THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘When Is a Church Not a Church?’ (1967)
"When is a church not a church?" an Iowa preacher wrote in 1967. "A church is no longer a church when it becomes a club. . . . A church is no longer a church when it becomes a bank." . . .
Articles for tag: Obedience To Christ
August 21, 2023
Salvation in Jesus
Jesus lived so that his death would not be for his own guilt, but for the guilt of others. . . .
July 1, 2023
Death by Faith
By Megan Rawlings It was frigid. The winter break had seemed to last forever. I had just arrived back at the Bible college campus in the rolling hills of Kentucky. My appetite for knowledge was growing. My classes that semester were mainly general education, but the Bible classes I took over those few months truly deepened my devotion to Jesus and his Word. I entered one particular class and sat midway back, where I would appear neither as eager as the people in front of me nor as uninterested as those behind me. The professor entered the room and asked,
January 3, 2022
Jan. 9 | Discovery
In Romans 2:1-16, what comparisons and contrasts did Paul make between Jews and Gentiles?
April 5, 2021
Apr 11 | Discovery
What is the difference between being devoted to Jesus and being devoted to religious forms and practices?
September 12, 2019
‘What Does It Mean to Be a Real Christian?’
Christian Standard pushed a program called Christian Action from 1934 to 1943 that James DeForest Murch—a name familiar to many—started “as a means of restoring the spiritual vitality in the church during this time of great social upheaval” (from an article about Murch by Jim Estep, available at www.biola.edu). Perhaps some day we will devote an entire column to Christian Action—and/or to Murch—but today we will focus on a “letter” Murch wrote 85 years ago that was part of that week’s Christian Action section. It seeks to answer this important question: “What does it mean to be a real Christian?”
March 22, 2016
Where Will God Use You Best?
By Mark A. Taylor “Do you believe you”re serving in the place God can use you best?” A friend surprised me with that question several years ago. And maybe I was equally surprised by my answer. “Yes,” I said. My guess is that many Christians, certainly many Christian leaders, are a lot like me. We think about that question too little. We choose ministries like a young professional plotting his next career move. How will this job position me to work later for the kind of church I really want to serve? Does it pay more than I”m earning now?
Enough Is Enough
See related article, “A Call to Sacrifice.” ________ By Jennifer Johnson Each time I move I”m keenly aware of how much junk I own. As I prepared to leave Nashville and join Matt in Philadelphia two years ago, my fourth move in 10 years, I was amazed at how much I”d accumulated””14 antique china plates and three matching cups (Grandma was prone to dropping things). Dozens of books I fully intend to read. Half-used hair products. Barbie dolls with complete outfits. The original packaging for Standard Publishing”s 1984 VBS craft kit featuring my smiling face. So, some seriously good stuff.
April 29, 2013
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
