Articles for tag: Forgiveness

June 2, 2017

Christian Standard

The Heart of Reunion

By Rick Chromey Everybody loves a reunion. And there”s no better place to observe a good reunion than outside airport security, as various groups congregate and wait for loved ones to arrive. During the wait, some families huddle quietly while others chatter loudly. A woman inspects makeup and hair. Several check the flight board. A mom and two kids look for their soldier dad, while grandparents anxiously wait on grandchildren. A nervous boyfriend clutches chocolates and fingers a ring, while cheerleaders prepare to welcome a victorious team. Others wait, as well, but with noticeably less enthusiasm. These individuals seem apathetic,

May 28, 2017

Christian Standard

Called to Forgive

By Eddie Lowen If vengeance comes easier than forgiveness, I understand. But for every Christian, and most certainly for church leaders, there is a better way. Have you seen the movie The Revenant? In the gruesome film, Leonardo DiCaprio”s character, a fur trader named Hugh Glass, is attacked by a grizzly, assaulted by his companions, and left for dead. He somehow recovers, tracks down those who abandoned him, and takes violent revenge. But the real-life events that inspired the film may have played out differently. Glass was, in fact, mauled by a bear and left for dead. Historians believe he

May 22, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 28, 2017: Pervasive Love (Jonah 4)

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 May 21, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s love is pervasive (expanding, spreading, and permeating). Jonah”s love was narrow, miserly, and shrunken. The angry prophet desperately needed to get on the same page with the Lord when it came to his wide embrace of all people. That is the story of Jonah 4. Last week”s lesson dealt with forgiveness. Jonah could announce

April 3, 2017

Christian Standard

Holy Boldness

By Jerran Jackson and Lareesa Jackson “Eighty and six years I have served Him, and never has He done me wrong. How can I ever blaspheme my King who saved me?”1 Around AD 150, Polycarp of Smyrna gave this bold testimony of his faith before he was executed. The official who judged Polycarp”s case tried to convince the old man to swear by Caesar to avoid being burned at the stake. Polycarp could simply have said the words. He could have escaped persecution and a gruesome death. However, Polycarp would not. The reason was faithfulness””Christ had been faithful to Polycarp,

February 23, 2017

Christian Standard

Finding JOY in the Journey

By Rick Chromey How God helped me turn temptation, trouble, and trial into blessing and beauty. Life is a carnival of temptations and troubles. We all walk wounded with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. We”re stuck in moments we can”t escape, desperately addicted to vices and voices we can no longer ignore, resist, or deny. I suffered with my pain for many decades. Life for most of us is tattooed by loss, tragedy, abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Maybe you”ve endured an affair or addiction. Maybe you suffered salacious ridicule, unjust criticism, and unfounded rumors. Perhaps you”ve been unexpectantly fired, forcibly retired, or unfairly

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

The Shedding of Blood

By Ronald G. Davis The Passover of the Hebrew people was inextricably tied to the shedding of blood. How many thousands of Egypt”s firstborn sons had to die to free the Hebrews from their bondage? And how many young and innocent lambs and goats became a hurried meal of roasted flesh? How many gallons of their blood became the blessed stripes on doorjambs and door frames? Exodus 11 and 12 describe the wonderfully awful and bloody events of that solemn and deadly night of redemption. The Passover when Jesus gathered his devoted””and not-so-devoted””12 friends and disciples in the upper room

January 10, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Glimpses of Glory

By Mark A. Taylor Like one writer this month (Rick Chromey in “Why I Love the Church”), many readers have lived in the embrace of the church since birth. They know what the church is, because they see what the church is accomplishing. They can”t imagine what life would be like without the nurture, community, and accountability uniquely provided by God”s people. They”ve seen the parade of meals carried to the ill and the shut-in. They”ve experienced hours and days of quiet companionship from Jesus followers who walked with them through sickness, disappointment, or the death of someone close. They”ve

January 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for January 15, 2017: Praise God the Provider (Psalm 65)

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 January 8, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” Our Jewish friends call this the Traditional Ha-Motzi Blessing, which is recited before eating bread on the Sabbath. Psalm 65 may be something like a predecessor to that prayer. It praises God for his provision. The superscription

December 15, 2016

Christian Standard

Many Gifts, Much Service: A Profile of Eleanor Daniel

By Bruce Parmenter I call Eleanor Daniel “The Queen of the Deans” because, to my knowledge, she is the only woman, aside from Dr. Dinelle Frankland and Karen Diefendorf, to serve as academic dean in seminaries of the more “traditional” side of the Stone-Campbell fellowship. Daniel has been dean at not one, but three seminaries. She is also a missionary, and a missionary to missionaries, a scholar par excellence (summa cum laude graduate of Lincoln Christian College, master”s degree and PhD from the University of Illinois), and an extraordinary teacher and preacher. Tucked in among the plethora of her gifts,

