We have a battle to fight, but we can gain the victory if we find our strength in the Lord, if we know who the real enemy is, if we get dressed with God’s armor, and if we pray like crazy.
June 24, 2024
Daniel 9 is one of the most penitent prayers in the Bible. In it, Daniel acknowledged God's greatness and how, in spite of Israel not keeping their end of the covenant, God kept his. . . .
November 28, 2022
In these passages from Matthew 9 and 10, Jesus tells his disciples three times to “not be afraid.” Why should Jesus’ followers not be afraid to speak about him to others?
July 18, 2022
Paul gave the Thessalonians inspired advice about how to be strong through trials. It had to do with growing in faith and love, recognizing God’s judgment, and constantly praying.
May 30, 2022
Compare the prophet Jonah’s words and actions toward God with those of the fishermen.
February 26, 2020
By Brian Cook Three people gather quietly around a small table. Their bodies hunch forward as their lips move silently. The drone of electrical machinery whirs around them, punctuated only by the soft rustling of Bible pages and the gentle creaking of chairs. The sign on the door says Power Room. It is a cramped electrical closet situated on the far side of the stage in our worship center. Our churchs facilities have been updated significantly over the years, but its sturdy mid-century bones can still be seen amid the bulky circuit breakers and snaking wires that inhabit this secluded
February 22, 2020
By Brian Cook Three people gather quietly around a small table. Their bodies hunch forward as their lips move silently. The drone of electrical machinery whirs around them, punctuated only by the soft rustling of Bible pages and the gentle creaking of chairs. The sign on the door says “Power Room.” It is a cramped electrical closet situated on the far side of the stage in our worship center. Our church’s facilities have been updated significantly over the years, but its sturdy mid-century bones can still be seen amid the bulky circuit breakers and snaking wires that inhabit this secluded
By Chuck Sackett Immediately before worship was to begin, a leader in the congregation dumped a boatload of complaints on the preacher. As the preacher entered the worship area, his once light spirit””which had been anticipating worship and preaching””bottomed out in a wash of questions. Instead of worshipping, he fidgeted throughout the singing, trying to get his heart and mind back on track. He was agonizing over the complaints, frustrated by the timing, and momentarily incapable of preaching. Fortunately, Communion was served before the sermon that day. As he continued to try to settle his spirit, he felt a hand
December 29, 2015
By Becky Ahlberg Tuesday, December 29 Read Ephesians 3:14-19. We pray for other people all the time. How many times have you sat in your office or in a home or at a hospital bedside and prayed for someone to know the deep love of Christ? Praying for someone is an act of love and creates a bond of friendship, even kinship, as we make our requests known to the Lord. We pray, believing God hears our prayers and that prayer will offer hope and comfort to those we care about. But today, read this Scripture as a prayer for
January 5, 2015
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the January 4 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone The night when Jesus was betrayed was filled with significance. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all reported on “The Last Supper” but included only a brief synopsis of Christ”s teaching that evening. The Gospel of John was written later, however, and includes four long chapters recounting many specific things that Jesus said that evening (John 14″“17). In today”s lesson we study what
June 25, 2012
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Further evidence of God”s desire for justice is found as we move from the patriarchs and judges to the kings. Samuel is a “bridge” figure between the latter two groups. He had a role unique in Hebrew history. He was a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20), but he was also a judge (7:15). It was Samuel who anointed both King Saul (10:1; 15:1), and later King David (16:13) to rule over Israel. He was a strong and
March 10, 2011
This past Sunday churchgoers received some great food and a special blessing. After the worship service, the youth group at River Hill Church of Christ (Monongahela, PA) surprised the congregation with a pancake breakfast. “As we took our seats, the youth asked us to sit quietly and remember Jesus” example of service when he washed the disciples” feet,” the church shares. “Then they made their way around the room and washed our hands and prayed for each of us individually. . . . They had [also] written a personal letter to every person at the breakfast, thanking us for our
February 28, 2011
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 6) is written by Jeremy Lawson who serves as minister with Mount Pleasant Church of Christ in Williamstown, Kentucky. ____________ Worship Guidelines (1 Timothy 2) By Jeremy Lawson In a majority of churches, the worship service goes something like this: someone welcomes the congregation and worship begins. After a few songs, there is a time of Communion and offering. After that, one or more persons sing a special number that everyone will clap for regardless of its quality. The preacher then takes the stage and 20 to 30 minutes
November 24, 2010
By Paul Covert In July of 2003, I nervously made a call to Cal Jernigan, the senior pastor at Central Christian Church in Mesa, Arizona. I had known Cal for 25 years and had always respected him. I hoped he could point me to a church that might have some interest in my passion for prayer. Thirty days later I was leading the prayer ministry at Central. When I called Cal, I didn”t know Central had just gone through an extensive season of developing their core values. One of them was, “As a community of believers, we seek God”s guidance
January 17, 2010
By Linda Ahlgrim Worry is an insult to God! Even so, it”s easy for church leaders to experience panic and despair when they know ministry programs are doomed to failure without boatloads of committed volunteers. I understand. As director of children”s ministry for our church, I often found myself burdened with the responsibility of finding and training volunteers to serve with our ever-increasing numbers of children. And as everyone around me anticipated a summer filled with fun and travel, I faced my annual “season of despair” when volunteer after volunteer decided to take the summer off. I had to learn
September 27, 2009
by Greg Pruett I could hear my neighbor wailing, I just didn”t know why. My wife and I had just started our missionary career in a West African village, moving into a dusty tin-roofed shack that could have doubled as a solar oven. We found someone who could explain to us in French that our neighbor”s son was dying. When we saw the child, he was lying on the beaten earth floor of a grass-roofed hut, his breathing labored, pupils fixed and dilated. Despair crept into us as we realized he might not live long. I remember standing over
February 10, 2008
By Mike Schrage The four-day National Missionary Convention requires more than a year of planning, preparations, and prayer from hundreds of people you will never see on stage. In missions, for every cross-cultural “goer” there are hundreds of “senders.” So too, at the convention, for every person in the public eye or onstage, there are many more servants behind the scenes to guarantee that all goes as planned. None of them are more important, or perhaps more unknown, than the army of those who pray for the convention. Prayers of Preparation The NMC venue is chosen three years in advance,
May 7, 2006
Worship renewal isn’t mainly about better music. Jack Reese traces early Christian worship from Scripture to prayer, peace, and the table—arguing revival begins with hearts quiet enough to hear God’s Word.
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