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Don’t Walk Away
In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: “I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand.” But Piper didn’t walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church.
Although success is a word easily misunderstood, we might call John Piper successful. But what if his ministry had never flourished?
God gave the prophet Jeremiah a direct call. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” God said. “Before you were…
3 Ways to Face Your Future
What comes to your mind when you think about the future? For many, it holds a bright array of endless possibilities, great expectations, dreams to fulfill, and accomplishments to achieve.
Ignore No More
I don’t know how these people find me, but I keep getting more and more flyers in the mail from folks asking me to show up at their events so they can teach me about retirement benefits. It started several years ago when I began getting invitations to join an organization that works on behalf of retirees. These reminders all serve to say: “You’re getting older. Get ready!”
I have ignored them all along, but soon enough I’m going to have to break down and go to one of their meetings. I really should be taking action on their suggestions.
Sometimes I…
Positive Repetition
A journalist had a quirky habit of not using blue pens. So when his colleague asked him if he needed anything from the store, he asked for some pens. “But not blue pens,” he said. “I don’t want blue pens. I don’t like blue. Blue is too heavy. So please purchase 12 ballpoint pens for me—anything but blue!” The next day his colleague passed him the pens—and they were all blue. When asked to explain, he said, “You kept saying ‘blue, blue.’ That’s the word that left the deepest impression!” The journalist’s use of repetition had an effect, but not…
Mary: Extravagant, Because He’s Worth It
Any moment now. Her heart leapt with joy as she caught a glimpse of Him. There He was, reclining at the table with Simon the Leper. Oh, how different it felt whenever He was in the room!
When I was Blessed to be Sick
Recently, I was blessed to be down for a few days with a bad flu, sore throat, and fever. Yes, you read it right. I was blessed and I thank God to have been down for those few days.
Transitioning to a new beginning
Today on “Discover the Word,” we along with our special guest, author Sheridan Voysey, talk about how our wilderness experience is not the end. It may feel like it goes on forever, but it’s really only a transition point to a new beginning. It’s a hopeful conclusion to our conversations this week, today on “Discover the Word”!
Undigested Knowledge
In his book on language, British diplomat Lancelot Oliphant (1881–1965) observed that many students give correct answers on tests but fail to put those lessons into practice. “Such undigested knowledge is of little use,” declared Oliphant.
Author Barnabas Piper noticed a parallel in his own life: “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers,” he said, “but I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus.”
At the temple one day, Jesus encountered people who thought they had all the right answers. They were proudly proclaiming their status as Abraham’s descendants yet…
Why We Must Learn to Say “No”
A pastor I know once made this witty remark, “If you don’t fear God, you have to fear a lot; if you don’t please God, you have to please a lot.” Having personally experienced the truth of his statements, I couldn’t agree more. In fact, more often than not, we please those whom we fear.
Poem: By Your Side
By your side
There is peace,
A quiet place
Of beauty and realization,
Where wisdom
Seeks reason and understanding,
Where myth is laid to rest
By the reality of knowledge.
When Christ Was NOT the Solid Rock I stood on
Back in my hometown, there was a construction site that was left in a dilapidated state for a few years after a building project was abandoned halfway. Whenever my mother and I walked past it, she would shake her head in dismay and say what a shame it was that the project was not completed.
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye is hard—to family and friends, to a favorite and familiar place, to an occupation or livelihood.
In Luke 9:57-62 our Lord describes the cost of being His disciple. A would-be follower says to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus responds, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (vv. 61-62). Is He asking His followers to say goodbye to everything and every relationship considered precious?
In the Chinese language there is no direct equivalent…
Why God chose David as king over Israel
David wasn’t the first choice in his family to be Israel’s king. Was he overlooked because he was so young? Or because they needed him out in the field, tending sheep? Whatever the reason, it’s clear God chose David to be the next king because of what He saw inside of him, not what was on the outside. Don’t miss the conversation with our guest Crystal Bowman. That’s today on “Discover the Word.”
What Following God’s will is NOT
Unlike many of my peers who submitted countless applications to various employers even before they graduated, I had only intended to send out a single resume. I was so set on pursuing a specific career in educational therapy that I could join only one organization that I believed could enable me to do this.
The Best Kind of Happiness
“Everybody’s doing it” seemed like a winning argument when I was young. But my parents never gave in to such pleas no matter how desperate I was to get permission to do something they believed was unsafe or unwise.
As we get older we add excuses and rationalizations to our repertoire of arguments for having our own way: “No one will get hurt.” “It’s not illegal.” “He did it to me first.” “She won’t find out.” Behind each argument is the belief that what we want is more important than anything else.
Eventually, this faulty way of thinking becomes the basis for…
