Discover the Word Podcast

Do you like fruit? Why or why not? Do you have a favorite fruit? Well, growing a life that matters, is the result of God’s fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. But just what is “the fruit of the Spirit” and how does it grow in our lives? Galatians 5 contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh and then Paul explains how the fruit of the Spirit is God’s characteristics in our personality. Discover with the group what we look like when we look like Him.

What is the most honest thing you can say to God right now and is it okay to say it? We all experience difficult seasons in our lives, and sometimes they last a really long time. This seems to be the case for Heman, the author of Psalm 88 and a worship leader of Israel. How does he respond to God? Well, it’s rather raw, and perhaps a bit uncomfortable, but it’s honest. And there could be an example in this gut-wrenching Psalm for us too—of how we can respond to God when the worst happens. So buckle up, and join us for a hard conversation about hard days, and discover the gift God gives us—the invitation to be honest.

It’s unfortunate that being concerned about the environment has taken on political undertones. But what we’ll about this week is not about politics. We as Christians belong first to a heavenly kingdom and our value system is shaped and formed by our God. And part of our stewardship and responsibility is to care for the earth God created. God has entrusted us with the care of his creation; we are stewards, not the owners. Join the Discover the Word group this week as they take a closer look at passages in both the Old and New Testaments that reference care for creation.

A question seen often in the Old Testament is “Who is like you, God?” and demands the answer, “No one is like our God.” His wonders are incomparable and the gods of the nations don’t come close to him. Often when that question is asked, a descriptor of God’s uniqueness is provided to show just one area in which the God of wonders stands apart from all others. We want to explore a handful of those cases in these conversations so that we can be reminded together of the greatness and majesty of our God, and why he is so worthy of our praise and worship.

Do you like bread? What kinds? Do you bake bread? Bread shows up throughout the entire Bible—over 300 times, actually. But it doesn’t just represent food, it comes to represent the story of the Bible and the story of the Gospel. In a way, you could say that God is a Baker, and when we eat God’s tasty bread we may find that we never hunger again. Join the Discover the Word group as Daniel takes Mart and Elisa and Bill on a tour through the bakery of some passages that tell us about “God, the Baker.”

Did you know that Jerusalem is the most frequently mentioned place named in the Bible? And if, as Bible geographer Dr. Jack Beck contends, place/location always matters, there’s something extra special about Jerusalem in the Biblical story. Jerusalem is like no other city. And if you understand its uniqueness, you will understand not only all the attention it gets in the Bible but also why the stories and poetry of the Bible speak of it in the way they do. Explore Jerusalem–the City of God, with Dr. Jack Beck and the Discover the Word group.

Did you know that Jerusalem is the most frequently mentioned place named in the Bible? And if, as Bible geographer Dr. Jack Beck contends, place/location always matters, there’s something extra special about Jerusalem in the Biblical story. Jerusalem is like no other city. And if you understand its uniqueness, you will understand not only all the attention it gets in the Bible but also why the stories and poetry of the Bible speak of it in the way they do. Explore Jerusalem–the City of God, with Dr. Jack Beck and the Discover the Word group.

If any Bible character lived a life of seemingly constant danger, it was David—and we feel the weight of that danger most clearly in many of his psalms. Psalm 30 was one of those psalms where David wrestled with his experiences of danger, but in retrospect. Explore with the group how David learned to trust God’s long game through all the downs and ups of life, and how we can learn to trust God’s heart as well.

Do you give back to God for all He’s given you? Why or why not? How? Do you give to the church, support a missionary, donate to a nonprofit, recycle your possessions for others, share a meal, stop at a traffic light to help someone hungry? The practice of giving traces through the Old and New Testaments, outlining how God invites His people into a practice of generosity in both receiving and investing His gifts in our world.

What distracts you? Is it always a bad thing? Are there specific distractions that can be negative? In a world of distractions, sometimes there is the need to focus on one thing—and the Bible reminds us of this on several occasions where the phrase “one thing” points us to issues and concerns that are deserving of our undistracted focus.