Articles for tag: Doctrine

April 20, 2018

Christian Standard

The State of Our Christian Churches Today

Where We’ve Come From, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going By Ken Idleman In her book Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World, Tina Rosenburg sought to determine how to get people to change for the better. She concluded people don’t change simply because they desire to change, or feel guilty, or learn it would be beneficial (such as by quitting smoking). Instead, Rosenburg argues, people grow and change best in community. She asserts that few things in life are more important in determining the kind of people we become than the group of people with

February 19, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for February 25, 2018: The Good Fight of Faith (1 Timothy 6:11-21)

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  The apostle Paul used several metaphors to describe the rigor of the Christian life. He likened it to a boxing match (1 Corinthians 9:26), a race (1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7), a wrestling match (Colossians 1:29–2:1), a soldier who pleases his commander (2 Timothy 2:3, 4), an athlete who plays by the

February 16, 2018

Jerry Harris

The Dot.

By Jerry Harris Whether it happens intentionally or accidentally, every church fashions a product that is more effective with at least one subset of people. Every church has a target. It may not be a deliberate target, as traditions tend to take on lives of their own, but it’s there just the same. Consider the style of your music and worship. Who is attracted to it? Scan the church budget. Who gets the most money? Study the use of the building. Who gets the most space? Assess the style of the building and its furniture. Is it antique? Do the

November 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 12, 2017: Promise of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:27-34)

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 November 5, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The Bible has a love/hate relationship with old and new. On the one hand, God”s people were to ask for the ancient paths and old ways (Jeremiah 6:16), and even Jesus said that the old wine was best (Luke 5:39). On the other hand, Paul taught that if anyone is in Christ he is

February 27, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 5, 2017: Perfect Love (1 John 4:7-19)

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 February 26, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s primary identity must become our primary activity. That identity and activity in a word is love. A loving God was all but unheard of in ancient Greece. The false gods they believed in were often more immoral than humans and had to be appeased””not embraced due to their love. But in a stunning statement

February 17, 2017

Christian Standard

The Church of Mirrors

By T.R. Robertson Not everyone needs to look just like me. In fact, not everyone should. Gary grew up in the church but has rarely been inside a church building for the past decade. I asked him why he and many of his millennial friends are reluctant to give church another try. “We”re fairly sure if we show up at church, we won”t fit in,” he told me. “We aren”t “˜church-people” anymore. They”d make a big fuss if I showed up, but if I stayed, they”d be uncomfortable around me because I”m not like them. And I”d be uncomfortable around

April 9, 2016

Christian Standard

WHAT’S NEXT?: Founded on Scripture

We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” ____ By John Derry Having served in the field of Christian higher education for my entire ministry, I have always appreciated the role CHRISTIAN STANDARD has played in emphasizing the importance of raising up the next generation of leaders for our churches. Visionary leadership is one of the most critical factors in any successful organization and requires one to be aware of changing trends and needs. In the coming decades it will be important that effective leaders are informed

March 1, 2016

Christian Standard

They Were Excited

This Easter editorial was written by Edwin V. Hayden, CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s ninth editor. It first appeared in the April 21, 1962, issue of the magazine. ____ By Edwin V. Hayden They were excited people””those folk who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. They couldn”t contain themselves from telling what they had seen and heard. Their excitement didn”t wear off; it stayed with them as long as they lived. Because of it we in our land and time have access to Christ”s church and His gospel. Others now and generations to come will have that church and that gospel,

February 15, 2016

Christian Standard

My Theology and My Leadership

By Matt Proctor A few years ago, I was asked to give a class lecture on “how my theology affects my leadership.” What a helpful exercise! I tried to dig beneath the surface of my leadership practices to find my underlying motivating beliefs. As I brought these to the surface, I could see whether they squared well with Scripture. I ended up listing 10 ways my theology shaped my leadership. A few examples: Me vs. Us Despite my natural Lone Ranger tendencies, I have moved to a more team leadership approach. When I began as president, I was the only

January 10, 2016

Christian Standard

Baptize Your Children Well

By T.R. Robertson How do we determine that a young child is ready to be baptized? There are many answers, and several of them are explained in this article.  “It”s almost like I”m talking them out of it, because I really want to see if their decision is real.” Trent Schake, senior minister at Blue Ridge Christian Church in Columbia, Missouri, is one of several ministers who talked with me about their experiences shepherding parents and children through the decision to be baptized. “I don”t want to put someone in the baptistery if they”re not really ready,” Schake continues, “but

September 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Taming the Sermon

By Jim Tune When it comes to discussions about the teachings of Jesus, especially his “hard” teachings, I”ve grown tired of the tendency to tame any revolutionary teaching that seems just too radical or too naïve or idealistic. The conversation too often goes like this: “I know that”s what Jesus said, but what he really meant was. . . .” For example, when Jesus tells us not to store up riches on earth, we repurpose it to say, “Do not get too attached to the riches that you have, in fact, stored up on earth.” We read the Sermon on

