October 11, 2021
As the writer moved his argument along about Jesus’ priesthood and New Covenant, Melchizedek became the perfect type of Christ in the Old Testament to connect some interpretative dots between Jesus and his non-Aaronic tribe.
February 18, 2019
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. 2 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Text: Genesis 21:8-20; 17:19, 20 Lesson Aim: Know that even when others abandon you, God will not. ______ By Mark Scott Headings matter. The New International Version titles this text, “Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away.” The English Standard Version titles this text, “God Protects Hagar and Ishmael.” The first heading emphasizes Abraham’s duty. The latter
September 25, 2017
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 September 24, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott God made covenants regarding creation (rainbow), about days (Sabbath), in bodies (circumcision), and within the spiritual parts of bodies (heart)””all last month”s lessons. But he also made covenants with individuals (Abram and David) and with groups of people (ancient Israel and post-exilic Israel)””this month”s lessons. The God of the Bible loves to work an
September 4, 2017
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 September 3, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Cutting a Covenant A covenant is “cut”””literally. In fact, the Greek word for circumcision actually means “cut around.” Choosing a rainbow as a sign (last week”s lesson) is one thing, but circumcision? It does seem like an odd sign for a covenant, but maybe it is more profound than first thought. There are several
October 17, 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 October 16 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott How long is forever? On this side of eternity, forever is difficult to define. Sometimes in the Bible forever just means a long time (Nehemiah 2:3; Psalm 13:1). Sometimes in the Bible forever means time unending (Psalm 29:10; 115:18). The Old Testament predicted several aspects of the Messiah. At the very least he was to be
June 21, 2015
By Sean Palmer Maxine was stunned when Jason and Kari Martin, along with their children, Aidan and Regan, stood outside her front door with expectant eyes. As far as Jason and Kari knew, they”d been invited to dinner at the home of our church”s matriarch. If there”s an unquestioned sage at The Vine Church, it”s Maxine. She and her late husband, Ron, served as medical missionaries in Africa, raised three children (one of whom is an elder at The Vine), and around our church, once Maxine says something, nothing else needs to be said. The reason the Martins were at
June 8, 2014
By Jon Weatherly Creation versus evolution, young earth versus old earth, design versus chance, God versus Darwin””few issues stir as much controversy for and among Christians as the question of origins. The recent debate between Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, and Bill Nye, PBS”s “the Science Guy,” is but the latest in a series of flashpoints going back at least to the celebrated Scopes “monkey” trial of 1925. In the aftermath of these events, Christians sometimes feel they”ve been surrounded by mortal enemies who must be fought at all costs. Too often what some Christians mount as a
November 30, 2013
By Ben Cachiaras Before the George Zimmerman trial verdict was announced, we all knew that regardless of the outcome, many people would be upset, angry, and hurt. When a Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in July, both sides considered it a travesty””either because the system let a presumed guilty man go free, or because a presumed innocent man had to suffer such degradation. The fallout has been significant, the reaction ranging from violent to despairing. The death of a 17-year-old African-American boy in a hoodie with a
September 30, 2013
By Sam E. Stone For the past four weeks we have noted highlights from the opening chapters of Genesis, considering the creation, the fall, the flood, and the Tower of Babel. Today our focus centers on Abraham as we see God”s plan for man”s redemption begin to unfold. His initial call from God came while he was still in Mesopotamia (Genesis 12:1-3; see Acts 7:2). After moving to Canaan he and his family then had a sojourn in Egypt, and later separated from Lot. In Genesis 15 Abram (as he was then known) asked God if his servant Eliezer would
September 2, 2013
By Sam E. Stone “First Things” is the theme that ties this quarter”s lessons together, using excerpts from both Genesis and Exodus. We will see not only the first days of creation, but also how God formed his people Israel as the first nation, and then how their first freedom came about. Moses wrote Genesis. Inspired by God, he recorded things that only the Creator could know. Because of this, Scripture gives the only definitive account of creation. Each day is described in Genesis 1. Today”s text provides more details about what happened on the sixth day, when the Lord
December 5, 2011
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for December 11) is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ________ The Lord Gives His Promise (Genesis 15) By Sam E. Stone Last week we learned how God called Abram to leave his homeland and journey to a new country God would give him. The initial call from God came while he was still in Mesopotamia (Genesis 12:1-3; see Acts 7:2). Scripture next describes his sojourn in Egypt and his experiences with Lot. In chapter 15 we find Abram approaching the Lord with something that was troubling him.
January 19, 2011
By Matt Proctor (This is the first of six articles Matt Proctor will write this year under the theme, “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth.) All human beings love a good story, so when God wanted to communicate the most important message in the universe to us, guess what he did? He told stories . . . and we”ve been captivated ever since. The Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is chock-full of narratives. The Old Testament is two-thirds of Scripture, and more than 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative. In Sunday school children are still taught much-loved
September 6, 2010
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 12) is written by Jeremy Lawson who serves as minister with Mount Pleasant Church of Christ in Williamstown, Kentucky. God Makes a Covenant with Israel (Exodus 20:1-11) By Jeremy Lawson What is the difference between a contract and a covenant? By definition, a contract is an agreement between two people that is based on ifs. For example, when building a house, the contractor agrees to pay the roofing company if it puts an acceptable and long-lasting roof on the house he is building. If the roofing company completes the task acceptably, then the contractor
January 25, 2009
 By Robert C. Kurka Read part one  In the previous article, we observed that a new wave of “post-conservative” theology has made its mark in both the academy and the church. In large part, this nonfoundationalist approach was given shape by the 2001 book Beyond Foundationalism, coauthored by Stanley Grenz and John Franke. This defining work contributed a number of helpful insights to those committed to making an impact upon the postmodern world, not the least being a necessary caution that a previous generation”s preoccupation with “proving the Christian faith” may actually betray an unintended concession to a non-Christian
June 25, 2008
By Mark A. Taylor What does it mean to write a Christian novel? To do Christian service? To add one”s name to a directory of Christian businesses? Must a work of art or some other endeavor be called Christian to be Christian? And does that mean what we don”t call Christian, isn”t? Lynn Gardner and the writers he quotes this week assert that everything the Christian does should be for the glory of God. (Read “Wholehearted Christians.”) They would surely agree with Rob Bell who told an audience in April he believes Christian “is a bit dodgy as an adjective.
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