Series: Featured

December 27, 2015

Christian Standard

Advice for Actors . . . and Preachers

By Al Serhal Years ago I saw an old interview with legendary actor James Cagney. He was asked his best advice for aspiring young actors. His answer really stuck with me. He said, “Learn your lines . . . plant your feet . . . look the other actor in the eye . . . say the words . . . mean them.” Cagney”s advice for actors is actually good advice for preachers, too! Learn your lines. Know your message! Read through it and preach it aloud several times before actually bringing it to the pulpit on Sunday. Some have

December 27, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Love: December 27

By Becky Ahlberg For many, especially church leaders, the Christmas season is more chaos than celebration. Besides the extra programs and parties, family responsibilities and expectations also expand. These short meditations (which started December 6 and will continue with a new, early morning post each day through January 1) are designed with leaders in mind. Take a few minutes each day to ponder these thoughts designed to help you find the wonder of the incarnation in the midst of your responsibilities. Advent is simply a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ”s birth. In liturgical settings, Advent begins four

December 26, 2015

Christian Standard

Sermons for a Postmodern Culture

By Rick Chromey Everything about church these days is different from what it was less than a generation ago. Everything but the sermon, that is. How can we change our approach to preaching in order to reach people receiving information today as never before? “No one . . . pour[s] new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16, 17). Few things in life are sacred, and fewer still are eternal. Wineskins come

December 26, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 26

By Becky Ahlberg Saturday, December 26 Read 1 Peter 1:3-9. We ended our thoughts yesterday with the first verse of today”s Scripture. The phrase “inexpressible and glorious joy” (v. 8) is the one that always jumps out at me. It”s the day after Christmas and these may not be your first thoughts! However, Christmas can bless us every year by allowing us to embrace anew the incarnation and the sheer joy of belonging to God””and it”s all because of his willingness to move first. Emily E. S. Elliott captures it in her carol, “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne”: Thou didst

December 25, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 25

By Becky Ahlberg Friday, December 25 It”s Christmas Day””a day defined by giving. But oh how quickly (for many) it has become the season of “getting.” Today as you open gifts and celebrate with your family traditions and one another, here are a few Scriptures to remind you of who gave first, and how very much: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave

December 24, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 24

By Becky Ahlberg Thursday, December 24 Having grandchildren is a particular joy. I am constantly amazed at their humor, insight, and ability to live with joyous abandon. They make me laugh and watch in wonder as they encounter their world. “Christmas is for children” is a common phrase this time of year. Decorations, extra “goodies” to eat, and, of course, gifts are some of their favorite things. We love to see them squeal with delight. But is that what brings them joy? The older I get the more I realize that children are elated with just about anything if they

December 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 23

By Becky Ahlberg Wednesday, December 23 Read Hebrews 12:1-3.  “For the joy set before him he endured . . .” (v. 2). Is there a more graphic reminder of the purpose with which Jesus came among us? The long view was essential to his ability to endure his humanity experience. It is true for all of us. Planning, sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears are a part of every worthwhile endeavor. Why? For the joy set before us. Examples: pregnancy, labor and delivery, raising kids, training for a race, getting your education, building a career, making disciples, caring for elderly parents,

December 22, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 22

By Becky Ahlberg Tuesday, December 22 “We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.”””Pope Paul VI The incarnation is a moment in history, but it also is a moment (or moments) for each one of us when “God with us” becomes a personal encounter. Recognizing that encounter changes things. There”s a palpable “before and after” that may not be definable, but it is discernable. It may come over time or in a deep “aha!” moment, but its effects are

December 21, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 21

By Becky Ahlberg Monday, December 21 The opening line of “Joy to the World” is sometimes sung incorrectly as, “The Lord has come.” That is not the way Isaac Watts wrote it. He wrote, “The Lord is come.” Watts was not describing a past event (the birth of Jesus), but rather looking forward to a future event (the return of Jesus). This hymn text was written as a paraphrase of Psalm 98, one of several psalms considered messianic. Watts understood it to be about the reign of the Messiah. And that”s precisely what the song is about. It speaks of

December 20, 2015

Christian Standard

The Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Christmas

By Bob Mink The Christmas season is a special time of year for almost everyone””especially its sights, sounds, and smells. Who doesn”t like the smell of a fresh-cut tree or of cookies baking? Who doesn”t appreciate a “Merry Christmas” greeting or festive holiday music? Who isn”t drawn to the lights and decorations? I enjoy all these at Christmastime every year. And why not? Christians can decorate a tree, bake special cookies, and give gifts all while fully embracing the meaning in the birth of Jesus. And maybe thinking about the sights, sounds, and smells of that first Christmas can make

