Articles for tag: Grace

November 30, 2020

David Faust

Why Begin with Begats? (Dec. 6 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 6, 2020: Fulfilled through Generations (Matthew 1:1-17) _ _ _ By David Faust Imagine you’re reading the Bible through for the first time. The Old Testament comes to a close, and you sense silent centuries passing by while God prepares to turn the page to a new day and a new covenant. Eager to read the groundbreaking good news, you turn to Matthew 1, only to find the New Testament begins with “begats”—branches on a Hebrew family tree. If you and I wrote the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have done

November 22, 2020

David Roadcup

Personal Obedience in the Life of an Elder

Among the many notable things about the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, are the massive foundational stones that were carefully crafted and precisely positioned. The foundation for the Great Pyramid had to be formidable to support the weight that was to come. Foundations are key to the success or failure of a structure. As elders and church staff, it is critical we understand that the foundation for our leadership is our personal, growing relationship with Jesus. Our personal spiritual development forms the foundation for our service. This foundation is made up of several key “stones.” Paul mentions many of them

November 22, 2020

Michael C. Mack

The Missing Piece

The concept of peace was like a refrain in my early years. Every Sunday morning in the Catholic church where I grew up, we exchanged a “sign of peace.” I was an admirer of Mother Teresa, who often wrote and spoke about peace. “Works of love are works of peace,” she said. We regularly sang a hymn in our church that begin with the words, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” It’s a beautiful song with admirable sentiments. I truly wanted to “take each moment and live each moment” as a peacemaker. Yet, theologically

November 16, 2020

Mark Scott

Lesson for Nov. 22, 2020: Be Devoted to Doing Good (Titus 3:1-11)

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 November 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “Good for You” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Nov. 22, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Understand that we are saved to do good for others, not merely for personal benefit. ________ By Mark Scott Thanksgiving is not just a national holiday observed this coming Thursday. It’s an acknowledgment of the

November 9, 2020

Michael C. Mack

Discovery Questions for November 15, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Nov. 15, 2020: Teach What Is Appropriate (Titus 2:1-15) “How Do We Treat Those Student Drivers?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What challenge did you face over the past week? 2. In what ways were you hospitable to someone last week? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Titus 2 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to summarize the passage in 60 seconds or less. 3. What would you add to what our

October 26, 2020

Stuart Powell

Not a Waiting Room

By Stuart Powell What do you do before you see a doctor? Most people simply sit and wait. Many idly leaf through old magazines or survey their surroundings to pass the time. Have you ever pictured the Christian life this way? I hope not, because the Christian life most definitely is not a waiting room. Paul explained the life of grace to Titus using these dynamic words: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting

October 5, 2020

Michael C. Mack

Discovery Questions for October 11, 2020

COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Oct. 11, 2020: The Cost (2 Timothy 1:8-12; 2:3-10; 4:14-15) “We’re All in Hospice” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What new challenge did you face last week? 2. In what way did you serve others this past week that utilized a spiritual gift from God? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read 2 Timothy 1:8-12 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Repeat the process for 2 Timothy 2:3-10 and then for 2 Timothy 4:14-15. Ask the third

September 28, 2020

Stuart Powell

Full Hands

By Stuart Powell God intended to keep the wonders and miracles of the exodus alive in the hearts and stories of the Israelites. To help with that, he preserved the narratives and established new traditions where the stories could be retold and relived. As part of the Law, God established three weeklong holidays—the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. (The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated this week.) At each feast, a sacrifice was brought before God, to be dedicated to remember him. Listen to part of God’s description for what he intended in Israel’s celebration. “Celebrate the

September 22, 2020

Christian Standard

Rebuilding from the Rubble

What Will We Do If God Doesn’t Restore His Church to ‘Bigger Is Better’? By Kim Harris As I sat on the back deck on one of the cooler evenings in July, I compulsively picked up my phone for my routine post-dinner scroll through Twitter, my only connection to the world outside my COVID-19 bubble. I assumed my timeline would again be filled with petty debates about the efficacy of different mask fabrics, some sort of hashtag challenge designed to drown out the contentiousness in the world, or a friend from high school selling skin-care products. I expected to sigh

September 21, 2020

Stuart Powell

Save Us!

