Articles for tag: Grace

February 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Unconditional Compassion

From Inverted, by Tom Ellsworth We love the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It”s filled with a sense of adventure and intrigue, unexpected responses, good guys versus bad guys, and a happy ending. There”s another reason we love this story. It isn”t personal””we don”t have issues with Samaritans. Most of us have never even met a Samaritan. Jesus” audience, however, certainly had! This story wasn”t called the Parable of the Good Samaritan when Jesus first told it””in the minds of his Jewish audience there was no such thing. Those in attendance at the parable”s premier weren”t oohing and aahing with

February 20, 2011

Christian Standard

Keeping Christ at the Center of Our Sermons

By Matt Proctor “This is a great sermon,” said my friend as he handed me the CD. “You”ll enjoy it.” My friend knows me well: I”m a sermon junkie. I love to listen to great preaching. I immediately recognized the preacher”s name on the CD, a well-known minister within our movement who leads a strong, evangelistic church. On my next car ride, I popped in the CD””a message from the Song of Songs. The sermon was clearly tied to the text and packed with great illustrations, appropriate humor, and practical advice for a marriage relationship. When the CD was over

February 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Unleashed: A Preview of the 2011 North American Christian Convention

By Dudley Rutherford Can you imagine what it would have been like to witness the incredible day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit of God was unleashed upon the first-century church? With the sound of rushing winds and the appearance of tongues of fire, the church was supernaturally anointed and given great power, passion, and boldness. In that moment, the church was unleashed upon the world . . . and it turned the world upside down. I believe we Christians read about the New Testament church in the book of Acts with a sense of awe and excitement. I believe

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

February 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Breathing Space in the Spiritual Journey

By Jan Johnson I felt the pressure building as I griped at my son for breaking his lunch box. A few days before, my husband, Greg, had been laid off for the third time, and every time something broke or wore out I felt my tightly bound panic cut loose. I needed to quiet myself before I heaped more shaming, unfeeling words on my family. I felt drawn toward my bedroom, so I finished preparing lunch and slipped on to my bed””not to sleep, but to pull out an untidy spiral notebook and spread my grief before God. God, I”m

February 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Don”t Make Me Lay Hands on You!

By Tim Harlow “If you do this again, I will lay hands on you” (Nehemiah 13:21). Nehemiah wasn”t offering a healing service. This was not a potential ordination. Instead, read Nehemiah”s words this way, “If you do it again, I”ll be on you like a spider monkey!” Nehemiah was mad, and we know he meant it because later in the same chapter he “called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair” (Nehemiah 13:25). As I wrestle with the legitimacy of Nehemiah”s “hands-on” leadership, I notice one thing that looks familiar. “I was

January 3, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for Jan. 9, 2011: Salvation for God”s People (Isaiah 45:14-25)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for January 9) is written by Ron Martin who serves as pastor at Bayfield (Colorado) Christian Church. Salvation for God’s People (Isaiah 45:14-25) By Ron Martin One of the most beneficial pursuits for a Christian is the study of God”s attributes. But when God gives testimony to himself in Isaiah 44 and 45, we are wise to put down our theology books and to listen carefully. In these chapters, God testifies to his existence and power in comparison to the empty wooden idols invented by man. In so doing, the Lord

December 31, 2010

Christian Standard

Better Than a Party

By Rick Chromey Every New Year”s Eve our culture gathers together to toast and celebrate another year”s passing. New opportunities. New friendships. New dreams. Of course, for some, too much imbibing, indiscretion, and insolence sully the festive occasion. Nevertheless, many choose to drown their sorrows in drink or ease their anxiety through gluttony. After all, humans desperately seek to numb our pain and bury the past. Alcohol, food, sex, and entertainment are simply cultural solutions to crisis and conflict. Like Band-Aids on a gaping wound, many try to mask, manipulate, or minimize the bleeding but ultimately fail miserably to find

December 17, 2010

Christian Standard

The Tyranny of the Paradigm (Part 3)

Read “The Tyranny of the Paradigm (Part 1) Read “The Tyranny of the Paradigm (Part 2)” ________ By Jack W. Cottrell My thesis is that the understanding of the doctrine of salvation in most Protestant groups is captive to the Zwinglian version of the sola fidei paradigm. In the previous article (last week) I showed how this is the case in the way faith is treated as the sole condition for justification, and not just its sole means. It is also seen in the way repentance either is excluded as a condition altogether, or is diminished by being made simply

December 3, 2010

Christian Standard

Built for Speed

By Brent Foulke Charles Hill runs at about 6,000 rpm all the time! To some degree, that”s normal for church planters””big dreams, tough challenges, long to-do lists, and expansive hearts. But when Charles and his wife, Tiffany, moved their family to plant a church in South Jordan, Utah, they entered a particularly challenging race. South Jordan is one of only two places in the world with two Mormon temples and almost no churches that follow Christ alone by the authority of the Bible alone. But the Hills intend to win this race by introducing Jesus as “the way and the truth

November 17, 2010

Christian Standard

The World at Our Doorstep

By Greg Swinney I sat expectantly in the worship service as the song leader read loud and clear, “May the nations be glad and sing for joy” (Psalm 67:4). My friend seated next to me must have noticed the puzzled look on my face. “How can the nations be glad, Rich?” I asked. “How can they be glad if we don”t tell them?” I felt deep regret over my negligence in reaching out to those of other nations. They are searching for truth and grace, but I”ve been preoccupied and distracted. I have good excuses. At least I thought I

November 10, 2010

Christian Standard

Stop Bashing the Bride!

