March 27, 2026
GO OUT
Stuart Powell reflects on Genesis 15:13-14 and Israel’s hope of deliverance—“they will go out”—then connects that promise to persecuted believers today and to the church’s repeated hope at the Lord’s Table.
Articles for tag: Abraham
January 1, 2024
Jan. 7 Lesson | Before Abraham Was, I AM
It is hard to overstate the significance of Abraham. Today he is looked to as the father of three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His name is mentioned 11 times in this lesson text. . . .
September 1, 2023
Embrace Hope
A Biblical Character Study By Doug Redford In the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, entitled “Inferno” (Italian for Hell), Dante comes across the gates of Hell during his travels. There he sees these ominous words etched above the entrance to the underworld: “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” But when one enters the world of the Bible and travels through the landscape of its contents, a far different message resounds throughout its pages. That message is, “Embrace hope, all ye who enter here.” Paul’s words in Romans 15:4 affirm this invitation: “For everything that was written in
July 1, 2023
It’s Not About How Much Faith You Have
By Jerry Harris When I came to The Crossing in Quincy, Illinois, 25 years ago, I fashioned a mission statement of helping people find “an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” The thought that a real relationship with Jesus was even possible was a game changer for many in our church and community, and it shaped our impact on the world around us. If I understand that the “what” of my faith is defined in my relationship to Jesus, and if a relationship is what I want, then the next logical step is the “how.” I think the “how” of
March 28, 2022
Not My Will
How do you respond when life presses down on you and your situation overwhelms you? How do you cope with hard news that takes your breath away? Where do you find the strength to take the next step?
January 10, 2022
Jan. 16 | Discovery
What is the spiritual difference between working for wages and receiving a gift?
December 27, 2021
Jan. 2 | Righteous Wrath
Romans has been responsible for more church revivals than any other New Testament book. This month, students will learn that God is righteous, and therefore judgment should be left in his hands.
November 22, 2021
Nov. 28 | Join the Ranks of the Faithful
The writer of Hebrews encouraged readers not to give up, to look to faithful examples, and to consider Jesus. Therein we can join the ranks of the faithful.
October 11, 2021
Oct. 17 | High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek
As the writer moved his argument along about Jesus’ priesthood and New Covenant, Melchizedek became the perfect type of Christ in the Old Testament to connect some interpretative dots between Jesus and his non-Aaronic tribe.
August 30, 2021
Sept. 5 | Application
Many wanted to know, “Jesus, who do you think you are?” However, he turned the question around and asked, “Who do you say I am?” Some compared him to prophets like Elijah or Jeremiah, but Peter gave the most logical answer . . .
November 30, 2020
Why Begin with Begats? (Dec. 6 Lesson Application)
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) _ _ _ By David Faust Imagine you’re reading the Bible through for the first time. The Old Testament comes to a close, and you sense silent centuries passing by while God prepares to turn the page to a new day and a new covenant. Eager to read the groundbreaking good news, you turn to Matthew 1, only to find the New Testament begins with “begats”—branches on a Hebrew family tree. If you and I wrote the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have done
November 30, 2020
Discovery Questions for December 6, 2020
COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) “Why Begin with Begats?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) _ _ _ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What challenges did you face last week? 2. Since we last met, with whom did you personally seek reconciliation or share God’s message of reconciliation? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 1:1-17 aloud,one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to briefly summarize the passage. 3. What stands out to you most in this
August 3, 2020
Lesson for August 9, 2020: Serve the Lord (Joshua 24:1, 14-28, 31)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the August 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ Lesson Aim: Be strong and courageous; serve the Lord faithfully. ________ By Mark Scott T.S. Eliot wrote, “For those who serve the greater cause may make the cause serve them.” A remarkable deception of the enemy is in duping believers into thinking they deserve God to serve them (cf. Luke 17:10). But everything good
February 25, 2020
Manifestations
By Stuart Powell God used visible signs throughout the Old Testament to confirm the message of his revelation; three examples included the rainbow, the tabernacle, and feasts. When people of faith encountered these visible signs, they would recall the stories behind them. They would retell the words God shared with earlier believers. All of these signs accompanied a promise God made to his people. So each sign became the physical manifestations of the promise God made. Two of the most prominent signs representative of Old Testament promises were the rite of circumcision, a reminder of God’s promises because of the
March 11, 2019
Lesson for March 17, 2019: God Blesses the Unexpectant (Sarah)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 21:1-7 Lesson Aim: Trust that even a small faith brings the Lord’s blessings. ______ By Mark Scott Sometimes God is just off-the-charts good—like in his creation of the world (Genesis 1:31), in blessing the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45), in his plan to save Jew and Gentile (Romans 11:33-36), in supplying all our
February 18, 2019
Lesson for February 24, 2019: God Is with You When You Feel Outcast (Ishmael/Hagar)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 2 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 21:8-20; 17:19, 20 Lesson Aim: Know that even when others abandon you, God will not. ______ By Mark Scott Headings matter. The New International Version titles this text, “Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away.” The English Standard Version titles this text, “God Protects Hagar and Ishmael.” The first heading emphasizes Abraham’s duty. The latter
January 29, 2018
Lesson for February 4, 2018: Faith without Works Is Dead (James 2:14-26)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 5–8 (February 4–25, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott We conclude our three-month study of faith this month. Two lessons come from the “blue jeans theology” of the New Testament, namely James. This small five-chapter letter lives close to the ground. It is New Testament wisdom literature and nitty-gritty. It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount and might
December 18, 2017
Lesson for December 24, 2017: Faithful Seekers of the King (Matthew 2:1-12)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott The Christ of Christmas is a ruler who would shepherd Israel (see Isaiah 40:11). But he would also appeal to faithful seekers from all over the world. The Bible cites many reasons why Jesus came””to save the lost (Luke 19:10), to serve and die as a ransom (Mark 10:45), to destroy the works
September 4, 2017
Lesson for September 10, 2017: Circumcision (Genesis 17:1-14)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the September 3, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Cutting a Covenant A covenant is “cut”””literally. In fact, the Greek word for circumcision actually means “cut around.” Choosing a rainbow as a sign (last week”s lesson) is one thing, but circumcision? It does seem like an odd sign for a covenant, but maybe it is more profound than first thought. There are several
October 30, 2016
God Spoke through the Sermons
What I learned from a year”s break from preaching By Dustin Fulton A few years ago, after a difficult season of ministry, my wife and I sensed a definite call to plant a church. Since we were weary, we were advised to take a sabbatical, as well as quit our jobs, sell our house, move out of town, and wait to see where God was leading us. Of the many aspects of the sabbatical, one that really excited me was getting to refresh my preaching skills by hearing from as many preachers as possible during my year”s break from the
