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. . . .
April 8, 2024
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. . . .
January 11, 2022
Steve White preached his farewell sermon Sunday after serving with Plainfield (Ind.) Christian Church for 34 years. In that sermon, he shared the reasons he loves the church, and specifically, why he loves Plainfield Christian.
March 5, 2019
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
August 6, 2018
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. 7 (weeks 25–28; July 22—August 12, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Three activities occupied center stage for the earliest church in the book of Acts. Those three activities were preaching the gospel, baptizing the converts, and planting the church. But running under the radar of those three was the collection for the saints. Jesus had taught his disciples to care for
January 22, 2016
By Rick Chromey Cats and dogs are radically different beasts. Perhaps you”ve heard this joke: Dogs say, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be a god,” while cats say, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be a god!” Maybe that”s why God gives cats nine lives. They need a bit more grace for such foolish thinking. Nevertheless, a dog is loyal to a fault, protects the master, and loves to be petted. You call a dog by its name and it comes running, eager
August 25, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor I first prepared the following as a Communion meditation for the church where I worship. It occurs to me that it considers a biblical challenge that Christians everywhere do well to remember. We don”t read far in Paul”s first letter to the Corinthians till we see this was a church with problems. “I appeal to you brothers,” he wrote, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and
May 18, 2015
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the May 17 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone The first-century church in Corinth faced special challenges. One problem was that many members placed undue emphasis on those who spoke in tongues. Today we will first study Acts 2, when the church began, so that we can understand the context of Paul”s teaching on this subject to the Corinthians. Tongues at the Church”s Birth | Acts 2:1-7, 12 The Day
August 4, 2014
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the August 3 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone Paul”s first letter to the Corinthian church contained many things that were difficult for the people to hear and to heed. One issue involved a man who had a sexual relationship with his father”s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). The apostle directed the church to separate from him (5:2, 11-13). The purpose for this exercise of church discipline was to save the
July 21, 2014
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the July 20 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone From the day that the church began in Jerusalem, God endowed certain members with miraculous gifts. These were needed in that day. When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they began to preach in tongues (Acts 2:6-11). These were languages that they did not know and had not studied. As
August 27, 2011
By David L. Eubanks The major focus of Communion is the Lord Jesus Christ. When he inaugurated it, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The Lord”s Supper is not primarily about us but about him, what he did for us, and the life he gives us when we feed on him. At the same time, there is a definite element of introspection that goes with this feast. That was true of the meal at which Jesus instituted it. When Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him, they immediately began to ask, “Surely you don”t
September 30, 2007
By Barney Wells If you work well at preventing conflict, you won”t need to intervene often, and if you intervene promptly, resolution will naturally follow””most of the time. Most church members really do not want conflict in their lives or in the church, and given a little help and encouragement will resolve their conflicts in short order. Now and then, however, amicable resolution doesn”t come. Then the leaders must take a different kind of action. Matthew 18:17 shows that some conflicts must be addressed by the leadership churchwide, and sometimes individuals must be allowed, or even required, to leave. Earlier