February 6, 2023
The Heart of the Matter
Jesus was the sinless sacrifice that provided the solution to humanity’s heart condition.
Articles for tag: John 11
September 5, 2022
No Tourniquet Required
That the outpouring of Jesus’ blood was not halted on Calvary meant death for him . . . but life for us.
August 22, 2022
Always in His Arms
Immediately after describing the coming Messiah as someone who would rule with power and a mighty arm (Isaiah 40:10), the prophet’s imagery changed dramatically: “He tends his flock like a shepherd . . ."
August 15, 2022
A School Like No Other
Scripture says Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).
July 1, 2022
The Rhythms of a Well-Lived Life: Being Healthy Is Your Responsibility
By Alan Ahlgrim Too many times in my life my “stinkin’ thinkin’” and substandard theology led me to patterns that failed to improve my well-being. A few examples: I once determined to read the entire Bible out loud over the course of a year. That drained me more than blessed me. I once committed to a schedule that included both evening appointments and early morning meetings. Burning the candle at both ends left me flamed out. I was depleted by weariness and self-pity. I once adhered to a daily jogging regimen in all weathers. That led to injuries, especially when
May 15 | The Story of the Master’s Return
This lesson text is highly metaphoric. The main metaphor concerns a master and servant. But under that big-picture metaphor are at least eight others that make this text quite visual . . .
May 15 | Discovery
From this parable, what do you learn about how we should effectively and productively wait for Jesus’ return?
August 9, 2021
Aug. 15 | Application
In this week's Application headlined "Choosing Your Ancestors," David Faust writes: "From Adam and Eve till today, sin has tainted humanity and tilted us toward disaster. . . . Thankfully, though, we can choose the spiritual family we call our own."
June 14, 2021
JUNE 20 | APPLICATION
Death is a persistent intruder. It casts a dark shadow. . . . At times, it looks like death has the final word. But if you read the Gospels, you’ll see that God has other ideas.
April 26, 2021
May 2 | Application
We often wonder why God says no to our prayers, but this incident raises a different question: "Why would the Lord say yes to a foolish request?"
April 12, 2021
Apr 18 | Discovery
In Matthew 22:15-22 and 23-33, what contrasts do you see between trickery and truth, between folly and wisdom?
March 22, 2021
Mar 28 | Application
Christians can keep our feet on the ground while our eyes are on Heaven. We can be realistic without being cynical, and we can hold onto our ideals without being wild-eyed dreamers. We can live in the “now” while we anticipate the “not yet.”
December 30, 2020
Ordinary Guy
By John Caldwell (adapted from his new book) I am a pretty ordinary guy. I’m not dumb, but neither am I brilliant. While I love sports, I’m certainly not athletically gifted. I was a decent trumpet player in my high school and college days, but I was second chair, not first chair. I don’t light up a room when I enter it. Actually, I’m pretty much an introvert who, if given the choice, would sit in a chair in the corner and read a book rather than socialize. I’m not ugly, but neither would most consider handsome (my wife and
December 7, 2020
The Second Choice (Dec. 13 Lesson Application)
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 13, 2020: Fulfilled through Love (Matthew 1:18-25; 22:34-40) ________ By David Faust Joseph’s second choice impresses me more than his first one. His first choice was relatively easy. Mary was an eligible young woman, and no doubt Joseph found her attractive. Nazareth wasn’t a big town. It’s likely their families knew each other well and their parents approved of their engagement. The local grapevine buzzed with cheerful chatter about their upcoming wedding. As a gift for his wife, Joseph may have used his carpentry skills to build furniture for their
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?
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
The Opportunities Right Before Us
How We’ve Made an Impact in Our City in Ways We Never Envisioned By Chris Philbeck Several years ago at a megachurch pastors conference, I heard Ben Merold say something I’ll never forget: “Sometimes our opportunities become our vision.” Vision is a powerful thing, but vision in the local church can sometimes be more about advancing the plans of man than following the leading of God . . . and sometimes it is nothing more than trying to replicate existing models of success. There should be a level of uniqueness about our vision for the church God has called us
April 6, 2020
Lesson for April 12, 2020: Power Over Death (John 11:17-27, 32-44)
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 April 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ Lesson Aim: Triumph with Jesus, who has broken the power of death. ________ By Mark Scott Easter is all about life swallowing death (1 Corinthians 15:54; Isaiah 25:8). Both Old and New Testaments gave us some “warm-up resurrections” so people could anticipate and appreciate the resurrection of Jesus. Some of those are Isaac’s (in
April 6, 2020
Discovery Questions for April 12, 2020
(Click here for a detailed explanation of how to use the Discovery Bible Study.) By Leigh Mackenzie Study Questions for Groups 1. If you had the opportunity this past week to share Jesus’ miracle of feeding more than 5,000 people with someone, how did that go? 2. What challenges did you face last week? (Be specific!) Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—for their help. Ask the first reader to read John 11:17-27 aloud. Then ask the second person to read it again, perhaps from a different version. Ask the third person to retell the narrative in about 60 seconds
January 22, 2020
What Does God Want from Elders of His Church?
By David Roadcup My 23 years of coaching and consulting with churches and their leaders has led me to conclude, As go the leaders, so goes the church. Leaders set the example, tone, faith, and practice for believers in the church they serve. So we, as leaders, need to ask ourselves, What does our Father want from us, and how do we accomplish his ultimate task? Using Scripture as our guideline, here is an overview of what the Lord wants from the primary leaders in his church. 1. A Healthy and Growing Spiritual Life God wants all church leadership
