November 6, 2025
Proclamation and Persuasion: The Invitation
When the gospel is proclaimed, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction, and people are challenged to respond, they respond.
Articles for tag: Apostle Peter
August 1, 2022
The Most Honored Seat at the Table
The most honored seat for the most respected guest was to Jesus’ immediate left. On this night, Judas sat in that honored position. . . .
October 18, 2021
A Rooster Reminder
Every time he heard a rooster crow, did Peter choose to be reminded, “I messed up, but I am forgiven”?
March 15, 2020
The Angels: Messengers of Hope at the Empty Tomb
By John Caldwell I have a confession to make. In well over half a century of ministry, I’ve never preached about the angels as they relate to the resurrection of Christ. I have manuscripts of all my Easter sermons, but I’ve searched in vain through scores of them for any significant focus on the angels. I fear that many of us have seen angels only as “bit players” in the Easter story. In reality, however, the angels play a major role. Angels in the Bible Angels have many roles in Scripture, and they would make for an interesting study; after
January 21, 2020
Do You Understand?
By Stuart Powell John 13 describes the interaction between Jesus and his followers on the night he was betrayed. As the meal progressed, Jesus got up from the table, removed his outer clothing, tied a towel around himself, and began washing their dusty feet as a servant would do. “So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them,’Do you understand what I have done for you?'” (John 13:12, New English Translation). Peter didn’t understand. He thought it might be Jesus’ way of elevating
August 23, 2018
What The Christian Standard Will Be . . .
#ThrowbackThursday The Restoration Movement Archive—August 24, 1878 ___ Selecting items to share with you for this new “Throwback Thursday” feature is like trying to sip water from a fire hose. There’s quite a lot to look at in Christian Standard’s archives, as you might imagine—tens of thousands of pages of issues going back to 1866. Making matters more difficult is that issues from before 2005 are not yet easily searchable. That said, I came upon p. 4 of the August 24, 1878, edition—the issue that dates from 140 years ago tomorrow. It is what we consider to be the editorial
April 9, 2018
Lesson for April 15, 2018: Follow Me (John 21:15-25)
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. 4 (weeks 13–16; April 1–22, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “To follow Christ is to obey Christ.” The apostles had the privilege of literally “coming after” Jesus. For them, following Jesus meant geography, physicality, and proximity. But after Jesus’ resurrection their following of him became more like ours. Obedience outstripped physical presence. The lesson text today picks up
February 26, 2016
Our Target? Everyone
By Eddie Lowen For a long time, I believed every church needed a target group: the irreligious, the unchurched, men, young families, singles, young adults . . . some group that is underrepresented in most established churches. But my thinking has shifted. I am now cautious about identifying target groups. Let me walk you through the New Testament passage that altered my philosophy and shaped our church”s mission language. Acts 10 introduces Cornelius, captain of the Italian Regiment. It”s safe to assume Cornelius looked and sounded much like the soldiers who brutalized and killed Jesus. That unsavory association made Cornelius
February 25, 2016
Theology in the Public Square
By T. R. Robertson Polarization. Insults. Railing against wrong. The apostle Peter showed approaches better than these for Christian response to injustice in government and society. A once great nation is in the throes of transition from a democratic republic to a de facto dictatorship. A neophyte has been given the reigns of power, to which some critics maintain he has no birthright. The gap between the super rich and the middle class is widening. People from other countries covet the benefits of citizenship, yet the nation”s reputation among the rest of the world is declining. Christians find themselves increasingly
February 12, 2016
Hurting God
By Tom Claibourne When my son, Micah, was 7, he did his best to help me build a baseball backstop. After stapling the fencing to the frame, I let him hammer each staple to further secure it. I pointed each time where I wanted him to hammer, and he would proudly hit that spot. At one point he missed a staple so I pointed my finger near the spot, not realizing his hammer was already racing my finger to that location. Needless to say, I let out a loud wail after the impact. My cry startled him and he realized
October 26, 2015
Lesson for November 1, 2015: God Rescues Peter (Acts 12:1-24)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 25 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Rescue is at the heart of the gospel. Germane to the meaning of the word salvation is deliverance or rescue. The Bible often uses salvation in its most spiritual sense””redemption, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life (Colossians 1:13). But since salvation also includes the healing
October 19, 2015
