Articles for tag: Gospel

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 21, 2016

Christian Standard

14 Observations about Church Today

By Jim Tune As a pastor and leader, I”ve noticed some changes in the spiritual climate of North America. Here are some of my observations about the current situation. 1. There”s very little nominalism anymore. This is a good thing. Cultural Christianity is dying. If someone attends church, it”s usually because he or she is investigating Christianity or committed to it. 2. Attending church isn”t on people”s minds. We used to talk about building churches with programs that would attract unbelievers. No matter how good your music, sermons, parking, or programs, most people won”t even think of coming. 3. People

September 9, 2016

Christian Standard

What”s to Love About ‘Fixer Upper’

By Lauren Hansen If you”re like me, you could watch Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV”s home renovation hit Fixer Upper, do just about anything. I”d be entertained watching them watch paint dry. They”re good at their work and enjoy doing it. And, perhaps even more appealing, they honor each other and laugh a lot while working together. They include their kids in projects. They”re champions for their hometown of Waco, Texas. They must”ve boosted business for every carpenter, graphic designer, and antique mall within a 40-mile radius. They”re fun, entertaining, admirable people who seem to have a pretty

July 29, 2016

Christian Standard

Better Than a Lesbian Lifestyle

By Roger Worsham Michelle was raised in an abusive home by an extremely narcissistic mom. When she was 9 her mom married for the fifth time. This stepfather was abusive, like some of the others, and molested Michelle from age 9 to 13. When she told her mother about the molestation, her mother refused to believe her. She told Michelle, “You are too ugly for him to be interested in having sex with you.” Later Michelle”s mom remarried again. This marriage didn”t last. Michelle”s mom stole a check from her estranged sixth husband, and he sent another woman to collect

July 22, 2016

Christian Standard

Jesus Found Me!

By Ruth T. Reyes She was a child prodigy leaving her homeland to follow a dream of being a concert pianist. She had lived a charmed life, performing on television and concert halls for government dignitaries and a first lady. Now she was armed with a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School. It was a kind of fairy-tale story, one thousands of aspiring musicians would wish for””and it actually happened to me. On my way to America, my thoughts turned to Little Jimmy Taylor”s gospel chorus “Dear Jesus Abide with Me,” which my mom would sing with me when I

July 16, 2016

Christian Standard

After Seven Years of Friendship

By Jeff Vines On the surface, it seemed as though Bill McCarthy had it all: a beautiful and talented wife, two exceptional daughters, and a prominent career in broadcasting. His career spanned more than 50 years, taking him from sports anchor to newsreader to a renowned producer and director. He anchored coverage of the 1974 British Commonwealth Games and produced broadcasts for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Yet, despite all of his achievements, Bill could not fill the unexplainable void in his life, and like most Kiwis (as the people of New Zealand are called), he never even considered God

July 11, 2016

Christian Standard

Bad News or Good News?

By T.R. Robertson The narrative of bad news dominates our culture, a culture that increasingly sees religion as a major purveyor of bad news. “We”re living in a day and age that the news media is a drug-pusher. And negative news is their drug,” says Dr. Peter H. Diamandis. “And on every device that we get””our cell phones, our smart phones, our laptops, our newspapers, our radios””we are fed negative news 24 hours a day, seven days a week, over and over and over again.” Diamandis, speaking in 2013 at a conference called “Global Future 2045: Towards a New Strategy for

July 10, 2016

Christian Standard

The Gospel: God”s Better Story

By Rubel Shelly The Bible is a six-act drama reflecting the light of our Creator. Ivan Illich (1926″“2002) was an Austrian philosopher and former Catholic priest. As he became increasingly critical of modern education, consumerism, health care, and Western social values in general, he pondered the larger question of how to change society. When asked whether violent revolution or gradual reform was the better way to effect change, he replied: Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society, rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive

June 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Small Church, Big Vision

By Matthew McGue After planting a multiethnic, community-impacting church in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2004, God clearly called my wife and me to plant another intentional multiethnic church in Jackson, Mississippi. We launched One Church on March 23, 2014. Planting an intentional, multiethnic, gospel-centered, community-impacting church in a very traditional, Deep South city with historic segregation might seem crazy. It can be even more challenging as a Northerner, affectionately referred to as a “Damn Yankee,” with no local relationship connections. As a church planter, you had better be sure the Lord is calling you to a specific place, especially when

