Series: Featured

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

7 Tips for Having That Difficult Conversation About Truth

By Caleb Kaltenbach   Having conversations about truth will always be difficult. (That may be the understatement of the decade!) Whether it’s difficult conversations that address someone’s pride, selfishness, bitterness, or, well, you fill in the blank, we’ve all been the recipients and bearers of “tough love talks.” And an already difficult conversation becomes even more complicated and emotions increase dramatically when the topic centers around a lighting-rod societal issue.   Unfortunately, many who are tasked with confronting another person can go to extremes when sharing truth. They might challenge a person too harshly or they might be too fearful and not

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Jack Cottrell on Truth (from Our Archives)

Jack Cottrell (April 30, 1938—September 16, 2022) wrote many articles for Christian Standard over the years, and one of his favorite topics was truth. While we do not have space to include all his articles on different aspects of this important topic, we have excerpted from several of them here.  We’ll let Dr. Cottrell introduce himself. In “What I Have Learned in 50 Years as a Theologian (Part 1),” published in our February 7, 2010, issue, he wrote,  Since receiving my AB degree from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1959, I have been either preparing to teach or teaching theology (Bible

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Teaching Truth: The Win for Kids’ Curriculum

We Couldn’t Find Curriculum That Met Our Children’s Ministry Needs . . . So We Created Our Own (and We’ve Made It Available to You)!   By Larry Cramer  My two daughters have grown up in church. Whether it’s on a Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, or any other day and time, my daughters have always attended a church experience built just for them. I am speaking of Next Gen programming . . . specifically, kids’ ministry.   Over the years, we have seen many changes in kids’ ministry, including changes to curriculum. While churches have many great options, as a

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Prepare for Deconstruction

‘How do we hold onto truth while loving and pursuing a world that seems to question everything?’ By Brent Bramer   My dad is a builder. My earliest memories as a kid were waking up early, climbing into his truck, and driving onto an empty plot of land as the sun rose. We’d walk together, and I’d listen to him talk and dream about the home he was about to build. My dad would walk the lines where the foundation would be poured. He’d try to explain and describe where the rooms would be placed, the walls would be framed, and

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Class Goes On: A Tribute to the Life and Teaching of Dr. Jack Cottrell

After a long battle with cancer, Jack Cottrell, 84, passed from earth to heaven September 16, 2022. Dr. Cottrell was a respected professor of theology at Cincinnati Christian University for 48 years, from September 1967 to December 2015. He wrote more than 40 popular theological books and countless magazine articles. Several days after Dr. Cottrell’s passing, Tom Claibourne wrote the following tribute, which appeared on our website. This version, adapted with minor edits, appears in our January/February 2023 print edition.   _ _ _ By Tom Claibourne   During my final time around a table with Dr. Jack Cottrell at the Christian

November 1, 2022

Jerry Harris

Dream a Dream So Big . . .

By Jerry Harris   For almost two decades, Doug Crozier has had big dreams for The Crossing, my Midwestern church home for 25-plus years. And all during that time, Doug has worked with us to remove whatever obstacles stood in the way.   When the idea of a multisite church was still in its infancy, The Crossing decided to reach out into micropolitan and rural communities with a fresh approach to the gospel. Conversations with Doug gave us the confidence to push forward beyond what we ever imagined. Eleven campuses and thousands of baptisms later, the dreams we dared to imagine have

November 1, 2022

Dudley Rutherford

Baptism and Thankfulness: 4 Reasons They Are Inextricably Connected

Baptism and Thankfulness: 4 Reasons They Are Inextricably Connected

By Dudley Rutherford  Ever since I was a small boy, I have lived to honor my earthly father. Even though my dad died in March 2020, I try to honor him daily. God must have put it in my heart to have such love and respect for my earthly father that I wanted to please and honor him every day.   I don’t claim to be perfect like Jesus, but our Lord also strove every day to honor and please his Father. When Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River at Bethany in the Judean desert, God said, “This is

