February 21, 2022
In Romans 9–11, Paul marked out how God’s salvific plan related to both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews had some definite advantages over the Gentiles, but sometimes they compromised those advantages. . . .
January 10, 2022
Be careful of idolizing Bible characters. They all have feet of clay, and they can marginalize God as the real hero of the biblical narratives. That being said, Abraham is an imitable model of righteousness. . . .
January 3, 2022
In Romans 2:1-16, what comparisons and contrasts did Paul make between Jews and Gentiles?
October 25, 2021
God puts together some unexpected combinations. Lions and lambs, for example. And what about Jesus Christ, who is both sacrifice and sacrificer, the gift and the giver?
May 27, 2019
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. 5 (weeks 21-24; May 26–June 16, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Approach God with freedom and confidence in the power of Christ rooted in love. ______ By Mark Scott The discipleship program “Rooted” originated in Africa and is growing in popularity among American churches. The prison epistles (our study through the bulk of the summer months) stress what it is
September 10, 2018
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. 10 (weeks 37–40; September 16—October 7, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ The Bible lessons now follow a scope and sequence prepared by Christian Standard Media. For more information, click here. ______ By Mark Scott Here is the bad news: we really need a savior. Here is the good news: Jesus is a wonderful Savior. The only solution to sin (the last two weeks’ lessons)
July 30, 2018
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. 7 (weeks 25–28; July 22—August 12, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott We rarely do justice well. God always does justice well. Romans is about the justice of God—real righteousness. As Paul built a bridge between Jews and Gentiles in the church at Rome he explained what God’s justice looks like. Following the opening greeting and his typical thanksgiving, Paul stated the
October 14, 2016
By Danielle Hance The Bible says our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual strongholds of evil (Ephesians 6:12). However, more and more, it seems like Christians are known for their attacks on those who don”t follow a “Christian” lifestyle. As Christians, we should definitely be in the world and not of it, but that does not give us the right to tell anyone what to do, since we are all sinners in need of God”s forgiveness. Considering that God himself, who has every right to judge, did not send Jesus to condemn the world but
August 15, 2016
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 August 14 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Dad used to say, “The greatest word in John 3:16 is “˜whosoever,” because that one word gets us into the kingdom of God.” Paul would likely agree. Paul was a Jew, and due to that heritage had ready access to salvation. But Paul was also the apostle to the Gentiles, and due to that calling wanted
August 8, 2016
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 August 7 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott In the church at Rome, there was tension that you could cut with a circumcision knife. The Jews thought the Gentiles obeyed God”s laws rather flippantly. The Gentiles thought the Jews had squandered their place as God”s people. Paul”s teaching in this text is that both groups have to live under God”s mercy. God”s plan to
June 27, 2016
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 June 26 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott American Express had a commercial: “Membership has its privileges.” But if a member refuses to pay the balance, those privileges are revoked. With privilege comes responsibility. This is the thinking at this point in Romans. To help people appreciate the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16, 17), Paul first had to convince everyone how much they
January 11, 2016
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the January 10 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott School boys used to say, “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugliness goes all the way to the bone.” When it is spiritual ugliness, it goes deeper still. The minor prophet Hosea experienced spiritual ugliness. Like many of God”s prophets, his life got intertwined with
December 3, 2012
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone In the book of Ephesians the apostle Paul tackles one of the great challenges facing believers in the first century: uniting all Christians in one body, following the one head, Jesus Christ. That challenge remains today! Two groups of people were living side by side in Ephesus””Jews and Gentiles. Each group had contempt for the other. Jewish Christians had been reluctant to admit Gentiles into the church, unless they first became Jews (Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:11-21).
January 30, 2012
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone During the first two months of this quarter, we studied how God established an everlasting covenant with his people. Lessons from Genesis and Exodus showed the Lord protecting the Israelites, just as he had promised. This month we will study Paul”s letter to the Galatians, showing that Gentile Christians are now a full-fledged part of God”s family also. The Galatians had been led astray from the original gospel. A group known as the Judaizers were telling
August 23, 2010
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for August 29) is written by Jonathan Feathers who serves as senior minister with West Waynesboro Church of Christ in Waynesboro, Virginia. Upheld by God (Acts 28:16-25, 28-31) By Jonathan Feathers (Note: The italicized words in this lesson may be used as discussion questions.) Several years ago, I traveled to Mexico on a short-term mission trip. I had no idea what to expect when I got there. I found myself living in a foreign country where I was unable to read or speak the language, or understand the culture, but I knew I would be there for about
March 22, 2009
 By Douglas Foster If you were to ask a non-Christian, “What is the point of Christianity?” what do you think he or she would say? Based on many people”s experience with professed Christians, he might say the point of Christianity is to make people as miserable and uptight as possible. Or that it is to shape people into vigilantes who get great satisfaction from attacking and destroying those with whom they differ””in the name of Christ and sound doctrine. Unfortunately there is ample evidence to back up these impressions. But what would you, a Christian and a reader of
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