June 16, 2016

Christian Standard

Movie Nights

By Glen Elliott The church has struggled to find ways not to settle with the comfort of sameness. Significant portions of the New Testament letters deal with racial division (see Ephesians 2 and James 2 as examples) and the unity that is to be a hallmark of God”s people. That”s why Paul reminds us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Paul says those who have been baptized and put on Christ are one in Christ regardless of ethnicity, economic status,

April 27, 2016

Christian Standard

Escape Eschatology

By Jim Tune Dispensationalists, especially modern dispensationalists, promote an eschatology that amounts to little more than “escapeatology.” Popular treatments of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13; Mathew 24; Luke 21) and the book of Revelation present an eschatology that induces a mind-set of escapism. And many Christians are eating it up. Consider the popularity of the Left Behind series of books and movies with their view of eschatology as merely a means of future escape from this world, with a corresponding flight from any present responsibility to this world. Escapeatology views Revelation”s portrayal of the new heaven and earth as a reality in the distant

April 14, 2016

Christian Standard

WHAT’S NEXT?: Teach and Reach

We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” Their answers are as diverse as they are challenging. ____ By James Book There is no question our facilities and the way we communicate with our church family and community will change over the next few years. We have come to expect constant change in this age of technology. The church need not back away from using every form of media outlet to convey the truth. Generations coming up are constantly using their cellular devices. People stare at computer screens

February 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Safety

By Jim Tune A word has been on my mind lately. I”ve been thinking about what it means for me personally, and as a preacher. The word: safety. I encountered the word in an excellent book, Crucial Conversations. “In order to speak honestly when honesty could easily offend others, we have to find a way to maintain safety,” the book says. “When it”s safe, you can say anything.” We often focus on the content of our conversations, but content isn”t usually what makes or breaks relationships. Safety is. Feeling safe allows us to talk about difficult things and to speak

February 17, 2016

Christian Standard

The Limits of Relevance

By Jim Tune Relevance is a good thing. Relevance is about trying to communicate the gospel in an understandable way to a particular culture. It”s absolutely essential if we are going to reach people who don”t know Jesus. But relevance has its limits. In his new book Disappearing Church, Mark Sayers describes three cultures. The first is pre-Christian. The second is a culture that”s shaped by Judeo-Christian values. The third is post-Christian. To communicate the gospel to the first culture (pre-Christian), we need to find relevant ways to speak the gospel. The same also applies when we speak into the

January 20, 2016

Christian Standard

Too Many Lawyers

By Jim Tune I found a terrific definition of legalism on Wikipedia. “Legalism . . . in Christian theology,” it says, “is the act of putting law above gospel by establishing requirements for salvation beyond repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and reducing the broad, inclusive and general precepts of the Bible to narrow and rigid moral codes.” The article states that legalism usually involves “superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of law at the expense of the spirit.” I know all about legalism. I am a recovering legalist. I

December 29, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Four Days Later””Still Time to Ponder

By Mark A. Taylor Today, just four days after Christmas, some of us are ready for the celebration to be over. We”re tired of travel (or worn out by our houseguests), we”ve exchanged or returned gifts that weren”t right, and we”re looking forward to a little rest or maybe even getting back to work. And even if we loved every minute of our family Christmas, we may still pause to wonder whether the impact of the incarnation penetrated our celebration. And so, today, here”s a word of inspiration. The following is adapted from a column first posted here two years

July 24, 2015

Christian Standard

Jordan Rice’s Thought Leaders

We asked 35 Christian leaders, “Who is the influencer with the biggest impact on your life and ministry?” Most of these leaders listed several influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is from Jordan Rice, lead pastor, Renaissance Church, New York, New York. ________ Timothy Keller“s “God Loves Cities” changed my life. In this talk, he offered a compelling, clear picture of the unique opportunity churches have to affect more people than ever by patiently and consistently engaging cities. Instead of demonizing the city for all of its ills, he offered a picture from

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