November 1, 2022

Christian Standard

Peace for All Seasons

Peace for All Seasons

By Douglas Redford  (This article, reprinted here with minor updates, first appeared in Christian Standard on December 22, 1985.) During the Christmas season in 1984, an event occurred which served as a revealing commentary on the times. Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, an Anglican church leader, was in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the presentation was held up for more than an hour after an anonymous telephone caller told an Oslo newspaper that a bomb had been placed in the reception hall and would explode in 10 minutes. Although a careful search turned up nothing,

November 1, 2022

Megan Rawlings

How to Be a 'Cheerful Giver' (and How to Develop More of Them at Your Church)

How to Be a ‘Cheerful Giver’ (and How to Develop More of Them at Your Church)

By Megan Rawlings   I first heard of Chuck Lane from my husband’s time at Alliance Defending Freedom, where they worked together. Chuck mentored me in development (sometimes referred to as fundraising). He taught me everything I know.   Fundraising is all about relationships and not being afraid to ask.  It is a ministry to teach people how to be cheerful givers.  Chuck’s insight was unrivaled, and his warmth was immeasurable. We talked a couple of times a month until his untimely death last year. So, to honor his legacy, I want to share with you several thoughts about giving that have

November 1, 2022

Victor Knowles

Communion: The Crown Jewel of Worship

Communion: The Crown Jewel of Worship

By Victor Knowles  The Lord’s Supper is the crown jewel of worship. It should be the central act of our Christian worship. In his foreword to the book The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes, Christian educator David S. Dockery wrote,   The highest form of corporate Christian worship is the Lord’s Supper. The celebration of the Supper directs our attention backward to the work of Christ on the cross and also encourages a forward look to the Second Coming of Christ. In addition, it provides a time for believers to examine their own personal relationship with God

September 1, 2022

Christian Standard

Allies

Allies

By Renee Little with Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed   I sit through long meetings to review and approve loans twice each month. We review financials, discuss property location and value, and debate ratios of risk in order to decide whether to approve funding. As a lending institution, due diligence is required, but as lovers of Jesus, we have an even larger responsibility to review and discuss doctrine, leadership, and church direction. We are more than a lender; we are, in fact, a ministry partner. Our mission is to honor God, and the best way to honor him is not just

September 1, 2022

Christian Standard

Ethnic Identity and the Multiethnic Church

Ethnic Identity and the Multiethnic Church

By Tokishia Dockery-Ragland  What part should one’s ethnicity play in their faith? Or should it play any role at all?   These are huge resounding questions for me, especially over the past 20 years, during which I’ve served or been a part of three multiethnic churches (and been part of multiethnic ministry staffs). But these questions certainly are not new. If we’re honest, these questions, this discussion, predates us all.  How Does Ethnicity Affect Faith?   I believe ethnicity should be acknowledged and that ethnicity does play a part in our faith. Merriam-Webster defines ethnicity as “ethnic quality or affiliation” and ethnic

September 1, 2022

Christian Standard

The Ministry of Being Misunderstood

The Ministry of Being Misunderstood

By Emily Richardson   You’re not that great. I apologize if that’s a blunt way to start, but I think it needs to be said. If it makes you feel any better, I’m not that great either.   If you know Jesus, it shouldn’t hurt to hear the brutal truth that you’re not that great. It should make you laugh, because much of Scripture highlights human sin and depravity and mess. Yet somehow, we still often buy into the lie that who we are and what people think about us is of utmost importance, that our identity is constantly on the line.

September 1, 2022

Christian Standard

When Stories Collide: How CRT Addresses Identity . . . and Ultimately Falls Short of Jesus’ Answer

When Stories Collide: How CRT Addresses Identity . . . and Ultimately Falls Short of Jesus’ Answer

By Matthew McBirth   My grandad is from the South. While my dad grew up during the Civil Rights Movement decades of the 1950s to 1960s, Grandad was raised during the age of Jim Crow. I have a vivid memory of watching a home video of Dad and Grandad visiting Grandad’s childhood community in the rural South during midsummer. While watching the highlights of the trip, the video showed Grandad next to a massive field covered in white. Upon seeing this, preteen Matthew (me) said aloud, “Wow, it snowed while y’all were there?” With a slight chuckle, Dad responded, “No, that’s

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link