By Stuart Powell Each of the Gospels rushes through Jesus’ earthly ministry until they come to the cross. Then they slow down the narrative, bringing us the full impact of Jesus’ passion. Luke shared the details of a conversation Jesus had with the two criminals as they hung on their crosses on Good Friday. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting

September 7, 2020

Christian Standard

Expensive Messages

By Jon Wren Would you like to receive a birthday message from legendary quarterback Brett Favre? It’ll cost you $400. Want to send your spouse an anniversary message from country music superstar Granger Smith? That’ll cost you $74. Or, since it’s Grandparent’s Day, perhaps you’d like to send your grandparent or a grandchild an encouraging video from Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss. It’ll cost you $999. All of these celebrities and more can record and deliver a custom video message for you through a platform called Cameo. Cameo contracts with various singers, actors, athletes, and other famous people to provide, for

August 17, 2020

David Faust

Faith Follows (Aug. 23 Lesson Application)

By David Faust Judge Deborah gave General Barak a tall order. It would take considerable amounts of faith and courage for him to lead 10,000 soldiers and face a formidable enemy at Mount Tabor. But Deborah declared, “Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14). In today’s troubled times, Deborah’s question can help us climb our mountains and face our battles, too. “Hasn’t the Lord gone ahead of you?” Yes, he has. He is ahead of us in time, for he knows the future. He is ahead of us in wisdom, for his ways are higher than our

July 15, 2020

Gary Johnson and Jared Johnson

Legacy

Like father, like son. He’s a chip off the old block. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. These well-worn phrases still impart truth. Life is lived in and through generations. From beginning to end in the Scriptures, we read of generations of people. The genealogy of Jesus is listed in both Matthew and Luke. Today, there are five living generations: builders, boomers, gen X, millennials, and gen Z. Despite the untold volumes written and conferences held about the qualities and particularities of these generations, a far greater concern is each one’s legacy. Many people think of generational legacy

July 15, 2020

Shawn McMullen

How Will They Hear?

8 Suggestions for Finding and Equipping More Future Preachers How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14, New American Standard Bible). “How will they hear without a preacher?” The apostle Paul asked that about his own people, the Jewish nation. But in a general sense, it applies to all who have never heard or understood the good news of the gospel of Christ. We need preachers of the gospel today. Desperately. But do we

July 15, 2020

Megan Rawlings

Megan Rawlings

How to Become an Imperfect Mentor

By Megan Rawlings I was mentoring a new believer who was struggling to make good decisions and choices. As her mentor, I knew I had to personally address this issue with her. I thought the best approach to this uncomfortable conversation was to ask her to meet for lunch. When the day arrived, she sat across from me at the table, oblivious to the reason for my invitation. Our upcoming discussion had the potential to turn negative. But, through God’s grace and intervention, by the time lunch ended my mentee had a new outlook on Christlike living. Was it difficult?

July 6, 2020

Stuart Powell

Enslaved

By Stuart Powell One of the most widely known Bible stories is Israel’s exodus from Egypt. We tend to frame the exodus as the nation’s permanent liberation from enslavement. The books of Exodus and Leviticus describe Israel’s journey during their first year after leaving Egypt. In Leviticus 25, God explained his plans for the Year of Jubilee as a time when property ownership was restored to the original Jewish recipient’s family and slaves were set free. God explained his reasons for this: “For to me the people of Isra’el are slaves; they are my slaves whom I brought out of

June 22, 2020

David Faust

Application for June 28: Truth and Love—It’s Both/And, Not Either/Or

By David Faust In 1901 a songwriter in Chicago named Carrie Jacobs-Bond published her composition, “I Love You Truly.” The song sold over a million copies (one of the earliest songs composed by a woman to do so) and became a favorite at weddings. Three American presidents invited Jacobs-Bond to sing at the White House. Her song concludes sweetly, “Gone is the sorrow, gone doubt and fear, for you love me truly, truly dear.” Cole Porter’s “True Love,” released in 1956 and popularized by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, says, “You and I have a guardian angel on high, with

June 14, 2020

Alan Scott

Open for Business . . . No Laughing Matter?

By Alan Scott In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis in April, I met a good friend at a restaurant because we could. We needed to. But nobody else was there. I felt fear and dread still creeping through the streets as I trekked toward our favorite eatery. A masked host seated us at properly distanced chairs outside on a patio. Apparently, innumerable state restrictions allowed restaurants to open, but with all the fun taken out. It was weird. But sitting outside in the warm sun and laughing wasn’t weird. I thought of Paul’s great theological words, “Rejoice in the

June 8, 2020

Stuart Powell

Has-Beens

By Stuart Powell The term has-been is a demeaning way to describe the diminished status of once-popular personalities—athletes who can no longer compete, actresses who have not aged well, singers whose vocal ranges shrank with their fan base. A has-been’scurrent status is a dim shadow of what it once was. As Christians, maybe we should consider becoming a has-been as a liberation rather than a demotion. Compare the “glory days” of our life prior to knowing Christ with the abundant life of our present faith. Would we willingly adopt the term has-been to become more like Jesus? In 1 Corinthians

June 8, 2020

David Faust

Application for June 14: The Cross Examination

By David Faust The prosecuting attorney approached the bench with a confident stride. He had done his homework. Eager for the trial to begin, he came armed with a long list of grievances against the defendant. It was time for opening statements. The prosecutor paused for dramatic effect and then began. “This trial will be an unusual one because, Your Honor, the one on trial today . . . is you!” A murmur filled the crowded courtroom. The Judge himself was on trial? Who dared to bring charges against the court’s presiding officer? Questions for God The prosecutor began to

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