November 4, 2025
TAKING A STAND
As we drink from the cup, may it speak of his blood, shed in the face of overwhelming darkness, securing our eternal rescue and freedom.
Articles for tag: Body of Christ
April 8, 2024
April 14 Study | Spiritual Gifts
Every Christian has received grace (charis) and therefore has been given gifts (or charisma) from the Holy Spirit to be used in ministry in the body of Christ. . . .
March 25, 2024
March 31 | Discovery Questions
These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, "Edification" (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; 14:1-12), by Mark Scott.
August 21, 2023
Salvation in Jesus
Jesus lived so that his death would not be for his own guilt, but for the guilt of others. . . .
February 20, 2023
You Have to Be There
We miss something sacred and “supernatural” when we absent ourselves from the body of Christ . . .
December 26, 2022
January 1 | Discovery
What were God’s roles and what were the people’s roles in the Jewish exiles’ return to Jerusalem?
October 3, 2022
Sangre de Cristo
(We first ran this Communion meditation in January 2014.) By Ronald G. Davis In the 16th century, Francisco Coronado and a group of Spanish soldiers explored the American Southwest, looking for golden cities! A priest accompanied them to carry God’s blessing and protection. When they reached the source of the Rio Grande River in what is now central Colorado, as the traditional story is told, that priest was mortally wounded by Native Americans defending their independence. As he lay dying in the Spaniards’ escape southward, he saw a glorious sunset on newly snowcapped peaks. “Sangre de Cristo! Sangre de Cristo!”
March 21, 2022
March 27 | Discovery
How does your choice—to conform or be transformed—affect how you follow Christ?
March 7, 2022
Different from the Herd
By Stuart Powell There is nothing strange about a herd of cattle in the farmland of Indiana. However, one herd contained a single member who stood out among the many. Amid the collection of four-legged bovine grazed a two-legged, feathered, web-footed, white goose. Nothing could hide the differences between the bird and the other grazing animals. Christians are called to be like that goose in the world. Just as a goose doesn’t belong in a herd of cattle, followers of Jesus don’t fit in with the ideas and priorities of worldly people. God expects us to intermingle with the rest
January 31, 2022
Feb. 6 | Discovery
How does Romans 3:9-31 describe the condition of humans under the law? How does it describe the condition of people who are in Christ?
January 24, 2022
Jan. 30 | Discovery
In Romans 14:1-5, 13-23, what surface-level issues were people in the church having with one another . . . and what deeper issues may have been behind those problems?
November 15, 2021
Nov. 21 | Application
When we are discouraged and feel like giving up, the book of Hebrews urges us to take the better way and persevere.
August 23, 2021
Which Thief Are You?
One thief chose to believe in Jesus and was saved. The other thief chose to deny Jesus, and in doing so foolishly pushed away the salvation Jesus was willing to give him. Which thief are you?
May 25, 2020
Safely Across the Bridge
By Adrienne Feldmann A young family went on a summer getaway to Chicago. They spent a long day walking up and down the Magnificent Mile—the city’s premier shopping district—and honestly, the kids did not find it quite as magnificent as their parents did! As the marathon shopping session was ending, Mom and Dad realized their children were worn out, so they did what most parents of young kids do—they made a beeline for the best playground they could find. Maggie Daley Park in Chicago is a park to end all parks. Slides are everywhere. There are incredible things to climb.
March 17, 2020
Remembering Amazing Things
By Stuart Powell Asaph son of Berechiah was a Levite musician (1 Chronicles 15:17) credited with writing Psalm 77. He lived in the time of Israel’s prosperity under Kings David and Solomon. Yet this psalm laments a time of pain in his life. The psalm begins with his petitions for help from a seemingly distant God. Asaph didn’t detail the source of his difficulty but described how he suffered most when, as he said, “my strength leaves me” (v. 3), “during the night” (v. 6), and when he felt cut off from God (v. 9). In those times, Asaph sought
December 2, 2019
Growing Volunteers to Grow the Kingdom
How These Two Churches Recruit and Equip Servants to Live Out God’s Purposes By Melissa Wuske Crafting an effective volunteer program takes a mix of big-picture vision and nuts-and-bolts programs. Julie Liem, director of volunteers at Eastside Christian Church in Southern California, and Abby Ecker, next steps pastor at The Journey in Newark, Delaware, shared how their churches recruit and equip volunteers—and how they’ve seen the kingdom advance as a result. God’s Design For many churches, it starts with the critical shift from viewing volunteers as “a necessary inconvenience,” Liem said, to seeing them as “the lifeblood of the church.”
Unbroken
By Beau Bruton Sometimes people talk about the “broken body” of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As horrible as what Jesus went through, to say his body was “broken” is incorrect when taken literally. The Bible describes specifically what happened shortly after Jesus died: Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came
May 28, 2019
More Than Enough
By Jon Wren Many Christ followers observe Communion as a reminder of God’s grace and goodness and as a gift we receive rather than a prize we must earn. But for many Christians and churches, the desire to show others God’s goodness in action can drift into a need to show others our own goodness. And if we are not careful, we can begin to drift toward a well-intentioned but incredibly destructive life in which we are consumed by the need to be busy or at least seem busy on behalf of Christ. Christian author Barbara Brown Taylor wrote of
March 5, 2019
Spiritual MRI
By Halee Wood Have you ever had an MRI? An MRI produces detailed pictures of internal body structures. It can assist in diagnosing many things we never want to face: aneurysms, inner ear issues, spinal cord injuries, cancerous tumors, and more. A prescribed MRI makes us cringe because we don’t want anything “bad” exposed, though all the while, in our gut we already know something is wrong or we would not have sought the help of a physician. An MRI can diagnose, but it cannot cure. The physician is who leads you through the healing process. The apostle Paul once
February 19, 2019
Displaying our Testimony
By Stuart Powell Testifying to Jesus’ influence on our lives is an important part of the Christian faith. As we grow in our faith, we should have more to say about Jesus. His influence first affects our attitudes about living. Jesus replaces our impure inner desires by teaching us to live holy. When we grant the Holy Spirit permission, he also changes how we view other people. Jesus’ influence eventually enables us to sacrificially love those whom we formerly opposed. God teaches us to welcome all who are different. He leads us to fast for those who abuse us. Jesus’
