Series: Featured

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

When Hope Is What You Want

When Hope Is What You Want

By Steve Wyatt  On the Phoenix campus of the Mayo Clinic—where I received my new kidney—two private streets divide an otherwise massive parking lot. The streets are fittingly named Hope Drive and Healing Drive.   Sometime after my surgery, I stood at the intersection of Hope and Healing drives and observed something remarkable: Although Hope Drive is in the middle of a parking lot, it has zero parking spaces and no off-ramps . . . not even a deceleration lane.   Why? Because, on Hope Drive, you’ve got to, well, drive! Idling in place is not an option. You can’t park, either.

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Gen Z Is Giving Us Hope!

Gen Z Is Giving Us Hope!

By Jacob Stewart  We have seen the data. We have heard the news. We get it. Gen Z is the worst.   At least that is what I am accustomed to hearing. Generation Z (comprised of people born from 1997 to 2012) may go down in history as the most analyzed, picked on, studied, and bashed generation in the world . . . right next to Millennials (those born 1981–96). Have you seen the memes? It’s brutal out there.   As a youth pastor for 10 years, I have worked closely with Gen Z. I agree with my current high school ministry

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

The Fine Print of Discipleship: God Has Always Fulfilled His Covenantal Promises—and He Still Does

The Fine Print of Relationship: God Has Always Fulfilled His Covenantal Promises—and He Still Does

By Marty Solomon  “Trust me.”  Those aren’t popular words these days. We’re waking up to the reality of institutional abuses, cultural messaging, and half-truths. Simply put, we don’t trust anybody but ourselves.  God has always invited his creation into a place of trust. Hebraic thought talks about this using words in which we place great theological stock: belief, trust, hope, faith. These words speak of the dynamic relationship between God and his creation. From the opening chapters of Scripture, God invited humanity into a place of trust—trust in the goodness of creation, in his acceptance of and provision for you,

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

The Art Gallery & the Mural: Aligning Our Lives with God's Upper Story

The Art Gallery & the Mural: Aligning Our Lives with God’s Upper Story

By Randy Frazee  Have you ever struggled to understand how the various stories in the Bible connect to one another? Or wondered how those stories relate to the story of your life today? What if the testimonies in the Bible, the lives of everyone who ever lived, and your own “story still in progress” are all connected—all part of one big divine epic?  Two Paintings  Two of the most famous works of art in the world help us understand how the long, sweeping story of the Bible—seemingly a narrative only about God and ancient people with strange names—connects with your

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Is It Time for a New Restoration Movement? (Part 1)

Is It Time for a New Restoration Movement? (Part 1)

By Jim Putman  Though I grew up a preacher’s kid—and maybe because of it—I ended up in college as an unbeliever with a drinking problem. I had rejected my parents, but they were waiting to journey with me back to Jesus. Back then, I would have said there is no God . . . that God had been “educated” out of me. I was no victim, however—I was rebellious.   My father sent me research that affirmed that some scientists believed in God, even though professors had told me no reputable scientist could. Over time, I moved from “there is no

July 1, 2023

Mark A. Taylor

Learning About Alzheimer's, Myself, and God

Learning About Alzheimer’s, Myself, and God

(And Determined to Remember the Forgetting)  By Mark A. Taylor  I sat with my friend Joan, a gentle, pretty 83-year-old, who is the picture of Southern grace and charm. She was her husband’s caregiver for the seven years he suffered with Alzheimer’s disease, until he died in April 2021. I was interviewing Joan for my website, Unchosen Journey: A Caregiver’s Walk with Alzheimer’s (www.unchosenjourney.com).   “How did you cope with his death?” I asked her.  “Our 59 years were good years,” she said. “But today I want to remember the hard times.”   “Why?” I responded. I wasn’t expecting this—or her reaction

