Abide. Bless. Contend.
Discern Daily is a segment for seeking truth and developing discernment through conversing around popular content, topics, and current events, as we filter them through our understanding of God’s word and wisdom.
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In order to follow Jesus’ example, and live sacrificially, we must keep Christ at the forefront of our mind. If we don’t keep Christ in mind, it’s easy to forget about the mission and focus on selfish goals. On this episode we looked at a great, thought-provoking tweet by Dustin Benge (@DustinBenge).
As tempting as it is to complain about how much our country needs a revival, we must ask ourselves whether or not we need revived by God. Revival starts with the Church. On this episode, we are highlighting a fantastic article by Obbie Todd, titled, “Waiting for a Revival.” Let’s go!
On this episode, we are highlighting a great response from a listener named Austin. He felt led to record some thoughts of his own regarding episode #34 and sent it our way. It was too good not to share!
On this episode, we discussed how Riley has been engaging others on his personal social media accounts. Recent events have ignited many interesting conversations online, but how should we respond to them as Christians? Join the discussion!
If we are going to live intentionally and obediently, we should read the Bible as much as we can. However, it’s difficult when our schedules are busy. Sometimes we need to get creative. On this episode, we discuss a way to get more time in the Bible without having to change your schedule.
Are we training and preparing ourselves to engage with the world? What about those in our care? Are we helping them prepare too? On this episode, we are highlighting an article written by Jared Sparks, titled, “In Defense of Sheltering Your Kids.”
Some good can come from our suffering. This is the topic we discussed today while highlighting an article by Sean McDowell, titled, “10 Biblical Reasons God Allows Suffering.” Join the discussion!
Forgiveness should be a mark on the life and mind of every Christian. No Christian forgives perfectly, but we should strive to be known as forgiving people. On this episode, we are highlighting Brandon Hanson’s article for 1517, titled, “Out of Ammo.”
God is always at work, even when we can’t see it. Sometimes we can’t see it because God is moving on the other side of the world. Hearing about Gospel works occurring overseas is exciting and may teach us something new. On this episode, Jonathan Hayashi shares about his recent trip to Japan and how God is moving overseas.
A plethora of content exists today regarding purpose. Discovering one’s purpose in life can take time and requires a sacrificial amount of searching. As Christ followers, we know our purpose is to glorify God, but how focused are we really on glorifying God at all times? On this episode, we are taking a look at an article by John MacArthur, titled, “How Do I Glorify God in the Gray Areas?,” found on Grace to You.
Is anything burdening you? What tends to stress you out or cause you to worry? When it comes to spiritual matters involving our relationship with God, it’s common to lose our sense of security in Christ at times. But God is our true confidence and security! On this episode, we are highlighting a blog post by Pastor Gabe Hughes, titled, “Predestined By God.”
Another season of political discussions is here with the help of the 2020 Democratic primaries. Many Christians stay far away from politics in America; however, politics may be a useful means to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. David Closson composed an excellent article for ERLC, titled, “4 Reasons Christians Should Care About Politics,” and it’s worth unpacking together.
The Bible says a lot about money, but it’s difficult for people to give their finances over to God. Christians today should have a proper understanding of how to handle money and worship God with it. Bible Gateway published a helpful post, titled, “What Does the Bible Say about Wealth and Prosperity?,” adapted from a book by Costi W. Hinn. Let’s walk through the post together and seek the truth.
Our discussion today centered around a tweet sent by Mark Dever. The Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church wrote, “I recently heard someone say ‘The core of the Gospel is God’s commitment to protect the vulnerable.’ What do you think?” What is at the core of the gospel message? What exactly is meant by the term vulnerable? Watch the episode and let’s seek the truth together.
On this episode, we walked through three sections of a great post found on Focus on the Family, titled, “Seeking God in Prayer.” If you’re new to praying, this episode will give you a great starting point. If you know someone who is new to praying, this can be a beneficial resource to share with them. If you’re already a prayer warrior, you’ll find great reminders here.
In order to move forward together, we need to create a healthier environment for dialogue. We shouldn’t retreat to those who agree with us and shame those who disagree. We should seek to convince and persuade everyone. Blake Long composed a new article on his blog — Theology & Life — titled, “The New Intolerance,” where he explains how the Left is redefining intolerance and how Christians ought to respond.
A discussion about God’s “calling” can provide beneficial guidance for us as we seek to follow Christ. Many look to pillars of the faith, such as the Apostle Paul, and wonder when their own special calling from God is going to come. Is Paul’s calling experience the standard? Greg Handley composed an article for IMB, titled, “Let’s Rethink Our Language of ‘Calling’,” where he provides wise counsel about God’s calling.
