July 12, 2021
The prophets of the Old Testament were the mean junkyard dogs of Israel. . . . Both Elijah and Elisha made it into Jesus’ ordination sermon, and some of their miracles are templates for miracles of Jesus
January 1, 2021
Hassan stepped off the bank and felt the river water swirl around his ankles. He took another step, his confidence growing. He knew his choice to follow Jesus was the right one. He grasped his wife’s hand and smiled at her. They’d come a long way in the last few years. Tears welled in his eyes as he remembered how his desire for revenge had almost endangered the lives of his family. When he found the tortured, lifeless bodies of his father and brother on his doorstep in Syria one horrible morning, he had decided to exact revenge on the
August 15, 2020
What Israel’s Wilderness Wandering Reveals . . . Especially During Challenging Times By Kevin Dooley Oh, to have been numbered among the more than 2 million Israelites delivered from captivity in Egypt once the final plague broke Pharaoh’s resolve. What a thrill to have passed on dry ground between the columns of the Red Sea, and then to have witnessed the end of Pharaoh’s might as the waters closed in on his armies (Exodus 15:1-21). The spectacle that was Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the ensuing 40 years of wandering in the wilderness surely was “breaking news” across every culture
July 20, 2020
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 July 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ Lesson Aim: Be strong and courageous; God is faithful to keep all his promises. ________ By Mark Scott Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life” (English Standard Version). Israel had longed for the Promised Land for years. Their hearts were sick for their
July 13, 2020
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 July 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ Lesson Aim: Be strong and courageous; God’s presence gives us strength. ________ By Mark Scott There are many famous leadership transitions in the Bible; David to Solomon, Elijah to Elisha, Jesus to the disciples, and Paul to Timothy are just a few. But none is as widely known as the passing of leadership from
November 14, 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 November 13 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott So much of our environment and lives have to do with water. Think of how much of the earth is water. Think of how much of the human body is water. Israel is a dry land in the midst of various bodies of water. Our older son purchased a T-shirt in Israel for his oldest
February 23, 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 February 22 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone This month”s lessons highlight “The Pledge of God”s Presence,” as seen in the Gospels of John and Mark. The quarter”s overall theme is, “The Spirit Comes.” The preparatory ministry of John the Baptist is recounted early in John”s Gospel. It had been almost 400 years since the last Old Testament prophet appeared on the stage of Scripture. Malachi concluded his message
March 12, 2012
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Last week we studied the introduction to the fourth Gospel, the Prologue. John told next how Jesus began his ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (John 1:19-34). Then he began choosing his disciples. Andrew and Peter were the first to follow Jesus (vv. 35-42). Next he called Philip and Nathanael (vv. 43-51). Today”s text immediately follows these events. Hope for a Miracle John 2:1-6 On the third day a
June 6, 2011
Better Bible lessons starting at only 30¢ per week! Get them in Standard Lesson Commentary! ____________ This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 12) is written by Damon Reid, lead minister with Bethany Church of Christ in Kettering, Ohio. ____________ God Expects Obedience (Joshua 1:7-18) By Damon Reid The long-awaited day””anticipated for centuries””had finally come. The children of Israel were preparing to enter the promised land! Because of his disobedience, Moses was not permitted to enter the promised land. Although he died at the age of 120, the Bible notes that his “eyes were not weak
February 21, 2010
By Marshall Hayden It was our first trip with church members to the Holy Land. Driving from the airport, our guide (who has since become our favorite guide) asked the bus driver to pull onto the shoulder of the road about a hundred yards from the top of a hill. “Follow me,” he said. As we topped the rise, there it was, spread out ahead of us, filling the horizon! “Welcome to your spiritual home,” he said. When we climbed back on the bus we heard the first strains of a recording, “Jerusalem.” It was pretty quiet. Except for a
February 21, 2010
By Cheri Lynn Cowell I froze. My senses heightened. The Sea of Galilee spread out before me like the Table of Christ, as the rock is called over which the quaint chapel we”d just exited was built. From this rocky shore Jesus called out to the disciples, “Have you caught anything?” “No,” they replied. “Throw your nets on the other side of the boat,” he shouted. Peter and the other men had gone back to what they”d known before the ground-shaking events of the last several weeks””they”d returned to fishing. Yes, they”d been with the resurrected Lord several times. Yet,
February 21, 2010
By Thomas F. Jones Jr. It was late afternoon and we had just landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. There were 25 of us in the group, all midcareer pastors, 35-55 years of age, men and women. We came from all over the country. We had left the Atlanta, Georgia, airport the day before, and stopped in Frankfurt, Germany, to catch a connecting flight. We were a group of tired, hungry, Christian travelers. Once we landed in Israel we made our way through the crowded passport checkpoint, gathered our bags, and then met our Arab Christian guide
February 17, 2010
By Mark A. Taylor When I returned from my trip to Israel, my wife said, “You are NOT going to begin speeches or sermons with, “˜When I was in Israel . . .” Right?” And I guess I never have. I don”t think I”ve ever written about that trip, either. But I couldn”t resist adding my testimony after reading Marshall Hayden”s and Tom Jones”s moving pieces this week. Their experiences help me remember my own special time there. I think the majestic Sea of Galilee was my favorite stop. Although it is usually still, wind churned it into waves the
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok