November 25, 2024
December 1 Study | He Comes with Distinction
When Christ’s coming was actually executed, it was done with the greatest of distinction. It was so distinct that the whole earth would be filled with his glory (Psalm 72:19).
Articles for tag: Luke 1
November 25, 2024
December 1 | Discovery Questions
These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, “He Comes With Distinction” (Luke 1:26-38), by Mark Scott.
July 17, 2023
July 23 | Hope in God’s Promise
God promised to bring his people back from Babylon to the Promised Land, and he did. Against all odds, Jeremiah was calling on his people to believe.
May 1, 2021
The Power of Human Touch
There's an incredible connection between in-person church attendance and spiritual, mental, and physical health.
November 23, 2020
I Missed You (Nov. 29 Lesson Application)
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 29, 2020: Seek Reconciliation (Philemon 8-21) ________ By David Faust “I missed you.” I found myself saying those words a lot when the coronavirus pandemic began to ease early this summer. One by one, friends emerged from quarantine. Worshippers inched back to the church building for in-person services. Restaurants reopened. During weeks of lockdown in the spring, I stayed in touch with my granddaughters by phone, text, and Zoom, but I longed to see them face-to-face. I missed the servers at the local deli. I missed visiting patients in the
March 16, 2020
Lesson for March 22, 2020: Set Free (Luke 13:10-17, 31-35)
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 issue no. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 1-22, 2020) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Don’t be held captive by sin anymore because Christ has set you free! ________ By Mark Scott Jesus is all about freedom (Isaiah 61:1; John 8:34-36; Romans 8:1, 2; Galatians 5:1). His ordination sermon in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16-30) made that very clear. He will not be dissuaded or
December 3, 2018
Lesson for December 9, 2018: Whole Truth (Luke 1:14; 24:17-27)
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 issue no. 13 (weeks 49–53; December 9–30, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. Image: This painting, Der Gang nach Emmaus (1837), by Austrian painter Joseph von Fuhrich, Is a depiction of Cleopas and another disciple encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. ______ Lesson Aim: Look in the whole of Scripture for what God reveals about Jesus.. ______ By Mark Scott The basis for discerning the
July 9, 2018
Lesson for July 15, 2018: The Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8)
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 issue no. 6 (weeks 25–28; June 24—July 15, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott A deacon’s meeting had gotten out of sorts. Tempers flared, temperatures rose, and words got ugly. One deacon tried to calm the group by saying, “I think we should just stop and pray.” Another deacon said, “Has it come to that?” Why is prayer often a last resort as opposed
December 23, 2017
What Can I Give Him?
This Christmas essay originally appeared in the December 18/25, 2011, issue of Christian Standard. ___ By Caleb Kaltenbach Every Christmas I struggle with the same thing: what in the world do I give my wife? Do I get her shoes, clothes, jewelry, a massage, or what? Maybe this is a better question: what gift will I give Jesus this season? In Luke 1, we see the birth of a child who would be a gift to Jesus. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his
June 19, 2017
Lesson for June 25, 2017: Samson (Judges 13-16)
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 June 18, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott I do not like Samson. Like Esau, he was a sensualist (Hebrews 12:16, 17). He lived by his glands instead of his God. He was a playboy. The Samson narrative in Judges (chapters 13-16) is filled with rebellion, sexual immorality, anger, revenge, disappointment, heartache, and a glimmer of hope. That being said, Samson judged Israel
December 21, 2016
The Colors of Christmas
By Jim Tune Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34, 35). A popular Roman Catholic devotion holds that Mary suffered seven sorrows: Simeon”s prophecy that her heart would be pierced, her flight to Egypt that Jesus might escape the infanticide, the anxious days in Jerusalem when she thought she had lost Jesus,
December 12, 2016
Lesson for December 18, 2016: The Forerunner of the Savior (Luke 1:1-23, 57-66)
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 December 11 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Musicians have their warm-up acts, knights have their introducers, kings have their cupbearers, and the Messiah had his forerunner. A forerunner is a predecessor, literally someone who runs before. For Jesus that person was John the Baptist. John the Baptist ran before Jesus. Today”s text backs up from last week”s lesson. Before Gabriel made the
