Topic > Christian Living
Who Are You Defending?
When Kathleen’s teacher called her to the front of the grammar class to analyze a sentence, she panicked. As a recent transfer student, she hadn’t learned that aspect of grammar. The class laughed derisively.
Instantly the teacher sprang to her defense. “She can out-write any of you any day of the week!” he explained. Many years later, Kathleen gratefully recalled the moment: “I started that day to try to write as well as he said I could.” Eventually, Kathleen Parker would win a Pulitzer Prize for her writing.
As did Kathleen’s teacher, Jesus identified with the defenseless and vulnerable. When His disciples…
Chin Up
Emil was a homeless man who spent a whole year looking down at the pavement as he plodded around the city day after day. He was ashamed to meet the eyes of others in case they recognized him, for his life had not always been lived out on the streets. Even more than that, he was intent on finding a coin that had been dropped or a half-smoked cigarette. His downward focus became such a habit that the bones of his spine began to become fixed in that position so that he had great difficulty in straightening up at all.
…
Editor’s Picks: Top 3 Articles | Success
Success. We crave it. We want it. We love it. We all desire to be successful in all aspects of our lives. Whether in school, in church, or in the workplace, there’s always a higher level we can work towards.
Sharing the ministry of Jesus with others
Is God more interested in what He’s doing through you or what He’s doing in you? Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss the symbiotic relationship between Jesus’s personal ministry to us and our willingness to share the fruits of that work with others, even when our hearts aren’t always in it!
Being ready when Jesus shows up
Everyone has tasks they don’t like. And there’s usually not much to marvel at in the mundane. Or is there? Today on Discover the Word, we examine the idea that even in boring, everyday activities, like Peter cleaning his fishing nets, Jesus shows up. We may not know when or how but we need to be ready! Learn how […]
More Than We Can Imagine
What are the five best toys of all time? Jonathan H. Liu suggested the following: A stick, a box, string, a cardboard tube, and dirt (GeekDad column at wired.com). All are readily available, versatile, appropriate for all ages, fit every budget, and are powered by imagination. No batteries required.
Imagination plays a powerful role in our lives, so it’s not unusual that the apostle Paul mentioned it in his prayer for the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (Eph. 3:14–21). After asking God to strengthen them with His power through His Spirit (v. 16), Paul prayed that they would be able…
A fresh revelation
What, or who, is in your boat? Today on Discover the Word, we will discuss how Jesus commandeered Peter’s fishing boat to deliver a message to people hungry to hear a word from God. Could God use something in your everyday life to bring a fresh revelation of His love? Because when Jesus is on board, […]
What Would Jesus Post?
Most millennials (myself included) take immense pride in sharing their daily lives on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to display or articulate who they are and what they stand for.
Never Give Up!
Joop Zoetemelk is known as the Netherlands’ most successful cyclist. But that’s because he never gave up. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times—placing second five times before winning in 1980. That’s perseverance!
Many winners have reached success by climbing a special ladder called “never give up.” However, there are also many who have lost the opportunity to achieve success because they gave up too soon. This can happen in every area of life: family, education, friends, work, service. Perseverance is a key to victory.
The apostle Paul persevered despite persecution and affliction (2 Tim. 3:10-11). He viewed life…
God longs to hear from us
We all want to hear from God, especially when we feel like we need answers! But is it possible that God wants, make that longs, to hear from us? Today on Discover the Word, we start our study in Luke chapter five, a passage that reveals people’s deep hunger to hear a word from God. And Jesus, […]
Believing is Seeing
Familiar paths are comfortable, but it’s the unknown that forces you to trust. When you struggle and fall, faith may be the only thing you have in this cruel world. It’s a gift given to help you. Trust the Giver. And He will help you see the way again.
Keeping Faith
It’s tempting to think of faith as a kind of magic formula. If you muster up enough of it, you’ll get rich, stay healthy, and live a contented life with automatic answers to all your prayers. But life does not work according to such neat formulas. As proof, the author of Hebrews presents a stirring reminder of what constitutes “true faith” by reviewing the lives of some Old Testament giants of faith (Heb. 11).
“Without faith,” the author says bluntly, “it is impossible to please God” (11:6). In describing faith he uses words such as “persevere” and “endure.” As a…
Is it true that experience is the best teacher?
It’s been said that experience is the best teacher. But is that really true? Today on Discover the Word, lets allow King David to be our guide by digging deep into Psalm 27 and discovering three things David learned about God the hard way. That’s today on Discover the Word.
Loving Can Hurt Sometimes
We all know the unexplainable joy and completeness that comes from loving someone and being loved in return. But love can sometimes also cause us deep pain. Although we normally associate these feelings with romantic love, it is just as applicable in our friendships.
Love Your Neighbor
An anthropologist was winding up several months of research in an African village, the story is told. While waiting for a ride to the airport for his return flight home, he decided to pass the time by making up a game for some village children. His idea was to create a race for a basket of fruit and candy that he placed near a tree. But when he gave the signal to run, no one made a dash for the finish line. Instead the children joined hands and ran together to the tree.
When asked why they chose to run…
