Articles for tag: John 11

January 22, 2020

David Roadcup

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

December 2, 2019

Gary L. Johnson

The Threefold Trust Given to Elders

By Gary L. Johnson Long before I went to seminary, I earned a degree in finance and worked as a commercial loan officer. I enjoyed everything about the banking environment, from the people to the processes to the policies. Many banks use the word trust in their names, such as First National Bank & Trust. It should be no surprise, then, that one of the many services banks provide is the management of trust accounts. Banks typically have a trust department where workers oversee assets entrusted to the bank. A trust department can manage thousands of trust accounts worth hundreds

October 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Above All Else

By Beau Bruton Jesus told us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Luke 12:31, New Living Translation). It’s something all Christians should do. But life gets in the way; things happen—work, family issues, health problems, you name it. The world tries to pull us away from God’s kingdom, but Jesus draws us closer to it. The world hands us problems, trials, lies, and deception. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; [but Jesus said,] I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). So, what should we do

July 22, 2019

Christian Standard

Eisegesis for Everyone

From After Class Podcast Do you struggle to apply the Bible to your life? Does the Bible sometimes feel old and outdated? This new resource might be just what you need to jump-start your faith. Sonbeam Publishing is proud to bring you Eisegesis for Everyone. This empowering book employs the familiar technique of eisegesis so you can read your own brilliant insights into the Bible. Free from the shackles of original context, anyone can see any passage talking about—well—anything. No Bible training, no cultural background, and no historical awareness required. Now you can find your ideas all over the pages

May 22, 2019

Christian Standard

We Believe the Bible Is True

By Johnny Pressley The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The apostle Paul encouraged his associate Timothy with a reminder of the strong faith passed on to him by his grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). “From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:15). Many of us surely appreciate the godly men and women who nurtured us in the faith. They not only taught us Scripture, they inspired us with respect and trust for the Bible as the Word of God, even in

March 6, 2019

Christian Standard

The Stories Behind Eight Uniquely Named Churches

By Jim Nieman Church names aren’t what they used to be. Today’s church planters are choosing names that signify movement, evoke an emotion or a feeling, and capture the imagination. Even long-established churches are eschewing “old-style” church names in favor of names that convey something spiritual or otherwise meaningful. We wrote to ministers of a number of uniquely named churches across the country and invited them to tell us how and when their church decided on its name. We asked, “Why did you name your church what you did?” We also welcomed hearing interesting anecdotes about their church name. Eight

December 25, 2018

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy

(Today we republish a Christmas Day meditation that was part of a monthlong series of meditations by Becky Ahlberg we ran back in December 2015. We hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!)   By Becky Ahlberg December 25 It’s Christmas Day—a day defined by giving. But oh how quickly (for many) it has become the season of “getting.” Today as you open gifts and celebrate with your family traditions and one another, here are a few Scriptures to remind you of who gave first, and how very much: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and

January 13, 2017

Christian Standard

The Shedding of Blood

By Ronald G. Davis The Passover of the Hebrew people was inextricably tied to the shedding of blood. How many thousands of Egypt”s firstborn sons had to die to free the Hebrews from their bondage? And how many young and innocent lambs and goats became a hurried meal of roasted flesh? How many gallons of their blood became the blessed stripes on doorjambs and door frames? Exodus 11 and 12 describe the wonderfully awful and bloody events of that solemn and deadly night of redemption. The Passover when Jesus gathered his devoted””and not-so-devoted””12 friends and disciples in the upper room

July 31, 2016

Michael C. Mack

5 Steps for Getting Your Group or Class to Invite New People

By Michael C. Mack How do you get members to invite people to their groups? Here are five specific principles you can use to help the people in your group or class, even the shyest ones, extend invitations: 1. The leader must go first! Don”™t go to your group with the ideas below until you have personally done these things yourself. As a leader, you are an example, a model, for those entrusted to you (1 Peter 5:3). 2. Don”™t do anything else until you”™ve spent time with God. Every strategy you use, every word you say, everything you do

April 8, 2016

Christian Standard

WHAT’S NEXT?: Remember the Spirit

We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” ____ By Mandy Smith We in the Christian churches have the Cane Ridge Revival in our history, but we”re not comfortable with the Holy Spirit. We”ve seen so many abuses of the Spirit that it”s easy to throw the baby out with the bathwater. So what would it look like to rediscover a scriptural approach to the Spirit”s work in our lives? I”m still learning this, but let me share two ways I”m stepping into it: 1. Guidance “But

March 26, 2016

Jackina Stark

merciful and mighty

Merciful and Mighty

In John 11, Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their grief with both compassion and power. This devotional reflects on his tears, his words, and the hope found in the One who calls Lazarus from the tomb.

