Series: Mark A. Taylor

August 30, 2011

Christian Standard

A Perfect Place for Disciple-Making

By Mark A. Taylor As parents of 3 million college freshmen send them off to school this year, it seems they have plenty to worry about. How will we pay for it? College costs are increasing by almost 8 percent per year, more than 6 times the rate of inflation. Many of today”s graduates are facing the job market deep in debt (an average of $26,100 for the 65 percent of grads from nonprofit private colleges last year who had student loans). Will it be worth it? The New York Times reported this spring that only half the jobs taken

August 21, 2011

Christian Standard

A Clear Choice in a Coarse Culture

By Mark A. Taylor How do God”s people live in an ungodly world? The answer we”ve repeated most often usually includes the formula, “In the world, but not of the world.” Not as often have we enunciated specific guidelines for how to know whether the church is influencing culture more than culture is influencing the church. Perhaps there was a day when the issue wasn”t as critical as now. Some of us remember a time when the messages of our culture seemed to reflect biblical values. People didn”t swear or shack up on television. Unwed mothers and gay activists weren”t

August 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Get Ready for the Adventure!

By Mark A. Taylor Believe it or not, many church leaders have already started thinking about NEXT summer”s Vacation Bible School! That”s why Standard Publishing announced the 2012 VBS theme this July. Next year we”ll partner with you to bring “Adventures on Promise Island” to your church, and we can hardly wait. I”m excited about this course because . . . “¢ It”s biblical. Each lesson features a Bible story with powerful reminders of God”s life-saving love: I Am With You (Isaiah 41:10). Look how he protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1, 4-28). I Care About You (1 Peter

August 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Inexpensive Downloads to Help Your Ministry

By Mark A. Taylor Here”s a reminder about a whole host of inexpensive, downloadable resources available for your church now. As you anticipate the after-summer ramp-up of activities and ministries, which of the following would help your ministry most? For new members and nonmembers””Our most popular “What Kind of Church Is This?” gives you 8 full-color pages that explain the unique and beautiful nondenominational position of Christian churches and churches of Christ. “Simply Christians,” which originally appeared in The Lookout, is a 12-page overview to accomplish the same purpose. One user called “Simply Christians” “the best short-form overview of the

July 26, 2011

Christian Standard

Read It for the Stories

By Mark A. Taylor   I”m reading Unleashed, Dudley Rutherford”s brainchild and Standard Publishing”s new release based on the sermons at this summer”s North American Christian Convention. And I”m a fan. I expected the book to be full of solid scriptural teaching. But I didn”t expect the book to draw me in so that I didn”t want to put it down. I didn”t expect it to make me laugh out loud or fight back tears. Unleashed will be purchased for many reasons, but my advice is, get the book for its stories. You”ll share them with your spouse. You”ll use

July 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Their Guide, and Yours

By Mark A. Taylor   Haven”t you been enjoying our 2011 Bible feature “The Bible, My Guide”? Many of the entries, although by known writers, share details about their lives or conversions or spiritual practices new to many of us. We can”t list every one of them here, but as I reflect on the columns we”ve printed so far, several stand out in my memory:   Nancy Karpenske Janet McMahon Pat Magness Doug Lucas Chris Travis Tony Twist Diane Stortz Brandon Smith Kay Moll Michael Sweeney Wayne Shaw   If you missed any of these, you”ll do yourself a favor

July 2, 2011

Christian Standard

“˜God Bless America”

By Mark A. Taylor More than a decade ago, my congregation hosted a patriotic pageant each year called “Sea to Shining Sea.” We had a huge adult choir, a children”s choir, a live orchestra, actors, and dancers. We welcomed color guards from all the armed services. We sang every patriotic song you know, including one that invited veterans from every branch of the service to stand and receive the cheers of the crowd. Fireworks accompanied the songs, and after the last note, everyone sat with necks craned to the sky and enjoyed 20 minutes of the rockets” red glare. Our

June 29, 2011

Christian Standard

Behind Closed Doors

By Mark A. Taylor   He is an Arab Christian with a ministry in the Middle East. And to start he says he could not speak freely with me in his home country. There our conversation would not continue, he said, until he had removed the battery from his cell phone. “Why?” I ask. “Surveillance.” “They would bug your cell phone to listen to your conversations?” I said to him in disbelief. “It happens,” he said calmly. “If I were to openly speak with a Muslim about becoming a Christian, life would become very difficult for me and for him,”

June 19, 2011

Christian Standard

The Dad Who”s Not There

By Mark A. Taylor   Life without Dad can be lethal. That”s the conclusion of Anthony Bradley, posting at WORLDmag.com last year*. According to his research, “¢ 60 percent of rapists . . . “¢ 63 percent of youth suicides . . . “¢ 70 percent of long-term prison inmates . . . “¢ 71 percent of high school dropouts . . . “¢ 72 percent of adolescent murderers . . . “¢ 85 percent of youths in prison, and . . . “¢ 90 percent of homeless and runaway children come from homes without dads. He”s talking about the

May 25, 2011

Mark A. Taylor

birthday gifts and gratitude

Well Gifted

Mark A. Taylor reflects on birthday wishes, material abundance, global need, and the deeper gratitude that comes from knowing the Savior’s greatest gift.

Be Seen, Be Heard - A Live Online Workshop to Increase Online Visibility for Local Churches
(Tap the Flyer Below for Details)

be seen be heard online visibility workshop for churches by christian standard

Learn how to make the Sermon Content you’re already producing draw people into your local church.

For preachers, church media and website teams, and anyone who’d like to learn how to increase the visibility of their local church online.

 


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