Series: Featured

February 17, 2008

Christian Standard

2008 NACC: Outside the Program

By Staff The convention program doesn”t contain all the opportunities for those who come to Cincinnati this summer. Below are just a few possibilities for fellowship, learning, inspiration, or fun: Before the Convention Reds Baseball Game (7:15 p.m. Monday) The Cincinnati Reds are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tickets are available at www.reds.com. Big Band Gospel Concert (7:30″“9:30 p.m. Monday) Ralph Carmichael introduces Big Band Gospel””a blend of the matchless message of God”s love with the sounds of swing. The Good Twins will open the evening. Whiz Kids Day (Tuesday morning) The NACC and CityCURE, a Cincinnati urban ministry (www.citycure.org), will

February 17, 2008

Christian Standard

2008 NACC: Come See Cincinnati

By David H. Ray Among my greatest childhood memories are trips with my dad to attend the North American Christian Convention in cities across the nation. I confess, in the earliest years, my excitement was not so much about the convention as in getting to go to places I”d never been before. Though we took in most of the convention, Dad always allowed a little time to see the city, too. The NACC has always been more than just a convention. For many, it becomes a part of a family vacation. So I”m excited to invite you not only to

February 17, 2008

Christian Standard

I Believe in the NACC!

By Various I first attended the NACC as the sponsor of a Bible Bowl team and I was glad for the opportunity the convention provided to challenge young people to become excited about getting into the Word. I next attended the NACC as a missionary on furlough and, after being out of the States for three years, was so blessed by being able to fellowship with people I hadn”t seen for some time. I was inspired by worshiping with thousands of other Christians. Then I attended the NACC as a representative of parachurch organizations and appreciated the opportunity the convention

February 17, 2008

Christian Standard

The Assassin of Character Creep

By Jud Wilhite Jud Wilhite is senior pastor of Central Christian Church, a pioneering community of faith in the Las Vegas area. More than 12,000 attend Central”s campuses each weekend. Jud is the author of several books including Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas, That Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and Deadly Viper Character Assassins. Under Jud”s leadership, Central is dedicated to helping people find their way to God. He is known for his authentic and relevant approach to teaching the Bible, and his passion is to equip people to know God and love him more. Jud and

February 17, 2008

Christian Standard

Living Dangerously: The 2008 North American Christian Convention

By T.C. “Cam” Huxford Living Dangerously is more than the theme of the 2008 North American Christian Convention. It”s also a vivid description of the commitment to Christ that has marked our movement for 200 years! One of the most inspiring calls to commitment in my life happened at the Southern Christian Youth Convention in 1974. Wayne Smith was preaching at Mount Carmel Christian Church in Atlanta. The worship center was packed with students from all over the South. Wayne told us about a gallant Christian leader who had recently died suddenly and unexpectedly. He told us about this man”s

February 10, 2008

Christian Standard

Compelled by Love

By Chris DeWelt “This is the National Missionary Convention!” With his exuberant sense of humor, NMC Treasurer John Fuller spoke this familiar annual line to an audience that instantly responded with cheers and applause. Some might have wondered why the crowd reacted in this way to such an obvious statement, especially when it was in the form of an offering appeal. Simply put, it is because the National Missionary Convention is a unique annual event. The 60th convention held at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 15-18, 2007, was a passionate, creative, energetic, and moving blessing to all

February 10, 2008

Christian Standard

Compelled to Pray

By Mike Schrage The four-day National Missionary Convention requires more than a year of planning, preparations, and prayer from hundreds of people you will never see on stage. In missions, for every cross-cultural “goer” there are hundreds of “senders.” So too, at the convention, for every person in the public eye or onstage, there are many more servants behind the scenes to guarantee that all goes as planned. None of them are more important, or perhaps more unknown, than the army of those who pray for the convention. Prayers of Preparation The NMC venue is chosen three years in advance,

February 10, 2008

Christian Standard

Every Tribe, Every Tongue, Every Nation

By Ken E. Read Jesus is Lord. Our God reigns over all the earth. We are to make his glory known among the nations, to go into all the world making disciples. The Bible describes people from every nation (political group), tribe (regional subculture), people (ethnicity), and tongue (language and dialect) standing before the Lamb (see Revelation 7:9). Today, those nations, tribes, people, and tongues may be very different, though made from “one blood.” But one day all the things that divide will fall into profound irrelevance when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord,

February 10, 2008

Christian Standard

How God’s Word Has Come to Us (Part 4): God’s Word Translated

By H. Lynn Gardner ABOUT THIS SERIES: January 20″”God”s Word Written. How did God communicate through prophets and Scripture writers? January 27″”God”s Word Collected. What is the canon and how can we be sure our Bibles contain the right books? Last Week””God”s Word Preserved. How close to the original are the Bible manuscripts we have today? Today””God”s Word Translated. How true to God”s Word are the English words available for us to read? After his conversion to Christ, Samuel I. J. Schereschewsky, a brilliant Lithuanian Jew, went as a missionary to China. A paralytic affliction occurred confining him to a

February 3, 2008

Christian Standard

God and Your Average Joe: Lessons from the Life of Isaac

By Mike Grooms The patriarch Isaac has been ignored by most as a sermon or study topic; there”s just not much to say about him. I”d never preached a sermon about him till a series through Hebrews 11 forced me to do so. I studied his life in Genesis, and frankly, he”s unremarkable. He”s always the supporting actor and never the star. He”s average, mediocre, and blasé. Yet he”s right there in Hebrews 11 with other Old Testament greats. I wondered why a boring, run-of-the-mill sort of fellow gets mentioned alongside superstars like Noah, Abraham, and Gideon. Isaac never did

