ACTING AND THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
Eric Schansberg reflects on acting, identity, hypocrisy, and spiritual disciplines, considering when “pretending” deforms the soul—and when practice helps form Christlike character.
Articles for tag: Mere Christianity
March 1, 2021
Under the Protection of Truth
Truthfully, brothers and sisters, when did it become so easy to lie? “I am praying for you” (but have you been . . . really?). “I’m running late because there was traffic” (or maybe you just got a late start). “I am going to do that right away” (well . . . perhaps). I recently called our local butcher shop and ordered a 3-pound tomahawk steak for a family celebration dinner, but before I could pick it up, a friend who knew of the celebration plans called to tell me she picked up a standing rib roast for me. I
May 18, 2020
Application for May 24: If Only I Knew Where to Find Him
(This “Application“ column goes with the Bible lesson for May 24, 2020: “I Catch No Glimpse of Him!“) By David Faust Certain things are rare, but you can find them if you know where to look. If you want to see polar bears, you can find them in countries that ring the Arctic Circle. Looking for penguins? Go to Antarctica. Redwood trees? They grow in California. Koalas? Go to Australia. Travel to the right location and you can find rare works of art. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and his Last Supper is on display
We Believe Jesus Is Lord
By John Caldwell The first song I ever learned was “Jesus Loves Me.” The first Bible verse I memorized was John 3:16. I preached my first sermon on that same text; it lasted 10 minutes. When I began my ministry with the infant Kingsway Christian Church, my first sermon was simply entitled “Jesus.” When I retired from that ministry 36 years later, my sermon was “It’s Still Jesus.” If you call me a “Jesus freak,” I’ll consider it a badge of honor. But who is this Jesus? The answer to that question is more important than anything else. Jesus raised
May 28, 2018
Lesson for June 3, 2018: Justice and Sabbath Laws (Matthew 12:1-14)
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. 5 (weeks 21–24; May 27—June 17, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote about the law of fair play. It goes like this. “I gave you a bite of my orange; give me a bite of yours.” Or, “Don’t hit me; I didn’t hit you.” From where did such laws arise? They seem to be innate. It
July 28, 2015
Calm in the Chaos
By Mark A. Taylor How shall we react in times that seem to become more unsettled every week? In a society besieged by gun violence, in a culture increasingly fragmented by political division, in a world where peace seems impossible and conflict far away breeds pain and destruction close to home, what should be the Christian”s outlook? When the media celebrates and the government certifies rights we believe God forbids, and when Christian leaders struggle to find middle ground between the extremes of permissiveness and legalism, where will we take our stand? In blog posts and coffee shop conversations all
Jeff Walling’s Thought Leaders
We asked 35 Christian leaders, “Who is the influencer with the biggest impact on your life and ministry?” Most of these leaders listed several influential thinkers, writers, innovators, and leaders more of us should get to know. This response is from Jeff Walling, founding director of the Youth Leadership Initiative at Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. ________ The thoughts and writings of Tim Keller, John Ortberg, Bob Goff, Thomas Merton, and C.S. Lewis have all been recently impacting how I think about Scripture. While hardly a new name among Christian authors, C.S. Lewis”s words still vibrate with deep spirituality and practical wisdom. Lewis
June 11, 2014
Who Needs Apologetics?
By Chad Ragsdale While attacks abound on faith in general and Christianity in particular, some claim the time for apologetics is past. But I say apologetics will always be relevant and essential for two reasons: the nature of our faith, and the nature of our call. “Apologetics is a wonderful thing,” the guest speaker said. “If you live in the 1950s. And in Kansas.” It was an awkward moment. And not just because the crowd included a large number of Kansas students sometimes sensitive about their home state being used as the universal standard for lameness. But also because it
April 4, 2014
After the Facts
By Jennifer Johnson The men at our church LOVE to study apologetics. I think it”s because they like to argue. One reason I contacted Bob Hall after reading about the apologetics group he created was the wording of the announcement in Velocity Christian Church“s e-news: “This team has kicked off a long-term effort to understand our culture”s perceptions, assumptions, questions and issues that are barriers to faith in Jesus. We”re now assembling well-documented, thoughtful and effective responses and preparing to use them in a respectful way.” The guys at our church aren”t at all disrespectful, but they do have a
October 27, 2011
You Must Read This . . . Timeless Relevance
By Jim Eichenberger Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters Timothy Keller New York: Dutton, 2009 Timothy Keller is well read without coming across as pompous. He strongly defends a biblical faith without being combative. He appeals to young adults despite being 60-plus and bald! A prolific writer of late, Keller defied the common wisdom by planting a church aimed at preaching “muscular” Christianity to a young urban audience in Manhattan. Founded in 1989, the Redeemer Presbyterian Church has more than 5,000 attendees weekly and is the “mother church” of congregations
October 27, 2010
Read a Book!
By Matt Proctor I love books. As a kid, I read everything””westerns, science fiction, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Most kids think Disneyland is “the happiest place on earth,” but for me it was the public library. I was such a bookworm that, when I got in trouble at home, my parents would ground me . . . from reading! It wasn”t until I enrolled at Ozark Christian College that I discovered reading books could actually be a spiritual discipline. Growing up, books were entertainment””a way to feed my imagination, but I had never considered that the right books
November 1, 2009
My ‘Must-Read’ Books
By Contributing Editors This week we publish ideas from leaders who are readers. Below are recommendations of “must-read” books from our contributing editors. Many of them had a difficult time limiting their recommendations to the few we allowed them. How many of their choices have you read? Meanwhile, Publishing Committee member Eddie Lowen wrote an essay this week about three books he recommends. In it, he weaves in examples and principles to describe how reading can change a local ministry. And don”t miss the essay by Contributing Editor Arron Chambers in which he describes how and why he”s written several books. Additionally, Contributing Editor/Publishing
September 6, 2009
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Seeing Ourselves as Others See Us
By LeRoy Lawson Barry Hankins, Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008). Frank Schaeffer, Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back (Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2007). If it hadn”t been for Francis and Frank Schaeffer, the car wouldn”t have hit me and I wouldn”t have gone to the hospital. If the elder Schaeffer hadn”t been such a prominent Christian leader in the 1970s, I wouldn”t have been crossing the street in front of the Indianapolis
December 14, 2008
Reflections from a Bartender”s Son
Chuck Sackett reflects on alcohol, abstinence, moderation, and Christian leadership, urging believers to weigh motives, wisdom, Scripture, family impact, and witness with humility.
August 10, 2008
FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Defending Our Faith, Holding Our Attention
LeRoy Lawson reviews books by Timothy Keller and Charles Colson, weighing their apologetic value against the enduring influence of C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity.
June 29, 2008
Wholehearted Christians
H. Lynn Gardner calls Christians to wholehearted transformation, showing how life in Christ should shape work, words, decisions, character, and every ordinary part of daily living.
