Articles for tag: Grace

The Conqueror

By Stuart Powell Julius Caesar led his Roman troops to victory at the battle of Zela in 47 BC in what is now northern Turkey. Details of the battle are relegated to history scholars and trivia buffs. Those accounts tell of a complete and rapid victory. A well-known Latin declaration of triumph is attributed to the conqueror: “Veni, vidi, vici.” In English that translates to, “I came; I saw; I conquered.” We can write these words off as the excessive boasting of an arrogant warlord who died centuries ago. But as believers, we can reapply this proclamation of victory to

June 1, 2020

Application for June 7: Down in the Dirt with Your Friends

By David Faust My barber is my best friend. You see, my wife cuts my hair. During our first year of marriage, I was on the receiving end of a particularly bad haircut—a near-scalping experience in a smoke-filled barbershop. Arriving home afterward, I asked Candy, “Could you cut my hair from now on?” She gazed at my freshly shorn cranium and replied, “I can do at least as well as the barber you just visited.” The rest is history. We’ve done the math. According to www.mistershaver.com (yes, that’s a real website), the average price of a standard men’s haircut in

May 27, 2020

Church & Ministry Youth & Children's Ministry

COVID-19 Causing Children’s Minister to ‘Rethink Everything’

By Chris Moon In her 20 years in children’s ministry at Fairview Christian Church in Carthage, Mo., Angie Fewin has never seen anything like COVID-19 and the effects it has had on the local church. “We’ve had to rethink everything,” she said. Just as senior pastors and church elders across the country have been working out how to reestablish in-person worship services as government stay-at-home orders are lifting, so children’s ministers are trying to figure out how to return their ministries to some semblance of normal—or at least to a new normal. And there’s no time to lose. Summer—the highlight

May 10, 2020

Application for May 17: The Natural Response to Being Loved

(This “Application“ column goes with the Bible lesson for May 17, 2020: “His Beloved Ones.”) By David Faust What would you say if someone asked, “Is it difficult to be a Christian?” Might your answer be both yes and no? On the one hand, Christ already did the hardest part. He accomplished what we could never do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and suffered for our transgressions on the cross. We sinners could never measure up to all the righteous standards of God, but his love overflows and his grace is sufficient in spite of our imperfections. “The

April 27, 2020

Application for May 3: Dare to Be Different

(This “Application“ column goes with the Bible lesson for May 3, 2020: “His Holy Nation.“) By David Faust Don’t libel me with labels. Don’t put me into a cultural box. I have rooted for the Cincinnati Reds most of my life, but my main identity isn’t “sports fan.” I’m a baby boomer, but generational labels don’t tell you everything about me or my builder, gen X, and millennial friends. I have experienced what Scripture calls the new birth, but I prefer not to be called “a born-again Christian” as if that’s something strange. In the first century there wasn’t any

April 19, 2020

Application for April 26: We Come from Different Places

(This “Application“ column goes with the Bible lesson for April 26, 2020: “His Chosen People.“) By David Faust My wife, Candy, volunteers with a ministry in our church called English Talk Time. Neighbors from Japan, Korea, Brazil, China, and other nations come to our church building each Wednesday morning to learn conversational English. It’s a practical way to assist our neighbors, but it leads to some humorous verbal exchanges. When your friends speak little English, how do you explain to them the difference between “aisle,” “isle,” and “I’ll”? Why can you read the same book today that you read yesterday,

February 25, 2020

Manifestations

By Stuart Powell God used visible signs throughout the Old Testament to confirm the message of his revelation; three examples included the rainbow, the tabernacle, and feasts. When people of faith encountered these visible signs, they would recall the stories behind them. They would retell the words God shared with earlier believers. All of these signs accompanied a promise God made to his people. So each sign became the physical manifestations of the promise God made. Two of the most prominent signs representative of Old Testament promises were the rite of circumcision, a reminder of God’s promises because of the

February 18, 2020

Once For All

By Stuart Powell Many people see wooden fences as a nice accent in a rustic setting. Ranchers may use them to contain their livestock. But there is a problem with wooden fences: they are temporary. Rot-resistant wood can be selected and treated with all sorts of chemical preservatives but, in the end, the rails will begin to break and the posts will start to lean. If the fence is not maintained, it is only a matter of time before it falls to the ground in uselessness and decay. It’s the same way with every work that mankind attempts. Our work

January 20, 2020

Lesson for Jan. 26, 2020: The Lord Delivers His People (Exodus 12:21-23, 29-42)

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. 1 (weeks 1-4; January 5-26, 2020) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Celebrate the Lord’s deliverance. ________ By Mark Scott It has been said that the Lord is rarely early, but never late. At just the right time he sent his Son (Galatians 4:4). And at just the right time God brought his people out of Egyptian slavery. The message of this

