April 10, 2023
April 16 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “Sinners Are Invited” (Mark 2:1-17).
Articles for tag: Michael C. Mack
March 27, 2023
April 2 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “The Ordinary Are Invited” (Mark 11:1-19).
March 20, 2023
March 26 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson on “Lead Me to Righteousness” (Amos 5:6-15, 21-24).
March 13, 2023
March 19 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson on “Mend My Brokenness” (Amos 9:5-15).
March 1, 2023
Where Grace Can Be Found
By Michael C. Mack One of my favorite classes in seminary was Doctrine of Grace, taught by Jack Cottrell. It was an introduction for me in my relatively newfound faith to the nature of God, the essence of salvation, and the call of the Christian life. Thirty-five years later, I’m still learning about grace. I see it everywhere, as God’s Spirit opens my eyes and heart to it. It’s found, for example, in Paul’s instructions to husbands on how to love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Paul then described
February 26, 2023
Asbury Student Talks of Gen Z’s Desperation for God in Fox News Interview
Hayley Anderson, who grew up at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville and is now a student at Asbury University, was interviewed by Fox News last week and spoke of Generation Z's desperation for God. “I think what’s so special about this [revival],” Hayley said in the interview, “is that it’s a story about how God has met students where they’re at . . ."
February 20, 2023
February 26 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week's lesson from Nehemiah 10:28-39, "Courage to Restore."
February 17, 2023
Showing Up at Asbury University: What to Expect
What is happening at Asbury University? Is it revival? An awakening? An outpouring of the Spirit? I wanted to see for myself what others have been describing, but, more than that, to experience what God was doing, and, more than that, to be in a place where God’s presence and power and purposes were being displayed. . . .
February 13, 2023
February 19 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week's lesson from Nehemiah 5:1-19, "Courage to Deny Oneself."
February 6, 2023
February 12 | Discovery
Questions for group discussion for use with this week's lesson from Nehemiah 4:1-18, "Courage to Take a Risk."
January 9, 2023
January 15 | It’s Not Easy
God’s people had returned from their exile in Babylon, had rebuilt the altar in the temple, and were laying the foundation of the temple when they ran into a buzz saw. “Enemies” reared their ugly heads (Ezra 4:1). . . .
January 1, 2023
I May Be Wrong
By Michael C. Mack What is truth? We seek to answer that big question in this first issue of 2023 because truth is foundational for our faith, our lives, our churches. This issue is like a seminary course on biblical truth; we seek to answer the most important questions about what it is, how to discern it from untruth, how to live it out, how it affects our worldview, how it relates to grace, how to respond when people question or reject truth, and more. If you don’t usually read Christian Standard cover to cover, you’ll want to do so
December 12, 2022
Restoring Koinonia in Today’s Church
Apparently there has been some debate about the meaning of "koinonia" (Christian fellowship/community) as described in Acts 2:42 and the rest of the New Testament. I didn’t know that . . . until I listened to a recent podcast on the topic. . . .
December 12, 2022
December 18 | Discovery
Matthew 25:31-46 contrasts two groups of people, depicted by Jesus as sheep and goats. . . . What contrasts do you see?
November 28, 2022
December 4 | Discovery
In these passages from Matthew 9 and 10, Jesus tells his disciples three times to “not be afraid.” Why should Jesus’ followers not be afraid to speak about him to others?
November 1, 2022
The Stories God Tells
By Michael C. Mack Who doesn’t love a gripping story of adventure told by a master storyteller? Some of my favorites are epic sagas: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and the like. I was reminded about the adventures of the Pilgrims as I read Bob Russell’s feature article about Thanksgiving in this issue. It’s a true story about religious convictions, bravery, suffering, perseverance, and faith. God uses stories like that to teach us and transform us. It’s why Bob used this and a story about his grandson Charlie in his article, and it’s why I often remind our writers
October 31, 2022
My Deliverer
How do you respond when you face difficulties, dangers, or disease? What would you do if you were “canceled” or faced persecution because of your faith in Jesus?
September 19, 2022
September 25 | Discovery
How do we defile what is holy by bringing what is detestable and worldly into our temples?
September 17, 2022
Jack Cottrell and God’s Plan A+
On Friday evening, after a long battle with cancer, Jack Cottrell, 84, passed from earth to heaven. Dr. Cottrell was professor of theology at Cincinnati Christian University for 48 years. Throughout his life, Dr. Cottrell enjoyed helping others come to a clearer and more specific understanding of biblical and doctrinal issues . . .
September 12, 2022
September 18 | Discovery
Looking at the entire passage (Ezekiel 37:1-14) what does the valley of dry bones and their reanimation represent . . . for Israel? For God’s church today?