February 8, 2016

Christian Standard

How Jesus Did Theology

By Casey Tygrett Jesus didn”t give us words about God. He lived as the Word of God. What does that show us about what impact God”s words should demonstrate in our lives? When I was a kid, I had an uncanny resemblance to my dad. Our facial structures, mannerisms, and senses of humor were so closely aligned that the folks in my small hometown knew whose I was before they knew who I was. They looked at me””my long angular nose and the way my eyebrows elevated and separated when I spoke””and they saw my father from years past. There

January 25, 2016

Christian Standard

Lesson for January 31, 2016: The Death of a Friend (John 11:38-44)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the January 24 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Jesus and death cannot coexist. Death has no victory around Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55). Jesus destroys the one who has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus proved this in his earthly ministry. Prior to his own resurrection, Jesus raised three people from the dead:

January 6, 2016

Christian Standard

Kingdom Power

By Jim Tune Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water in a basin and began to wash his disciples” feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5). There was never any question regarding appropriate etiquette. It was the privilege of the most powerful person in the room to never need to worry about his

December 25, 2015

Christian Standard

Meditating on Joy: December 25

By Becky Ahlberg Friday, December 25 It”s Christmas Day””a day defined by giving. But oh how quickly (for many) it has become the season of “getting.” Today as you open gifts and celebrate with your family traditions and one another, here are a few Scriptures to remind you of who gave first, and how very much: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave

October 15, 2015

Christian Standard

The Role of Integrity in Bible Study

By Jason Yeatts It is possible to study the Bible for a lifetime without really understanding it. Integrity may be the missing ingredient to give us the greatest insight. We know these passages well, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22); “Not everyone who says to me, “˜Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21); “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). These verses

September 18, 2014

Michael C. Mack

Go Away to Get Inside

By Michael C. Mack One way to know you have an intimate relationship with the Father is when you hear and recognize his voice (John 10:1-5). The only way to do that is to spend time alone with him. But that”s not easy in our fast-paced lives. In ministry we tend to spend a lot of time with other people in community, and that”s good! But as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, solitude and community go hand in hand for spiritually healthy people. Jesus modeled this for us. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew [from crowds of people] to lonely places and

August 5, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Ready to Heal

By Mark A. Taylor Nobody forced Atlanta”s Emory University Hospital last week to accept two patients stricken with the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, Dr. Bruce Ribner, head of the Emory unit treating the sick Americans, welcomed the chance to admit them. Emory, according to Ribner, is one of only four U.S. facilities uniquely equipped to treat such a contagious disease. He told CNN, “We are not going to miss this opportunity.” Hospital staff members congratulated him for accepting the patients, he said. When he explained his decision to his wife, she responded, “Great, that”s what you”ve been dreaming of for

April 7, 2014

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 13, 2014: A Messianic Priest-King (Jeremiah 23:5, 6; Zechariah 6:9-15; John 19:1-5; Hebrews 7:13)

  This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone All of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. Today we hear from two prophets, Jeremiah and Zechariah, before turning to John”s Gospel to see how their predictions came true. Jeremiah is often called “the weeping prophet” because of the difficult message he had to deliver. Chapter 23, however, brings vibrant hope for the future. Zechariah prophesied years later, after the Jewish people returned from exile. He challenged them to complete

February 11, 2013

Christian Standard

The Spirit in Spiritual Formation

By J.K. Jones Jr. I”m grateful for our emphasis on logic and reason, but I believe the Holy Spirit is larger than something we can capture or fully understand. But starting with the words of Scripture, we can begin to grasp the Spirit”s role in the life God has planned for us to enjoy. Some things are so big they nearly resist explanation. Consider the way of an eagle in the sky. I”ve watched our national bird soar over the Mississippi River, gliding effortlessly on waves of unseen air currents, then dive at light speed to scoop breakfast from the

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