Topic > Christian Living
Long Shadows
Several years ago, my wife and I stayed in a rustic bed-and-breakfast in the remote Yorkshire Dales of England. We were there with four other couples, all British, whom we had never met before. Sitting in the living room with our after-dinner coffees, the conversation turned to occupations with the question “What do you do?” At the time I was serving as the president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, I assumed that no one there knew of MBI or its founder, D. L. Moody. When I mentioned the name of the school, their response was immediate and surprising. “Of…
“The Broken Way”
When we say something’s “broken,” we mean that it’s no longer of use. But that’s not what God says when He sees our “broken” lives. Today on Discover the Word, the group, along with special guest Ann Voskamp, continues a discussion based on Ann’s new book, “The Broken Way.” Don’t miss today’s conversation on Discover […]
Finding Life
The words of Ravi’s father cut deep. “You’re a complete failure. You’re an embarrassment to the family.” Compared to his talented siblings, Ravi was viewed as a disgrace. He tried excelling in sports, and he did, but he still felt like a loser. He wondered, What is going to become of me? Am I a complete failure? Can I get out of life some way, painlessly? These thoughts haunted him, but he talked to no one. That simply wasn’t done in his culture. He had been taught to “keep your private heartache private; keep your collapsing world propped up.”
So Ravi struggled…
The Valley of Blessing
French artist Henri Matisse felt his work in the last years of his life best represented him. During that time he experimented with a new style, creating colorful, large-scale pictures with paper instead of paint. He decorated the walls of his room with these bright images. This was important to him because he had been diagnosed with cancer and was often confined to his bed.
Becoming ill, losing a job, or enduring heartbreak are examples of what some call “being in the valley,” where dread overshadows everything else. The people of Judah experienced this when they heard an invading army was…
Growing in the Wind
Imagine a world without wind. Lakes would be calm. Falling leaves wouldn’t blow in the streets. But in still air, who would expect trees to suddenly fall over? That’s what happened in a three-acre glass dome built in the Arizona desert. Trees growing inside a huge windless bubble called Biosphere 2 grew faster than normal until suddenly collapsing under their own weight. Project researchers eventually came up with an explanation. These trees needed wind stress to grow strong.
Jesus let His disciples experience gale-force winds to strengthen their faith (Mark 4:36–41). During a night crossing of familiar waters, a sudden storm…
Even when God is silent he is up to something good
Prayer is such a powerful thing! Even when it seems like God is silent, He’s always up to something good. That’s the lesson Habakkuk learned, and it’s what we’ll see today on Discover the Word. Listen as our team concludes our discussion titled, “Major Prayers from a Minor Prophet” . . . today on Discover the […]
Do You Read Your Bible For Fun?
I spent the whole of November immersed in the countryside of Western Australia with my family. We brought no work along—no revision (for the kids), no prep, teaching or writing (for my husband and me).
How is God speaking to you?
Have you ever found yourself in a one-sided conversation? It’s not really much of a conversation if you’re the only one talking! So, how do we have a conversation with God, and how should we expect to listen when He’s communicating back? Today on Discover the Word, the team takes us to the book of […]
Nothing Hidden
In 2015 an international research company stated that there were 245 million surveillance cameras installed worldwide, and the number was growing by 15 percent every year. In addition, multiplied millions of people with smartphones capture daily images ranging from birthday parties to bank robberies. Whether we applaud the increased security or denounce the diminished privacy, we live in a global, cameras-everywhere society.
The New Testament book of Hebrews says that in our relationship with God, we experience a far greater level of exposure and accountability than anything surveillance cameras may see. His Word, like a sharp, two-edged sword, penetrates to the…
Discover how to pray fearlessly
What do we do when the “fear of the Lord” gets twisted, causing us to be afraid of God? Where is that coming from and how can we get back to having a proper perspective? Today, the team will open the book of Habakkuk to show us how to pray fearlessly in the love of […]
God often answers our prayers in unexpected ways
Have you ever heard someone say, “Expect the unexpected”? Well, that’s one of the messages of the book of Habakkuk and it’s our subject today on Discover the Word. We’re learning that God often answers our prayers in unexpected ways! Be prepared to be surprised today on Discover the Word!
Random Acts of Kindness
Some say that the American writer Anne Herbert scribbled the phrase “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a placemat at a restaurant in 1982. The sentiment has since been popularized through film and literature and has become a part of our vocabulary.
The missing note is “Why?” Why should we show kindness to others? For those who follow Jesus, the answer is clear: To show the tender mercy and kindness of God.
There’s an Old Testament example of that principle in the story of Ruth, the emigrant from Moab. She was a foreigner, living in a strange…
When 2017 Starts Off on the Wrong Foot
I blame it on the two cups of tea and one cup of coffee I had earlier that day. Though it was almost 2am, my mind was still active and raring to go.
Discover the healing benefits of being honest in prayer
The only way to be fully loved is to be fully known. So, why do we resist being fully honest with God in prayer? Today on Discover the Word, we continue our discussion in the book of Habakkuk. Join us to discover the healing benefits of being completely honest in prayer. That’s today on Discover the […]
Put Down Your Burdens
A man driving his pickup truck on a country track saw a woman carrying a heavy load, so he stopped and offered her a lift. The woman expressed her gratitude and climbed into the back of the truck.
A moment later, the man noticed a strange thing: the woman was still holding onto her heavy load despite sitting in the vehicle! Astonished, he pleaded, “Please, Madam, put down your load and take your rest. My truck can carry you and your stuff. Just relax.”
What do we do with the load of fear, worry, and anxiety we often carry as we go…
