Topic > Christian Living
Spontaneous Love
Love is not premeditated—it is spontaneous; that is, it bursts forth in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of precise certainty in Paul’s description of love. We cannot predetermine our thoughts and actions by saying, “Now I will never think any evil thoughts, and I will believe everything that Jesus would have me to believe.” No, the characteristic of love is spontaneity. We don’t deliberately set the statements of Jesus before us as our standard, but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without even realizing it.
Celebrating The Beauty Of Unity In Diversity
Today on Discover the Word, we conclude our two-week series on building unity within the church called “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?” As we’ll see, it’s not about getting everyone to think the way we do, but letting God transform our hearts to be like His. Learn to celebrate differences and the beauty […]
What Do You Want?
Are you seeking great things for yourself, instead of seeking to be a great person? God wants you to be in a much closer relationship with Himself than simply receiving His gifts— He wants you to get to know Him. Even some large thing we want is only incidental; it comes and it goes. But God never gives us anything incidental. There is nothing easier than getting into the right relationship with God, unless it is not God you seek, but only what He can give you.
If you have only come as far as asking God for things, you have never come to the point of understanding the least bit of what surrender really means.
Wisdom’s Call
Malcolm Muggeridge, the noted British journalist and social critic, came to faith in Christ at the age of 60. On his 75th birthday he offered twenty-five insightful observations about life. One said, “I never met a rich man who was happy, but I have only very occasionally met a poor man who did not want to become a rich man.”
Most of us would agree that money can’t make us happy, but we might like to have more so we can be sure.
King Solomon’s net worth has been estimated at more than two trillion US dollars. Although he was very wealthy,…
The Supreme Climb
A person’s character determines how he interprets God’s will (see Psalm 18:25-26). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this traditional belief behind through the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs which must be removed-for example, that God removes a child because his mother loves him too much. That is the devil’s lie and a travesty on the true nature of God!
Encourage The Unity That Jesus Desires
It’s been said that America is a “melting pot.” But sometimes this blending turns into a clash of cultures. It’s been that way since the beginning. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll see how the church in Rome grappled with embracing all kinds of backgrounds and what the apostle Paul said to encourage the […]
The Widow’s Faith
It is pitch dark when Ah-pi starts her day. Others in the village will wake up soon to make their way to the rubber plantation. Harvesting latex is one of the main sources of income for people living in Hongzhuang village, China. To collect as much latex as possible, the trees must be tapped very early in the morning, before daybreak. Ah-pi will be among the rubber tappers, but first, she will spend time communing with God.
Ah-pi’s father, husband, and only son have passed away, and she—with her daughter-in-law—is providing for an elderly mother and two young grandsons. Her story…
Building Unity With Intentionality
You probably know the old adage, “Birds of a feather flock together”! We’re most often drawn to people who are like us. So how do we intentionally build unity with people who are different? That’s the question that was on the apostle Paul’s mind when he wrote his letter to the Romans, and it’s the […]
A Biblical Perspective On Whose Job It Is To Judge
No one wants to be labeled as “judgmental.” And today on Discover the Word, we seek to answer the question, “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?” It’s a conversation about gaining a biblical perspective on whose job ultimately it is to be the Judge. Is that your job? Is it my job? Listen today […]
“. . . And In All Things Charity”
Augustine said, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity (or love).” That’s a good rule to live by. And today, the Discover the Word team turns to the book of Romans to see how we can learn to accept one another in our differences. Begin week two of their series “Why […]
The Secret of Peace
Grace is a very special lady. One word comes to mind when I think of her: peace. The quiet and restful expression on her face has seldom changed in the six months I have known her, even though her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease and then hospitalized.
When I asked Grace the secret of her peace, she said, “It’s not a secret, it’s a person. It’s Jesus in me. There is no other way I can explain the quietness I feel in the midst of this storm.”
The secret of peace is our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our…
Anywhere
As I flipped through a box of my old wedding photographs, my fingers stopped at a picture of my husband and me, newly christened “Mr. and Mrs.” My dedication to him was obvious in my expression. I would go anywhere with him.
Nearly four decades later, our marriage is tightly threaded with love and a commitment that has carried us through both hard and good times. Year after year, I’ve recommitted my dedication to go anywhere with him.
In Jeremiah 2:2, God yearns for His beloved but wayward Israel, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed…
Gaining God’s Heart While Following His Law
When a student decides to become a lawyer, they hit the books! A lot of books. But today, the Discover the Word team sums up God’s law in one sentence. And while it’s easy to state, living it out sure isn’t. So how do we gain God’s heart and follow His laws? It’s another way […]
When God Calls Us To Submit . . . Or Resist
From preschool to adulthood, submission to authority isn’t all that popular. But today on Discover the Word, we’ll see how God calls us to submit to governing authorities and when we’re called to resist. Learn to live in the tension of being a citizen of heaven living on earth when you tune in to Discover […]
Hurry Not
“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.” When two friends repeated that adage by the wise Dallas Willard to me, I knew I needed to consider it. Where was I spinning my wheels, wasting time and energy? More important, where was I rushing ahead and not looking to God for guidance and help? In the weeks and months that followed, I remembered those words and reoriented myself back to the Lord and His wisdom. I reminded myself to trust in Him, rather than leaning on my own ways.
After all, rushing around frantically seems to be the opposite of the “perfect peace” the prophet Isaiah…
