Articles for tag: Luke 11

November 2, 2019

Christian Standard

25 Years of Changes and Challenges in Children’s Ministry

By Teresa Welch Just 25 years ago, children’s ministry was commonly described as childcare with Bible stories and Goldfish crackers. Children were either kept away from the sanctuary or were made to sit quietly with parents during the sermon. Churches were waiting for children to grow up before investing in them fully. Today, thankfully, children’s ministry is a spiritual greenhouse rather than a spiritual waiting room. Children are front and center and actively learning. Each child is given attention and spiritual nourishment to grow into a disciple of Christ. Why this change? It began when churches realized that building a

January 14, 2019

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 20, 2019: God Is Pleased with a Prayer of Faith (Eleazar—Genesis 24:7-9, 40)

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. 1 (weeks 1–4; January 6–27, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Be confident that the Lord hears your prayer of faith. ______ By Mark Scott  Prayer is hard to understand. It only works because a merciful God wills it to work. How can God be sovereign and yet open to our suggestions? But God invites (commands?) his people to pray. He is hurt by

February 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Coping with What Jesus Said

By Bob Mink I Wish Jesus Hadn”t Said That  Stephen Timmis Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014 The Hard Sayings of Jesus F.F. Bruce Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1983 Some book titles get your attention by implying they are about something you may not agree with. When I was a youth minister in the 1970s, I used Fritz Ridenour”s book How to be a Christian Without Being Religious, and was taken to task by a mother who misunderstood the title. Steve Timmis”s book, I Wish Jesus Hadn”t Said That (Zondervan, 2013), does the same thing. The title is his initial response to

April 18, 2016

Christian Standard

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

December 29, 2014

Christian Standard

Lesson for January 4, 2015: Jesus’ Model for Prayer (Luke 11:1-13)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the December 28, 2014, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  This month”s lessons focus on “Learning to Pray.” What an appropriate topic! The apostle Paul wrote, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us though wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). As H. Lynn Gardner pointed out, “This prayer may appropriately be called “˜The Lord”s Prayer” because our Lord taught it. It

November 11, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Prayer Made a Difference at ReChurch

By Mark A. Taylor The big man with broad shoulders and a wide grin greeted me as I headed toward my display table. I was about finished setting up for the annual leadership conference, “ReChurch,” sponsored by Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis. Better known as “The Creek,” the church hosted the event last Thursday and Friday, November 6 and 7. He greeted me with a firm handshake and introduced himself as Kevin Hart, executive minister for operations at the megachurch. I told him my name, and he asked me, “Can I pray for you?” With others passing in both

January 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Consumer Christianity: Idol for Destruction

By J.K. Jones It is a plague that seeks to devour our churches, a spiritual disease as old as Adam and Eve. It is a sickness of the soul. It is a sleight of hand, a slick replacement of God with something that resembles him but is not him. Consumerism of the Christian kind is a making of God into our own likeness, wanting him on our own terms. At its most crass level, clearly evident in the North American Christian landscape, consumer Christianity is taking and never giving in return. It is a worldview, a way of living out

March 24, 2013

Christian Standard

Four Vital Signs of a Healthy Elder Team

By Gary L. Johnson Effective teams are healthy teams. But how do elder teams function well together? What does a healthy elder team look like? The best answers to those questions can be found in the leadership lessons between Jesus and his team of disciples. As Jesus neared the end of his ministry, as described in Mark 8 and 9, he had significant moments with his disciples, revealing four vital signs of a healthy team.   Vital Sign 1 A healthy elder team knows and pursues the mission. In Mark 8:31-38, Jesus explained to his disciples that he would suffer at

September 4, 2012

Tim Harlow

the whole gospel

The Whole in Our Gospel

Tim Harlow challenges Christians to embrace the whole gospel, combining compassion for the poor with the message of eternal salvation. Are we bringing Heaven to earth while also taking earth to Heaven?

March 4, 2012

David Soucie

marginalized in the church

The Marginalized

Many believers sit quietly on the margins of congregational life, longing to belong. David Soucie challenges Christians to notice the overlooked and intentionally extend the acceptance, attention, and fellowship they need.

October 1, 2006

Dave Butts

prayerlessness

The Sin of Prayerlessness

Is prayerlessness sin? Dave Butts explores what a lack of prayer reveals about self-dependence, love for the Lord, and concern for Christ’s kingdom—and encourages believers to take the next step forward in a life of prayer.

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