October 21, 2024
The Taste of Death
Before the cross, Jesus had seen death’s impact and he had heard the cries of those who had lost friends and loved ones, but at the cross, Jesus experienced the full measure of its indescribable pain and horror.
Articles for tag: John 1:3
September 18, 2023
Take Communion and Take Heart
Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). That seems rather obvious. It’s what Jesus said before and after that statement that makes it so noteworthy.
September 1, 2023
There Is Hope, and His Name Is Jesus
By Megan Rawlings The news makes me anxious. Stories that make it seem the world is ending far outnumber positive articles and reports. Wars, division, disaster—it’s too much to process on a daily basis. And social media only adds to my unease. To deal with this, I changed my phone setting to limit my social media intake to 30 minutes a day. Any longer than that and I find I am crippled by comparison, more bad news, and disappointment. I started to wonder why the news and media (social media included) seem mostly to bend toward evil. It turns out,
August 14, 2023
Preparing for the Big Event
A big event is coming that will “eclipse” any other sight in the heavens.
April 24, 2023
April 30 | Application (‘Give the Lord Your MVP’)
"To sports fans, MVP means Most Valuable Player," David Faust writes. "[But] what if those letters stood for Most Valuable Possession? . . . Would you give your Most Valuable Possession to the Lord? . . ."
April 24, 2023
April 30 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “You Are Invited” (Mark 14:1-9).
January 9, 2023
January 15 | Discovery
What can you learn from Ezra 4:12–5:2 about God’s timing, waiting on him, and trusting him in the process?
November 1, 2022
Peace for All Seasons
By Douglas Redford (This article, reprinted here with minor updates, first appeared in Christian Standard on December 22, 1985.) During the Christmas season in 1984, an event occurred which served as a revealing commentary on the times. Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, an Anglican church leader, was in Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the presentation was held up for more than an hour after an anonymous telephone caller told an Oslo newspaper that a bomb had been placed in the reception hall and would explode in 10 minutes. Although a careful search turned up nothing,
April 11, 2022
Mary’s Pain
We need to dig into our own memories of despair to approach the tomb with the same weight Mary carried on Easter morning. . . .
March 28, 2022
April 3 | Application
These days, care is rare. How often do you encounter genuine, unselfish concern for others?
March 1, 2022
Authentic Influence
By Kyle Idleman A word you hear a lot these days, a word that drives a lot of social media ambitions and daily decisions, is influencer . . . and underneath that word is a deep desire we all have. Nobody grows up dreaming of waking up, going to work, heading home, watching Netflix, scrolling through social media, and then doing it all over again the next day until their last breath. We all want to be used to change the world. We don’t want to spend our lives being time-wasters, or space-takers, or binge-watchers, or game-players, or even book-readers.
February 14, 2022
Feb. 20 | Called, Justified, Glorified
In Romans 8, everyone and everything is groaning—creation, believers, and the Holy Spirit. But through all the groans, believers know they were called, are being justified, and will be glorified.
October 11, 2021
He Himself Is Our Peace
It was anything but peaceful when peace came to this world. . . .
March 15, 2020
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus: Respect and Honor
(An eyewitness’ account*) By Mark E. Moore Hi, my name is Joseph, but you can call me Joe. Just to clarify, there are a lot of Joes where I come from. Surely, you’ve heard of Joseph the carpenter, the stepfather of Jesus. A lesser-known Joseph traveled with the apostle Paul on his great adventures. This Joseph is mentioned several times by my friend, the physician and historian named Luke. But Luke called him by his nickname, Barnabas. I am but one of many Joes where I come from because one of the patriarchs of my people (and my namesake) was
January 27, 2018
Young Ministry Staff and Elders—Connecting Together
By David Roadcup The summer of 1966 was a watershed time for me. I was 19 years old and going into my sophomore year at Lincoln (Illinois) Christian College. I had accepted my first summer youth ministry in a rural church in central Illinois. I remember my first day. I knew I had been called to this, my life’s work, but that first day was daunting. Where do I start? How is this going to go? Who are these people in my new church family? Will I be liked? Will they work with me? It was a challenging and impactful
March 28, 2017
Not Happy? Don”t Worry
By Mark A. Taylor Just when you think the world is beyond hope, here comes the United Nations trying to bring a smile. Did you know that Monday last week, March 20, was International Day of Happiness? Did you know it was the fourth such day, having been “adopted by consensus of all 193 member states of the United Nations” on June 28, 2012? Did you miss your local International Day of Happiness celebration? If so, I”m right there with you. Maybe Americans don”t make much of celebrating happiness, because, according the U.N.”s World Happiness Report 2017, the United States
February 10, 2017
Mission Accomplished
By Doug Redford Charles Swindoll”s sister once asked him, “What”s your favorite feeling?” After some thought, Swindoll replied, “I think it would be accomplishment.” He observed how good it feels to complete a job, whether it”s a project at work, an assignment at school, or a remodeling project at home. I think I”d agree with him. How I enjoy crossing off finished tasks I”ve listed on my desk calendar! When the task represents years of effort””like the high school and college ceremonies celebrated everywhere this spring””the sense of accomplishment is even greater. Graduates and their families deserve to celebrate. Jesus,
October 14, 2016
Piercings
By Ron Davis Piercings are popular. It started with the ear lobe . . . and worked its way up . . . and down. But piercing is not new. And it did not come from good or noble precedent. The notoriously vicious Assyrians, in ancient times, took their captives home by inserting a hook through the cheeks of those captives. Keep up, or else, as you are dragged along! In fact, many cultures, ancient and modern “marked” their captives as slaves by a ring in the nose or ear. It was always the sign of an ultimate death penalty.
January 6, 2016
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 13, 2015
Meditating on Peace: December 13
By Becky Ahlberg For many, especially church leaders, Christmas is more chaos than celebration. Besides the extra programs and parties, family responsibilities and expectations also expand. These short meditations (which started December 6 and will continue with a new, early morning post each day through January 1) are designed with leaders in mind. Take a few minutes each day to ponder these thoughts designed to help you find the wonder of the incarnation in the midst of your responsibilities. Advent is simply a time to prepare for the celebration of Christ”s birth. In liturgical settings, Advent begins four Sundays before
