December 18, 2024
The Christmas that Stank to High Heaven
Victor Knowles, the Founder and President of Peace On Earth Ministries (POEM) and Editor of One Body Magazine, shares a childhood Christmas memory.
Articles for tag: Matthew 2
March 4, 2024
March 10 Application | ‘Lowercase Leaders’
Uppercase leaders demand attention; lowercase leaders quietly do God’s work. . . .
December 19, 2022
December 25 | Lord of All
The babe of Bethlehem (and Messiah of Matthew’s Gospel) is Lord of all—even wise men. Matthew devoted only one verse to the birth of Jesus (1:25) even though he spent many verses tracing Jesus’ human and divine roots. Then, a good length of time after Jesus was born, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
September 1, 2022
Are Church Leaders Prepared for Quicksand and Lava?
By Megan Rawlings When I was a child, probably around the age of 10, I perceived a few natural phenomena as threats to me on my journey to adulthood. For example, I spent hours researching and watching videos on how to escape quicksand and run away from volcanic lava. I didn’t realize, though, that neither of those was a threat to me in my southern Ohio hometown! I have prepared for one natural disaster my whole life, knowing that living in southern Ohio it was possible (notice I did not say “probable”). I could experience a tornado. I knew that
April 26, 2021
May 2 | A Cry for Kingship
The Israelite elders said they wanted a king so they could be "like all the other nations." But they really wanted Yahweh not to be their king anymore.
April 1, 2021
Caiaphas and the Central Park Five
In the summer of 2019, between seasons of The Great British Baking Show, my wife and I binge-watched the dramatized miniseries When They See Us. It was a true binge because we started the show at 8:00 on a weeknight right after we put our son down to bed and finished it around 2:00 a.m. Directed by Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is a four-episode series depicting the events that unfolded surrounding the Central Park jogger case in New York City in 1989 when five Black and Hispanic teenagers were falsely charged with assault and rape of a White
December 29, 2020
New Year—New Jerusalem?
By Michael C. Mack Here’s some good news: 2020 is over! We can all breathe a sigh of relief . . . maybe. We can look at 2020’s problems in the rearview mirror . . . maybe. This year, 2021, will be much better; no more diseases, death, destruction, or political disarray . . . well, probably not. But our all-powerful God is still on his throne . . . definitely! The fact is, we don’t know what will come in 2021, which is why, as Christ followers, we trust God with whatever will happen. We remember that Jesus is
December 14, 2020
Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15)
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 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “The Day I Visited a King’s Palace” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Dec. 20, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Let the fulfilled promise of Jesus’ birth lead you to worship. ________ By Mark Scott The Old Testament repeatedly says, “Someone is coming.” The end of the Bible says, “Someone is
May 25, 2020
Lesson for May 31, 2020: The Look of Integrity (Job 27:1-6; 31:5, 6, 16-23)
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 May 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES: Application: “Time to Adjust the Seat,” by David Faust Discovery Questions ________ Lesson Aim: Seek and embrace integrity through consistent acts of love. ________ By Mark Scott Integrity is a subject of much discussion today—perhaps because there is so little of it. It means living an undivided life. It means doing what
September 20, 2019
Small Churches: Responding to Some Stereotypes
In this repost of a classic article that first appeared in Christian Standard on May 20, 2012, Tom Claibourne responds to some fairly typical stereotypes about small churches. Claibourne is in his 40th year serving with Bethlehem Church of Christ, Winchester, Ohio. He recently was inducted into the Christian Village Communities Hall of Faith; his induction video celebrating his life of ministry is available at the church’s Facebook page. (Read our October 2019 issue for articles about challenges facing rural and small churches . . . and possible solutions.) _ _ _ By Tom Claibourne Small church. What is the
September 9, 2018
Two Minutes till Midnight
By Jerry Harris It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Hawaii when, at 8:07 on January 13, 2018, push notifications were sent to all cell phones and mobile devices, and television and radio stations across the state activated the Emergency Alert System. The message was clear: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Some people were just stepping into the shower. Others were on a morning commute. Many were enjoying breakfast with their families. Some people knew that they had about 12 minutes till impact. Some parents removed manhole covers and ushered their
June 13, 2018
Generations in Missions: Don’t Count Me Out!
