Topic > Christian Living
Grateful for Everything
In Australia, it can take hours to drive between towns and fatigue can lead to accidents. So at busy holiday times rest stops are set up on major highways with volunteers offering free coffee. My wife, Merryn, and I grew to enjoy these stops during our long drives there.
On one trip, we pulled in and walked over to order our coffee. An attendant handed the two cups over, and then asked me for two dollars. I asked why. She pointed to the small print on the sign—at this stop, only the driver got free coffee; you had to pay for passengers.…
A grateful heart bringing you to the call to worship
Today on Discover the Word, join us for another encouraging conversation about Psalm 100! You’ll be challenged to think about what you have to be grateful for and how those blessings can call you to worship. Learn to worship with gratitude, today on Discover the Word!
If Only . . .
As we exited the parking lot, my husband slowed the car to wait for a young woman riding her bike. When Tom nodded to indicate she could go first, she smiled, waved, and rode on. Moments later, the driver from a parked SUV threw his door open, knocking the young bicyclist to the pavement. Her legs bloodied, she cried as she examined her bent-up bike.
Later, we reflected on the accident: If only we had made her wait . . . If only the driver had looked before opening his door. If only . . . Difficulties catch us up in…
What If Life Went Smoothly?
One morning last summer, I rolled over and looked at my phone. One new message. I smiled. It was from a guy who took me to dinner the night before. I sighed in contentment and sat up.
Bringing our passions to the call to worship
As a culture, we sure do get excited about our sports! The Super Bowl, March Madness, the World Series, the World Cup, these are anticipated events that we’d never miss! But often, we don’t bring that same enthusiasm to worshiping God on Sunday! Today on Discover the Word, we’re talking about our passions, and our […]
Our Father’s Face
I remember my father’s face. It was hard to read. He was a kind man, but stoic and self-contained. As a child, I often searched his face, looking for a smile or other show of affection. Faces are us. A frown, a sullen look, a smile, and crinkly eyes reveal what we feel about others. Our faces are our “tell.”
Asaph, the author of Psalm 80, was distraught and wanted to see the Lord’s face. He looked north from his vantage point in Jerusalem and saw Judah’s sister state, Israel, collapse under the weight of the Assyrian Empire. With her buffer…
Singing to the call to worship
It seems like for as long as there have been people, there have been songs! But why do we sing songs of worship? Today on Discover the Word, the group will get together around the table to discuss what motivates our worship and what its true purpose is. It’s part of the series titled “A Call […]
The Heart of Christ
An Australian journalist who spent 400 days in an Egyptian jail expressed mixed emotions when he was released. While admitting his relief, he said he accepted his freedom with “incredible angst” for the friends he was leaving behind. He said he found it extremely hard to say goodbye to fellow reporters who had been arrested and jailed with him—not knowing how much longer they were going to be held.
Moses also expressed great anxiety at the thought of leaving friends behind. When faced with the thought of losing the brother, sister, and nation that had worshiped a golden calf while he…
Listening to the call to worship
When you hear someone shout, you’ve got to listen carefully to discover what they’re shouting about and what emotion is attached to their outburst. Today on Discover the Word, we find that there are several different kinds of shouts in the Bible, too! It’s another enlightening discussion from Psalm 100. Hear more from the series […]
Available to All
In today’s celebrity-obsessed culture, it isn’t surprising that entrepreneurs are marketing “celebrities as products … allowing them to sell their personal time and attention.” Vauhini Vara’s article in The New Yorker noted that for $15,000, you can have a personal meeting with singer Shakira, while $12,000 will give you and eleven guests lunch with celebrity chef Michael Chiarello at his estate.
Many people treated Jesus like a celebrity as they followed Him from place to place, listened to His teaching, observed His miracles, and sought healing from His touch. Yet Jesus was never self-important or aloof, but available to all. When His followers,…
A call to worship
Today on Discover the Word, the group kicks off a new series for the week! It’s titled “A Call to Worship.” Tune in to hear a discussion that explores the depths of praise found in Psalm 100 and learn how praising God can change your life. Listen to Discover the Word today!
4 Things God Should Have Given Me
You bless us when we pray to You, don’t You? In Sunday school, we’re taught to clasp our hands tightly, shut our eyes, bow our heads and pray earnestly for whatever we want.
Showing Grace
The US Masters Golf Tournament began in 1934, and since then only three players have won it two years in a row. On April 10, 2016, it appeared that 22-year-old Jordan Spieth would become the fourth. But he faltered, on the last nine holes and finished in a tie for second. Despite his disappointing loss, Spieth was gracious toward tournament champion Danny Willett, congratulating him on his victory and on the birth of his first child, something “more important than golf.”
Writing in the New York Times, Karen Krouse said, “It takes grace to see the big picture so soon after…
Training for Life
My training for the long-distance race was going badly, and the latest run was particularly disappointing. I walked half the time and even had to sit down at one point. It felt like I had failed a mini-test.
Then I remembered that this was the whole point of training. It was not a test to pass, nor was there a grade I had to achieve. Rather, it was something I simply had to go through, again and again, to improve my endurance.
Perhaps you feel badly about a trial you are facing. God allows us to undergo these times of testing to…
How Jesus conquered temptation
Does the devil really cause us to sin? Well today on Discover the Word, the team will examine the Bible for ways that temptation can invade our lives, and discover that often there is a spiritual entry point. You’re invited to discover how Jesus conquered temptation. It’s part of this week’s series titled “The Temptation of […]
