Application Archives | Page 12 of 13 | Christian Standard

November 30, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Why Begin with Begats? (Dec. 6 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) _ _ _ By David Faust Imagine you’re reading the Bible through for the first time. The Old Testament comes to a close, and you sense silent centuries passing by while God prepares to turn the page to a new day and a new covenant. Eager to read the groundbreaking good news, you turn to Matthew 1, only to find the New Testament begins with “begats”—branches on a Hebrew family tree. If you and I wrote the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have done

November 23, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

I Missed You (Nov. 29 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 29, 2020: Seek Reconciliation (Philemon 8-21) ________ By David Faust “I missed you.” I found myself saying those words a lot when the coronavirus pandemic began to ease early this summer. One by one, friends emerged from quarantine. Worshippers inched back to the church building for in-person services. Restaurants reopened. During weeks of lockdown in the spring, I stayed in touch with my granddaughters by phone, text, and Zoom, but I longed to see them face-to-face. I missed the servers at the local deli. I missed visiting patients in the

November 16, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Good for You (Nov. 22 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 22, 2020: Be Devoted to Doing Good (Titus 3:1-11) ________ By David Faust Three times in Titus 3, Paul emphasizes that believers ought to “do whatever is good” (vv. 1, 8, 14). What does goodness look like on a practical level? Goodness often has a hard edge. Something can be good even when it doesn’t feel good. A mother tells her children, “Eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.” A football coach makes his players run laps around the field when they’re already tired from a long practice session. “The

November 9, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

How Do We Treat Those Student Drivers? (Nov. 15 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 15, 2020: Teach What Is Appropriate (Titus 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust My 16-year-old granddaughter is learning how to drive. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I tossed Kayla the car keys and sat next to her in the passenger seat while she drove around our church’s empty parking lot. She practiced parallel parking, inching the car between the painted lines. At one point she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal and we sped toward the curb. As we jerked to a stop she exclaimed, “I’m sorry, Papa!”

November 1, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Blame the Leaders? (Nov. 8 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 8, 2020: Appoint Godly Leaders (Titus 1:5-11) ________ By David Faust In an episode of the TV comedy The Office, regional manager Michael Scott makes his priorities clear. He tells his boss from the Dunder Mifflin corporate office, “I want the credit without any of the blame.” Blameless appears twice in Paul’s description of godly elders (Titus 1:6-7). If being blameless requires moral perfection and flawless decision-making, no one qualifies except Jesus. Noah was “blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God,” yet he had some less-than-stellar moments

October 26, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Trimming Around the Edges (Nov. 1 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 1, 2020: God Is Faithful (2 Timothy 2:11-13; 4:6-8, 16-18) ________ By David Faust I learned a lot of practical lessons on the farm where I grew up. Dad was good at fixing things. I wasn’t. He didn’t have a college degree, but he deserved an honorary doctorate in the school of hard knocks. He knew how to weld metal, mend fences, install electrical wiring, fix leaky water pipes, help a cow give birth, and grow a flourishing garden. He knew his Bible well. Neighbors and church members respected his

October 19, 2020

Church Leadership

From Whom You Learned It (Oct. 25 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Oct. 25, 2020: You’re Next (2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:1-2; 3:10-17) ________ By David Faust Someone said that a diploma doesn’t prove you got an education; it means you had the opportunity to get an education. It’s good to go to high school or college, but it’s better to actually learn something along the way. I have diplomas on my office wall, but my ordination certificate hangs above the diplomas, because ministry means more to me than academic achievements. The witnesses who signed my ordination certificate stir fond memories. Their signatures are

October 12, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Don’t Get Sloppy (Oct. 18 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Oct. 18, 2020: How To (2 Timothy 2:14-26; 3:1-9) ________ By David Faust An NFL Hall of Fame player passed along a tip he learned from a coach: “Always arrive a few minutes early for practice.” Punctuality itself wasn’t the main point. The coach advised, “Be disciplined off the field, and you will perform better on the field.” Why do soldiers in boot camp make their beds every morning? Why do parents ask their children to brush their teeth twice a day? Why does the book of Proverbs advise us to

October 5, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

We’re All in Hospice (Oct. 11 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Oct. 11, 2020: The Cost (2 Timothy 1:8-12; 2:3-10; 4:14-15) ________ By David Faust “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” —Helen Keller It was my last visit with my friend Jim. We both knew he was on the verge of death after a long battle with cancer. Trying to offer comfort, I opened my Bible to John 21, where Jesus asked Simon Peter three times, “Do you love me?” I reminded Jim how Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus, and each

September 28, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Are We Making Progress? (Oct. 4 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Oct. 4, 2020: Teach (1 Timothy 4:6-16) ________ By David Faust Ronald Reagan quipped, “Status quo is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in.’” We won’t get out of this mess without God’s help. That’s why we need teachers who communicate God’s grace and truth with reverence and relevance. Progress Requires Intentional EffortPaul urged Timothy to carry out his ministry “so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:15). That verse compels me to ask, Would others say I’m communicating God’s Word more effectively today than I did five years ago?

