December 19, 2025
The Christmas Gift
Italian missionary Dot Elliot shares a reminder about the greatest gift of all and tells the story of her first Christmas in Italy.
Articles for tag: Music
September 23, 2024
September 29 Study | Bow Down
Worship in heaven is on-going. It never ends—and never gets old.
December 4, 2023
Ozark’s Preaching-Teaching Convention Set for Feb. 19-21
Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Mo., will host its Preaching-Teaching Convention Feb. 19-21. The gathering, which is designed “to help leaders lead better longer,” will feature main sessions, worship, and workshops. This year's theme: “Among the Lions: Trusting in God When You’re Trapped in Babylon.” . . .
August 21, 2023
August 27 | Application (‘The Best Singing Voice of All’)
"Music educates and entertains," David Faust writes. "It stirs our emotions, shapes our moods, and communicates ideas. Music impacts our everyday lives." . . .
July 3, 2023
July 9 | When You’re Not Where You Want to Be
What should you do when your circumstances don’t match your dreams and aspirations? Jeremiah’s message to the exiles can help any of us who find ourselves in uncomfortable situations.
December 18, 2022
An Unprompted Carol Sing at Disney
That night at that Disney amphitheater, Arron Chambers recalls, "I witnessed the uncontainable joy Dad had for Jesus and all things Christmas." (This is the first of eight Christmas reflections Christian leaders will be sharing in the days leading up to the celebration of our Lord's birth.)
October 24, 2022
October 30 | Rooted in Worship
Worship is at the heart of Scripture. Worship was compromised in Eden (Genesis 3:1-19). What we worship is what we become (Hosea 9:10; Romans 1:23). The angel told John to “worship God” (Revelation 22:9). The Old Testament hymnal (the book of Psalms) called God’s people to worship. . . .
July 11, 2022
July 17 | Application (‘So What?’)
Ask Christians if they believe in Jesus’ second coming, and most will say yes. But if we believe in the return of Christ, we must dare to ask, “So what?” The second coming deserves more than a passing nod. In practical terms, how does our expectation of Christ’s return shape our lives?
December 19, 2021
‘It Was Our Time to Shine’
All this week, Christian leaders will be sharing favorite Christmas memories with readers. Today we hear from Johnson University educator Kendi Howells Douglas, who recalls being in children's Christmas programs at her Minnesota church. Check back every morning, through Christmas Day, for more recollections.
August 22, 2019
SPOTLIGHT: Christ’s Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.
By Kelly Carr Christ’s Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a congregation built on rebirth. “Our motto is, ‘It’s OK not to be OK,’” said Jason Kemerly, lead pastor. “Jesus comes to all who are broken and weary, and we’re all broken. But we tell people Jesus doesn’t want you to stay that way. He wants you to find healing and hope.” Every week, Kemerly and his ministry team challenge people to take the next step in their faith. For many, that next step is baptism. Christ’s Church has seen 40 to 45 baptisms per year during the last four
May 22, 2019
Misfitbit
From After Class Podcast It’s time Christians stop obsessing about fitness and start focusing on more important things in life—like sin. This is why we’ve developed an innovative, always-on-call spiritual healthcare consultant. The Misfitbit Sinful Activity Tracker is a technologically advanced wristband that monitors your morality 24/7. Its advanced voice-recognition software detects all verbal indiscretions, including, but not limited to, swearing, yelling in anger, and taking the Lord’s name in vain. The “Super Saint Setting” can also sense white lies and white curses like “darn,” “shoot,” and “heck.” Its übersensitive microphone detects when you are listening to inappropriate music, hanging
March 6, 2019
Milligan Freshman Honored for Volunteerism (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Chris Moon Milligan College freshman Chase McGlamery won a big award for his service to his community and church. McGlamery received the Governor’s Volunteer Stars Award; he was one of 108 honorees this year. McGlamery completed more than 300 hours of community service during 2018, even while acclimating himself to life at Milligan, where he is majoring in communications. In total, he completed more than 1,000 hours of community service during high school. He began volunteering at age 8. Much of his work has involved technology. “Since I was in elementary school, teachers would ask me to help
February 2, 2019
Rewritable