December 9, 2016

Christian Standard

If Only

By Daniel Schantz “So Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62, New King James Version). It”s a crisp December Monday, as you ramp onto the freeway. There is a slight mist on the windshield, but it is nothing to worry about. You are feeling good. You had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. The radio is playing your favorite oldies. You are driving a brand new car, the one you have been thinking about for five years. It has everything you ever wanted in a car. As you come around the first bend, the mist on the windshield turns white,

October 27, 2016

Michael C. Mack

The Pastor”™s Wife: 7 Discoveries She Wishes She Had Understood Sooner

By Michael C. Mack Christine Hoover has been a pastor”™s wife for 14 years and is author of The Church Planting Wife. She says when she and her husband, Kyle, started in ministry, she felt unprepared and afraid. After all, she says, “There is no training ground for ministry life for the pastor”™s wife, there is just the doing it.” If she could go back in time to the beginning of their ministry life together, she says on her blog at www.gracecoversme.com, she”™d tell that young girl these seven things: 1.  Humbly yet boldly accept the opportunity to influence others

October 14, 2016

Christian Standard

5 Culture Wars Jesus Wouldn”t Fight

By Danielle Hance The Bible says our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual strongholds of evil (Ephesians 6:12). However, more and more, it seems like Christians are known for their attacks on those who don”t follow a “Christian” lifestyle. As Christians, we should definitely be in the world and not of it, but that does not give us the right to tell anyone what to do, since we are all sinners in need of God”s forgiveness. Considering that God himself, who has every right to judge, did not send Jesus to condemn the world but

September 23, 2016

Christian Standard

“˜When They Had Sung a Hymn”

By C. Robert Wetzel We often look to the Gospel of Matthew for an account of the institution of the Lord”s Supper. It is here that we read, While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”Â Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave 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 26:26-28).

September 7, 2016

Christian Standard

Love and Reconciliation

By Jim Tune On Sunday, September 15, 1963, four members of the Ku Klux Klan planted and then detonated at least 15 sticks of dynamite beneath the front steps of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama. The firebombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church killed four girls, prompting Martin Luther King Jr. to make one of the most radical statements imaginable: “At times life is hard, as hard as crucible steel. In spite of the darkness of this hour, we must not lose faith in our white brothers.” To insist on faith in the humanity of an enemy and to

July 28, 2016

Christian Standard

Living the Parable

By Tom Ellsworth Jesus” parable of the vineyard laborers who all received the same wage (despite the fact that some started at the 11th hour) has created more questions than answers for me. It just didn”t seem . . . fair. When I talked with Kenny Ooley regarding his relationship with the Lord, he shared his struggle. He didn”t struggle with his faith; he struggled with his past. How could a perfect God love and forgive him for a lifetime of lousy choices? Could God be that generous? Could forgiveness extend that far? After all, he had wasted a lifetime

July 22, 2016

Christian Standard

Don”t Look Away

By Nancy Karpenske You probably know someone who can”t stand the sight of blood””the man who considered becoming an emergency medical technician but couldn”t deal with the blood, the mom who nearly passes out while washing off her child”s bloody knee, the friend who avoids any movie with gory scenes. Blood can make us extremely uncomfortable. But the death of Jesus, horrifically bloody, is the centerpiece of our salvation. We can”t afford to close our eyes or look the other way. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed

July 15, 2016

Christian Standard

Bring It to the Table

By Nancy Karpenske “Bring it to the table.” You might hear the phrase in any one of several settings. A project manager where you work might say, “Bring it to the table.” He means you have an idea or a concern that should be examined and discussed. Until a problem is “brought to the table,” it can”t be solved. The Lord”s table is a safe place. You can bring your messiness and brokenness. You can bring your problems and worries. One of the most comforting descriptions of Jesus (although originally offered as a criticism) was, “He eats with sinners.” Sometimes

May 31, 2016

Michael C. Mack

June Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack Father”™s Day is Sunday, June 19: Leverage this special day to resource dads for their ministries to their families. Or announce the start of a new ministry with dads in mind. One such ministry resource is Manhood Journey (see article in this section). Summer Solstice is Monday, June 20: This is the first day of summer. (Interesting fact: on this day the sun does not set at the North Pole.) Plan outdoor serving activities in your community to celebrate the beginning of summer and take full advantage of the longest day of the year. Forgiveness Day is Sunday,

April 29, 2016

Christian Standard

Guilt and Forgiveness

By Mark Krause Guilt. Oh, how we manipulate our lives to avoid, deny, or relieve any sense of guilt! No one likes to feel guilty, but once we get the feeling, it has staying power. We need to do something to alleviate the burden of guiltiness. Some people try to remove guilt by consulting a friend or therapist who tells them they”ve really done nothing wrong. But true guilt cannot be dismissed so easily, so the feeling lingers. Some seek a dialogue of forgiveness with the offended party. But this may be denied or impossible to us, so the guilt

February 15, 2016

Christian Standard

Lesson for February 21, 2016: Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:11″“19)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the February 14 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  “The forgiveness of God, in my opinion, is the most powerful and therapeutic idea in the world,” said Leslie Weatherhead. A Christian counselor from Colorado said, “The lack of forgiveness is at the root of most all interpersonal conflicts.” We should not be surprised that forgiveness

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