Articles for tag: Gift

July 26, 2012

Christian Standard

What Are They Saying about Baptism? (Samples from Church Websites We Visited)

By Daniel Overdorf An extended discussion that presents a solid biblical argument with a positive tone: “¢ Hazelwood Christian Church, Clayton, Indiana; See downloadable three-page document about the church”s view of baptism at www.hazelwoodchristian.org/hcc/about_us.   An exemplary medium-length discussion: “¢ Westerfield (Ohio) Christian Church; www.westerville-christian.org/about-us/what-we-believe.aspx In the New Testament church, once people believed in Jesus were willing to turn from sin (repentance) and publicly confess Christ as Lord, they were then baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 41; 22:16). In the original Greek language, baptize meant to dip, plunge,

May 31, 2012

Michael C. Mack

Eight Vital Characteristics of a Life-Changing Small Group Leader

By Michael C. Mack One of the fundamental differences between healthy and unhealthy small groups is the spiritual vitality of the leaders. Healthy leaders have a soft heart that God can use to accomplish his will. While imperfect, they are highly committed first to God, and then to the group. Healthy leaders have the following attributes:   Healthy small group leaders have been transformed. One of your main functions as a small group leader is to build an environment where spiritual transformation is experienced. This happens best when you have first experienced transformation yourself. What happened to Peter and the other

April 19, 2012

Christian Standard

The Unwanted Gift

By Eddie Lowen Am I a bad father? On Christmas morning, I felt like one. My son decided his gift to me would be more than the usual gift card. He settled on a name-brand protective case for my name-brand smart phone. He was pleased with his thoughtfulness and generosity. I was pleased with the selflessness and gratitude he displayed. There”s just one problem: I don”t want it. More precisely, I don”t want to use it. Why? First, it”s designed to clip to my belt. Social science has irrefutably shown that a belt-clipped phone case increases a person”s dork factor

February 24, 2012

Mark E. Moore

How Should the Church Relate to Those with Same-Sex Attraction?

By Mark Moore Individuals with same-sex attraction make up as much as 6 percent of the male population and 4.5 percent of females (though some studies estimate half that). Those are not insignificant numbers, especially when same-sex attraction involves you or someone you love. The church traditionally has not been particularly welcoming of such individuals, and a number of Scriptures have been cited to validate responses that are sometimes violent””verbally, emotionally, occasionally even physically. Because I am a follower of Jesus Christ, it is unconscionable for me to reject in the body of Christ some of the most spiritually sensitive

October 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Savoring the Conversations

By Jan Johnson People talk about having a “personal relationship” with Jesus. In fact, if you use the word religion, some will correct you and say that they have a “relationship, not religion.” And relationship is the right word because God is not an impersonal hovering mist or cosmic cloud, but a relational being who created us and desperately wants to be with us and interact with us. How does relationship work? The nature of a relationship””if it”s a good one””is typically conversational. Beings in relationship talk together, work alongside each other, and develop the “same mind” about things. That”s

July 28, 2011

Christian Standard

A Place at the Table

By Ethan Magness   Many of Jesus” stories and parables center on parties and feasts. A consistent theme in these stories is that many who attend are unworthy. We see this in the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24). Many on the initial guest list refused to come, and so many others were then invited. And those invited later were people one would never expect to be invited to a noble event. The great parable of the wayward son (Luke 15:11-32) ends with a surprising feast. The elder son in the parable gives voice to our confusion when he

May 25, 2011

Mark A. Taylor

birthday gifts and gratitude

Well Gifted

Mark A. Taylor reflects on birthday wishes, material abundance, global need, and the deeper gratitude that comes from knowing the Savior’s greatest gift.

February 15, 2011

Christian Standard

Pray Expectantly

By Sheila S. Hudson Dr. Karen Jones made her way to my ground-floor office. As she blinked back tears in her hazel eyes, she broke the news that funding from the State Department of Education hadn”t arrived. What she didn”t say was, without those funds, my job would go away. But both of us knew that was true. I was stunned. Neither of us could believe it. For seven years, Karen and I had worked hand in glove providing summer workshops for special education teachers. Now it seemed our partnership was coming to an end. Not only that, but at

April 4, 2010

George Ross

When God Prompts

When God Prompts

When God Prompts His People Ahead of Need After Northside Christian Church raised money for clean water in Haiti, the devastating January earthquake revealed how timely that effort had been. George Ross reflects on the prompting of God’s Spirit and the comfort of knowing God sees needs before they are spoken. Northside Christian Church’s One Less Gift effort raised more than $62,000 for clean water in Haiti. The church’s chosen mission was already connected to Haiti before the earthquake struck. Ross points to Scripture to show how God often prepares his people ahead of future needs. By George Ross As

August 26, 2009

Mark A. Taylor

church ministry ideas

Leading the Trends

Mark A. Taylor offers practical, Scripture-shaped church ministry ideas that could refresh congregational life, from prayer services and Communion reflection to generosity, fasting, family connection, and bearing one another’s burdens.

Be Seen, Be Heard - A Live Online Workshop to Increase Online Visibility for Local Churches
(Tap the Flyer Below for Details)

be seen be heard online visibility workshop for churches by christian standard

Learn how to make the Sermon Content you’re already producing draw people into your local church.

For preachers, church media and website teams, and anyone who’d like to learn how to increase the visibility of their local church online.

 


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