Series: Featured

February 19, 2016

Christian Standard

NACC 2016: California, Here We Come!

By Dave Stone It”s the right place and the right time for all of us to discover “A Better Story.” Several years ago the North American Christian Convention called to ask me a two-part question: “Would you be willing to serve as the president in 2016 AND would you be willing to have the conference in California (where it hasn”t been in 24 years)?” Before I answered, I asked for some time to pray about it and talk with various pastors in the Southern California area. The next couple of months became a time of incredible discovery. I heard story after

February 18, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Grandparenting

By Tom Ellsworth I broke a promise. I don”t take that lightly, but thankfully, it was a promise to me alone. Years ago I vowed that when I became a grandfather I would not get all “twitterpated” (defined as infatuated; giddy; in a state of anxious excitement“”as used in the Disney movie Bambi, which I”ve seen again and again as a casualty of being a grandparent). My silly promise melted two seconds after holding my granddaughter for the first time. With the birth of each subsequent grandchild, the memory of such an absurd vow fades farther into my subconscious. And

February 18, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Attitude Toward My Kids” Rooms

By Jason Yeatts My view of theology changed two years ago. For most of my life, I considered theology an academic discipline, reserved mainly for those smart enough to handle it. But two years ago, I realized something was missing. My kids were getting older, and I was discovering that the theological information locked in my brain was quite powerless when I brought it into my living room, kitchen, and bedroom””the intimate places of my home. Theology seemed disconnected from my real life, and I struggled to understand how it could, and should, affect my day-to-day comings and goings. Helped

February 15, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and Architecture

By Mel McGowan I used to believe that, at any moment, Jesus would whisk us out and that since “it”s all gonna burn,” church funds should be spent only on “emergency shelters” just to keep the rain off of our heads””not expensive, attractive church buildings. Beauty was irrelevant, since we”re all on an emergency rescue mission, selling fire insurance to whoever would listen. Then I had the opportunity to meet storytellers who helped me see the arc in the metanarrative of his story, from the garden to the city, from creation to brokenness to restoration. He introduces himself as an

February 15, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Leadership

By Matt Proctor A few years ago, I was asked to give a class lecture on “how my theology affects my leadership.” What a helpful exercise! I tried to dig beneath the surface of my leadership practices to find my underlying motivating beliefs. As I brought these to the surface, I could see whether they squared well with Scripture. I ended up listing 10 ways my theology shaped my leadership. A few examples: Me vs. Us Despite my natural Lone Ranger tendencies, I have moved to a more team leadership approach. When I began as president, I was the only

February 14, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Approach to Aging

By Robert Hull In his brief poem “Seventy Years,” Wendell Berry writes: Well, anyhow, I am not going to die young.1 When my mother died at the age of 71, she seemed old to me. But I was only 39 at that time, and still full of vitality. Nowadays we are told “80 is the new 70,” but to someone only 39, my age of 72 is old, and it’s beginning to feel that way to me too. When my Milligan College class of 1965 got together for our 50-year reunion last fall, the list of the deceased included 19

February 13, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My View of Technology

By Chad Ragsdale I”ve heard someone observe that we are all cyborgs now””witness our desktops littered with computers, smartphones, and tablets. Technology is, of course, not new. The creation and use of tools to enhance our power and improve our lives is uniquely human. What is new, I think, is the level of intimacy our technology now enjoys in each one of our lives. Our technology has become an inseparable part of us, and we notice it more for its absence than its presence. Recently I went 10 days without a cell phone. This wasn”t some grand experiment in minimalist

February 12, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Sense of Mission

By Nate Bush Simple gospel messages are invaluable resources that have served the church well. But have we unintentionally filtered out some important components of the gospel? J.I. Packer writes that the gospel has been “streamlined for instant comprehension and response. The question being explored was: how little do we need to tell people for them to become Christians? Was this a good question to work with? In some circles, maybe so, but in most, definitely not.”1 The gospel has become a simple-to-articulate plan of salvation. It is as simple as (A) all have sinned, (B) believe in Jesus, and

February 12, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Approach to Pain

By Mandy Smith There are many ways we can horrify our dentists. I horrified mine last month by saying, “It”s OK if I have to live with the pain.” It was unthinkable for him, but in spite of his best efforts, I”m still left with a dull ache when I bite into an apple. I”m OK with that. We have become intolerant of pain””physical, emotional, and spiritual. Does that deny the opportunity God sees in pain? As a pastor, I often walk with people along the edge of emotional and spiritual pain. As they see it coming, it”s natural to

February 11, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Calling

By Doug Lucas I might have tried to become a doctor. That”s what my mother wanted. Honestly, my dad didn”t care, just so long as I landed a “secure job.” Perhaps I would have done something with music. Everyone told me I had a gift for playing piano. My high school guidance counselor said my academic test scores were high enough that I could take my pick of universities across the land. And somehow, I managed to finish high school as valedictorian and president of the student body. He argued that I had a good chance at a full-time scholarship

