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Being a True Friend
Poet Samuel Foss wrote, “Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man” (“The House by the Side of the Road”). That’s what I want to be—a friend of people. I want to stand by the way, waiting for weary travelers. To look for those who have been battered and wronged by others, who carry the burden of a wounded and disillusioned heart. To nourish and refresh them with an encouraging word and send them on their way. I may not be able to “fix” them or their problems, but I can leave them with…
Our Best Friend
When I was twelve years old our family moved to a town in the desert. After gym classes in the hot air at my new school, we rushed for the drinking fountain. Being skinny and young for my grade, I sometimes got pushed out of the way while waiting in line. One day my friend Jose, who was big and strong for his age, saw this happening. He stepped in and stuck out a strong arm to clear my way. “Hey!” he exclaimed, “You let Banks get a drink first!” I never had trouble at the drinking fountain again.
Jesus understood…
Bringing your friends to Jesus
How do we bring our friends to Christ? Today on Discover the Word, we will open up Mark chapter 2 to talk about how we can bring our friends to Jesus, and then trust that He’ll do what’s best for them. It’s from the series titled, “Bring It to Jesus.” Listen today on Discover the Word!
Something’s Wrong
The morning after our son, Allen, was born, the doctor sat down in a chair near the foot of my bed and said, “Something’s wrong.” Our son, so perfect on the outside, had a life-threatening birth defect and needed to be flown to a hospital 700 miles away for immediate surgery.
When the doctor tells you something is wrong with your child, your life changes. Fear of what lies ahead can crush your spirit and you stumble along, desperate for a God who will strengthen you so you can support your child.
Would a loving God allow this? you wonder.…
Embracing conflict in a godly way
No one likes conflict, but running from conflict can be as unhealthy and dangerous as stirring it up! Today on Discover the Word, the group encourages us to embrace conflict in a godly way. The discussion’s centered in the little New Testament letter to Philemon. But don’t let the size of this letter fool you, […]
Praying for others
When a serious need comes up at home or around the world, have you ever felt powerless to do anything about it? Well, there’s One who can intervene in any circumstance! And today on Discover the Word, we return to Paul’s letter to Philemon to see what he says about praying for others. How much […]
“Plea from a Friend”
Today on Discover the Word, we will kick off the second week of their conversation about the apostle Paul’s fascinating first-century letter to his friend Philemon. It’s a fairly short letter with a big message. This week’s discussions focus on a “Plea from a Friend,” so be part of the group on Discover the Word!
To the Man Who Takes My Place
I knew from the moment my question went unanswered. Up until that point, what I had to say always got her rapt attention above anybody else’s (you know, besides Jesus). For the past nine years, we’ve been inseparable.
The Devotion of Hearing
Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, “You are My friends . . .” (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don’t even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us.
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
A dear friend of mine sent me a text message that said, “I’m so glad we can tell each other the good, the bad, and the ugly!” We have been friends for many years, and we have learned to share our joys and our failures. We recognize we are far from perfect, so we share our struggles but we also rejoice in each other’s successes.
David and Jonathan had a solid friendship too, beginning with the good days of David’s victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 18:1–4). They shared their fears during the bad days of Saul’s jealousy (18:6–11; 20:1–2). Finally, they…
Watching All Your Friends Get Married
I go to a lot of weddings. Like, a lot—five this summer, five last summer. I hang out with a lot of couples. And I write a lot about singleness. Go figure, right? My life, humorous to many, typically brings about a lot of questions.
Wounds from a Friend
Charles Lowery complained to his friend about lower back pain. He was seeking a sympathetic ear, but what he got was an honest assessment. His friend told him, “I don’t think your back pain is your problem; it’s your stomach. Your stomach is so big it’s pulling on your back.”
In his column for REV! Magazine, Charles shared that he resisted the temptation to be offended. He lost the weight and his back problem went away. Charles recognized that “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:5–6).
The trouble is that so often we would…
“Carrying Our Friends to Christ”
Today on Discover the Word, we welcome one of our 4th chair contest winners to the table. Michelle is our guest and the topic is “Carrying Our Friends to Christ.” Michelle talks about the people in her life who carried her to Christ, and continued speaking into her life as her mentors, including the team here […]
Overcoming the barriers to knowing Jesus
We all know someone who we would really like to see come to Christ. Today on Discover the Word, we address the three most common barriers that people erect against accepting Jesus. Whether it’s emotional, intellectual, or volitional, people have their reasons. Overcoming barriers that keep us from “Carrying Our Friends to Christ.” Join the group […]
