Topic > Christian Living
4 Reasons Why Not Knowing Our Future Is Good
My sister does this thing that drives me bonkers. She will take a book and, rather than reading it from start to finish, she will skip around the chapters, often reading the last page first.
“Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes”
With so many English translations available today, it’s easy to forget that the Bible wasn’t originally written to us! And when we fail to understand the context in which the Bible was written . . . we will surely misunderstand it! Today, the Discover the Word group welcomes authors Randy Richards and Brandon O’Brien for an […]
How did Peter influence the author of Mark
Forensic detectives might search a crime scene for fingerprints. But today on Discover the Word, when the team searches the gospel of Mark, they find a set of fingerprints that don’t belong to the author, the fingerprints belong to the apostle Peter. Find how the author of Mark was influenced by Peter when you tune […]
5 Things I Dislike But I’m Thankful For
If I asked you to name right now five things you are grateful for, I’m sure you can rattle off more than that—family, friends, food, a home, a car, a job, sunshine, snow, coffee, and so on.
Harvest and Thanksgiving
Several thousand years ago, God spoke directly to Moses and instituted a new festival for His people. In Exodus 23:16, according to Moses’s record, God said, “Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.”
Today countries around the world do something similar by celebrating the land’s bounty. In Ghana, the people celebrate the Yam Festival as a harvest event. In Brazil, Dia de Acao de Gracas is a time to be grateful for the crops that yielded their food. In China, there is the Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival. In the United States and Canada: Thanksgiving.
To…
I Was Wrong About Thanksgiving
I used to think Thanksgiving was cute, like little handprint turkey art projects from third graders. Thanksgiving was mildly entertaining, like whatever football game is on TV when you fall asleep after too much turkey.
Make a Joyful Noise
Back when I was searching for a church to attend regularly, a friend invited me to a service at her church. The worship leaders led the congregation in a song I particularly loved. So I sang with gusto, remembering my college choir director’s advice to “Project!”
After the song, my friend’s husband turned to me and said, “You really sang loud.” This remark was not intended as a compliment! After that, I self-consciously monitored my singing, making sure I sang softer than those around me, and always wondering if the people around me judged my singing.
But one Sunday, I noticed the…
Take a Number
We have an ancient cherry tree in our backyard that had seen better days and looked like it was dying so I called in an arborist. He checked it out and declared that it was “unduly stressed” and needed immediate attention. “Take a number,” my wife, Carolyn, muttered to the tree as she walked away. It had been one of those weeks.
Indeed, we all have anxious weeks—filled with worries over the direction our culture is drifting or concerns for our children, our marriages, our businesses, our finances, our personal health and well-being. Nevertheless, Jesus has assured us that despite disturbing…
God’s plans for your life exceed far beyond what you can imagine
Have you ever met a child with a particularly vivid imagination? Well, today, the Discover the Word team will help you understand what God is able to do in your life and that His plans exceed anything we could ever come up with! We can’t even imagine. Expand your vision of what God is able […]
Are You Burnt Out, Bored, and Barely Rested?
When I began working full-time earlier this year, I struggled with the long hours and intense work. Having been a student pretty much all my life, adjusting to the transition of #adulting was—and still is—painful.
In His Presence
The seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence, before a day’s work as cook in his community, would pray, “O my God . . . grant me your grace to stay in your presence. Help me in my labors. Possess all my affections.” As he worked, he kept talking to God, listening for His leading and dedicating his work to Him. Even when he was busiest, he would use intervals of relative calm to ask for His grace. No matter what was happening, he sought for and found a sense of his Maker’s love.
As Psalm 89 confesses, the fitting response to the Creator…
How firm is your foundation in Christ?
This week on Discover the Word, the group is exploring with you several things the Bible says God is able to do. And there’s a verse in Paul’s New Testament letter to the Romans that says that “God is able to establish you.” Discover how firm and secure your foundation is in Christ when you pull […]
Learning About Love from 50 babies
It’s not unusual for a child to exhibit a little jealousy when a younger sibling appears on the family tree. So how about 50 more?
Living out your faith without knowing the outcome
Saying you trust God is one thing, but living it out is something else entirely. Today on Discover the Word, we’ll explore how three young men expressed their faith in God, even when they didn’t know what the outcome would be. Grow your faith in the fact that “God Is Able” today on Discover the […]
Discouragement: The Devil’s Most Effective Weapon
I once heard a story of an old devil who was planning to retire. He put up for auction all the weapons which he had accumulated over the years. They ranged from envy to laziness to gossip.
