October 27, 2025
When Tolerance Goes Too Far
This is the fourth in a series of weekly articles based on Christ’s letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. This week’s church is Thyatira.
Articles for tag: Opinion
May 2, 2025
Unbeknownst to Me
Even when your efforts are unbeknownst to others, the Lord knows. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10).
April 29, 2025
Are You Lovesick?
Not surprisingly, love is listed first among the Fruit of the Spirit because love is the fertile soil where other virtues thrive and grow.
October 21, 2024
October 27 Application | End-Time Principles Christians Can Agree On
Revelation 13 is a challenging chapter, but it contains straightforward, relevant principles Christians can agree about even if they hold different eschatological views.
March 28, 2024
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Easter Church Attendance’ (1949)
"This Lord’s Day will find nearly all the churches having the largest crowds of the year," editor Burris Butler wrote in 1949. "It has become almost proverbial that many people attend church on Easter Sunday who never come at any other time" . . .
March 18, 2024
March 24 | Discovery Questions
These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, "Communion" (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), by Mark Scott.
March 1, 2024
The Resurrection: A Personal Encounter
By Renee Mitchell In the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, nobody had more fascinating experiences (in my opinion) than Mary Magdalene. Not only was she the first person to see the risen Lord, but we can model our walk with the Lord today on her personal journey with Jesus. JESUS AS HEALER Mary Magdalene is first mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as one of the women accompanying Jesus on his travels throughout various cities and villages. We see an example of Jesus’ healing power in Luke 8:2 which says he cast seven demons out of Mary; his first relationship with
February 12, 2024
Feb. 18 Application | ‘Blind Spots’
How could they miss it? How could the Pharisees interact so closely with Jesus but fail to recognize him as God’s Son? His miracles weren’t done in a corner. . . .
November 30, 2023
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Characteristics of Thomas Campbell’ (1909)
Alexander Campbell provided this description of his father, Thomas Campbell, in a volume called "Memoirs of Elder Thomas Campbell," published in 1861. Almost 50 years later, Christian Standard extracted and published this short portion . . .
November 1, 2023
The Lies and the Truth About God’s Love
By Jerry Harris This is the time of year for thankfulness, celebration, joy, and love, but it also can be a time of loneliness and longing, discouragement and depression. We may think this is a product of our own minds and circumstances, but something more sinister is at work. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul described a constant spiritual onslaught that is happening behind the scenes; it’s a battle for our hearts and minds that must be defended with the truth of God’s Word, especially as the enemy tries to rob us of that which God has richly provided. First Corinthians
January 24, 2022
Jan. 30 | Righteous Relationships
Faith that does not produce faithfulness is not worth a fig. The new right standing with God that has been created by the gospel has a practical side. Doctrine always shows up in duty. . . .
December 6, 2021
The Cross of Christmas
A little child leads us this Christmas season—straight to the cross.
December 21, 2020
God’s Ways
By Stuart Powell Have you ever thought you were the last to hear about something important? Why is that? Do you lack influence or political connections? Is your opinion not valued because of your lowly social status? Do you live in the wrong neighborhood? If the emptiness of your life is exposed by these questions, you are in good company. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the
June 14, 2020
Unity Despite Politics
By Megan Rawlings We’re entering that time of year. We are inundated with campaign signs, slogans, brochures, and TV ads. Candidates are making promises, doing their best to make their competitors look bad, and trying to convince the public that they are the right person for the job. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Serious disagreements erupt in the public arena, and even believers get caught up in the drama. But how are we, as Christians, supposed to politely express our political opinions without offending others? Good Manners Had Bad Results Etiquette books fascinate me. I read them and study how
May 20, 2020
Unser Jr. to Share with Indiana Church (Plus News Briefs)
Compiled by Jim Nieman and Chris Moon Auto racing fans know that “the greatest spectacle in racing”—the Indianapolis 500—won’t be taking place as originally planned this Sunday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but all racing fans have the option of watching two-time winner Al Unser Jr. interviewed that day by John Dickerson, lead pastor of Connection Pointe Christian Church, Brownsburg, Ind. The interview will be part of the church’s weekend services both Saturday and Sunday. It will be viewable at connectionpointe.org/life and Facebook Live. The theme is “When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned.” Dickerson recently told Fox-59 TV that Unser
August 22, 2019
Returning to Palestine
It can be fascinating to read an editorial from an old issue of Christian Standard and consider biblical history that preceded it and world history that has occurred since. Such is the case with this piece from 140 years ago. One important note: We don’t believe the editor’s reference to the Jewish people as “the hated race” was intended as a personal slur. Instead, we think he meant to describe the anti-Semitic opinion held by many in the world at that time in history. Sadly, some of these feelings and rhetoric remain today. _ _ _ Jews in Jerusalem An
August 15, 2019
‘Our Plea for Union Differs from All Others’
Here is the eighth in our monthly series of excerpts from Christian Standard, circa 1909, a year the magazine devoted an issue each month to articles of particular interest to our movement. This editorial from 1871 is a simple but eloquent primer (surely written by Isaac Errett) about what it means to be a New Testament Christian. _ _ _ Union of Christians An editorial originally published Sept. 23, 1871;republished on p. 12, Aug. 14, 1909 Our plea for union differs from all others. It knows nothing of human policy or human invention. It simply proposes to go back to
April 24, 2019
What Do Attendance Numbers Represent?
By Jerry Harris More than a year ago, I wrote a publisherâ™s column called âThe Tyranny of Numbers.â As a senior pastor, when I review reports of numbers representing baptisms and budgets, and especially attendance, it has a great personal effect on me. Affirming words are a primary love language for many pastors, and since attendance, on its surface, seems to be a measure of affirmation, numbers that represent attendance feel like a metric of worth. I think thatâ™s one reason some pastors choose not to report their churchâ™s attendance and baptism numbers (along with other statistics) for annual surveys
February 28, 2018
Leading Through Conflict
By Jim Estep Elders are no strangers to church fires, and by that I mean the conflicts that occur far too often in our congregations. Whether the conflicts involve leaders, staff, individuals, or groups, we often find ourselves ill-prepared to understand them and ill-equipped to respond to them. As elders, we need to understand the fires of conflict so we can ease confusion and help extinguish them when they flare up. Understanding Conflict in the Church Here are some facts about church conflict. Fires are inevitable. No church is immune to conflict, so be aware of it and alert
Questions and Answers about Refugees and Resettlement
By Kevin Lines Who are refugees and displaced persons? They are men, women, and children fleeing war, persecution, and political upheaval. They are uprooted with little warning and endure great hardship during their flight. They are displaced when they are forced to flee their homes, but remain within the borders of their native country. They become refugees when they cross borders and seek safety in another country. The United Nations” 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by its 1967 Protocol, defines a refugee as a person who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for
