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Set Apart
In November 1742, a riot broke out in Staffordshire, England, to protest against the gospel message Charles Wesley was preaching. It seems Charles and his brother John were changing some longstanding church traditions, and that was too much for many of the townsfolk.
When John Wesley heard about the riot, he hurried to Staffordshire to help his brother. Soon an unruly crowd surrounded the place where John was staying. Courageously, he met face to face with their leaders, speaking with them so serenely that one by one their anger was assuaged.
John Wesley’s gentle and quiet spirit calmed a potentially savage mob.…
Seeing with New Eyes
A video game, one that’s become a cultural phenomenon, places 100 players on a virtual island to compete until one player remains. Whenever a player eliminates you from the contest, you can continue to watch through that player’s vantage point. As one journalist notes, “When you step into another player’s shoes and inhabit their point of view, the emotional register . . . shifts from self-preservation to . . . communal solidarity. . . . You begin to feel invested in the stranger who, not too long ago, did you in.”
Transformation happens whenever we open ourselves to see another’s experience,…
Touched by Grace
In Leif Enger’s novel Peace Like a River, Jeremiah Land is a single father of three working as a janitor at a local school. He is also a man of deep, sometimes miraculous, faith. Throughout the book, his faith is often tested.
Jeremiah’s school is run by Chester Holden, a mean-spirited superintendent with a skin condition. Despite Jeremiah’s excellent work ethic—mopping up a sewage spill without complaint, picking up broken bottles the superintendent smashed—Holden wants him gone. One day, in front of all the students, he accuses Jeremiah of drunkenness and fires him. It’s a humiliating scene.
How does Jeremiah respond? He could…
“A Mighty Fortress”
Do you have a favorite hymn? Well, for hundreds of years, Martin Luther’s classic hymn, “A Mighty Fortress” has served as a favorite for many. And today on Discover the Word, the team wraps up a weeklong discussion on Psalm 46, the psalm that inspired this powerful, and beautiful song. Find the protection and comfort […]
Seeing God As Your Mighty Fortress
“A mighty fortress is our God.” The words of Martin Luther’s classic hymn ring through the ages, as a reminder of God’s love and protection. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll dig into the psalm that inspired Luther’s famous hymn. Learn to see how God is your “Mighty Fortress” when you listen today to […]
Discover How You Can Experience True Peace
What does it mean for there to be “peace”? Today on Discover the Word, the team will show us that peace isn’t just a lack of conflict, but a filling of God’s presence. Find out how you can experience true peace when you tune in today, to Discover the Word.
Discovering Your Safe Refuge . . . In The Midst Of Life’s Storms
In the midst of life’s storms, we have a safe refuge, “A Mighty Fortress.” Today on Discover the Word, the team will take us back to Psalm 46, to study one of the most comforting songs in the history of the world. I hope you’ll join us today for Discover the Word!
Discover How God Conquers Hearts
Armies have always used weapons to fuel their conquests. But today on Discover the Word, we’ll see how God conquers hearts with His love. God’s “weapons” and ways are different than our ways, and that’s always for the better. Join us for the start of a new series in Psalm 46, “A Mighty Fortress,” when […]
How do we treat our enemies?
Today on Discover the Word, the group explores together one of the most difficult questions in the Bible: How do we treat our enemies? Is it any different from how we most often want to treat our enemies? You won’t want to miss this conversation in the Discover the Word series about “The Miraculous Life of […]
Enemy Love
When war broke out in 1950, fifteen-year-old Kim Chin-Kyung joined the South Korean army to defend his homeland. He soon found, however, that he wasn’t ready for the horrors of combat. As young friends died around him, he begged God for his life and promised that, if allowed to live, he would learn to love his enemies.
Sixty-five years later, Dr. Kim reflected on that answered prayer. Through decades of caring for orphans and assisting in the education of North Korean and Chinese young people, he has won many friends among those he once regarded as enemies. Today he shuns political…
Changing Hearts
On the last day of the US Civil War, officer Joshua Chamberlain was in command of the Union army. His soldiers lined up on both sides of the road that the Confederate army had to march down in surrender. One wrong word or one belligerent act and the longed-for peace could be turned to slaughter. In an act as brilliant as it was moving, Chamberlain ordered his troops to salute their foe! No taunting here, no vicious words—only guns in salute and swords raised to honor.
When Jesus offered His words about forgiveness in Luke 6, He was helping us understand…
Is it Possible to Forgive Our Enemies?
One evening in 2015, an unassuming young man walked into a church. The regular attendees of the church’s weekly Bible study warmly welcomed him and proceeded with the meeting for an hour. Suddenly, that young man stood up, took out a gun, and shot everyone in the room.
Abigail’s Reminder
David and 400 of his warriors thundered through the countryside in search of Nabal, a prosperous brute who had harshly refused to lend them help. David would have murdered him if he hadn’t first encountered Abigail, Nabal’s wife. She had packed up enough food to feed an army and traveled out to meet the troops, hoping to head off disaster. She respectfully reminded David that guilt would haunt him if he followed through with his vengeful plan (1 Sam. 25:31). David realized she was right and blessed her for her good judgment.
David’s anger was legitimate—he had protected Nabal’s shepherds in…
When Not to Rejoice
The Akan people of Ghana have a proverb: “The lizard is not as mad with the boys who threw stones at it as with the boys who stood by and rejoiced over its fate!” Rejoicing at someone’s downfall is like participating in the cause of that downfall or even wishing more evil on the person.
That was the attitude of the Ammonites who maliciously rejoiced when the temple in Jerusalem “was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile” (Ezek. 25:3). For spitefully celebrating Israel’s misfortunes,…
Discover the backstory to Psalm 55
The Psalms express feelings of joy and pain we’ve all experienced. That may be why they’re loved by so many people. Join us on “Discover the Word” today as we dive into Psalm 55, a song about the agony of betrayal.