The culture and Christ seem to collide often. Many today operate with a postmodern mindset. Do we get to determine what truth is? Can something be true for me, yet false for others? Owen Strachan wrote an article for Reformanda Ministries, titled, “Why So Sensitive? Ministry in a Post-Truth Culture,” and it provides much insight regarding a “post-truth” culture.
Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone is not a work accomplished by the Son of God alone — the entire Trinity is involved in every salvation. On this episode, we are learning from an article by Ryan McGraw, published on Tabletalk magazine, titled, “For Whom Did Christ Die.”
The trajectory of the public school system has many Christians worried. It seems homeschooling is the best option for many families that want to train up their children to follow Christ. On this episode, we are taking a look at an article, titled, “Burn All the Schools,” by Douglas Wilson.
An important keyword we keep in mind on episodes of Discern Daily is abide. Learning to abide in Christ is a must for every Christian. The Cross Worked by Zach Maldonado is a great resource that encourages its readers to rest in the gospel of Jesus Christ. On this episode, we are reviewing a portion of The Cross Worked and giving away a free copy!
Doctrines within the Roman Catholic Church have sparked numerous conversations through the centuries, which are still very much alive today. Can devout Roman Catholics be genuine Christians? That is the type of question John Piper fielded from a listener on Desiring God. On this episode, we are taking a look at an interview with John Piper on Desiring God, titled, “Can a Devout Roman Catholic Be Genuinely Born Again?,” and discussing important concerns with Roman Catholicism. Let’s seek the truth together.
Healthy relationships involve good communication. It’s no different in our relationship with God. Many Christians have different convictions on whether or not God still speaks directly to people today, and if God does still speak, how does he speak? We are spending an episode on this subject and discussing poll results. Let’s seek the truth!
Pope Francis and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, publicly shared the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” which supports all world religions locking arms in the name of peace. On this episode, we began unpacking the document in order to seek the truth.
Abortion is arguably the hottest topic to discuss today, and rightfully so. Two videos went viral recently about the new abortion-related laws in New York and Virginia, and they deserve some discussion. On this episode, we looked at an article by Josh Wester for ERLC, titled, “Another Abortion Video Goes Viral: Virginia and the Repeal Act,” which summarizes what’s going on today regarding new abortion laws.
Facebook continues to be the primary platform users prefer to connect with others online. The statistics for this social media platform use are shocking. On this episode, we looked at an article by Gordon Donnelly for WordStream, titled, “75 Super-Useful Facebook Statistics for 2018” with special guest Josh Kilsch. Let’s seek the truth together.
There’s a surprising number of people who aren’t afraid to withhold honor towards those in authority. From the presidency to the pulpit, Christians are called to show honor, even to those who don’t deserve it. On this episode, we also looked at an article by Dr. Roger Barrier for Crosswalk, titled, “Should I Honor a Parent Who Doesn’t Deserve It?” Let’s dive into the discussion and seek the truth together.
Jesus launched his earthly ministry when he was thirty years old, but how old were the twelve disciples who followed him? Does the Bible say? Are there indicators from church history? On this episode, we discussed how old the disciples might have been, while looking at an article by David Paul Kirkpatrick, titled, “Jesus’ Bachelors – The Disciples Were Most Likely Under The Age of 18.”
It’s true—not everyone’s repentance is true. There is a difference between hating sin and hating the consequences of sin. On this episode, we dove into an article by Adriel Sanchez for Core Christianity, titled, “True vs. False Repentance: What’s the Difference?” Watch the episode and join the discussion.
Faithful disciples of Christ should not regularly skip church for a number of important reasons. On this episode of Discern Daily, we took a look at an article written by Nathan Rose, titled, “5 Spiritual Dangers of Skipping Church,” published on For The Church. Let’s take a look at the piece and seek the truth.
On this episode of Discern Daily, we walked through Shai Linne’s new article for The Gospel Coalition, titled, “6 Ways to Show Your Child God’s Design for Ethnic Diversity.” Discussions about race and skin color flood social media. Shai Linne’s article touches on some important lessons we must teach our children on the matter. Check out the episode and let’s seek the truth.
On this episode, we’ll walk through some thought-provoking truths from Jeff Christopherson’s article for Christianity Today, titled, “When Conservatism Isn’t Enough.”
On this episode of Discern Daily, Jonathan Hayashi and I discuss his brand new book on discipleship, titled, Ordinary Radicals: A Return to Christ-Centered Discipleship.
Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research partnered to provide an excellent resource for the Church. Ligonier’s 2018 State of Theology survey has been published and there’s a lot to unpack from it.
Tim Challies composed an excellent article on the subject of marriage and divorce, titled, “10 Common but Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce.” Let’s run through the article and begin seeking the truth.
Are we saved by faith alone? Greg Morse, a Content Strategist at Desiring God, published an article relating to the topic, titled, “How to Train Your Dragons.” It was a thought-proviking piece that got many people thinking.