February 11, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Thinking Theologically

By Mark A. Taylor Our theology affects all our actions and decisions“”how we live and serve and react and decide. But do most Christians and Christian leaders define their decisions by their theology? Can we do this? How? Why should we try? For answers we talked with four church leaders and Bible scholars: “¢ Ben Cachiaras, senior pastor with Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, Maryland “¢ Frank Dicken, assistant professor of New Testament at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian University “¢ J. K. Jones, pastor of spiritual formation with Eastside Christian Church, Normal, Illinois “¢ Jon Weatherly, dean of the School of Bible

February 8, 2016

Christian Standard

How Jesus Did Theology

By Casey Tygrett Jesus didn”t give us words about God. He lived as the Word of God. What does that show us about what impact God”s words should demonstrate in our lives? When I was a kid, I had an uncanny resemblance to my dad. Our facial structures, mannerisms, and senses of humor were so closely aligned that the folks in my small hometown knew whose I was before they knew who I was. They looked at me””my long angular nose and the way my eyebrows elevated and separated when I spoke””and they saw my father from years past. There

February 7, 2016

Christian Standard

Thinking Theologically Changes Everything

By Jeff Faull The Book that Made Your World suggests that the Bible provided the framework that orders most of Western society today. Whether we realize it or not, most of us think theologically. The things we believe or fail to believe about God and his will shape our worldview and how we react to situations in life. Author Vishal Mangalwadi is so attuned to this concept that he published an entire volume entitled The Book that Made Your World with the subtitle How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012). His thesis is that

February 1, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

At the Foot of the Cross (Easter Devotions for Our App)

Get Ready for Easter . . . At the Foot of the Cross Editor Mark A. Taylor has written a set of six meditations for the week leading up to Easter. This collection of devotions, titled At the Foot of the Cross, is available at no cost via Christian Standard’s free app. At the Foot of the Cross offers a meditation for every day in the week before Easter. These devotions offer a fresh look at the thoughts, fears, and motivations of those who saw Jesus die at Calvary””people like Simon of Cyrene, the Centurion, the robbers crucified with him, and his mother, Mary.

January 31, 2016

Christian Standard

Contraception? One View

By Robert Pate This is one of four views of contraception written by Bible college professors. Other views are written by Phil Kenneson, Jack Cottrell, and Mark Weedman. There are a number of issues to consider when discussing contraception. These include biological infertility, the mother”s health, financial stewardship, God”s will, adoption, sex for pleasure vs. procreation, masturbation, abstinence, relationship status, and ministry opportunities, to name a few. Before jumping in, I should note that when using the term contraception I am referring to all methods of preventing conception and pregnancy, such as condoms, intrauterine devices, hormone-based oral contraceptives, coitus interruptus, etc. I do

January 30, 2016

Christian Standard

Contraception? One View

By Mark Weedman This is one of four views of contraception written by Bible college professors. Other views are written by Phil Kenneson, Jack Cottrell, and Robert Pate. What makes contraception so tricky is that for most Americans, regardless of religious affiliation, there seems to be no question about its use. Current debates about the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act belie a nearly universal acceptance of contraception in the United States.1 American Christians may wait until marriage to start using some form of contraception, but very few of us question whether we should be using it. There are, however, some good reasons for

January 29, 2016

Christian Standard

Contraception? One View

By Jack Cottrell This is one of four views of contraception written by Bible college professors. Other views are written by Phil Kenneson, Mark Weedman, and Robert Pate. Is it moral for a married couple to use contraceptive devices to prevent pregnancy? By contraception we mean the prevention of conception, which is the fertilization of the ovum by the sperm. We do NOT mean the prevention of the implantation of a fertilized ovum””a newly formed baby””in the wall of the womb. This clarification is important because some so-called “contraceptives” do not necessarily prevent conception. Rather, they can allow the new baby to form, but then

January 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Contraception? One View

Four Bible professors consider how “Welcome the Children” (this month’s theme) squares with our decisions not to have them at all. This view is by Phil Kenneson. Subsequent views are written by Jack Cottrell, Mark Weedman, and Robert Pate. By Phil Kenneson My very unscientific sampling of Protestants across a wide theological spectrum suggests three things: (1) Many are aware the Roman Catholic Church has serious objections to artificial contraception. (2) Many Protestants (along with many Catholics) find the Roman Catholic Church”s prohibition on artificial contraception at least baffling, if not irresponsible and invasive. (“Why should the church,” many ask,

January 25, 2016

Christian Standard

Boys to Men

By Rick Bundschuh Manhood, inaccurately portrayed and difficult to understand by so many today, is especially hard for many preteen males to attain. Here”s how one Christian leader not only worked to make his church man friendly, but also created a program to show boys how to be godly men.  I could sense the longing immediately. The kid was around 12, had bed head hair, was awkward, somewhat unkempt, and was beginning to exchange baby fat for the sinewy muscles of coming manhood. All I had done was to make a couple of jokes with the boy, and then showed

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