July 31, 2023
A Work of Heart
God’s heart of compassion provides a remedy for our sin.
Articles for tag: Mark 12
January 1, 2023
The Power in Preaching
By Chris Philbeck In 2001, when I came to my current church, I had to adjust to having a Saturday night service. I had been a pastor for over 20 years, but the weekend service had always been exclusive to Sunday morning, and it took a while to feel comfortable preaching on Saturday night for various reasons. We didn’t have a particularly large crowd, and the people would be pretty spread out in a worship center that could seat around 1,400. The energy level was different on Saturday night, and the service just felt different. More often than I like
March 21, 2022
March 27 | Application
Romans 12:1 makes me ask myself, "Am I unreservedly devoted to the Lord? What does it cost me to follow Jesus? . . ."
April 1, 2021
How Simon of Cyrene’s Unexpected Journey Can Change Us
I relish my memories of playing college football. I often think back to the locker-room antics and bus rides. I think about the big wins and bad losses. I remember all the sayings from the coaches and laugh; some would be fight-worthy insults except for the personal relationships we had. In saying all of that, I should clarify that I wasn’t just an ordinary football player, I was an offensive lineman. I specify that because most offensive linemen would tell you what we most enjoyed about football was moving a man against his will wherever we wanted to push him.
January 11, 2018
He Didn’t Fit the Profile
By Jim Nieman Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, so why did most leading Jewish religious leaders and scholars of his day reject Jesus, plot to kill him, and coerce and influence the Roman occupiers into crucifying him? In part, it’s because Jesus—though he performed many impressive miracles, and taught lessons and made claims like no one else—was just too ordinary. Jewish leaders had a preconceived notion of what the Messiah would be and what he would do: he would be a mighty warrior and earthly king; he would overthrow the oppressors and establish an earthly kingdom. And
October 19, 2017
A Great Commission for Everyone
By Michael C. Mack As I edited this month”s articles about international missions and ministry, I noticed a trend. Most of our writers either quoted or referred to the Great Commission, namely Matthew 28:18-20, some in the first sentence or two. That makes sense. When we think about taking the gospel into all the world, we naturally think of this primary passage.  I hope this doesn”t sound sacrilegious, but we deleted that Scripture from some of the articles. Why? For one thing, we didn”t want the articles to become redundant, but also, we figure you know this verse well. I”m
December 21, 2015
Lesson for December 27, 2015: A Generous Gift (Matthew 23:2″“12; Mark 12:38″“44)
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 December 20 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Generous gifts and humble deeds sharply contrast with shrunken hearts and hypocritical actions. Today”s lesson shows that contrast in neon lights. The antagonists in the Gospels (the Pharisees, who were actually greatly respected) contrast sharply with a humble widow who made a most generous gift at
August 14, 2015
Reaching Down the Throat of Evil
By Steve Wyatt Bill was walking with his 10-year-old daughter and her small dog. Without warning, a neighbor”s pit bull rushed at his daughter”s dog. Bill quickly lifted his daughter and her pet to the roof of a nearby car, but the pit bull jumped onto the car”s hood and then onto its roof and savagely grabbed the smaller dog by its left hind leg. Bill saw the pit bull release its powerful jaws in an attempt snap at the neck of the smaller dog, so he reached into the pit bull”s mouth and grabbed its tongue. The dog bit
May 19, 2014
Lesson for May 25, 2014: The Greatest Commandment (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:1-9; Mark 12:28-34)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Today we study Jesus” answer to a question about the greatest commandment. In reply, he cites the two Old Testament passages that we will consider first in our lesson. Moses had been given the assignment to pass along God”s commands to those Israelites who left Egyptian bondage. Leviticus explained they were to live holy lives (Leviticus 17″“26). Then the book of Deuteronomy (literally “the second law”) reminded the people of the first generation”s failure to follow
March 10, 2014
Lesson for March 16, 2014: Peter”s Report (Psalm 110; Mark 12:35-37; Acts 2:22-36)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Two passages form the basis of today”s study. The first is from Psalm 110, one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament. It points readers to the coming Messiah. The other text is part of Peter”s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, where the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Christ”s resurrection is clearly shown. Victory Promised Psalm 110:1-4 David wrote Psalm 110. When his prophetic message was given, Israel was a relatively small
July 26, 2013
Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner
By Robert F. Hull Jr. Some of Jesus’ dinner companions are a bit surprising. Early in his ministry he ate with a large group of tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15). Once when he was at dinner with a Pharisee, a woman of the city known to be a sinner came into the house and made a spectacle of herself—and Jesus (Luke 7:36-50). Even the disciples at the last supper were not models for us to emulate. Some of them began to argue about who among them would be greatest in the kingdom; Peter was told that he would shortly
February 4, 2007
No More Christians! (An Excerpt from The Big Idea)
With “Christians” everywhere, the church still struggles to live Jesus’ mission. This article argues we’re overloaded with competing “little ideas” and need one clear Big Idea—“Follow me”—that leads to action.