July 1, 2023

Ben Cachiaras

Preventing the Celebrity-Pastor Syndrome: My Encouragement to Fellow Pastors

Preventing the Celebrity-Pastor Syndrome: My Encouragement to Fellow Pastors

By Ben Cachiaras  The surge in the number of celebrity pastors is a growing concern for the church. Multiple documentaries, articles, and podcasts (including “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”) have exposed this problem. And with so many high-profile pastors disqualifying themselves, one naturally wonders how much of their downfall was connected to the celebrity status that had become part of their identity.   The terms Christian and celebrity have not meshed well historically. Over time, popularity has taken out more pastors than persecution.   The church has been negatively impacted by this syndrome. A celebrity pastor is not easily replicable,

July 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Disciple-Making Movements and the Restoration Movement

Disciple-Making Movements and the Restoration Movement

By Bobby Harrington  I believe Christian Churches and the Restoration Movement are the best hope for disciple-making movements in North America.    A disciple-making movement (DMM) is characterized by a rapid and exponential increase in disciples making disciples. These movements share a distinct group of priorities which provide the environment for viral multiplication. The emphasis on DMM principles started about 30 years ago, and now about 1,500 DMMs are reaching over 1 percent of the world’s population.   Here is a four-point summary of the character traits of a disciple-making movement:  1. fast-growing  2. indigenous (of the local culture)  3. multiplying disciples and groups  4.

July 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Love Must Be the Foundation of a Disciple-Making Culture

Love Must Be the Foundation of a Disciple-Making Culture

By Brandon Guindon  Our living room buzzed with conversation. Most of it focused around a new couple, James and Sara, who came to visit our small group. My wife, Amber, and I have led small groups for 20 years, and this was one of those evenings that will always stick with me.   Before I called everyone together to begin our Bible lesson, I stood back and observed. I could not help but wonder what this new couple was thinking. What were they feeling as people greeted them, shook hands, even hugged? The room was filled with a relational warmth, and

July 1, 2023

Jerry Harris

What the Restoration Movement Should Learn from Bud Light

What the Restoration Movement Should Learn from Bud Light

By Jerry Harris  Earlier this year, it seemed the whole country was caught up in the cancellation of Bud Light, America’s best-selling beer. The turmoil resulted from a promotion that connected the brand to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok influencer; Bud Light sent personalized beer cans to Mulvaney celebrating both March Madness and Mulvaney’s yearlong transition to identify as a woman. Mulvaney’s videos on social media triggered a backlash that caused many Bud Light beer drinkers to reject the iconic brand.  In just a few weeks, Anheuser-Busch lost $5 billion in market value, 17 percent in sales, and 21 percent

May 1, 2023

Christian Standard

A Homecoming of the Heart: The Secret in Our Search for Unity

By Drew Baker The unfortunate consensus in the United States demands that our leaders come across as having all the answers. Whether politicians or preachers, we expect them to have perfect wisdom even if we know it’s an impossible ask. I can’t imagine a politician getting elected on a platform of humility and a willingness to learn even from political opponents. When it comes to preaching, we tend to expect more answers than questions from our pulpits. “Give us this day our daily truth, lead us not into contemplation, and deliver us from mystery.”    In such a culture, it is

May 1, 2023

Christian Standard

A Movement Away from Denominationalism: What’s It Mean for Us?

By Ben Cachiaras  When asked about the key to his success, Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, replied, “I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” Worrying about trends can get you into trouble. So can ignoring them. At the least, it seems wise for church leaders to strive to be like the men of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this spirit, I was asked to consider how we might understand and respond to the rising trends noted in “A ‘Postdenominational’ Era: Inside the

May 1, 2023

Christian Standard

The Christian Standard Church Report for 2022: A Year of Transition

By Kent E. Fillinger  When I look back at the last few years through the filter of our annual survey results, I would argue that 2020 was a year of crisis, 2021 was a year of adaptation, and 2022 was a year of transition.  In-Person vs. Online Worship Attendance  One exciting transition churches experienced last year was more people shifted back to in-person worship from watching online. Comparing 2022 in-person worship attendance data to 2021 showed attendance increases for churches of all sizes. The megachurches (with average weekly worship attendance of 2,000 or more) suffered the greatest attendance declines during

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