January 14, 2020

Communion & Lord's Supper Theology & Bible

A Table for All People

By Stuart Powell Have you ever wondered if Jesus would eat a meal at your house? Have you ever imagined yourself living in a first-century village in Galilee the day Jesus came to visit? Would you have been bold enough to ask a miracle-working prophet to join you at your table? I think if I had the courage to ask, Jesus would have accepted the invitation. Why do I think that? Because Jesus had a reputation among the pious in Judea. The Gospel writer offered a glimpse of how the Jewish leaders summarized Jesus’ social standards: “Now the tax collectors

January 8, 2020

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

WHAT MATTERS MOST: Getting Better at the Two Things Jesus Said Are Most Important

By Rick Rusaw I have lived in Boulder County, Colorado, for nearly 29 years and currently work from an office on Pearl Street in the city of Boulder. Some describe Boulder as 20 square miles surrounded by reality. At times, I would agree. I don’t know of any better location for ministry than a place that embraces spirituality but rejects Christianity. Boulder often is listed as the least religious place in America. That would be true, unless you consider naval gazing, pot smoking, hiking, biking, and running to be nonreligious activities. Boulder is also ranked as one of the healthiest

January 2, 2020

Family & Relationships Marriage

Care & Counseling

'Called to Counsel': How We Are Sharing God's Grace with the Hurting and Lost

“I was sick and you looked after me.“ _ _ _ By Heath Neal Everywhere you look, people are sick and hurting. At our church, we encounter people every week hurting from the sickness of sin. Some of their pain comes from the sin of others, but often it is the devastating result of their own sin. This shouldn’t surprise us. Scripture repeatedly tells us we all are sinners. (See Genesis 3; Romans 3:10, 23; Jeremiah 17:9; and John 3:17-21 as examples.) For years, our church’s response to the sick and hurting was to pray for them and hand them

January 2, 2020

Megan Rawlings

'Fire and Rain': The Power of a Praying Wife

By Megan Rawlings The lyrics of James Taylor’s song “Fire and Rain” (and this verse, in particular, “I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend . . .”) echoed in my mind as I thought about the past year. I’ve received an unbelievable number of calls from disheartened wives during the past 12 months. Many of these ladies live with men who struggle with porn, constantly threaten divorce, have affairs, and/or battle alcoholism. All of these women are Christians who are married to nonbelieving husbands; they all need reassurance they are not alone. I needed a success

December 24, 2019

Christian Living

The Birth that Changed the World

(We go back just a few years for this article, which appeared on p. 4 of the December 21, 2008, issue of Christian Standard. Previous to that, our sister magazine, The Lookout, shared it with their readers.) The Birth that Changed the World By Victor Knowles In Frank Capra’s acclaimed and heartwarming 1946 film, It’s a Wonderful Life, God sends an angel named Clarence to earth to show George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) what life would be like if he had never been born. The moral of the movie (this is when movies had morals!) is that each person’s

November 28, 2019

Christian Living

A Christian’s Thanksgiving

As a follow-up to last week, here is a second editorial about thanksgiving and the apostle Paul. _ _ _ A Christian’s Thanksgiving November 22, 1924An Editorial; p. 8(Most likely written by Willard Mohorter) We are never disappointed in Paul. From the beginning he understood that it was the good pleasure of God to reveal His Son in him. This was the goal of his ambition, and to its attainment he gave the whole of his talents. So Christlike was his character, and so exalted were his Christian accomplishments, that he was able to say: “Be ye followers of me,

November 2, 2019

Church & Ministry Youth & Children's Ministry

Growing Up with Standard Publishing

A brief history (and the continuing legacy) of this innovative and influential publisher’s true-to-the-Bible children’s ministry resources By Margie Redford “I grew up on Standard Publishing.” Thousands of adults today could make this claim—including me! My home church, First Christian Church in Columbiana, Ohio, was a strong advocate for teaching biblical truths and sound doctrine. The leaders turned to The Standard Publishing Company for both their children’s Sunday school and Vacation Bible School materials. Thanks to my mother’s careful saving of important documents, I still have numerous certificates of promotion printed by Standard Publishing. They form a spiritual timeline of

October 30, 2019

Michael C. Mack

News & Updates

CCU’s Closing: Choosing to Respond Wisely

By Michael C. Mack Like many others, I was saddened to see the news on Monday about Cincinnati Christian University giving up its accreditation and closing its doors at the end of the semester. I’m a CCU alum (MA, 1993), met my wife, Heidi, there, developed many lifelong friendships with fellow students and professors at the school, and taught a couple classes as an adjunct there. I can show you the specific spots on campus where incredible memories were made. On Monday evening, Heidi and I read the wide range of emotional reactions on social media. Many people are not

October 21, 2019

Mark Scott

Lesson for Oct. 27, 2019: Persevere with Hope (2 Peter 3:3-18)

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. 11 (weeks 41-44; October 13—November 3, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God. ________ By Mark Scott “We think we got it all,” said the doctor as he left the family in the surgical waiting room. Members of the relieved family say, “Well, you want to get something

October 15, 2019