December 5, 2016
Lesson for December 11, 2016: The Affirmation of the Promise (Luke 1:39-56)
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 December 4 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Few things feel as good as affirmation. Is this because we are so insecure or our self-esteem is so poor? Or is it because we rightfully long for proper affirmation? While in Israel this past summer, our tour group affirmed our tour guide, Mike, at the Garden Tomb. Alan Ahlgrim spoke words of affirmation and
December 1, 2016
Christmas Best Practices
By Michael C. Mack Pre-invite: Christmas Movie Celebration Host a Christmas film fest, featuring family-friendly Christmas movies, at the church building or another community gathering place. Serve seasonal foods and refreshments, and encourage church attendees to invite their friends. This may be a great way to “pre-invite” people and help them get to know others before your Christmas services. Invite Friends to Christmas Services. According to a recent LifeWay Research study, 61 percent of Americans attend church services at Christmastime. Which means, of course, that 4 out of 10 people do not attend. Yet, among those who don”t attend church
November 28, 2016
Lesson for December 4, 2016: God Promises a Savior (Luke 1:26-38)
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 27 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott One thing that we can take to the bank is that God always keeps his word. He does not make a promise and then fail to keep it, and God could not have made a greater promise to the world than the promise of sending a Savior. During this Christmas season we are studying Luke
April 18, 2016
Lesson for April 24, 2016: Tested Faith (Luke 15:11-24)
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 April 17 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott This parable is the most familiar of Jesus” 40 parables. Jesus” teaching on discipleship ended with the words, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Luke 14:35). The most unlikely people, namely tax collectors and sinners, drew near to hear him (15:1). To justify
March 17, 2016
How Team Expansion Missionaries Define Success
By Doug Lucas We”ve tried and learned from a variety of approaches, each with a different definition of success. Here”s where we”ve been and how we”re seeing God bless the approach we”re taking now. When we were starting Team Expansion in 1978, we organized several brainstorming conferences that included some of the nation”s top thinkers and leaders in missions and other fields. At these events, we would ask questions like, “What should Team Expansion try to be? What should be its main goal? In fact, what IS Team Expansion?” It took a while to hone the vision (about 37 years,
February 25, 2016
Theology in the Public Square
By T. R. Robertson Polarization. Insults. Railing against wrong. The apostle Peter showed approaches better than these for Christian response to injustice in government and society. A once great nation is in the throes of transition from a democratic republic to a de facto dictatorship. A neophyte has been given the reigns of power, to which some critics maintain he has no birthright. The gap between the super rich and the middle class is widening. People from other countries covet the benefits of citizenship, yet the nation”s reputation among the rest of the world is declining. Christians find themselves increasingly
February 11, 2016
My Theology and My Engagement with Pop Culture
By Laura Buffington Try as we might, we cannot escape pop culture. I could throw away my smartphone and move to a cabin in the woods, but Taylor Swift would still find me. I could try to ignore her and The Hunger Games and The Walking Dead. I could pretend Netflix never became a way of life and Twitter never became an official language. But it will all still be out there. Whether I open the door or not, pop culture will be around, shaping (or reflecting) the way people think, talk, and move. It is pervasive and powerful, sometimes
June 21, 2015
Open Table
By Sean Palmer Maxine was stunned when Jason and Kari Martin, along with their children, Aidan and Regan, stood outside her front door with expectant eyes. As far as Jason and Kari knew, they”d been invited to dinner at the home of our church”s matriarch. If there”s an unquestioned sage at The Vine Church, it”s Maxine. She and her late husband, Ron, served as medical missionaries in Africa, raised three children (one of whom is an elder at The Vine), and around our church, once Maxine says something, nothing else needs to be said. The reason the Martins were at