February 3, 2008

Christian Standard

How a Visit to a Country Church Changed Many Lives

By Ruth M. Groover My father said “yes” reluctantly, but I would have done the same thing under the circumstances. My parents, Ernest and Ila Miller, were born in rural Georgia. My father knew how to raise corn and cotton, and he planned to make a living as a farmer. My mother was quite happy with life on the farm. But things changed. Walter S. and Civilla D. Martin are remembered primarily for their work as Christian musicians. Harvard-educated, Dr. Martin”s strength was writing music. Mrs. Martin wrote the words. The beautiful hymn “God Will Take Care of You” is

February 3, 2008

Christian Standard

E.L. Russell”“A Pacesetter Without Prominence

By Brett Andrews I suspect one day in Heaven we will be treated to a long parade of the greatest leaders in history. And we won”t recognize most of their names. One of those uncelebrated but great leaders I wish you could have known was Eldreth L. Russell, minister of my home church in Meadville, Pennsylvania, for most of the 1960s and “70s. Under his ministry, the Meadville church grew, sent out ministers and missionaries, and became a middle-sized church with a megachurch influence. Setting the Pace with Joy Ministry taxes the strongest. Paul wrote of carrying the daily pressure

February 3, 2008

Christian Standard

Herb Bleakney”“Unpaid, Unsung Youth Ministry

By Shawn McMullen My father-in-law, Herb Bleakney, worked for decades in a Pennsylvania steel mill. That was his day job. But in the evenings and on weekends, he was part of an elite group of men in his smaller church who took upon themselves the task of discipling the young people in their congregation. The men who helped him also worked full-time jobs, cared for their families, and served the church in many other ways. Even so, while my wife and her siblings were in their teens, these men poured themselves into the lives of the church”s youth. They planned

February 3, 2008

Christian Standard

How God’s Word Has Come to Us (Part 3): God’s Word Preserved

By H. Lynn Gardner ABOUT THIS SERIES: January 20″”God”s Word Written. How did God communicate through prophets and Scripture writers? Last Week””God”s Word Collected. What is the canon and how can we be sure our Bibles contain the right books? Today””God”s Word Preserved. How close to the original are the Bible manuscripts we have today? Next Week””God”s Word Translated. How true to God”s Word are the English words available for us to read? My pharmacist asked, “Lynn, how do we know the words in my Bible are the words Jesus spoke?” We need to know how accurately the Bible text

January 27, 2008

Christian Standard

Size Matters: The Changing Role of Elder

By Doug Priest Our family became members of Oaklandon Christian Church a dozen years ago when we returned to the States after our years as missionaries in Singapore. In Singapore we were part of a church with about 80-90 in weekly attendance. With the move, we became part of a church with an average weekly attendance of 350. And during the 1990s the church”s growth surged from 200 to 700. The church in Oaklandon, a township on the outskirts of Indianapolis, Indiana, was founded 140 years ago. In the last couple of decades Oaklandon has lost most of its rural

January 27, 2008

Christian Standard

How God’s Word Has Come to Us (Part 2): God’s Word Collected

By H. Lynn Gardner ABOUT THIS SERIES: Last Week””God”s Word Written. How did God communicate through prophets and Scripture writers? This Week””God”s Word Collected. What is the canon and how can we be sure our Bibles contain the right books? Next Week””God”s Word Preserved. How close to the original are the Bible manuscripts we have today? February 10″”God”s Word Translated. How true to God”s Word are the English words available for us to read? What are we to think about books entitled Lost Scriptures and Lost Christianities? Who decided and how did they decide which books would be included in the

January 27, 2008

Christian Standard

A Unique Transition

By Richard L. Jones From the time he became senior pastor of Pantano Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona, in October 1992, Tim Coop had a dream. Tim dreamed he would find a younger pastor to whom he would “pass the baton” so he wouldn”t have to leave the church he loved and served. Instead, Tim wanted to remain at Pantano as a vital part of the team. He would be there to support his friend as together they continued to fulfill the dream. Tim Coop believes in the concept of a shared ministry. Tim initiated this transition in January 2004.

January 27, 2008

Christian Standard

Worship/Service: A Conversation Between Paul and David

By Mandy Smith Last year I started a new job that means I will never get to worship, or so I have been told. It is my responsibility every Sunday to help others worship by overseeing the sound board, musicians, PowerPoint, seating, bulletins, and Communion cups. No time for singing or sitting or listening. No worship for me. As part of this new job, I got a subscription to Worship Leader magazine and, while flipping through it, I became convinced of something we already know: “worship leader” has come to be synonymous with “music minister.” Of the 51 advertisements in

January 20, 2008

Christian Standard

What About War?

By Robert F. Hull Jr. For almost 50 years I have been haunted by this question. It began, I suppose, with Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed,” which I first read as a junior high school class assignment: Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! _ But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him and he at me, And killed him in his place. _ I shot him dead because— Because he was my foe, Just so: my

January 20, 2008

Christian Standard

How God”s Word Has Come to Us (Part 1): God”s Word Written

By H. Lynn Gardner ABOUT THIS SERIES: This Week””God”s Word Written. How did God communicate through prophets and Scripture writers? Next Week””God”s Word Collected. What is the canon and how can we be sure our Bibles contain the right books? February 3″”God”s Word Preserved. How close to the original are the Bible manuscripts we have today? February 10″”God”s Word Translated. How true to God”s Word are the English words available for us to read?     The Bible did not drop out of Heaven with a black leather cover, printed in English on paper, with 66 books bound in one

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