Christian Living

Christian Living helps you follow Jesus in the everyday moments—at home, at work, and in your relationships. Here you’ll find practical, biblically grounded articles on spiritual growth, prayer, discipleship, character, and making wise decisions in a complicated world. Explore guidance for living with grace and truth, building healthy habits, navigating suffering and joy, and pursuing holiness without losing compassion. Whether you’re new to faith or have walked with Christ for years, these resources are designed to encourage you, challenge you, and equip you to live a life that reflects the gospel in real life.

November 28, 2019

Christian Standard

A Christian’s Thanksgiving

As a follow-up to last week, here is a second editorial about thanksgiving and the apostle Paul. _ _ _ A Christian’s Thanksgiving November 22, 1924An Editorial; p. 8(Most likely written by Willard Mohorter) We are never disappointed in Paul. From the beginning he understood that it was the good pleasure of God to reveal His Son in him. This was the goal of his ambition, and to its attainment he gave the whole of his talents. So Christlike was his character, and so exalted were his Christian accomplishments, that he was able to say: “Be ye followers of me,

August 27, 2019

Christian Standard

The Meaning of Our Labor

By Jon Wren Many of us enjoy an extra day off and spend time with family and friends on Labor Day weekend. This uniquely American holiday was created in the 19th century to honor American workers by giving them a well-deserved day off. Though the holiday has become more a celebration of summer’s end than a day to mark progress by the labor movement, it still is a day enjoyed by nearly everyone. Scripture says God gave us work as a gift, not a curse. Before sin entered the world, God placed humans in the Garden of Eden to “work

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Live Life Beyond

By Mel McGowan I once lived the American dream . . . the one with the big house, the big car, and the big mortgage. To afford my slice of the “American pie,” I lived as if I were in the movie Groundhog Day. I pulled out of the driveway at the same time each day. I commuted to work at least an hour each way, barely making it home in time to tuck in my youngest child at night and rarely in time to have dinner with the whole family. Day after day after day. I spoke to my

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Whelpish

By Lancelot Schaubert We had just learned we failed to secure government approval, so we would not receive a grant in time to start a project and program one of our neighbors—an artist—had been counting on. I had worked painstakingly on the grant for months, haggling with four state governments. After all of this, our artist friend came to our house with his bulldog, refused to sit and eat, and told us he was pulling the plug. I don’t blame him; he couldn’t afford to wait it out. What was most upsetting, however, was he ignored everything we’d done to

May 3, 2019

Christian Standard

Dahlman Chronicles Long Journey in Search for ‘Home’

By Jim Nieman When S.J. Dahlman hiked the Wilderness Road in 2013, he explored not only his surroundings, but a slice of the nation’s history and the larger meaning of “home.” He also produced a book—a requirement of the Master of Fine Arts degree he was pursuing—which was recently published by the University of Tennessee Press. “I came to see this book as a way to get better acquainted with a region of the country where I had lived for years,” said Dahlman, who is completing his 20th year on faculty at Milligan College in Tennessee. “Even though I had

March 28, 2019

Christian Standard

Let the Church Be the Church

I recently came upon this “Reflections” column by Floyd Strater from our December 12, 1982, issue. For many decades, as I recall, the editor of Christian Standard would ask a group of 12 or 13 people—a new group annually—to contribute four essays during the year. The topics were not assigned. Sam E. Stone told me he would strive for a variety of writers each year: men, women, preachers, professors, missionaries, and others from a broad geographical area. Floyd Strater was serving as minister with Knott Avenue Christian Church in Anaheim, California, at the time he wrote this. He preached there

March 25, 2019

Christian Standard

Taking a Break: Reevaluating the Post-High School Path

By Emily Drayne Education is crucial for success in life, but many students just graduating high school, and any number of students already studying at college, have no clear goal or plan for the next 30 to 40 years . . . or even the next 5. Are there other paths available besides a four-year college program? If you know someone who is about to graduate high school or who is struggling for direction in college, a new program starting up later this year might prove a good alternative. I am a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996), and it

February 27, 2019

Christian Standard

‘Run the Race’ an Exercise in Perseverance for Filmmaker

By Chris Moon Last Friday was more than a decade in the making for Trey Brunson. The communications director at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville watched as a film he helped produce, Run the Race, opened in theaters nationwide. The movie was coproduced by Tim and Robby Tebow and marks their first venture into filmmaking. “It doesn’t even seem real,” Brunson told Christian Standard. Brunson and his friend Jake McEntire were students in 2004 at Dallas Baptist University when McEntire came up with the idea for the movie—about two brothers trying to get out of their hometown and the working

January 3, 2019

Jerry Harris

Heroes

By Jerry Harris   What are heroes? Heroes are people who stand up against insurmountable odds with little or no hope of success. They are people who refuse to give up, even when it’s contrary to the warnings of friends, loved ones, and common sense. They are people who don’t think about how they’ll be remembered, but take action in the moment because they feel the rightness of a cause . . . and the necessity of it. They risk it all for that one chance, that impossible opportunity to make the difference. They are selfless in that moment of