Mike Baker It is very popular these days to write books, make statements, post blogs, and write articles that scold, criticize, and ridicule the church (especially the 21st-century American version). Is anyone but me getting just a little defensive? Honestly, these revelations don”t inspire me, they make me want to scream, “Hey, wait a minute, you”re talking about my church!” We are talking about Christ”s bride here. Shouldn”t we be a little more careful about how we flippantly describe Jesus” wife as irrelevant, corrupt, hypocritical, and ineffective? Indulge me just a little as I defend the church I have come

October 27, 2010

Christian Standard

Read a Book!

By Matt Proctor I love books. As a kid, I read everything””westerns, science fiction, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Most kids think Disneyland is “the happiest place on earth,” but for me it was the public library. I was such a bookworm that, when I got in trouble at home, my parents would ground me . . . from reading! It wasn”t until I enrolled at Ozark Christian College that I discovered reading books could actually be a spiritual discipline. Growing up, books were entertainment””a way to feed my imagination, but I had never considered that the right books

September 20, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Sept. 26, 2010: God Promises an Awesome Thing (Exodus 34:1-10)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 26) is written by Cheryl Frey, a freelance proofreader and editor from Rochester, New York. God Promises an Awesome Thing (Exodus 34:1-10) By Cheryl Frey Talk about pushing your luck. When Jason Zacchi of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, decided to rob a Wendy”s drive-through window, he thought the bandana over his face would conceal his identity. But when the manager heard the commotion and came over, she immediately recognized him. The Wendy”s Jason had chosen to rob was the one where his mom worked. She called the police, and he was arrested. In the

September 6, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Sept. 12, 2010: God Makes a Covenant with Israel (Exodus 20:1-11)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 12) is written by Jeremy Lawson who serves as minister with Mount Pleasant Church of Christ in Williamstown, Kentucky. God Makes a Covenant with Israel (Exodus 20:1-11) By Jeremy Lawson What is the difference between a contract and a covenant? By definition, a contract is an agreement between two people that is based on ifs. For example, when building a house, the contractor agrees to pay the roofing company if it puts an acceptable and long-lasting roof on the house he is building. If the roofing company completes the task acceptably, then the contractor

September 1, 2010

Christian Standard

An Incarnational Approach to Mission?

By Ash Barker Some of the most exciting and innovative Christian workers today describe their approach to mission as incarnational. But the term has been used in such diverse and contradictory ways that it is in danger of becoming clichéd, losing any real meaning. This means some will dismiss the incarnational idea before they even consider its important call to sustained faithfulness and relevance in mission. The Same as . . . ? Some people think that because Anji and I moved our family into Klong Toey slum in Bangkok, Thailand, that we are therefore incarnational“”believing we have somehow become

August 18, 2010

Christian Standard

A Vision to Feed Families

By Ron Martin Across the country, people in local churches are struggling to stay ahead of the economic downturn and slow recovery. In particular, having enough food for families is a growing concern. One church in southwest Colorado has decided to do something about it. Southwest Colorado is one of God”s most beautiful gifts in terms of scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. It is home to Mesa Verde National Park, and the area boasts a rich history in the settlement of the West. The town of Bayfield, Colorado, rests just east of Durango, a wonderful resort town with attractions like

August 8, 2010

Christian Standard

Safe, to Lost, to Saved? (A Response)

This article is a response to John Mark Hicks’s “Safe, to Lost, to Saved?” __________ By Jeff Faull John Mark Hicks”s thought-provoking article in this week”s “Reflections” column leads me to sympathize with him about the ambiguity that appears to exist in regard to the process of our children coming to Christ and the timing of their baptisms. His line of reasoning questions our historically accepted assertions about the entrance of children into the kingdom of God. He questions “the theological underpinnings of the notion that our children move from safe to lost to saved (once baptized).” I respect and admire brother Hicks,

July 18, 2010

Christian Standard

The Tyranny of the Paradigm (Part 1)

By Jack Cottrell In 1986 Michael Denton wrote Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Adler & Adler, 1996), in which he is severely critical of evolutionary theory. He presented compelling arguments for intelligent design, especially from the living cell, before most of us ever heard of Michael Behe. This is significant because Denton is a respected molecular biologist and medical doctor””and a complete agnostic. Though he argues for design, he professes ignorance as to who or what the designer might be. Nevertheless, throughout this large volume, Denton offers many examples of scientific evidence that the phenomena of nature could not have

July 11, 2010

Christian Standard

Seven Days of Praise

By Daniel Schantz MONDAY“”My favorite seed catalog arrived today and I am astounded at the offerings. Things like cucumbers with big spikes on them, red noodle beans as long as my arm, speckled trout lettuce, watermelons with stars on them, and Asian snake melons 4 feet long. There are coal-black tomatoes, mother-of-pearl poppies, and a plant called Job”s tears that produces beads, which you can string into a necklace. I can almost hear God laughing out loud as he made these wacky plants. And I want to stand up and cheer. “Way to go, God! Cool cucumbers!” “O Lord, how

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