Articles for tag: New Birth

What’s in the Water?

By Michael D. McCann When consumed, it hydrates. When boiled, it disinfects. When we bathe in it, our body is cleansed. This simple combination of hydrogen and oxygen, water truly is a precious, versatile commodity. Similarly, the waters of baptism provide the participant with unimaginable benefits. Baptism floods the spirit with divine blessings. And yet baptism is distinct from our daily uses of water that require no special qualification. Atheist and Christian, male and female, king and servant—we all receive the same benefit when water is consumed. But in baptism, the water produces powerful effects promised only to those who

The New Birth

We feature today an editorial on baptism from 1866, the inaugural year of Christian Standard, written by founding editor Isaac Errett. This editorial comes by way of a series of articles published throughout 1909, a year we celebrated “One Hundred Years—A Century of Progress in America’s Greatest Christian Union Movement.” The magazine devoted one issue each month to articles that explained our movement, its history, and our beliefs. Carrying that theme forward another 110 years, we are devoting one “Throwback Thursday” each month to items that appeared in those special issues. Today’s article was published—or republished—in March 13, 1909. I

Lesson for April 16, 2017: Victorious Love (John 19:38-42; 20:1-10; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

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 April 9, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God”s victorious love unites with his resurrection power to bring life out of death. Out of the watery chaotic mass of the earth God brought light (Genesis 1:2, 3). Out of the death of Egyptian bondage God brought a new people (Exodus 14:30, 31). Out of the Babylonian exile God brought a remnant home (Ezra

Pebbles, Rocks, and Water

By Jim Tune Most readers will be familiar with Stephen Covey”s prioritizing system. He urges us to differentiate the truly important from the merely urgent; the essential thing from the merely marginal. Frequently referred to as the “big rocks” illustration, Covey produces a bucket (which symbolizes our life), a few big rocks (which symbolize our most essential priorities), and a bunch of small pebbles (which symbolize the tasks that seem urgent, but ultimately aren”t essential). Covey pours the pebbles into the bucket, and then invites a seminar participant to try to add all of the big rocks. This proves impossible,

Against the Current

By Steve Reeves (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) I have been very fortunate to have Max Hickerson as my mentor in ministry. He has given me much practical advice over the years. While in seminary, he gave these “Notes to Help You Immerse Others into Christ: If you are ever called on to baptize in a creek or river, always have the candidate lie back in the water against the current. Let the current help raise the candidate from the water. Always go into the water of rivers, creeks, or lakes by yourself first

A Brand-New Life

By Mark A. Taylor I bumped into our backyard neighbor at the grocery store, and the conversation went from the price of groceries to the weather to “How are your kids?” And then she told me, “We”ve been going to church.” She had visited our church once, several years ago, but she had never come back. And I always felt she was embarrassed by that. But  now she was smiling. “The girls love it, and the first Sunday my 13-year-old daughter asked if she could go back that night to youth group.” Then her expression became more earnest. “It”s really

Lesson for May 5, 2013: Living Hope (1 Peter 1)

By Sam E. Stone Two letters from the apostle Peter have been preserved for us in the New Testament. Around AD 64 he wrote to Christians living in the region we know as modern Turkey. The churches of Asia Minor were going through great suffering and persecution at this time. Peter wrote to encourage them to live faithfully for the Lord and to view life from an eternal perspective. William Barclay declared, “Of all these General Epistles it is probably true to say that First Peter is the best known and loved, and the most read . . . It

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