Topic > Spiritual Growth
Why I’m Fasting for the First Time
“Do you love God more than you love sugar?” A small voice in my head asked. I wavered, and was struck by the fact that I actually hesitated. We all have our coping mechanisms in times of stress and pressure.
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…
How the 2004 Tsunami Changed my Life
On 26 December 2004, one of the deadliest tragedies in recorded history struck when a massive tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake swept across the Indian Ocean, killing more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
Don’t Quit!
In 1952 Florence Chadwick attempted to swim 26 miles from the coast of California to Catalina Island. After 15 hours, a heavy fog began to block her view, she became disoriented, and she gave up. To her chagrin, Chadwick learned that she had quit just 1 mile short of her destination.
Two months later Chadwick tried a second time to swim to Catalina Island from the coast. Again a thick fog settled in, but this time she reached her destination, becoming the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. Chadwick said she kept an image of the shoreline in her mind…
The Power of God’s Music
The Sound of Music, one of the most successful musical films ever produced, was released as a motion picture in 1965. It won many accolades, including five Academy Awards, as it captured the hearts and voices of people around the world. More than half a century later, people still attend special showings of the film where viewers come dressed as their favorite character and sing along during the performance.
Music is deeply rooted in our souls. And for followers of Jesus, it is a powerful means of encouraging each other along the journey of faith. Paul urged the believers in Colosse, “Let…
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!
Grandma’s Recipe
Many families have a secret recipe, a special way of cooking a dish that makes it especially savory. For us Hakkas (my Chinese ethnic group), we have a traditional dish called abacus beads, named for its beadlike appearance. Really, you have to try it!
Of course Grandma had the best recipe. Each Chinese New Year at the family reunion dinner we would tell ourselves, “We should really learn how to cook this.” But we never got around to asking Grandma. Now she is no longer with us, and her secret recipe is gone with her.
We miss Grandma, and it’s sad to lose…
Growing Up
Watching my young grandson and his friends play T-Ball is entertaining. In this version of baseball, young players often run to the wrong base or don’t know what to do with the ball if they happen to catch it. If we were watching a professional baseball game, these mistakes would not be so funny.
It’s all a matter of maturity.
It’s okay for young athletes to struggle—not knowing what to do or not getting everything exactly right. They are trying and learning. So we coach them and patiently guide them toward maturity. Then we celebrate their success as later they play with…
A Better View
As a child, I loved to climb trees. The higher I climbed, the more I could see. Occasionally, in search of a better view, I might inch out along a branch until I felt it bend under my weight. Not surprisingly, my tree-climbing days are over. I suppose it isn’t very safe—or dignified.
Zacchaeus, a wealthy man, set aside his dignity (and perhaps ignored his safety) when he climbed a tree one day in Jericho. Jesus was traveling through the city, and Zacchaeus wanted to get a look at Him. However, “because he was short he could not see over the…
The surpassing glory of the Holy Spirit
Drop in about anywhere in a reading of the Old Testament, and you find that when God’s people broke the law, the law also broke them. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will dig further into our study in Second Corinthians where the apostle Paul contrasts the glory of the law and the surpassing glory of the Spirit. Join us today on “Discover the Word”!
Should We Avoid Conflicts in Relationships?
“Do not marry someone you have not had a big fight with.” The first time I heard this piece of advice, it startled me. It seemed counter-intuitive.
Being spiritual; not religious
We often hear people say, “I’m spiritual but not religious,” which is often a reaction against the institutional church. But people in the church sometimes say the same thing. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will discuss the apostle Paul’s depiction of spirituality. Would Paul say he’s “spiritual but not religious?”
How to let God’s love shine
As Christians, I think we’d rather be known for what we’re for, than what we’re against. Today on “Discover the Word,” we’ll talk about how we’re a greater witness to people when we allow the love of God to shine through our transformed hearts than when we try and impose our standards of moral conduct upon them.
Trusting God to finish the work He began
Date: Monday, February 15, 2016 Title: Discovering the Word, part 1 of 5 Text: 2 Corinthians 3 Have you ever wondered how Paul could send a reference letter commending the believers in Corinth when they were such a mess? Today on Discover the Word, we begin this week’s discussion based in Paul’s second letter to the […]
