March 2, 2025
A recent Barna report observed that 43 percent of the pastors in the study who had considered quitting the ministry felt lonely and isolated. There’s no shame in being lonely, but it would be a shame if you didn’t do something about it.
January 1, 2024
By Jerry Harris All church leaders are dealing with stress right now. Stress can come from every area of our lives. You might be under pressure, facing big changes, feeling a lack of control, shouldering heavy responsibility, or feeling uncertain about the future. You might be facing multiple issues simultaneously or feeling the effects of past experiences. Your stress might be triggered by illness, injury, parenting, infertility, bereavement, abuse, marriage, divorce, relationships, or caregiving. You might have lost your job, or be seeking a new job, or just started in a new role. Perhaps you retired recently. You might be
March 28, 2022
He "touched the bier" (somewhat like a casket). This made Jesus unclean. but he immediately destroyed the evidence of uncleanness by raising the young man from the dead. People must have been shocked. . . .
January 17, 2022
The word "leftover" sounds stale and unappealing. The Law of Moses instructed the Israelites to give the firstfruits of their labors, not the scraps. However, the Bible also has some positive things to say about leftovers . . .
December 6, 2021
If you had been one of Jesus’ three disciples present with him on the mountain, what would have been most surprising to you?
July 12, 2021
The prophets of the Old Testament were the mean junkyard dogs of Israel. . . . Both Elijah and Elisha made it into Jesus’ ordination sermon, and some of their miracles are templates for miracles of Jesus
July 12, 2021
Naaman’s pride, plans, and preferences nearly prevented him from being cured. Why are humility and submission so vital to our healing?
February 27, 2020
S. S. Lappin served as editor of Christian Standard from 1909 to 1917, and he then wrote hundreds of articles for the magazine until his death in 1960. Here are excerpts from an essay he wrote about prayer. _ _ _ Praying and Saying Prayers Bible prayers are brief but they are genuine and fervent. Ours are too long and we “say” them By S. S. LappinMarch 2, 1940; p. 7 . . . When prayer becomes self-conscious it ceases to be a prayer; it is merely saying a prayer. A certain Pharisee could not make the grade with his
December 23, 2017
This Christmas essay originally appeared in the December 18/25, 2011, issue of Christian Standard. ___ By Caleb Kaltenbach Every Christmas I struggle with the same thing: what in the world do I give my wife? Do I get her shoes, clothes, jewelry, a massage, or what? Maybe this is a better question: what gift will I give Jesus this season? In Luke 1, we see the birth of a child who would be a gift to Jesus. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his
July 12, 2017
By Ronald G. Davis Turning points sometimes come in a roar. Turning points sometimes come in a whisper. In modern history the roar was heard in the deathly din of D-Day. And the course of modern human history was changed. In biblical history, the whisper was heard by Elijah when he had fled in cowardice from an interloper in the messianic line. God called him with “a still small voice” to return to his ministry in the court of kings. And the course of Israel”s history was redirected toward a Messiah. John 6 pictures just such a dramatic turning point.
December 12, 2016
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 December 11 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Musicians have their warm-up acts, knights have their introducers, kings have their cupbearers, and the Messiah had his forerunner. A forerunner is a predecessor, literally someone who runs before. For Jesus that person was John the Baptist. John the Baptist ran before Jesus. Today”s text backs up from last week”s lesson. Before Gabriel made the
April 11, 2015
By Steve Wyatt You probably wouldn”t have liked the man I once was””though you might”ve been impressed by my résumé. I certainly was! I sang my first solo at 6, taught a seventh-grade Bible class at 15, preached my first sermon at 16, and was a youth pastor at 19. I served as senior pastor of a multistaff church at 23, and wrote two books by my early 30s while leading a church of 200 to more than 3,500! And all God”s people said . . . ? Big whoop. Back in my former life, I was on most short
January 19, 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 January 18 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone This month”s theme, “Learning to Pray,” helps us consider the topic of prayer as found in the books of Luke, John, Hebrews, and James. We have already reviewed Jesus” model for prayer, his prayer for his disciples, and his intercession for us. The letter of James is one of the most practical books in all of Scripture. The writer emphasized not
December 3, 2014
By Jim Tune The Christmas story helps me appreciate perplexity. The Bible reminds me that God does some of his best work with people who are truly and seriously confused. Abraham and Sarah were perplexed about God”s promise. Elijah, even after a great victory, battles doubt and depression in the desert while fleeing the fury of a queen named Jezebel. And then there”s Mary. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we will hear the story of Mary and her incredible dialogue with an angel. The Bible records that Mary “was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort
January 31, 2011
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for February 6) is written by Rick Walston, senior minister with Marion Church of Christ, Rochester, Minnesota. Jesus Is the Messiah (Mark 8:27″“9:1) By Rick Walston What are life”s most important questions? “Where will I go when I die?” “What will I do with my life?” “Whom will I marry?” Some might say the answers don”t matter as long as we are asking the right questions. But answers are important, and the most important question of life must be answered correctly because its implications are eternal. Jesus asked his disciples this
August 1, 2010
By Tim Harlow When I was a youth pastor, one of my favorite stories to reenact at church camp was from 1 Kings 18 when Elijah and the priests of Baal had a god-duel. The trick was to have someone with a roll of toilet paper soaked in lighter fluid in a nearby tree. At the right moment, he would light the toilet paper and let it slide down a wire into the altar””it was a great effect! I”m sure the real thing was even better. I can”t imagine how great Elijah must have felt knowing he was on the
August 21, 2005
Ken Read recounts a study tour in Palestine, reflecting on Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Bethesda—and on how these places reshape the way we picture the gospel story and respond in faith.
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok