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Drawn in by grace
Have you ever felt like an outsider? And has anyone ever drawn you into their “circle” making you feel like you belonged? Today on “Discover the Word,” we look at another way that grace is like a prism—it invites. How the story of King David and Mephibosheth encourages us to always ask, “Who can I show grace to?” A revealing part of the series “Grace Prisms” today on “Discover the Word”!
Prism of grace
Grace is like a prism. It reflects the many ways that God bends Himself in our direction to show His love. Today on “Discover the Word,” we begin a study called, “Grace Prisms” with the story of King David and Mephibosheth. Hard name to say, and an even harder story to grasp in light of the Old Testament’s “kill or be killed” culture. “Grace Prisms”—join the study . . . today on “Discover the Word”!
Sweet Reminders
When the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922, it was filled with things ancient Egyptians thought were needed in the afterlife. Among items such as golden shrines, jewelry, clothing, furniture, and weapons was a pot filled with honey—still edible after 3,200 years!
Today we think of honey primarily as a sweetener, but in the ancient world it had many other uses. Honey is one of the only foods known to have all the nutrients needed to sustain life, so it was eaten for nutrition. In addition, honey has medicinal value. It is one of the oldest known wound…
God’s purpose for his sons and daughters
We often hear that “It’s a man’s world.” And it’s easy to see why both men and women feel that way. But really, it’s God’s world isn’t it? And so today on “Discover the Word,” the group and guest Carolyn Custis James explore how the creation story helps us understand God’s purpose for His sons and daughters. Discover why “it’s a man’s world” is a distorted way of looking at God’s world, today on “Discover the Word”!
Full Sun
I know better, but I still keep trying. The instructions on the label are clear: “Needs full sun.” Our yard has mostly shade. It is not suitable for plants that need full sun. But I like the plant. I like its color, the shape of the leaves, the size, the scent. So I buy it, bring it home, plant it, and take really good care of it. But the plant is not happy at my house. My care and attention are not enough. It needs sunlight, which I cannot provide. I thought I could make up for lack of light…
Ignore No More
I don’t know how these people find me, but I keep getting more and more flyers in the mail from folks asking me to show up at their events so they can teach me about retirement benefits. It started several years ago when I began getting invitations to join an organization that works on behalf of retirees. These reminders all serve to say: “You’re getting older. Get ready!”
I have ignored them all along, but soon enough I’m going to have to break down and go to one of their meetings. I really should be taking action on their suggestions.
Sometimes I…
Do we compromise truth to keep the peace?
Building a coalition is good when we’re doing it for the right motive. Compromise is an important part of politics on many different levels. But today on “Discover the Word,” as we continue our look at Pontius Pilate, we will discuss how compromising truth in order to “keep the peace” is not a good idea. Join the discussion today on “Discover the Word”!
Abigail’s Reminder
David and 400 of his warriors thundered through the countryside in search of Nabal, a prosperous brute who had harshly refused to lend them help. David would have murdered him if he hadn’t first encountered Abigail, Nabal’s wife. She had packed up enough food to feed an army and traveled out to meet the troops, hoping to head off disaster. She respectfully reminded David that guilt would haunt him if he followed through with his vengeful plan (1 Sam. 25:31). David realized she was right and blessed her for her good judgment.
David’s anger was legitimate—he had protected Nabal’s shepherds in…
Receiving mercy turns to bestowing mercy
Pastor and author Robert Gelinas says that “receiving mercy is meant to transform us into dispensers of mercy.” And today on “Discover the Word,” we explain why God’s mercy is meant to flow out of our lives and into the lives of others. We’re talking about “The Mercy Prayer” today on “Discover the Word”!
With Respect
The citizens of Israel were having some trouble with the government. It was the late 500s bc, and the Jewish people were eager to complete their temple that had been destroyed in 586 bc by Babylon. However, the governor of their region was not sure they should be doing that, so he sent a note to King Darius (Ezra 5:6-17).
In the letter, the governor says he found the Jews working on the temple and asks the king if they had permission to do so. The letter also records the Jews’ respectful response that they had indeed been given permission by…
Can’t Take It Back
I couldn’t take my actions back. A woman had parked her car and blocked my way of getting to the gas pump. She hopped out to drop off some recycling items, and I didn’t feel like waiting, so I honked my horn at her. Irritated, I put my car in reverse and drove around another way. I immediately felt bad about being impatient and unwilling to wait 30 seconds (at the most) for her to move. I apologized to God. Yes, she should have parked in the designated area, but I could have spread kindness and patience instead of harshness.…
Careless Words
My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure there!” I said.
“You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a grin.
She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my daughter quite bluntly.
I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory…
Real People, Real God
Several years ago I received a letter from an Our Daily Bread reader after I had written about a family tragedy. “When you told about your tragedy,” this person wrote, “I realized that the writers were real people with real problems.” How true that is! I look across the list of men and women who pen these articles, and I see cancer and wayward children and unfulfilled dreams and many other kinds of loss. We are indeed just regular, real people writing about a real God who understands our real problems.
The apostle Paul stands out in the Real People Hall of…
A Letter to All Believers: We are “intolerant”
Dear friends, You may not like hear this, but I have to inform you that we, believers in Christ, are a group of intolerant people.
When Personality Tests are Damaging
Introverts are quiet, shy, and don’t like meeting people. Extraverts (or “extrovert” as this psychology term is often spelled) are loud, seek attention, and love meeting people. You’ve probably heard such descriptions of personality types.