concerned. During her long labor, they decided to whisk her away for a cesarean section. But despite the ordeal, Kelly quickly forgot her pain when she held her newborn son. Joy had replaced anguish.
Scripture affirms this truth: “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world” (John 16:21). Jesus used this illustration with His disciples to emphasize that though they would grieve because He would be leaving soon,…
How can a song of lament also be a song of hope?
Have you ever heard a song that perfectly describes how you feel? Songs can powerfully communicate emotions that resonate with our souls! And today on Discover the Word, we find that the Psalms contain all kinds of songs including songs of lament. But as we’ll see, “Songs of Lament” are also “Songs of Hope.” Finish […]
Trusting in God’s perfect love for us
When things get tough, who ya gonna call? Well, it’s true that trials and troubles truly reveal where we put our trust! Today on Discover the Word, we discuss the one thing we can always trust: God’s perfect love. This conversation is for anyone struggling to trust God more, which would be all of us! […]
Singing to the call to worship
It seems like for as long as there have been people, there have been songs! But why do we sing songs of worship? Today on Discover the Word, the group will get together around the table to discuss what motivates our worship and what its true purpose is. It’s part of the series titled “A Call […]
Listening to the call to worship
When you hear someone shout, you’ve got to listen carefully to discover what they’re shouting about and what emotion is attached to their outburst. Today on Discover the Word, we find that there are several different kinds of shouts in the Bible, too! It’s another enlightening discussion from Psalm 100. Hear more from the series […]
Nozomi Hope
In 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake and a resulting tsunami took nearly 19,000 lives and destroyed 230,000 homes in the region northeast of Tokyo. In its aftermath, The Nozomi Project, named for the Japanese word for “hope,” was born to provide sustainable income, community, dignity, and hope in a God who provides.
Nozomi women sift through the rubble of homes and furnishings to discover broken china shards that they sand and insert in fittings to form jewelry. The jewelry is sold around the world, providing a livelihood for the women while sharing symbols of their faith in Christ.
In New Testament times,…
Confident expectations
Jesus wants to give you lasting hope! And today on Discover the Word, we are back in the Gospels, looking at Martha—someone who might be called one of the Bible’s most misunderstood characters! There’s another side to this woman that shows how biblical hope goes beyond just a wish, to confident expectation. Listen today to […]
The Burden of Waiting
Over the last few years, two members of my family have faced life-threatening diagnoses. For me, the hardest part of supporting them through their treatments has been the constant uncertainty. I am always desperate for a definitive word from a doctor, but things are rarely that straightforward. Instead of being given clarity, we are often asked to wait.
It’s hard to bear the burden of uncertainty, always wondering what the next test will reveal. Will we have weeks, months, years, or decades before death separates us? But regardless of disease and diagnoses, each of us will die one day—things like cancer…
When Good Friday doesn’t seem so good
For most of my life, Good Friday primarily served as a heads-up for a nice candy-gorge. I glossed over what it really represented, anticipating instead the large egg-hunts with my cousins around my grandparents’ farm on Easter Sunday.
Please don’t jump, there’s hope
I was just about to leave for work when a policeman knocked on my door. “Sir, do you know of any elderly woman living along this floor?”
The Land of “What Is”
Even all these years after losing our seventeen-year-old daughter Melissa in a car accident in 2002, I sometimes find myself entering the world of “What If.” It’s easy, in grief, to reimagine the events of that tragic June evening and think of factors that—if rearranged—would have had Mell arriving safely home.
In reality, though, the land of “What If” is not a good place to be for any of us. It is a place of regret, second-guessing, and hopelessness. While the grief is real and the sadness endures, life is better and God is honored if we dwell in the world…
River Tree
This was a tree to be envied. Growing on riverfront property, it didn’t have to worry about weather reports, withering temperatures, or an uncertain future. Nourished and cooled by the river, it spent its days lifting its branches to the sun, holding the earth with its roots, cleaning the air with its leaves, and offering shade to all who needed refuge from the sun.
By contrast, the prophet Jeremiah pointed to a shrub (Jer. 17:6). When the rains stopped and the summer sun turned the ground to dust, the bush shriveled into itself, offering no shade or fruit to anyone.
Why would…
The Lighthouse
By its very existence, a ministry center in Rwanda called the “Lighthouse” symbolizes redemption. It sits on land where during the genocide in 1994 the country’s president owned a grand home. This new structure, however, has been erected by Christians as a beacon of light and hope. Housed there is a Bible institute to raise up a new generation of Christian leaders, along with a hotel, restaurant, and other services for the community. Out of the ashes has come new life.
Those who built the Lighthouse look to Jesus as their source of hope and redemption. When Jesus went to the…