September 21, 2020

Church Leadership

Who Is Worthy to Lead? (Sept. 27 Lesson Application)

This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 27, 2020: Lead (1 Timothy 3:1-16; 5:17-22) ________ By David Faust I don’t measure up. That feeling stirs in my heart when I read the daunting biblical qualifications for church leaders. From one perspective, what the Lord asks of leaders isn’t very different from what he asks of every Christian. Who shouldn’t be gentle and hospitable? Who shouldn’t avoid the love of money? But “above reproach” is a tall order. God has high expectations of church leaders, and “we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). Oversight of

September 14, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Does It Really Help to ‘Send Thoughts and Prayers’? (Sept. 20 Lesson Application)

This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 20, 2020: Pray (1 Timothy 2:1-8) ________ By David Faust Prayer gets a lot of lip service, but not a lot of respect. Do you see prayer as a last resort or your first response? Many treat God the way a pilot treats his parachute: He’s glad it’s there for emergencies, but he hopes he never has to use it. When a basketball player heaves a long shot that has little chance of hitting the basket, announcers say, “He threw up a prayer.” In football when the quarterback desperately flings

September 7, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

How to Have a Good Fight (Sept. 13 Lesson Application)

This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 13, 2020: “Fight” (1 Timothy 1:12-19; 6:11-16) ________ By David Faust Ironically, it was a fighter who informed us that peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Paul compared himself to a boxer throwing punches (1 Corinthians 9:26). He saw the Christian life as a battle against dark spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:12). As death approached, he said, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Not all fights are good. Some are petty or even humorous. The author Kevin Leman quips, “My wife and I live in

August 31, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Ruth’s Exemplary Loyalty (Sept. 6 Lesson Application)

This “Application“ column goes with the Bible lesson for Sept. 6, 2020: “Serve Devotedly” (Ruth 1:3-5, 8-11, 14-18) ________ By David Faust Brand loyalty keeps us buying Coke or Pepsi, Fords or Toyotas, and cheering for our favorite sports teams. Loyalty can be misplaced, though. Have you been burned by an unscrupulous salesperson who cheated you, an unfaithful friend who betrayed you, or a church leader who wounded you? Jesus urged us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, refusing to follow untrustworthy preachers, priests, or politicians who would lead us astray. Loyalty is rare. “Many claim to

August 24, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

A Time for Boldness (Aug. 30 Lesson Application)

By David Faust When astronauts take untethered space walks, they float in outer space without anything attaching them to the space station. What a feeling of complete freedom! They are untethered and free from all restraints—but in grave danger. I’m sure those astronauts feel relieved when they scramble safely back into the spaceship. They couldn’t survive out there alone. Do you want to be untethered and free from any restraint? Consider what it was like during the raucous era of the Judges. “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 17:6, 21:25)—and that remains

August 17, 2020

Church Leadership

Faith Follows (Aug. 23 Lesson Application)

By David Faust Judge Deborah gave General Barak a tall order. It would take considerable amounts of faith and courage for him to lead 10,000 soldiers and face a formidable enemy at Mount Tabor. But Deborah declared, “Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14). In today’s troubled times, Deborah’s question can help us climb our mountains and face our battles, too. “Hasn’t the Lord gone ahead of you?” Yes, he has. He is ahead of us in time, for he knows the future. He is ahead of us in wisdom, for his ways are higher than our

August 10, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Halting the Downward Cycle (Aug. 16 Lesson Application)

By David Faust “Sin blinds you, then it binds you, then it grinds you.” I don’t know who first said those words, but they ring true. Disobedience to God leads to a downward cycle. “After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15)—and that’s true on both a personal level and a societal level. Someone observed, “First we overlook evil. Then we permit evil. Then we legalize evil. Then we promote evil. Then we celebrate evil. Then we persecute anyone who still calls it evil.” There are two

August 3, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

You Have a Choice (Aug. 9 Lesson Application)

By David Faust It’s unfortunate that expressions like “pro-choice” and “the right to choose” have been co-opted by abortion advocates. When properly understood, the ability to choose is one of God’s greatest gifts. We don’t get to choose our birthdays, our height, or the color of our skin. But we decide what we believe, what we value, and who our friends will be. Faith, hope, and love are choices more than feelings. At age 20, I decided to ask a young woman named Candy to marry me, and I remain grateful she chose to say yes. ROCK OR SAND? What

July 27, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

The Rahab Rehab (Aug. 2 Lesson Application)

By David Faust Most family trees contain some bad apples. My parents proudly informed me that our ancestors include notable figures such as Johnny Appleseed, William Penn, and General George Patton. However, in German my last name means “fist,” so I suspect my family tree also includes some horse thieves and barroom brawlers. Jesus’ family tree in Matthew 1 includes some shady characters. Names that appear on the first page of the New Testament remind us of Jacob’s conniving, David and Bathsheba’s adultery, Solomon’s hundreds of marriages, and the wickedness of King Ahaz and King Manasseh. These ragged-edged stories remind

July 20, 2020

Bible Study Theology & Bible

How Far Can You See? (July 26 Lesson Application)

By David Faust How far can you see into the distance? With 20/20 vision you can read the optometrist’s eye chart accurately at a distance of 20 feet, but healthy human eyes can see a lot farther than that. Those fluffy white cumulus clouds floating overhead are probably more than 2,000 feet away, and you can see the moon though it’s 238,855 miles from Earth and the sun though it’s 93 million miles away. How far can you see into the future? Maybe you’ve heard the advice, “Dream 20 years ahead, think 10 years ahead, plan five years ahead.” The