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Doing what we can with what we’ve been given
Today on “Discover the Word,” we conclude week one of the discussion on doing what we can for Jesus with what we’ve been given. Today’s discussion contrasts the two women whose act of passionate devotion for Jesus led them both to anoint Him with perfume. One woman, Mary of Bethany, did this out of love with the purpose of preparing Jesus’ body for burial. The other woman anointed her Savior in grateful response to having been forgiven.
Reflecting the Son
Due to its location among sheer mountains and its northern latitude, Rjukan, Norway, does not see natural sunlight from October to March. To lighten up the town, the citizens installed large mirrors on the mountainside to reflect the sunrays and beam sunlight into the town square. The continuous glow is made possible because the giant mirrors rotate with the rising and setting sun.
I like to think of the Christian life as a similar scenario. Jesus said His followers are “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). John the disciple wrote that Christ the true light “shines in the darkness” (John…
A passionate worshiper
Mary of Bethany was an ordinary woman. But there was nothing ordinary about any woman in the male-dominated culture of that day sitting at the feet of a Jewish rabbi! Today on “Discover the Word,” we discuss the extraordinary decision by God to “pick a girl” as a person that history would hold up as an example of a passionate worshiper of Jesus. Join us today on “Discover the Word”!
Mary of Bethany: she did what she could
In the story of Mary and the alabaster jar in Mark 14, Jesus says, “She did what she could.” It’s a story about an act of devotion that was actually reasonable in light of Mary’s deep love for Jesus. You’re invited to join the group on “Discover the Word” as we begin the discussion on Mary of Bethany and how her life speaks to us today.
The Day I Decided to Quit School
In my country, 16 is the age when most students have to decide which educational path to embark on next. It could be going to a polytechnic, a junior college, or taking up a course in a post-secondary institution.
Something New
Seared in the fire. Crafted into perfection. Ready to be used. Just as the craftsman refines a tool for a select purpose, we were created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God has already given you ambitions and directions. Go fulfill them.
Should Christians Get Involved in Causes?
Everybody loves a good cause. We all want to fight for something, champion it, believe in it, and convince people of it. You need only to surf the web for a few minutes to stumble across somebody ranting about something or wanting to change how something is being done.
The Daily Grind
The high school I attended required 4 years of Latin instruction. I appreciate the value of that discipline now, but back then it was a grind.
Our teacher believed in drill and repetition. “Repetitio est mater studiorum,” she intoned over us several times a day, which simply means, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” “Repetitio est absurdum,” we muttered under our breath. “Repetition is absurd.”
I realize now that most of life is simply that: repetition—a round of dull, uninspiring, lackluster things we must do again and again. “Repetition is both as ordinary and necessary as bread,” said Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. But he…
Should Christians Strive For Excellence At Work?
I enjoy work—both work itself and the act of working in a team towards a common goal and then enjoying the fruit of our labor together. In fact, depending on who you ask, I may even be a little too passionate (or obsessed) about getting the job done, and done well.
Where Is My Focus?
Early in September 2011, a raging wildfire destroyed 600 homes in and around the city of Bastrop in central Texas. A few weeks later an article in the Austin American-Statesman newspaper carried this headline: “People who lost the most, focus on what wasn’t lost.” The article described the community’s outpouring of generosity and the realization of those who received help that neighbors, friends, and community were worth far more than anything they lost.
The writer of Hebrews reminded first-century followers of Jesus to recall how they had bravely endured persecution early in their life of faith. They stood their ground in the…
Why Do We Crave and Struggle to Achieve Success?
Recently, I came across this lament by a very talented young person on his blog: “The reason why I hate attending lessons and going to school is that you are inherently born with lower IQ, so no matter how much you work, people with higher IQ will still win you.”
A Crushed Dream that Led Me back to God
Every so often, articles about high achieving students from such-and-such university or country catch my eye. You might think I’m being overly ambitious, but it has always been my dream to be featured on such lists.
3 Work Realities We’re Bound to Face
I read about 10-15 resumes a day as a recruitment manager in my company, which engages around a hundred part-time trainers monthly. Many of them begin or end with this line: “I hope you can seriously consider my application as this is my dream job.”
Seconds Count
At the age of 59 my friend Bob Boardman wrote, “If the 70 years of a normal life span were squeezed into a single 24-hour day, it would now be 8:30 in the evening in my life. . . . Time is slipping by so rapidly.”
The difficulty in admitting that our time on earth is limited inspired the creation of “Tikker”—a wristwatch that tells you what time it is, calculates your estimated normal life span, and displays a running countdown of your remaining time. It is advertised as the watch “that counts down your life, just so you can make…
Success: Once Given, Not Given Up Easily
It would be all too easy for me to sit here and say, “Give up everything for God. Don’t chase the success of the world. Don’t be so career-minded.” That’s what I used to imagine myself telling others—until I faced the dilemma myself.
