March 25, 2024
What constitutes success in the church? The number of seats occupied on Sunday mornings? The number of baptisms per year? . . . For the apostle Paul, one litmus test for church success surely was edification.
March 7, 2024
"The nineteenth century dawned on an America that was far from Christian. Unbelief was prevalent and popular," Ira M. Boswell wrote in 1924. "The Bible was considered a dead book and the gospel powerless to save. Speaking to sinners concerning personal salvation was objectionable to pious believers, and looked upon as a personal interference with the plans of God." . . .
March 1, 2024
By Martin Robinson and Mont Mitchell Some have claimed that Christian Churches and Churches of Christ are the first group of churches to grow up in America—as if they’re an entirely American creation. Well, there’s more to the story. Shared Understanding Churches with a broadly “Restorationist” ideal had arisen in various parts of Britain in the late 18th century. Though they varied in ideas and went by different names—Scotch Baptists, Haldane churches, Sandemanian churches—they shared a commitment to congregational autonomy, governance by elders and deacons, weekly Communion, and believers’ baptism. Some congregations could trace their origins to somewhere around the
March 1, 2024
Why does it matter that some guy died on a cross and rose again many years ago? . . .
March 1, 2024
When I was a teen in the late 1960s, my church became a verbal battleground . . .
March 1, 2024
A 200-year-old church in the Northeast bursting with life, vibrancy, growth, and impact!
February 26, 2024
To say that the church in Roman Corinth had trouble with unity would be a gross understatement. They were divided over leaders, the nature of the gospel, the use of Christian freedom . . .
February 26, 2024
Are we willing to make Christian unity a personal goal? Practically speaking, how can we encourage the unity of God’s people? . . .
January 29, 2024
After Jesus’ baptism, he stayed near where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing. At this point he gave a “preliminary” call to Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. . . .
January 29, 2024
After Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was tell someone else about the Lord. Unfortunately, for many Christians that’s the last thing we do. How can we put disciple making at the top of our priority list?
January 22, 2024
Dallas Willard and Dietrich Bonhoeffer both thought it was important to describe “the cost of discipleship” and “the cost of non-discipleship.” The former is the more famous phrase. But it’s often misunderstood. And the latter is rarely considered—at least directly. What can Bonhoeffer and Willard teach us about these concepts? . . .
December 13, 2023
The discipleship group RENEW.org on Dec. 5-6 organized a conference for young leaders in Independent Christian Churches, noninstrumental Churches of Christ, and African American Churches of Christ in an effort to bring greater unity to major streams of the Restoration Movement. They gathered at Harding University. . . .
December 12, 2023
Todd Stinson, Deaf Pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., is passionate about helping change a sad statistic. Of the estimated 70 million people in the world who are Deaf, only about 2 percent have been reached with the gospel. Todd, who was born Deaf, remembers the not-so-easy path to accepting Jesus as his Savior. . . .
December 4, 2023
The tiny word 'so' plays a role in the much-loved verse, John 3:16. What does it mean to say, “God so loved the world”? . . .
November 27, 2023
God’s prophetic voice had been stilled for close to 400 years when John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness of Judea. He was to be God’s messenger and the one who would prepare the way for the Lord. . . .
November 1, 2023
By Chris Philbeck “I’m pretty sure no one will go home and say, ‘That’s the best sermon I’ve ever heard.’” I spoke those words recently as part of my sermon introduction. Let me explain. I’m preaching chapter-by-chapter through the book of Romans in a series called, “Unashamed.” I love Romans because it gives such a thorough explanation of the gospel. Paul begins with the sinfulness of man, moves to the grace of God that makes salvation possible through faith, and then focuses on our continued pursuit of righteousness. MEAT AND POTATOES On this weekend I was preaching from Romans 6
November 1, 2023
By Ben Cachiaras Shortly before his recent unexpected passing, my friend, Christian Standard editor Mike Mack, asked me via email: “How can we love one another in a culture where there is so much sharp disagreement? . . . Would you write something on the challenge of fighting for relationships?” Before his untimely death, the burden on Mike’s heart—and likely many of our hearts—was to see Christ followers navigate the nasty culture wars, the lack of civility, and the political polarization to live out faith in God-honoring ways. “How do we disagree without hating?” he asked. Indeed, some people now
November 1, 2023
By Jim Putman As I shared in Part 1, I am skeptical of any new view of original things. My reasons are twofold. First, when speaking about something historical in nature, eyewitnesses and their contemporaries are more likely to have it right. Second, Scripture warns that people will come seeking to change views that were once well understood. Thomas Campbell, a Restoration Movement founder, coined the phrase, “Where the Bible speaks, we speak, and where it is silent, we are silent.” It captures the spirit of Romans 14 and resonates with me. Freedom exists where Scripture is silent, but we
October 30, 2023
Cornelius prayed regularly and God answered with an angel who instructed Cornelius to summon Peter to his Caesarean residence (Acts 10:1-8). God, in turn, prepared Peter via a vision as the apostle prayed on a rooftop in Joppa (10:9-16). . . .
October 16, 2023
Philip’s ministry had three parts to it. He preached, and the crowds all paid close attention to what he said. He cast out demons (some came out with shrieks). And he healed those who were paralyzed or lame. . . .
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