December 23, 2018

Christian Standard

The Christmas Vision

By Daniel Schantz  I was a high school freshman in 1957 when the Russians stunned the world by launching Sputnik, the first artificial Earth satellite. I was living in the little town of Sabina, Ohio, where my father was minister of the church of Christ. My brother Tommy and I were like the rocket boys in the movie October Sky. After school we would stuff homemade propellant into cardboard tubes and fire our miniature missiles high into the air, where they would disappear, never to be found. But we wanted to go higher, farther into space, so one evening my

November 13, 2018

Christian Standard

Count Your Many Blessings

By Lena Wood When asked what we’re thankful for, we usually start off with God, country, and family, then go on to things of less and less significance. Today, though, let’s start at the bottom, with the seemingly insignificant things, like . . . the color of the sky at sunrise, the sound of birds settling in for the night, the softness of a blanket. Look around. Are you wearing comfortable shoes? Do you have a little cash in your wallet? Are your friends and family here? Is there a roof over your head? Look within, to things you rarely

November 6, 2018

Christian Standard

‘Thank You for Your Service’

By Lena Wood It’s a kind of tradition: When folks meet a veteran wearing a cap with the words World War II, Korea, or Vietnam, they often say, “Thank you for your service, Sir.” His response might be a quiet nod, a smile, or, “You’re welcome.”              Now, this is a true story, and let’s imagine it happened to you. It’s Veteran’s Day and a small, older man comes to your place of business. Occasionally you greet veterans with the traditional thanks, but other employees are doing the same today, and you don’t want to sound redundant. However, this little man’s

November 4, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Paper Christians

By Michael C. Mack The cafeteria in my old workplace was a microcosm of the world. When I worked at Standard Publishing in the early 1990s, the seven-acre building was divided distinctly into two parts: the front housed the editorial, management, and sales departments, and the back was the printing plant. As you might suspect, the editors in this Christian publishing company were active in their faith; many were teachers, preachers, and elders in their local churches. There was no spiritual requirement to work in the back. The cafeteria was situated in the middle of the building. My first day

October 21, 2018

Jerry Harris

An Enduring Faith

By Jerry Harris I’ve been praying. I’m writing this on Labor Day weekend—our submissions to the magazine are made well in advance of the printing and posting dates—and recently I’ve been praying for Babs Johnson, hospitalized and in a coma after a serious brain aneurysm a couple of weeks ago. I’ve gotten to know Babs through her husband, Russell, a man with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of goodwill and incredible passion for the church. I asked Russell to write an article about his grandfather, iconic missionary J. Russell Morse—his namesake—for this issue, and he was happy to do so. He

October 16, 2018

Christian Standard

My Heart Pounds within Me

By Vince Antonucci When our kids were younger my wife and I took them to a big waterpark. Our son was 5 and our daughter was almost 3, so we spent the day in the kiddie pools. Each pool had slides and all kinds of fun stuff. We played in one for a while, then walked about 100 yards to a second kiddie pool where we let the kids splash around. We then walked another 100 yards to the next one, where my kids repeatedly slid down one big slide. My wife walked over to the other side of the

September 14, 2018

Ken Idleman

Legacy

E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. We publish it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Ken Idleman My father lived a very full life of 94 years. He started out as the youngest of four boys—not an enviable place in the “pecking order.” He grew up in a two-bedroom,

September 11, 2018

Christian Standard

Jesus’ Controversial Approach to Food and Eating

By Mandy Smith Jesus often caused a stir, and it’s surprising how often food was at the center of things. Whom he ate with caused controversy. When he ate and what he ate upset the religious leaders who seemed to be watching his every move. Mark 2 provides various examples. First the Pharisees judge Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. And Jesus simply replies, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (v. 17). Then the Pharisees get upset with Jesus because he doesn’t

September 9, 2018

Jerry Harris

Two Minutes till Midnight

By Jerry Harris It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Hawaii when, at 8:07 on January 13, 2018, push notifications were sent to all cell phones and mobile devices, and television and radio stations across the state activated the Emergency Alert System. The message was clear: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Some people were just stepping into the shower. Others were on a morning commute. Many were enjoying breakfast with their families. Some people knew that they had about 12 minutes till impact. Some parents removed manhole covers and ushered their

August 31, 2018

Jon Weatherly

Differences

E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we will publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. This is our third installment. We are publishing it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Jon Weatherly When asked to be an elder, I knew only one thing about the job for sure: I didn’t know what I was doing. That might

August 29, 2018

Christian Standard

5 Keys (and 3 Crucial Attitudes) for a Successful Food Ministry

By Troy M. Borst A food ministry can be an effective way for an urban church to engage the congregation, serve its neighbors, and share Christ’s love. But such a ministry isn’t without challenges. New Beginnings Christian Church in Tampa, Florida (www.newbeginningscctampa.org), operates a successful food pantry that serves 80 to 90 people on a regular basis as a means of reaching out to South Tampa. For more than a decade, we have provided food staples for the homeless, poor, and working poor in Tampa. It is an essential part of how we love our immediate neighbors. Matthew 25:34-46 guides

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