Topic > Spiritual Growth
The Collision of God and Sin
The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God’s judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross— He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.
The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus— He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming.
Trial by Fire
Last winter while visiting a natural history museum in Colorado, I learned some remarkable facts about the aspen tree. An entire grove of slender, white-trunked aspens can grow from a single seed and share the same root system. These root systems can exist for thousands of years whether or not they produce trees. They sleep underground, waiting for fire, flood, or avalanche to clear a space for them in the shady forest. After a natural disaster has cleared the land, aspen roots can sense the sun at last. The roots send up saplings, which become trees.
For aspens, new growth is…
Bearing Good Fruit
The view from my airplane window was striking: a narrow ribbon of ripening wheat fields and orchards wending between two barren mountains. Running through the valley was a river. Life-giving water, without which there would be no fruit.
Just as a bountiful harvest depends on a source of clean water, the quality of the “fruit” in my life—my words, actions, and attitude—depends on my spiritual nourishment. The psalmist describes this in Psalm 1: the person “whose delight is in the law of the Lord…is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season” (v. 1-3). And…
Why We Must Engage Both Mind and Heart
When I was a much younger Christian, I was taught that feelings were unreliable.
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity (1)
Purity is not innocence— it is much more than that. Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. Our life with God may be right and our inner purity unblemished, yet occasionally our outer life may become spotted and stained. God intentionally does not protect us from this possibility, because this is the way we recognize the necessity of maintaining our spiritual vision through personal purity. If the outer level of our spiritual life with God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside until we make it right. Remember that spiritual vision depends on our character— it is “the pure in heart ” who “see God.”
The power of participation
Walt Disney once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” And today on Discover the Word, we continue the conversation in our series titled “Bring it to Jesus.” It’s a discussion about the power of participation and what God can do when we bring our participation to Jesus. Listen […]
After You
In some cultures a younger person is expected to permit his elder to enter a room first. In others, the most important or highest ranking individual enters first. No matter what our traditions, there are times when we find it difficult to allow someone to choose first on important matters, especially when that privilege rightfully belongs to us.
Abram (later called Abraham) and his nephew Lot had so many flocks, herds, and tents that the land could not support both of them as they traveled together. To avoid conflict, Abram suggested they part company and generously gave Lot first choice of…
A Good Inheritance
Grandpa and Grandma Harris didn’t have a lot of money, yet they managed to make each Christmas memorable for my cousins and me. There was always plenty of food, fun, and love. And from an early age we learned that it was Christ who made this celebration possible.
We want to leave the same legacy to our children. When we got together last December to share Christmas with family, we realized this wonderful tradition had started with Grandpa and Grandma. They couldn’t leave us a monetary inheritance, but they were careful to plant the seeds of love, respect, and faith so…
The most common command – “fear not”
What’s the most common command given in the Bible? Would you be surprised to learn that it’s “fear not”? Today on Discover the Word, we gather around the table to discuss how we can take all the things that we’re afraid of, and “Bring it to Jesus.” It’s an encouraging, timely message today on Discover the […]
“Bring it to Jesus”
I think everyone can agree there’s a lot going on in our world and in our individual lives! We have a lot of things on our mind! Today on Discover the Word, we begin an encouraging discussion about the kinds of things we can “Bring to Jesus.” Not sure where to go with all you’ve […]
Discovering the true riches of life
The Bible has a lot to say about money. And John Cortines has always had a knack for handling it. He graduated high school with $10,000 in the bank. He finished college with $100,000 in his account. But it was while he was in Harvard Business School getting his MBA that he says he discovered […]
Generosity is the cure for selfishness
Today on Discover the Word, the group sits down with John Cortines to continue our week talking about “God and Money” by focusing on a sure cure for thinking selfishly about our money—generosity. It’s an encouraging look at the heart of our Father and it has some practical implications for your life as well. Grab […]
How your perspective and focus can change
Everyone has an “ideal” plan for how their life should go. For John Cortines, that meant making a lot of money and retiring at 40. But today on Discover the Word, the group joins John in discussing how his perspective and life’s focus changed while getting his MBA at Harvard. It’s part of the weeklong […]
Should We Give Help but Not Receive it?
During dinner some days ago, my father lamented about how times have changed. It used to be that bosses care about their workers even outside of work.
Practicing radical acts of kindness
Today on Discover the Word, the group encourages us to practice radical acts of kindness in Jesus’s name. It’s a discussion based on a letter the apostle Paul wrote from prison, to a friend, about a friend. We’re studying the book of Philemon, today on Discover the Word!