December 20, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 20

By Becky Ahlberg For many, especially church leaders, Christmas is more chaos than celebration. Besides the extra programs and parties, family responsibilities and expectations also expand. These short meditations (which started December 6 and will continue with a new, early morning post each day through January 1) are designed with leaders in mind. Take a few minutes each day to ponder these thoughts designed to help you find the wonder of the incarnation in the midst of your responsibilities. Advent is simply a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ”s birth. In liturgical settings, Advent begins four Sundays before

December 19, 2015

Christian Standard

The Gospel in Minor Key

By Mark Scott These sometimes-overlooked prophets are anything but minor when it comes to the Christmas message. The Melody The Major Prophets of the Old Testament get lots of press at Christmastime. Rightly so. They carry the melody line in the Christmas story. Isaiah gave King Ahaz the gospel with these words, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14*). Isaiah gave the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali even more good news: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great

December 19, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 19

By Becky Ahlberg Saturday, December 19 One of my favorite carols is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He wrote it on December 25, 1864, while in despair at the horrible cost of the Civil War. He had recently lost his wife and as he nursed his severely injured soldier son, Christmas brought a unique kind of misery that year. He did not know that Gen. Robert E. Lee”s surrender at Appomattox Court House was just a few months away. The despair of war was rife across the country. These are three of the poignant

December 18, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 18

By Becky Ahlberg Friday, December 18 Read John 14:27.  Jesus would be in a tomb less than 24 hours after he spoke these words. It”s a stark reminder that a steadfast mind is able to focus with an unwavering, unfaltering, resolute, committed, dedicated, unswerving resolve to be used of God for his purposes, and therein to find peace that the world does not, cannot give. Do you equate peace only with tranquility, calm, serenity, and the absence of conflict? That may be why it eludes you today. Just “getting away from it all” may certainly be necessary in our lives.

December 17, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 17

By Becky Ahlberg Thursday, December 17 Read and memorize Isaiah 26:3.  A steadfast mind is a key ingredient of peace. Here are a few synonyms for steadfast: unwavering, unfaltering, resolute, committed, dedicated, unswerving. So, if I read this right, finding peace is up to you and me! At Christmas, maybe more than at any other time, distractions abound. It”s easy to think running away or just canceling Christmas would eliminate the chaos of the season. But is all the busyness the problem, or is it a state of mind? What are you thinking about? What is capturing your attention these

December 16, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 16

By Becky Ahlberg Wednesday, December 16 Read Ephesians 2:14-22.  Jesus is our peace. It was one of his purposes in coming. He was the only one who could destroy “the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (v. 14). He knew our nature and how easily we fall into conflict. He knew we would need help. He knew he couldn”t build the church he wanted without bringing people together and making them see each other as family, not enemies. He knew the walls would have to come down. Are there walls in your life that need to come down? Making peace

December 15, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 15

By Becky Ahlberg Tuesday, December 15 Read Matthew 1:18-25.  Joseph is almost a mystery player in the Christmas story. We barely get to know him, and yet he may be the best example we have of someone who put his trust fully in the Lord. He would have had to. In the midst of the shame culture of that day, the events that unfolded with his betrothed Mary would have been excruciating. Another angel said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife” (v. 20). In the movie The Nativity Story, there is a poignant scene in

December 14, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 14

By Becky Ahlberg Monday, December 14 My first child was born on January 6. He wasn”t due until January 20, so I had insisted I could keep my music ministry running through the Christmas season. A full choral program, children”s program, soloist work in a local performance of Bach”s “Magnificat,” a Christmas Eve service, and all the family stuff of Christmas a week later, and well, let”s just say I overdid it a bit. A daunting 26 hours of labor later, I held my baby boy in my arms and the agony quickly became ecstasy. He was perfect. I just

December 13, 2015

Christian Standard

Working Together

By Jennifer Johnson We all need a community of some kind””a place to be accepted and loved for who we are and challenged to grow into who we might be. Churches at their best have always been a place for people to find these connections by serving, worshipping, and studying together. Forefront Church in New York City encourages all of these expressions of community life, but the church is also developing new opportunities to support, nurture, and encourage artists and entrepreneurs through a program called “Creative Guilds.” The concept of a guild developed hundreds of years ago to encourage artisans

December 13, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Peace: December 13

By Becky Ahlberg For many, especially church leaders, Christmas is more chaos than celebration. Besides the extra programs and parties, family responsibilities and expectations also expand. These short meditations (which started December 6 and will continue with a new, early morning post each day through January 1) are designed with leaders in mind. Take a few minutes each day to ponder these thoughts designed to help you find the wonder of the incarnation in the midst of your responsibilities. Advent is simply a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ”s birth. In liturgical settings, Advent begins four Sundays before

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