Series: Featured

January 1, 2022

Mark Scott

How to Prevent Message Drift When You Call Your Next Preacher

Message drift is not new. Israel faced it. When Moses predicted that the Lord God would raise up a prophet like him (a reference to the Messiah), he also warned against prophets who would presume to speak in God’s name but actually speak in the names of other gods (Deuteronomy 18:15, 20). Jeremiah ran into a similar situation with a false prophet named Pashhur (Jeremiah 20:1-6; cf. 14:14; 23:32). Message drift was not foreign to the New Testament either. In the Olivet discourse Jesus predicted that false prophets would arise (before the destruction of Jerusalem) and lead many astray, and

January 1, 2022

Jim Nieman

Looking Back: How Christian Colleges Have Responded to the Need for Preachers Over the Past Century

Fifty years ago, most pulpit ministers in Christian churches and churches of Christ were products of our Restoration Movement colleges. It had been that way for some time, and it likely remains that way today . . . though probably to a lesser extent. [See related article, “The Ministry Pipeline,” by Chris Moon] A survey of pertinent articles appearing in Christian Standard between 1969 and 1974 and a review of James B. North’s Restoration Movement history book, Union In Truth, indicate that most of the colleges producing ministers for Christian churches and churches of Christ were started in the 1920s

November 1, 2021

Mark E. Moore

The Secret to Finding Joy

By Mark E. Moore “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness,” said Benjamin Franklin, before adding, “you have to catch it yourself.” Happiness is temporary; joy is permanent. At least that’s what I have been told. But I no longer believe that to be true. Happiness comes from external things; joy comes from what’s inside. At least that’s what I have been told. But I no longer believe that to be true. I suppose we can use happiness and joy to mean whatever we want them to mean. After all, that’s the way language works.

November 1, 2021

Christian Standard

illumiNations: A Bible Translation in Every Language by 2033!

By Greg Pruett Consider the chaotic world around you. You might conclude we live in dark times. But in the less visible world of God’s kingdom, this could be God’s finest hour! We live in that historic moment when God’s Word will soon reach every language community on earth. In the 1940s, the visionary originators of the Bible-translation movement first started gaining traction with the idea that everyone should have Scripture in their own language. They had no idea the coming generations would document more than 7,300 languages in the world. Brave men and women gave their lives in rural

November 1, 2021

Megan Rawlings

Joy Within Your Legacy

By Megan Rawlings Ministry requires money . . . sometimes, a lot of money. All churches and ministries have bills and payrolls and need to buy supplies. So, how can a Christian organization access funds to help with their expenses? Let’s first look to the ultimate role model. During his earthly ministry, Jesus had physical needs just as we all do. But he had consistent support from his followers. Everywhere he went, people were willing to take care of him and his disciples; they donated their time and personal possessions to further his calling. Men and women participated in his

September 1, 2021

Christina Stanton

Our 9/11 Journey of Escape and Transformation

“Get up! Get up!” my husband yelled, “Someone’s bombed the World Trade Center!”   I struggled to sit up, but one glimpse of the fear in Brian’s eyes jolted me fully awake. I jumped out of bed and followed him to our terrace.  Brian and I had just moved into this apartment only six blocks south of the World Trade Center complex, and our 24th-floor terrace provided a coveted view of the city. Now, we could see thick black smoke rolling from the North Tower.  Emergency vehicles raced toward the World Trade Center—lights flashing, sirens blaring. Suddenly, something caught my eye.

September 1, 2021

Caleb Kaltenbach

The Equality Act: Its Impact on Churches and How We Should Respond

On May 14, 1974, a spunky U.S. representative from New York named Bella Abzug introduced the first version of what we now know as the Equality Act. Even though the bill was co-sponsored by another New York representative and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, the bill had little support and never saw the light of day. For the next 45 years, the Equality Act, in one form or another, found its way back in front of Congress. In 2019, the Equality Act passed the House for the first time. Even though it died in the Senate,

September 1, 2021

Erik Tryggestad

The State of Noninstrumental Churches of Christ . . . Before and After the Pandemic

“I don’t want things to go back like they were. I want things to be better.” Oklahoma minister Randy Roper’s words are echoed by people in Churches of Christ across the nation as they emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Roper preaches for the Edmond Church of Christ in the suburbs of Oklahoma City. The congregation, which was averaging about 1,250 for weekly worship prior to the pandemic, is one of about 12,000 autonomous congregations in the U.S. that seek to share Jesus through the practice of simple, New Testament Christianity without manmade creeds. Churches of Christ share roots with

September 1, 2021

Rick Chromey

The 4-1-1 on 9/11: How a Terrorist Attack On America Changed Everything

American generational history is defined by marker events. Terrible assassinations. Catastrophic disasters. Tragic failures. Bloody wars. Economic depressions. From Bunker Hill to Gettysburg to Vietnam, America has been shaped by Thomas Paine’s “the times that try men’s souls.” For those born in the last half of the 20th century, no event proved more horrific than the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. That moment was our generation’s “Pearl Harbor.” In its wake came transformational change in how America socialized, worked, learned, played, and churched. In telephone vocabulary, 9-1-1 is an emergency assistance call. So it’s strangely fitting that September 11,

September 1, 2021

David Faust

He Made Us Better: The Life and Ministry of Sam E. Stone

I waited outside the dean’s office on a steamy summer afternoon in 1976. I was 22 years old—eager but nervous about enrolling in graduate school—and I brought my wife with me to meet the seminary dean. A friend once advised, “If you have butterflies in your stomach, get them to fly in formation,” but Candy and I couldn’t disguise our apprehension as we took our seats on the other side of the dean’s desk. Our anxiety quickly changed to relief when he smiled, his eyes sparkling behind dark-rimmed glasses. The dean shook our hands and said warmly, “I’m glad you’re

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