Articles for tag: Easter

April 1, 2018

Christian Standard

‘If Christ Be Not Raised . . .’

By Mark E. Moore The resurrection is the bedrock of Christianity. If it is not true, everything crumbles. Paul testified to this, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14*). Thus the question, Did Jesus rise from the dead? is one we must answer to determine if faith in Christ is well-founded or a farce. To that end we will address two profoundly important questions: Why should I believe Jesus rose from the dead? And if this is true, then why does it matter?   WHY SHOULD

March 31, 2018

Christian Standard

How Easter Got Hacked

Why the Good News of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection Is More Relevant Than Ever   By Haydn Shaw Malware can mess up your life by allowing hackers free access to your computer. That’s exactly what has happened to Christianity; it’s being replaced by something that looks similar to Christianity but without the power of Easter. It wasn’t until sociologist Christian Smith and his team talked to teenagers that it became obvious how badly Christianity had been hacked. As detailed in his book Soul Searching (2005), Smith and his team interviewed more than 3,000 millennials, ages 13 to 18, to

March 29, 2018

Jerry Harris

Just One Thing

By Jerry Harris   Just one thing. That’s what it all comes down to. Paul made it abundantly clear in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19: And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised,

March 28, 2018

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

Easter and the Changing Nature of Belonging

By Kent E. Fillinger “Every modern brand that inspires intense passion—from Apple to Nike to SoulCycle to WeWork—has a spiritual underpinning,” writes Nicole LaPorte in the July/August 2017 issue of Fast Company. She tells the story of shared community, social connections, and a common purpose for those who participate in Tough Mudder obstacle course competitions. Will Dean, CEO of Tough Mudder, believes their events can provide people with these same types of spiritual rituals. Dean told the magazine, [Tough Mudder races] are the pilgrimage, the big, annual festivals, like Christmas and Easter [emphasis mine], if you use Christianity as an

March 25, 2018

Christian Standard

Surprised by Life

(This article originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Christian Standard)   By Daniel Schantz To a child, a cemetery is the perfect playground. It has a hundred hiding places, and if you fall down, the grass is very forgiving. I was 7 years old, playing hide-and-seek in the cemetery next to the country church, just outside of New Antioch, Ohio, where my father preached. “Don’t play on the graves,” my mother warned. “It’s disrespectful.” “OK,” I said, but I didn’t see it her way. I thought that if I were buried in the ground I would get really

March 23, 2018

Christian Standard

How to Maximize High-Attendance Weekends (and Minimize ‘One-Hit Wonders’)

By David Dummitt Easter is the best-attended weekend of church services, with Christmas being a close second. How can we strategically maximize our opportunity to connect with people during these weekends in ways that make first-time guests want to come back? The old adage says you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. But you can create environments and opportunities that sweeten the water. When planning big-attendance weekends, we must think critically and creatively about how we can create exceptional environments and opportunities to which people will want to return.   ‘Surprise and Delight’ For

March 18, 2018

Christian Standard

A Secret We Must Tell

(The essay originally appeared online April 12, 2009.) ________ By Arron Chambers Can you keep a secret? Stephen and Louise couldn’t. “Our son became an astronaut today.” On September 17, 1962—in one of the most interesting segments of game show history—Stephen and Louise Armstrong appeared on I’ve Got a Secret with the secret that their son Neil had just been selected to be an astronaut. Neil was one of nine new men so chosen. What made this appearance especially unique was that host Garry Moore asked Louise an incredible question: “Now, how would you feel, Mrs. Armstrong, if it turned

March 15, 2018

Michael C. Mack

Go and Tell

By Michael C. Mack I have learned some of the most vital lessons from some of the most unlikely people in Scripture. Mary Magdalene is one of them. A most pivotal day in her life started “while it was still dark” (John 20:1). As she went to the tomb, her life epitomized what our lives would look like without knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection—dark and hopeless. But the resurrection changes everything. A day that began in darkness ended with her radiant proclamation, “I have seen the Lord!” (v. 18). Mary was the first to view the empty

March 6, 2018

Christian Standard

The Wonder of the Cross

By Dick Wamsley  Is it possible to become so accustomed to the wonder of God’s creation that you lose a sense of awe when you see a majestic mountain, hear a rustling brook, gaze into the heavens at night, or smell the aroma of spring flowers? If so, then is it also possible to lose your sense of wonder at the cross of Christ? As a young man, Isaac Watts must have suspected it was possible. When he considered the wonder of the cross, he wrote these words: When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory

November 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Incarnation and Resurrection

