Topic > Life Struggles
God Provides
One snap of the shutter, and there it was . . . one beautiful moment captured in time for eternity. The late summer sun reflected in the breaking wave made the water look like liquid gold splashing onto the shore. If my friend had not been there with his camera, the wave would have gone unnoticed, like so many others that have come and gone, seen only by God.
Who can imagine how many waves Lake Michigan has sent rolling onto the shoreline? Yet each one is unique. As seen in every wave, God makes extravagant beauty out of seemingly mundane…
What To Do If You’ve Misplaced Your Identity
One of the latest buzzwords in today’s culture is “identity”. Whether it’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, or relationship status, there are so many ways we can identify ourselves.
I’m Not Who You See on Instagram
One square photo. One little box under our fingertip that we scroll through daily. That’s all it takes for us to form an opinion about someone or something.
A New Name
In the article “Leading by Naming,” Mark Labberton wrote about the power of a name. He said: “I can still feel the impact of a musical friend who one day called me ‘musical.’ No one had ever called me that. I didn’t really play an instrument. I was no soloist. Yet . . . I instantly felt known and loved. . . . [He] noticed, validated, and appreciated something deeply true about me.”
Perhaps this is what Simon felt when Jesus renamed him. After Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he immediately found his brother Simon and brought him…
Surrendering our need for control and trusting God
You’ve probably met someone who you might call a “control freak.” Maybe you look at one in the mirror every morning! Well, today on Discover the Word, we’ll discuss how we can surrender our need for control and trust God more. Join the team and learn how to truly fall in love with God when […]
From Worms to War
It was 10-year-old Cleotis’ first time fishing, and as he looked into the container of bait he seemed hesitant to get started. Finally he said to my husband, “Help me, I-S-O-W!” When my husband asked him what the problem was, Cleotis responded, “I-S-O-W! I’m Scared Of Worms!” His fear had made him unable to act.
Fear can paralyze grown men too. Gideon must’ve been afraid when the angel of the Lord came to him as he was threshing wheat in secret, hiding from his Midianite enemies (Judges 6:11). The angel told him he had been chosen by God to lead His…
Does pride have any place in a Christian’s life?
Does pride have any place in a Christian’s life? Is there “good pride” and “bad pride”? Today on Discover the Word, the team comes back to find the difference between falling into the trap of pride and “Falling into Love.” Join us today for a convicting and relevant discussion on Discover the Word!
Defeating the green-eyed monster
No one wants to admit that they’re green with envy. But we’ve all found ourselves struggling with jealousy at one time or another. Today on Discover the Word, the team looks at Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians on how we can defeat the green-eyed monster, with the love of Christ. Be part of the group […]
Where Do You Place Your Worth?
I’m a jokester. God has gifted me with the ability to lighten up a tense atmosphere and cheer people up. But like so many others, I have used this God-given talent to glorify myself instead of Him.
Conceived in Crisis
Marc recalls a moment from his childhood when his father called the family together. Their car had broken down, and the family would run out of money by the end of the month. Marc’s dad paused and prayed. Then he asked the family to expect God’s answer.
Today Marc recalls how God’s help arrived in surprising ways. A friend repaired their car; unexpected checks arrived; food showed up at the door. Praising God came easily. But the family’s gratitude had been forged in a crisis.
Psalm 57 has long provided rich inspiration for worship songs. When David declared, “Be exalted, O God,…
My Netflix Had No Chill
A young woman comes home after a long day. She sets her things down, throws her hair up, and changes into comfy clothes in record time. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, she grabs her laptop and flips it open.
When I Let Fear Rule Me
Everyone has their own irrational fears. Sometimes, they affect us so much that we are imprisoned by them. For me, it escalated from a common cold. I woke up one day with a sore throat, which turned into a cough.
Anger Management
As I had dinner with a friend, she expressed how fed up she was with a particular family member. But she was reluctant to say anything to him about his annoying habit of ignoring or mocking her. When she did try to confront him about the problem, he responded with sarcastic remarks. She exploded in anger at him. Both parties wound up digging in their heels, and the family rift widened.
I can relate, because I handle anger the same way. I also have a hard time confronting people. If a friend or family member says something mean, I usually suppress…
Should Christians be Afraid of Spirits?
As someone who is relatively timid, I tend to get jittery and fearful whenever the seventh-month comes around.
Carried Through
I recently stumbled across some of my journals from college and couldn’t resist taking time to reread them. Reading the entries, I realized I didn’t feel about myself then the same as I do today. My struggles with loneliness and doubts about my faith felt overwhelming at the time, but looking back now I can clearly see how God has carried me to a better place. Seeing how God gently brought me through those days reminded me that what feels overwhelming today will one day be part of a greater story of His healing love.
Psalm 30 is a celebration psalm…