January 29, 2015

Christian Standard

Playing Your Cards Right

By Jeff Faull We do not always handle theological conflict fairly. Have you heard””or used””any of these arguments? Since the days of the O.J. Simpson trial, the phrase “playing the race card” has become commonplace. Accusing someone of arbitrarily “playing the race card” usually means they have bypassed the true merits of either position and trumped the validity of everything else with an accusation of racism, whether legitimate or not. To be certain, racism still exists and sometimes it”s fair to display the “race card,” but other times it is unfairly used to silence an exploration of the real issues

January 12, 2015

Christian Standard

A Healthy Church Is Doctrinally Strong

By Jeff Faull I know what you”re thinking: OK, here comes the obligatory “doctrine” article. I think I”ll pass””or else””I”ll hold my nose and take the medicine in one quick gulp and wash it down with something good and be done with it. Please don”t. Doctrine was never intended to be dry, rigid, sterile, lifeless rules and syllogisms, but rather, the stuff of life itself. So I”m asking you to consider healthy church doctrine from some refreshing and positive vantage points.   Consider Doctrine as a Framework for Story I hear a lot of people nowadays saying Christianity is a

December 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Starting at the Bottom

By Jim Tune  Most religions begin “at the top,” but Christianity begins “at the bottom.” The mystery of the incarnation should stir our hearts every day. Much of what we learn about the incarnation we learn as children and revisit annually during the Christmas season. I wonder if we are ever guilty of treating the incarnation as a beginner”s doctrine: a nice opportunity to do something for the children and invite our friends to church. The remarkable union of God and man in the incarnation is no minor point of theology. God the Son took on flesh and dwelt among

October 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Right and Righteous

By T.R. Robertson The reaction of Christians to a prominent athlete”s admission of homosexuality can provide one clue to how the church is relating to culture. On February 9, Michael Sam, a senior defensive end for the Missouri Tigers football team, publicly “came out” in an ESPN interview. The news went viral nationally. In traditional and social media, Sam was heavily praised for his courage in announcing he is gay. In May, he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and the celebratory kiss with his boyfriend on national TV was replayed many times during the following days. This news

September 29, 2014

Christian Standard

Stages of Faith

By Ryan Connor Growing faith is a changing faith. Here”s a simple explanation of how this happens, why it”s good, and how we can help others through the process. A single verse of Scripture sums up the young life of Jesus: “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:521). Human development includes each of the four areas Luke identified to describe the ways Jesus grew up (see the chart further down). The doctrine of the incarnation teaches us that Jesus underwent the full human experience. He was “made like His brethren

June 19, 2014

Christian Standard

Finding a Point of Contact with Anyone

By John Castelein What does it mean that Jesus wants his disciples to be “in the world . . . not of the world” (John 17:13-19)? “In the world” involves more than merely being involved with the world or being aware of the culture. I believe it means being able to connect with people who have not committed to God”s kingdom. “Not of the world” means living out kingdom values and commitments that differ from those of worldly people. Unfortunately, as many Christians become more and more “not of the world,” they have less involvement and connection with people “in

March 16, 2014

Christian Standard

“˜Not the Only Christians”

By Robert Oldham Fife As the sun arose on a spring morning in 1945, I stood at the gates of Dachau, one of Hitler”s horrendous concentration camps. It had been liberated only a few hours. I will not here attempt to describe the horror, but will say only that what you may have read in disbelief is true. Other soldiers and I could talk only in shocked whispers as we gazed upon the scene. I did not know at the time that imprisoned within those very gates was a now famous Lutheran pastor, Dr. Martin Niemöller. After years of harsh

December 8, 2013

Christian Standard

The Ironic Opportunity of Christmas

By Ethan Magness For centuries, church leaders have been creatively using the cultural opportunities available to them to proclaim the gospel and the reign of the kingdom of God. Most of our current Christmas traditions developed in this way. Cultural practices (many pagan in origin) were adapted and redeveloped in the context of celebration of Christ”s birth. In fact, although the precise history is murky, it is likely the date of the celebration itself was chosen to co-opt the ancient celebration of the sun that occurred at the winter solstice. These opportunities to redeem the culture around us and focus

September 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Growing “˜Small” in Indianapolis

By Jeff Krajewski “We decided to go small.” I couldn”t believe I said it, and I felt a bit embarrassed after it came out of my mouth. The person I was speaking with smiled politely. I could hear his inner dialogue: Going small, eh? That”s what all pastors say when they can”t grow a church. In his classic Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster opens with this powerful statement. Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted

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