Topic > When Life Hurts
Complaining is more than just a bad habit
What, manna again? Complaining about their food and everything else they didn’t like, kept the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years, delaying their destiny. Today on Discover the Word, we discuss with our guest, Jeff Manion, why complaining and grumbling is more than just a bad habit, it’s an enemy of our trust in […]
Stuck in your own “shame fest”
Ever been to a “shame fest” where you get stuck focusing on your regrets, mistakes, and disappointments? Today on Discover the Word, the group shares a candid conversation on their personal experiences with pity parties and how to decline those invitations. “The Beauty of Broken”—be listening today on Discover the Word!
Reasons to rejoice when life is hard
A happy family. A fulfilling career. A clean bill of health. It’s easy to be grateful for things that go well. But being thankful for events that turn our life upside down? Join us today on Discover the Word as we explore reasons to rejoice even when life is falling apart. “The Beauty of Broken” […]
His Loving Presence
Our hearts sank when we learned that our good friend Cindy had been diagnosed with cancer. Cindy was a vibrant person whose life blessed all who crossed her path. My wife and I rejoiced when she went into remission, but a few months later her cancer returned with a vengeance. In our minds she was too young to die. Her husband told me about her last hours. When she was weak and hardly able to talk, Cindy whispered to him, “Just be with me.” What she wanted more than anything in those dark moments was his loving presence.
The writer to…
Embracing the pain
Has a broken relationship left a hole in your heart? Perhaps a recent hurt has crushed your defenses. Today on Discover the Word, we explain how embracing the pain can open us up to more of God’s love and healing. Don’t miss this encouraging discussion today on Discover the Word!
“The Beauty of Broken”
Maybe our family portrait isn’t what we thought it would be. And even when we try to touch up the picture of our home life the flaws still show through. Today on Discover the Word, the group shows us how to see God’s goodness through the cracks of our family relationships. We’re talking about “The […]
Tears and Laughter
Last year at a retreat I reconnected with some friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. I laughed with them as we enjoyed the reunion, but I also cried because I knew how much I had missed them.
On the last day of our time together we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. More smiles and tears! I rejoiced over the grace of God, who had given me eternal life and these beautiful days with my friends. But again I cried as I was sobered by what it had cost Jesus to deliver me from my sin.
I thought about Ezra and that…
Broken to Be Made New
During World War II my dad served with the US Army in the South Pacific. During that time Dad rejected any idea of religion, saying, “I don’t need a crutch.” Yet the day came when his attitude toward spiritual things would change forever. Mom had gone into labor with their third child, and my brother and I went to bed with the excitement of soon seeing our new brother or sister. When I got out of bed the next morning, I excitedly asked Dad, “Is it a boy or a girl?” He replied, “It was a little girl but she…
Strength for the Weary
On a beautiful, sunny day, I was walking in a park and feeling very weary in spirit. It wasn’t just one thing weighing me down—it seemed to be everything. When I stopped to sit on a bench, I noticed a small plaque placed there in loving memory of a “devoted husband, father, brother, and friend.” Also on the plaque were these words, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31 esv).
Those familiar words came…
Breaking free from resentment
Holding on to anger and bitterness is like ingesting poison and expecting the other person to die. And today on “Discover the Word,” the Institute for Prison Ministries director Karen Swanson and our team share keys that will help us break free from resentment. Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!
How shame can be its own prison
When a prisoner from a disadvantaged upbringing is released, families often throw a “get out of jail” party. However that’s not usually true for inmates from middle or upper class homes. Their return to society is usually shrouded in secrecy. Today on “Discover the Word,” our guest Karen Swanson and the team discuss how shame can be a prison whether we’ve ever been in jail or not. That’s today at on “Discover the Word”!
How did Paul break free from the cycle of sin
Addiction puts people behind bars, both literally and figuratively. And we can become enslaved to a variety of things like drugs, gossip, TV, shopping, or a critical spirit! Today on “Discover the Word,” we discuss with our guest Karen Swanson the apostle Paul’s dilemma—one he expressed so honestly—“for what I want to do, I don’t do . . . but what I hate, I do!” How did Paul break free from that cycle of sin? And how can we? Tune in today to “Discover the Word”!
How fear can make prisoners of us all
Karen Swanson, the Director of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College, knows about hardship. She’s seen it produce fear in those she works with, and she’s experienced it in her personal life. Today on “Discover the Word,” we will talk with Karen about how fear can make prisoners of us all. Join us for day six of the study called, “We’re All Prisoners, Until Christ Sets Us Free,” today on “Discover the Word”!
It’s not where you are, but who you are
It’s possible to be behind bars, but still experience freedom. And it’s also possible to not be an inmate at a prison, yet still be enslaved by sin. It’s not where you are but who you are. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, and special guest Karen Swanson, talks about how pride can hold us in a prison of our own making while humility can set us free. Join the group today on “Discover the Word”!
Perpetrators and victims of sin
While victims of crime can struggle with anger and bitterness, the criminal can wrestle with the shame and the guilt of what they’ve done. And both end up being imprisoned by the things they battle. Today on “Discover the Word,” the group, and special guest Karen Swanson, talks about how we’re both perpetrators of sin and victims of sin, making us all prisoners, until Christ sets us free. Join the study today on “Discover the Word”!