By Emily Drayne An older missionary might say, “They’ll never understand how we did it.” A younger missionary might complain, “They’re so old school.” It’s a generational issue that’s probably been around forever. Leaders err, however, when they count out those from other generations simply because of age, style of doing the job, or lack of “experience.” In missions and in ministry, it seems, there are two ways to do the job. There’s the way it’s been done for years, and then there’s the way new leaders with new ideas are doing it. So how can we carry out our
March 18, 2018
A Secret We Must Tell
(The essay originally appeared online April 12, 2009.) ________ By Arron Chambers Can you keep a secret? Stephen and Louise couldn’t. “Our son became an astronaut today.” On September 17, 1962—in one of the most interesting segments of game show history—Stephen and Louise Armstrong appeared on I’ve Got a Secret with the secret that their son Neil had just been selected to be an astronaut. Neil was one of nine new men so chosen. What made this appearance especially unique was that host Garry Moore asked Louise an incredible question: “Now, how would you feel, Mrs. Armstrong, if it turned
January 12, 2018
Open Your Eyes to Manage the Finances of the Church
By Brad Dupray We lived in fear. It could happen at any time. We stood with our freshly shined shoes on the edge of the carpet scanning the mall. Waiting. Watching. Our shoe store’s district manager would show up only about once a month, but when he did, we knew we were in for it. He had a knack for finding those things we didn’t see. We were “store blind.” Store blindness happens when the proprietor or employees of a retail store walk into the environment so many times that they simply don’t perceive the little things—the crooked table, the
December 18, 2017
Lesson for December 24, 2017: Faithful Seekers of the King (Matthew 2:1-12)
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. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott The Christ of Christmas is a ruler who would shepherd Israel (see Isaiah 40:11). But he would also appeal to faithful seekers from all over the world. The Bible cites many reasons why Jesus came””to save the lost (Luke 19:10), to serve and die as a ransom (Mark 10:45), to destroy the works
November 16, 2017
Incarnation and Resurrection
By Teresa D. Welch Strips of cloth, angels, a man named Joseph, a bed, spices, an angel”s “do not be afraid” message, and a group rushing to tell others the good news. In the context of December, with decorated trees and carolers singing “fa-la-la-la-la,” you most likely associated those items with the story found in Luke 2: “And she [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed in him a manager” (v. 7). But these elements of the Christmas story also appear in a different story about Christ. The story of Christmas reminds
October 26, 2017
Letter from the Publisher
By Jerry Harris Many years ago, I took my immediate family to visit extended family in Maryland. I”m something of a history nut, so I used the opportunity to take everyone to visit Annapolis and walk the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy; we watched the midshipmen walk in formation and toured museums. During that trip, I made an unexpected discovery. After touring the chapel, I noticed a small sign directing people to the “crypt of John Paul Jones.” My family and I proceeded down a stairway to an area directly beneath the chapel. A Marine in dress uniform was
Communion with You
By Randy Gariss If the idea of a one-person wedding seems bizarre, so too does the idea of personal Communion. There are many things in the Christian life you can do on your own. You can study, pray, fast, sing, worship, and serve all by yourself. But why is there not even a hint in Scripture about taking the Lord”s Supper alone? When Christ initiated Communion, it was in a group (Matthew 26). When Communion is described in the book of Acts, it is in a group (Acts 2:42). The same is true in 1 Corinthians. A study of Scripture
March 19, 2017
Uphold the Cause
By T.R. Robertson When I identify myself with the outcasts of society that too many condemn or ignore, I am prepared to serve them in a way that pleases God. This past fall, during the heat of the presidential campaign, yet another political link appeared on my Facebook feed. The gist of the headline was that Muslims were threatening to leave the United States in protest. Typical clickbait””it didn”t tempt me to keep reading for the details. But I did notice the comments from people on Facebook, most of whom probably didn”t read beyond the headline either: “Good-bye!” “Thank the
November 25, 2016
Serving to Be the Church
By James C. Jones These believers are working together to make a difference in their community. Many houses where I live in Illinois are old. The house where I live, for example, was built in 1900. Since the population of many small towns in central Illinois has stayed roughly the same or decreased over the years, few homes are being built. Consequently, many people live in relatively old houses. Because so many houses are old and require continual maintenance, many people struggle to keep up with all that needs to be done. Many houses in our small town have fallen