By Brian Jennings “Man, I don’t have any rewritable CDs. I don’t think anyone still has rewritable CDs.” My words failed to calm him down. De-escalation seemed impossible. He got louder and angrier. He took a step forward and I was thinking, It’s about to go down—right here, right now. Twenty minutes earlier I’d asked my friend, José, if he wanted to walk from our office to my favorite lunch spot in the neighborhood. I was in the mood for Korean food—I’m always in the mood for Korean food. About a half-mile of worn-out parking lots and side streets separated
January 3, 2019
Amazing Grace: How One Sunday in a Small, Dying Iowa Church Changed My Life
By Rick Chromey “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me.” I’ve been singing that hymn my whole life, yet never captured what it truly meant until one frigid Sunday morning. I was a student at Nebraska Christian College. For extra money, I’d occasionally preach for churches in need, and this particular weekend, I agreed to speak for a small church about two hours from school. It was a brutally cold Sunday. The tiny, white, clapboard and steepled church was miles from the nearest town, saddled by snowbanks, and guarded by Iowa cornfields. Only a
June 20, 2017
3 Things that Make a Worship Leader Great
By Chuck Dennie It was a beautiful spring day when I pulled into the long driveway of a church that had a large property. The pastor had asked me to spend time with the church”s worship leader. As I approached the building, I saw beautiful landscaping, a well-manicured pond, and someone mowing the grass. I was about an hour early, and the pastor greeted me at the offices. I asked if we could get started early and if he would introduce me to his worship leader. He pointed outside to the guy mowing the grass and said, “There is my worship
September 21, 2016
14 Observations about Church Today
By Jim Tune As a pastor and leader, I”ve noticed some changes in the spiritual climate of North America. Here are some of my observations about the current situation. 1. There”s very little nominalism anymore. This is a good thing. Cultural Christianity is dying. If someone attends church, it”s usually because he or she is investigating Christianity or committed to it. 2. Attending church isn”t on people”s minds. We used to talk about building churches with programs that would attract unbelievers. No matter how good your music, sermons, parking, or programs, most people won”t even think of coming. 3. People
February 5, 2016
Praiseworthy Parable Continues to Inspire
By Jennifer Johnson As a professor of Greek and New Testament at Milligan College in Tennessee, Lee Magness taught about the exegesis and theology of the parable of the prodigal son for decades. But a few years ago he taught a class on “Jesus and the Arts” with his wife, Patricia Magness, and began noticing the great works of art this parable has inspired through the years. “It sparked an idea””to teach a course that approached the parable from both an exegetical and artistic perspective,” he says. “I also added in some work on the sociological background of the story
Dave’s Gone–Now What?
By Joe Boyd Popular culture shows us who we are. It”s a mirror that reflects what we are becoming. So what do we make of Fallon”s rise in the wake of Letterman”s departure? Regardless of how we feel about it, popular culture is a dynamic force that shapes the lives of most Americans. Music, sports, and entertainment are power players that inform the worldview of millions of people both inside and outside the church. It”s simply the reality of the world we live in. The job of the Christian, in my opinion, is to know the culture while understanding that
June 26, 2015
Three Ways to Sing a Common Song
By Mandy Smith For many Christians, singing hymns in a group is still a meaningful experience. An a cappella version of “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” can induce goose bumps, especially when those harmonies chime in on the “A-men.” While we don”t usually dissect the meaning of this practice, there are reasons why singing as a group is powerful. The simple act of singing old songs about God to God with each other reinforces three things that are central to our faith: We are devoted to God through Christ, We are devoted to him together, and We are
March 18, 2015
The Church”s Original Hymnbook
By Jim Tune There is an energy about the Psalms. I love the raw honesty that spills out everywhere as David and others confess their inadequacies, cry out for mercy, or plead for justice to fall viciously on their enemies. The Psalms have a voice of their own. Perhaps that is why the book of Psalms touches me in a way that some others in the Bible do not. A friend once suggested the opposite of Psalms is Romans. I get that. In that rather formal letter, Paul meticulously lays out the foundations of the faith by following a specific
