April 26, 2021
Comfort Food
When Jesus and his followers gathered together in Jerusalem to share the Last Supper, they were tired, anxious, weary, and afraid. They definitely needed some “comfort food”!
Articles for tag: Grace
April 19, 2021
Apr 25 | Application
Ironically, we don’t find personal fulfillment by making personal fulfillment our primary goal.
April 12, 2021
Apr 18 | Discovery
In Matthew 22:15-22 and 23-33, what contrasts do you see between trickery and truth, between folly and wisdom?
April 5, 2021
Jesus, As He Really Is
When you see Jesus face-to-face, “as he really is,” what will be your declaration of worship?
April 1, 2021
The Angel’s Profound Invitation: ‘Come, See!’
The most profound invitation ever offered to the human mind is couched in the language of the angel who said to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, “Come, see!” (This is a 1961 article about the resurrection by Ard Hoven.)
March 8, 2021
The Gift of Grace
Have you ever taken God’s grace for granted? Have we forgotten that grace does not begin in us?
March 8, 2021
Mar 14 | Application
David Faust writes: Awe is a stepping-stone toward wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).
KCU Worship Professor Jamie Coates Passes Away (Plus News Briefs)
Dr. Jamie Coates, 52, assistant professor of worship at Kentucky Christian University and director of the KCU Worship Collective, died Feb. 20 at the Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland, Ky.
What Is Truth?
We’re all familiar with Pilate’s question of Jesus, “What is truth?” He was responding to Jesus’ statement, “For this purpose I have been born . . . to testify to the truth” (John 18:37-38). In context, I believe Pilate was mostly being sarcastic, though with a shred of genuine curiosity. Pilate was raised in a pagan society that worshiped Caesar as God during a time of many opposing philosophies. In that day, people did not recognize absolute truth. In other words, it was in many regards much like today, a day when the notion of truth has become controversial. A
March 1, 2021
Truth and Tone in an Age of Fake News
One of the disorienting realities of living in the United States today is not knowing where to go for truth. Think about it—who do you go to for truth? Politicians? The media? The church? Christian Twitter? Google? The irony is we have more access to content and commentary than ever, but who can we trust? Trust has completely eroded in our society. A 2018 research study conducted by the Pew Research Center cited these statistics: 75 percent of Americans say trust in the federal government is shrinking 64 percent say trust in other Americans is shrinking 61 percent say you
March 1, 2021
Truth + Love: The Balancing Act
My wife, Beth, and I had just met a young couple as we were leaving church. After visiting with these strangers for a few minutes, we invited them to go eat lunch with our family. We found ourselves laughing and devouring sandwiches and getting to know them. And that’s when it got awkward. After asking Matt what part of town he lived in, I innocently proceeded to ask the same question of Stacie. In between bites, in matter-of-fact fashion, she replied that they lived together. Two voices in my subconscious immediately began whispering to me. One unwavering, firm voice said,
God Does Not Change
Trying to understand God is like swimming underwater to the deepest part of the ocean and back to the surface with one deep breath. “It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity,” said Charles Spurgeon in The Immutability of God. “[It’s] so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it.” When talking about and studying God, I have found one of his characteristics more comforting than all of the others: God does not change. We call this attribute immutability. This means
February 22, 2021
Feb 28 | Application
By David Faust In August 1960 I had a close encounter with John F. Kennedy. It happened during a family vacation to Washington, D.C. I was 6 years old and JFK was a senator running for president of the United States. Our country was less security conscious then; there was easier access to government leaders. I was standing with my parents and my brothers on the steps outside the Capitol when JFK walked out. I still have a photo that shows one of my older brothers and my dad listening while Senator Kennedy chatted casually with the group standing there.
February 9, 2021
Integrity On Purpose
By Ron Clark, executive director of Kairos Church Planting — Reading and signing an Ethical Conduct Agreement or Covenant before a church not only serves as an encouragement to our congregations, community, and those who have been hurt by church leaders, but it also provides a level of accountability for ministers.
February 1, 2021
Who Will Break Down the Walls?
After all the upheaval of 2020, the world needs some reconciliation. Truth is, it always has. Struggling and estranged marriages . . . damaged friendships and divided families . . . polarized political parties . . . racial strife . . . churches from the same movement disembodied over methodological preferences. Who can possibly break down the walls of hostility that divide us? “[God] reconciled us to himself throughChrist.” That answers the question, but there’s more! “. . . and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). As crazy as it might sound, we, as reconciled sinners,
February 1, 2021
In Love and Truth
If everyone is created equal in the eyes of God, why doesn’t it feel that way? The truth is, we do not look at our brothers and sisters the way God intended. We are corrupted by sin and too often care about the opinions of others more than God. We lean toward what’s popular instead of what’s right. Sadly, many Christians have stood on the wrong side of history. I found this to be true of one of the Restoration Movement’s founding fathers while reading The Stone-Campbell Movement by Leroy Garrett A couple of decades after the Restoration Movement took
January 14, 2021
The Origins of IDES
Rick Jett, who just transitioned to the role of executive director emeritus of IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service), wrote about the origins of the organization in a Christian Standard article from exactly 30 years ago. Jett has a 35-year association with IDES. He served on the organization’s board of trustees for 16 years leading up to his hiring as executive director in 2002. David Stine took over for Jett as executive director Jan. 1. (Click here to read that story.) Jett’s 1991 article is about how and why Milton B. Bates started IDES. Bates was Jett’s father-in-law. (Jett married Milton
December 17, 2020
His Biography Is Not Complete
Edwin V. Hayden wrote this Christmas editorial 50 years ago. _ _ _ God Sent His Son An editorialDec. 20, 1970; p. 10 How remarkable is the biography of God’s Son! . . . God’s messengers of old spoke of a maiden conceiving, of a son being born, and of Bethlehem as the place from which a timeless ruler would come. The heart of a man named Joseph provided Matthew with the key to the mystery. . . . The explanation in Matthew 1 combines Joseph’s experience with Isaiah’s prophecy. In chapter 2, it brings Micah’s prophecy to bear on
December 7, 2020
Week 3: The Shepherds
By Stuart Powell Note: This is week three of a four-week series of Communion meditations in which we consider essential features to the story of the birth of God’s Son. This week we focus on the shepherds. Luke recorded surprisingly few details of what occurred in the stable on the day of Jesus’ birth. We might boil them down to these: Jesus was born, a feed trough was used as a cradle, and some excited shepherds arrived. There are many reasons why we wouldn’t put either of the latter two incidents in a story about God’s Son. We could use
November 30, 2020
Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17)
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 December 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “Why Begin with Begats?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Dec. 6, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Let Jesus bring you into his family. ________ By Mark Scott The New Testament begins with a genealogy. Is that an odd place or perfect place to start? The tax collector from Capernaum (Matthew,