Lesson for October 25, 2015: Peter Defends His Actions (Acts 11:1-18)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 18 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Not everyone is happy with church growth. The wide embrace of the gospel can really mess with prejudice. When the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius”s house, God was turning a new page in the church”s history. The church would never be the same. Perhaps the
June 26, 2015
From Generation to Generation
By Jon Weatherly How can the older generation pass along its faith to the younger? History””even biblical history””shows this is always a perilous proposition. And yet here we are, all these millennia later, still lifting up his name. A review of the Bible”s record can encourage us that it will be true again long after we have passed. I am a baby boomer, barely. Too young for Woodstock or the Vietnam draft, I watched from the safety of childhood and early adolescence as older boomers turned on, tuned in, and dropped out to create the infamous generation gap. Today, as
March 30, 2015
Lesson for April 5, 2015: Believe in the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-22)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 29 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone Often 1 Corinthians 15 is described as the “resurrection chapter” of the Bible. Tom Friskney wrote, “There is no other chapter like this in the whole Bible; the hope of Christianity resides within it. . . . We may wonder why Paul has waited until now to discuss it. . . . It is not last because it is least,
March 16, 2015
Lesson for March 22, 2015: The Spirit of Peace (John 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 15 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone This month”s study in the Gospel of John comes full circle today. In the first text we considered, the apostle John introduced John the Baptist to his readers (John 1). Authorities from Jerusalem found him baptizing in the Jordan. He pointed them to the Messiah, Jesus, who would one day baptize people in the Holy Spirit. Today”s text focuses on the
June 21, 2014
This Is MY Story
By Casey Tygrett I remember walking through the double doors onto the well-worn rose carpet of our church”s foyer. There were smiling people wearing suits and ties, or at least dress shirts, and the smell of perfume was strong enough to cause numbness if you inhaled too deeply. Two handle-free, faux-walnut doors swung open into a wood and white sanctuary. Inside, we sang familiar melodies with well-worn lyrics: “This is my story, this is my song.” “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory.” Then we heard about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Jesus, who stepped
April 14, 2014
Lesson for April 20, 2014: The Third Day (Hosea 6:1-3; Luke 24:1-12)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Hosea prophesied during the eighth century BC, speaking to the people in the Northern Kingdom””Israel. In today”s text he calls them again to repentance, including words that remind us of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The passage from Luke provides many details about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, showing the events alluded to in Hosea”s message. Revived on the Third Day Hosea 6:1-3 Hosea compared the sinful disobedience of Israel to
March 10, 2014
Lesson for March 16, 2014: Peter”s Report (Psalm 110; Mark 12:35-37; Acts 2:22-36)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Two passages form the basis of today”s study. The first is from Psalm 110, one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament. It points readers to the coming Messiah. The other text is part of Peter”s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, where the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Christ”s resurrection is clearly shown. Victory Promised Psalm 110:1-4 David wrote Psalm 110. When his prophetic message was given, Israel was a relatively small
May 20, 2013
Lesson for May 26, 2013: Patient Hope (2 Peter 3)
By Sam E. Stone When doubters and cynics ridicule the church today, it is nothing new. That was happening a few years after the church began. As the apostle Peter neared the end of his life, even then he addressed the criticisms being leveled against Christians. Scoffers” Perspective 2 Peter 3:3, 4 It is important to remember that the last days started a long time ago. On the Day of Pentecost after Christ”s resurrection, Peter applied the last days prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 to that very moment (Acts 2:17; see also Hebrews 1:2; Jude 18). The scoffers Peter describes may
May 6, 2013
Lesson for May 12, 2013: Sure Hope (2 Peter 1)
By Sam E. Stone This second letter from the apostle Peter to the churches (see 3:1) was probably written around AD 67, not long before his death. Some consider it his “last will and testament.” Knowing what awaited him (John 21:18, 19), he was more concerned about the needs of other Christians than his own. False teachers were afoot seeking to mislead the believers. They needed a sure hope, one found only in Christ. Hope”s Resources 2 Peter 1:2-4 Only knowledge of Jesus provides grace and peace in abundance. In fact, everything we need for a godly life is available