By Teresa D. Welch Strips of cloth, angels, a man named Joseph, a bed, spices, an angel”s “do not be afraid” message, and a group rushing to tell others the good news. In the context of December, with decorated trees and carolers singing “fa-la-la-la-la,” you most likely associated those items with the story found in Luke 2: “And she [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed in him a manager” (v. 7). But these elements of the Christmas story also appear in a different story about Christ. The story of Christmas reminds

October 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Ordinary Sacredness

By Mandy Smith We know Jesus instituted the Lord”s Supper during the Passover feast, which Jews have celebrated for generations. Passover is an annual festival remembering God”s salvation of his people from slavery in Egypt. Like all celebrations of annual holidays, it takes much preparation and is a turning point of the calendar. So, as good Jews, Jesus and his disciples prepared and celebrated this feast together. But Jesus knew this Passover would be different from all he”d celebrated before, because he knew his death was imminent. The food is a central part of the Passover feast, but so are

June 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Let Us Celebrate

By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around

April 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Our Overwhelming Victory

By Mark Atteberry During World War II, ordinary citizens were asked to make a contribution to the war effort in whatever way they could. Many bought bonds, saved and recycled raw materials, assisted friends and neighbors in need, and planted what came to be known as victory gardens. Urban and rural people alike planted fruits and vegetables, not only to provide for their own needs but also to ship to our troops around the world. When people spoke of the “national war effort,” they were right on target. While many were fighting with guns and ammo, many more were fighting

April 11, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

resurrection of Christ

Why We Celebrate

An Easter editorial on why Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ: historical testimony, witness accounts, and a call to humility. Faith is not surrendering intellect, but surrendering arrogance as we seek and find.

March 29, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

After Easter: the Challenge Remains

By Mark A. Taylor   Churches and church leaders around the world are breathing a collective sigh of relief this week. Easter is over. All the hard work anticipating big Easter attendances is finished. Larger numbers of volunteers were recruited. Worship services were added (some megachurches began Easter services on Thursday evening). Musicians practiced harder and longer; choirs and worship teams prepared their best. Preachers gave special effort to make sure their sermons were polished and ready. New churches and multisites launched on Easter Sunday, with the hope to attract newcomers on the one Sunday when tradition prods the largest

March 27, 2016

Christian Standard

Facing the Future

By Joe Boyd What did the resurrection mean to the readers of the oldest Gospel? And how does that help us in our own confusing lives and complicated age?  Most followers of Jesus are aware that there are four Gospels in the Christian Scriptures: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four of these accounts tell the story of Jesus, but, at times, from different perspectives. Most New Testament scholars agree that Mark”s Gospel is likely the oldest, dating a few decades after the life and death of Jesus. Looking at Mark”s story of the resurrection, one realizes it is brief

March 26, 2016

Jackina Stark

merciful and mighty

Merciful and Mighty

In John 11, Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their grief with both compassion and power. This devotional reflects on his tears, his words, and the hope found in the One who calls Lazarus from the tomb.

March 15, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Missing God

By Mark A. Taylor Being a soldier can be boring. Especially when you”re far from home, in a dry, dirty, dusty place. When the assignment is to keep order among a stubborn people who resent you and all you stand for, the duty is all the more distasteful. And so, when a strange peasant called a king is assigned to your watch, who could blame you for having a little fun? Nothing about him looks like royalty, that”s for sure. So you find some thorns and make him a crown. Your buddy has a robe he took from some unlucky

March 1, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Why We Celebrate

This Easter editorial was written by Mark A. Taylor, CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s editor, the 11th in its 150-year history. It first appeared in the April 8, 2007, issue of the magazine. ____ By Mark A. Taylor Today Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ for two reasons. First are the logical and historical evidences: “¢ Confused and afraid disciples became bold proclaimers of Christ”s resurrection after they saw it was true. Their testimony never wavered, even when it cost them their lives. Even if one man might have died for a lie or a fantasy, no one can explain why so many

February 1, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

At the Foot of the Cross (Easter Devotions for Our App)

Get Ready for Easter . . . At the Foot of the Cross Editor Mark A. Taylor has written a set of six meditations for the week leading up to Easter. This collection of devotions, titled At the Foot of the Cross, is available at no cost via Christian Standard’s free app. At the Foot of the Cross offers a meditation for every day in the week before Easter. These devotions offer a fresh look at the thoughts, fears, and motivations of those who saw Jesus die at Calvary””people like Simon of Cyrene, the Centurion, the robbers crucified with him, and his mother, Mary.

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link