January 9, 2023
God’s people had returned from their exile in Babylon, had rebuilt the altar in the temple, and were laying the foundation of the temple when they ran into a buzz saw. “Enemies” reared their ugly heads (Ezra 4:1). . . .
December 18, 2022
That night at that Disney amphitheater, Arron Chambers recalls, "I witnessed the uncontainable joy Dad had for Jesus and all things Christmas." (This is the first of eight Christmas reflections Christian leaders will be sharing in the days leading up to the celebration of our Lord's birth.)
October 24, 2022
Worship is at the heart of Scripture. Worship was compromised in Eden (Genesis 3:1-19). What we worship is what we become (Hosea 9:10; Romans 1:23). The angel told John to “worship God” (Revelation 22:9). The Old Testament hymnal (the book of Psalms) called God’s people to worship. . . .
October 24, 2022
If a song pulls my stubborn heart closer to the Lord, I don’t care if it’s old or new. If its words are consistent with Scripture and it has a singable tune, I can use it to praise the Lord. . . .
October 17, 2022
(We first ran this Communion meditation in October 2016.) By Ronald G. Davis Because of varying details in the four Gospel accounts, scholars disagree over whether Judas was still present in the upper room when Jesus called for a new bread-and-cup occasion, a new Passover meaning. But we know Judas was there long enough to be given one last, gracious opportunity to repent (see John 13:18-30). When Jesus said, “The one to whom I will give . . . ,” it was Judas’s fingers and thumb that grasped the sop, a grasping motion that characterized his lifestyle controlled by greed,
October 17, 2022
Faith takes us beyond reason, but an informed faith is a faith that reasons. Psalm 119 calls us to love God “with” our minds (i.e., using reason). This psalm is among the most incredible pieces of literature in the Bible. . . .
September 28, 2022
Dr. Richard D. Hogan, 88, died Tuesday in Bella Vista, Ark. He was a longtime minister with First Christian Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and then with NewLife Christian Church in Bella Vista, Ark. He served as president of the 1990 North American Christian Convention and was a longtime member of the Publishing Committee at Standard Publishing.
September 19, 2022
Andrey told me stories of the Nazi occupation of their region during World War II, and how the German army used the building as a prison, and that many prisoners were hanged there. . . . We all assumed it could never happen again . . . and yet Russian occupiers have turned life in the city into a torturous reminder of those old horrors.
September 19, 2022
In the Aug. 28 lesson, God’s glory departed from the people (left the temple) due to their sin. With the temple cleansed and restored (chapters 41-42), God's glory can return, and the people can enjoy the new Promised Land (chapters 43-48).
September 12, 2022
I gazed at my weary listeners—mothers with young children, a scared-looking teenage boy, and some tired-looking old men and women with despair on their faces. How could I possibly help them?
August 11, 2022
This past weekend, more than 1,000 volunteers from 10 churches united to serve over 40 schools throughout the Louisville, Ky., community. Although each church served their respective schools in diverse ways, there were shared goals.
August 3, 2022
How does your church show love to area schools, teachers, and students? For the last eight years, Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky.—known as the Love the ‘Ville church—has done so with thousands of bags of mulch and hundreds of volunteers. . . .
July 4, 2022
It’s been said that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. . . . One thing hindering the Thessalonian believers from enduring the race was confusion about the end times and return of Christ. Confusion about the future caused them uncertainty in the present.
June 20, 2022
By Michael C. Mack As the apostle Paul told his story, he wrote, But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9). Most of us are good at boasting about our strengths: our natural abilities, our giftedness, and the talents we have worked hard to develop. We have physical strengths, intellectual capacities, emotional competence, relational aptitudes, and spiritual giftedness. There are even assessments that measure our strengths.
June 13, 2022
David Faust writes: What should you do when “locusts” threaten to consume your dreams and devour your joy? Joel suggested three ways to respond. . . .
May 30, 2022
The book of Jonah is a narrative prophetic book. There is no question it is a story. But what kind of story is it? Historical story? Story “based” in history? Fictional story (similar to a parable)? . . .
Every Lord’s Day at the time of Communion, we mark a day in history when our Lord Jesus engaged in a battle to reclaim the world to spiritual liberty.
April 26, 2022
Ends of the Earth Cycling, a ministry that has hosted multiday cycling rides in 35 states, reached a goal of raising $1 million for youth ministries around the world earlier this month. The 10-year-old ministry, part of New International, . . .
April 4, 2022
They appeared to have nothing in common at all. People treated him like gold and they treated her like dirt . . .
By Chris Philbeck My wife and I recently attended a pastors and wives retreat just outside of Phoenix. It was a great experience for both of us. While we’ve been married for almost 40 years, it’s always good to get away from the busyness of life to reconnect. The retreat also included some times when the pastors and wives split to focus on separate topics. One session for the pastors began with the question: What do you think is the most important thing in good preaching? Hearing the various answers—such as connection, engagement, relevance, vulnerability, etc.—was interesting. At one point
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