February 26, 2024
March 3 Application | ‘Unity and You’
Are we willing to make Christian unity a personal goal? Practically speaking, how can we encourage the unity of God’s people? . . .
Articles for tag: Ephesians 4:2
June 19, 2023
June 25 | Application (‘Trust Rust’)
Our culture suffers from a bad case of truth decay. Lies are corrosive, and trust is vital to healthy relationships. . . .
June 19, 2023
June 25 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “Warning for Liars” (Jeremiah 28:1-17).
January 23, 2023
January 29 | Application (‘What Makes You Different?’)
The Israelites were supposed to be a holy people, distinct from others who lived around them. No work on the Sabbath day. No graven images. . . . God wanted more than surface obedience, though. He said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). . . .
December 29, 2019
Lesson for Jan. 5, 2020: The Deliverer Runs Ahead (Exodus 2:11-25)
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. 1 (weeks 1-4; January 5-26, 2020) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Resist the urge to do God’s will in worldly ways. ________ By Mark Scott Warren Wiersbe said, “Whenever God works, he chooses the right worker, uses the right plan, and acts at the right time” (Expository Outlines on the Old Testament). But what happens if the right worker needs a
August 26, 2019
Lesson for Sept. 1, 2019: Work with Your Hands (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26; 3:12-14)
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. 9 (weeks 32-35; August 18—September 8, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: The work of our hands is designed to bring joy and meaning to our lives. ________ By Mark Scott It is providential to have this lesson this weekend. Labor Day is a holiday, officially recognized in 1894, to honor the American worker. Toward the end of the 1800s, at
February 22, 2018
Extinguishing the Flames of Conflict
What Leaders Can Learn from the Fire Tetrahedron for the Good of the Church By Walt Wilcoxson Heat, fuel, oxygen, and a chemical chain reaction. These four factors comprise the fire tetrahedron, which is basic knowledge to every firefighter and the basis for the plan of attack for fighting every fire. Even rookie firefighters know that if you can eliminate any single part of the tetrahedron, the fire will go out. Or, if any of these four elements is missing, there will be no fire. In church conflict, leaders have a tetrahedron to consider as well. They need to
April 29, 2017
Slow to Tweet
By Eddie Lowen This is no self-righteous rant about abandoning social media. But I do wonder if I””and many Christians I encounter online””have always thought through the implication of what we post. There were no newspapers, radios, or TVs. No blogs, podcasts, or social media. Sending a letter to 100 people meant scratching it out on parchment 100 times (that was a punishment when I was in elementary school). E-mail? Tweets? Voice mail? Unimaginable. In an age when no instant or mass communication tools existed, when fewer people lived on earth than in the United States today, James wrote, “Everyone should be quick to listen,
October 10, 2015
The Speed of Trust
By Jeff Faull Stephen M.R. Covey calls it “the one thing that changes everything.” When you have it, you can move forward quickly, confidently, and positively. When you don”t have it, your enterprise, organization, or endeavor is hindered and even paralyzed. According to Covey, trust is what changes everything. In fact his New York Times best seller on the subject is titled The Speed of Trust. Covey contends the commodity most overlooked and underrated in organizational health and efficiency is the trust factor. No, he isn”t longing for a return to the days of deals sealed with a simple handshake
April 2, 2013
Embracing Conflict, Spreading the Gospel
By Mark A. Taylor As much as we might like to avoid the subject of conflict at church, the fact is we can”t. In fact, if your church is not experiencing conflict now, it”s safe to say it probably has. Or it will. Our best strategy is not to pretend conflict doesn”t exist or to assume all conflict is wrong. Instead, we”ll do well to anticipate conflict and find godly ways to handle it. The first step may be to embrace the potential of conflict. It”s OK to disagree with each other. Too many Christians harbor the notion that unity
August 6, 2012
10 Ways to Encourage Your Minister
By Victor M. Parachin So this is the pastorate? Is this the ministry? To be misunderstood, unappreciated, alone, and misquoted with no hope of correction? This is a painful, lonely business. That lament was a journal entry made by pastor David Fisher shortly after he began ministry. Fortunately, Fisher, author of The 21st Century Pastor, weathered that difficult time. Other ministers, however, are not as fortunate. Recent polls reveal high-level dissatisfaction and discouragement among those in the ministry: “¢ 1,700 ministers leave ministry every month, an annual exodus of more than 20,000 “¢ 50 percent of ministers quit within five years of
July 4, 2010
“˜Be Nice or Leave!”
By Rick Grover I met with an African-American pastor in our community who told me his church has signs throughout its building that convey one of his church”s values. The signs read:Â Be Nice or Leave! He indicated his church in the past had a significant challenge with a certain group of longtime members who would run off new people. The established group felt threatened by anybody with new or different ideas. Sound familiar? Rather than dealing with those differences in a healthy, biblical way, members of the group would say critical things and act mean-spirited until those with whom they
March 21, 2010
Building Bonds Between Elders and Ministers (Part 1)
By Bob Russell One of the most intense topics in church leadership seminars these days is elder/preacher relationships. One minister said, “In our church I get the impression that it”s the preacher”s job to cast vision and the elder”s job to prevent it from happening.” But it”s not always the elders who are to blame for conflicts with the minister. Many times the problem lies with a preacher or staff member who is lazy, unethical, controlling, defiant, or spiritually immature. I”ve observed four ministries recently that looked impressive from the outside, but suddenly the preacher was asked to resign. People
