Articles for tag: Forgiveness Of Sins

September 8, 2014

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 14, 2014: Hope for the Future (Jeremiah 31)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the September 7 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Jeremiah is often called “the weeping prophet” because of the sad news he had to bring to his people. But he also held out hope for them. Following 70 years in Babylonian captivity, a remnant would return to the promised land (Jeremiah 23:3). They would rebuild Jerusalem and be the source of great rejoicing (31:7-14). His message encouraged the captives to

April 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Where Is Eden?

By Jeff Faull Where is the Garden of Eden? Not the actual geographical description. You can read that in Genesis 2. Where is the garden now? What happened to it? Last we knew, it was in Genesis 3. Remember? Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:23, 24, New

March 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Nothing but the Blood

By Kay Moll In his book The Applause of Heaven, Max Lucado tells of an earthquake that struck Soviet Armenia in 1988. Just before the earthquake, a young mother named Susanna, along with her 4-year-old daughter, had arrived at her sister in-law”s apartment. The whole building collapsed, and Susanna and her daughter were trapped under tons of concrete and debris. Help was tortuously slow in coming. The two were trapped for eight days. Susanna”s heart was pierced by her child”s pitiful cries for something to drink. In the midst of the nightmare, she remembered seeing a program on television about

February 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Alone in a Crowd

By Tom Claibourne   The Lord”s Supper is quite paradoxical. It looks backward and forward. It calls us to look upward but also inward. It is utterly profound yet disarmingly simple. It celebrates life while focusing on death. The Communion emblems prompt feelings of assurance while also calling for an honest self-evaluation regarding our sin. They honor Jesus” death but also his resurrection. They help us celebrate the forgiveness of our sins while reminding us of our ongoing struggle with temptation. The Lord”s Supper stirs tears of repentance but also smiles of celebration. It calls forth horror at the intensity

June 14, 2013

Christian Standard

My Favorite Meal

By Tom Ellsworth I would be hard-pressed to list my favorite meal. Some days I long for the time when I ate at my grandparents” table and enjoyed a dinner of speckled butter beans, corn bread, and homemade apple pie. Simple fare, to be sure, but few meals ever tasted better. On the other side of the menu spectrum, I have occasionally dined in upscale restaurants on scrumptious treats that my grandparents never tasted. Those, too, were memorable meals. To say the least, there is considerable contrast between the simple and exquisite meals I”ve enjoyed through the years. However, I

April 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 7, 2013: The Lord Appears (Luke 24:36-53)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone This month”s lessons continue to emphasize the Christ-ian”s undying hope. Today we review the resurrection and next week the beginning of the church on the Day of Pentecost. The remaining lessons in April look to the future with Paul”s encouragement for the Thessalonians. The appearance of Jesus reported in Luke 24:36-43 is the same one reported in John 20:19-23. The apostles are called “the eleven” (Luke 24:33), since Judas was then gone. In his Gospel, John

February 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for February 10, 2013: Raised with Christ (Colossians 2)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone If you had lived in first-century Colossae, you would have seen much similarity to today”s world. Competing pagan religions and philosophies battled for the souls of the residents. A Christian should stand out in such a society. For this reason Paul wrote them this letter of encouragement and guidance. Be Faithful! Colossians 2:6-7 Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him. Paul here combines two early confessions”””Jesus is the

April 29, 2011

Christian Standard

A Visible Reminder

By J. Michael Shannon “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “˜Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”” (Matthew 26:27, 28). Sometimes we need a visible reminder of those things we cannot see. A wedding ring can remind us of love and commitment. A flag can be the symbol of liberty and patriotism. A pin can be the symbol of fraternity or fellowship. Since we cannot see the past, we often use symbols to remind us of

September 20, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Sept. 26, 2010: God Promises an Awesome Thing (Exodus 34:1-10)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 26) is written by Cheryl Frey, a freelance proofreader and editor from Rochester, New York. God Promises an Awesome Thing (Exodus 34:1-10) By Cheryl Frey Talk about pushing your luck. When Jason Zacchi of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, decided to rob a Wendy”s drive-through window, he thought the bandana over his face would conceal his identity. But when the manager heard the commotion and came over, she immediately recognized him. The Wendy”s Jason had chosen to rob was the one where his mom worked. She called the police, and he was arrested. In the

October 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Words of Life and Death

  by Larry W. Timm When death occurs, a minister encounters a unique and sacred duty. The deceased is someone”s loved one and God”s valuable creation; there is sanctity in both. Death erases neither. When asked to speak at a funeral service, our attitude will influence our preparation and proclamation. If we see a funeral as an interruption in our ministry instead of an expression of it, we will be poor stewards of this important opportunity. However, if we approach each funeral as a unique and sacred part of our calling, we can offer leadership and service as caring shepherds.

August 23, 2009

Christian Standard

Baptizing Grace

by Bill Hallsted I was recently asked (again) why the Bible says, in Matthew 28:19, to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” but on the day the church began, Simon Peter said, “be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). The questioner asked, “If the wrong words are said, is the baptism valid?” Behind the question is failure to understand a vital, underlying tenet of Christianity, so important that God spent thousands of years teaching it. The lesson is this: Rules and regulations won”t help

September 2, 2007

Christian Standard

The Meaning of the Cross

By H. Lynn Gardner The death of Christ on a cross stands at the center of human history. James Stalker describes its significance: The spot to which we have come is the center of all things. Here two eternities meet. The streams of ancient history converge here, and here the river of modern history takes its rise. The eyes of the patriarchs and prophets strained forward to Calvary, and now the eyes of all generations and of all races look back to it. This is the end of all roads. The seeker after truth, who has explored the realms of

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