May 22, 2023
Some of us roll out of bed at sunrise and hit the ground running, while others take a while to get going. For night people, “A.M.” stands for “Already Morning?” . . . Have you ever wondered what God does every morning?
January 30, 2023
A touched heart typically is what spurs a person to action. The devastating news of Jerusalem caused Nehemiah to weep and mourn in chapter 1, and God used Nehemiah’s sadness to get the king’s attention in chapter 2.
Alyeska . . . Keystone XL . . . Colonial. Each is a commercial pipeline, and each has a unique crisis in its story. Alyeska is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, which now transports less oil than in years past. Keystone XL is the pipeline that was once under construction from Alberta, Canada, south to Nebraska; it has now been officially shut down. The Colonial Pipeline made news recently when it was the victim of a ransomware attack that completely shut down its oil flow. Similarly, we face a crisis in the local church, and it has everything to do with
May 1, 2021
Like it or not, many seats remain empty on Sunday morning, and rather than stew about it, we should do something about it. Now is the time to chase strays.
February 1, 2021
After all the upheaval of 2020, the world needs some reconciliation. Truth is, it always has. Struggling and estranged marriages . . . damaged friendships and divided families . . . polarized political parties . . . racial strife . . . churches from the same movement disembodied over methodological preferences. Who can possibly break down the walls of hostility that divide us? “[God] reconciled us to himself throughChrist.” That answers the question, but there’s more! “. . . and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). As crazy as it might sound, we, as reconciled sinners,
December 25, 2016
By Joe Boyd We”ve all seen much attention this year given to power and those who possess it. But the church”s attitude toward power is different. Christmas, at its core, is about power. Who holds real power? Where does it come from? How do we get it? All the answers are in the Christmas story, buried under the sentimentality and tradition. The Christmas story shows us true power comes to earth in the humility of a dependent infant. Power comes in the form of an impoverished peasant child. A desperate refugee. A homeless wanderer. Power comes in weakness. This is
November 24, 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 November 23 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone God called on the people of Israel to rejoice. Though they still were to be exiled in Babylon (Isaiah 40″“55), they could rest assured that Almighty God would deliver them. John N. Oswalt emphasized the significance of this prophecy: “The tone of anticipation becomes more intense as God calls on Jerusalem to do the very opposite of what Babylon was required
November 11, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor The big man with broad shoulders and a wide grin greeted me as I headed toward my display table. I was about finished setting up for the annual leadership conference, “ReChurch,” sponsored by Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis. Better known as “The Creek,” the church hosted the event last Thursday and Friday, November 6 and 7. He greeted me with a firm handshake and introduced himself as Kevin Hart, executive minister for operations at the megachurch. I told him my name, and he asked me, “Can I pray for you?” With others passing in both
February 24, 2013
By Eddie Lowen When church leaders need to crack a code or solve a problem, help is everywhere. Books, blogs, coaches, conferences, e-zines, and webinars are so plentiful that the trick is no longer accessing information, but evaluating and organizing it. And there”s help for those tasks, too (there”s always an app for that). If you need a strategy that fits your vision, you can find it. If you face a mystery, someone can help solve it. If you need an expert who specializes in evangelizing 38.5-year-old suburban males who work in financial services and eat their cereal with tablespoons,
October 17, 2007
By Mark A. Taylor Power. Pleasure. Pride. Our desire for all three keeps advertisers in business. “Do it all.” “Enjoy it now.” “Show it off.” But this isn”t a diatribe against advertising. These examples are only symptoms of the issue we”re facing. A simple request for photos got me thinking about the problem. “How is it going for you?” I asked a minister after talking with him about pictures for an upcoming article. “Really well,” he said, after a short pause. “Thanks for asking. We”ve been facing some significant spiritual warfare here,” he added. “The more our church has grown,
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok
March 27, 2026
David Empson
March 27, 2026
David Faust