Articles for tag: Ozark Christian College

January 22, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 28, 2018: A Strong Faith (Daniel 10:10-19)

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 issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Reading Daniel 7-12 is somewhat like reading Jonah 3, 4. We rarely do it. These are often neglected chapters because they are difficult chapters. But they contain important content for both comings of Christ. Daniel would need a strong faith to receive these teachings. This text might be appreciated more thematically if we

January 20, 2018

Christian Standard

HEADLINES: February 2018

By Chris Moon   Kentucky Church Hosts “Drug House Odyssey”  Nicholson Christian Church in Independence, Ky., bypassed the typical church “fall festival” and “trunk-or-treat” event this past Halloween to focus on something scarier. The Northern Kentucky church spent three days in late October hosting what it called “Drug House Odyssey,” an interactive walk through the horrors of drug addiction. According to WLWT Channel 5, the church produced a handful of live-action scenes that played out stories of drug addiction—from a childcare worker suffering an overdose to a teenager finding his mother had overdosed. Kentucky has been particularly hard hit by

January 15, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 21, 2018: A Prayer for an Obedient Faith (Daniel 9:4-8, 15-19)

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 issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Daniel 9 contains one of the most stunning prayers in all of the Bible. It is filled with praise for God’s character and with contrition for God’s people. Daniel was moved by the righteousness of God and emotionally owned the shame of Israel’s sins. What brought about such a moving prayer? Perhaps a

January 8, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 14, 2018: A Bold Faith (Daniel 3:19-23, 26-28)

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 issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The prophet Daniel himself took center stage in last week’s lesson. In this week’s lesson his three friends are at the center of the controversy. We move from food to fire. Another person who actually occupies a large portion of the first chapters of the book of Daniel is Nebuchadnezzar. It seems odd

January 1, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 7, 2018: A Sincere Faith (Daniel 1:8-21)

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 issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  I keep looking for a little dirt on Daniel, but I keep failing. Most every person in the Bible gives evidence of having feet of clay. But Daniel is pretty squeaky clean. God even says to the prophet Ezekiel that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were to strive to deliver Israel, they

December 25, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 31, 2017: Faith to Unite (Ephesians 4:1-16)

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 issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Historians would have to critique this, but perhaps the world is more polarized than ever. On the eve of a new year can we say that the world is united in anything but sin? Sadly, the church is not much better. The answer to the divisive tensions in the world, and to the

December 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 17, 2017: Faith to Persevere (Acts 14:8-11, 19-23)

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 issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Even by today”s standards their first missionary journey was incredibly successful. Paul and Barnabas traveled roughly 1,200 miles in two years and planted six new churches. Considering the rough terrain in Southern Galatia alone makes the trip nothing less than stunning. But it was not just geography that made the first journey challenging.

November 29, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 3, 2017: Faith in Jesus (Acts 3:11-21)

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 issue no. 46″“49 of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Jesus said to his disciples, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). The disciples said to Jesus, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Few things in the Bible are as important as faith in Jesus. Our lessons for this quarter focus on faith””the faith proclaimed by the early church, the example of faith evident in the life of

November 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 26, 2017: Remembering the Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:23-34)

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 issue no. 46″“49 of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  This past Thursday we remembered to thank God for the countless blessings we have. Today we pause to remember Christ”s sacrifice, which inaugurated the new covenant””a subject we have been studying for three months. The special way we do this is by participating in the Lord”s Supper, or Communion.  Marshall Leggett said that our lesson text

November 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 12, 2017: Promise of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:27-34)

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 November 5, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The Bible has a love/hate relationship with old and new. On the one hand, God”s people were to ask for the ancient paths and old ways (Jeremiah 6:16), and even Jesus said that the old wine was best (Luke 5:39). On the other hand, Paul taught that if anyone is in Christ he is

October 23, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 29, 2017: God’s Covenant with the Returned Exiles (Nehemiah 9:32-38; 10:28, 29)

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 October 22, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  More than 500 years had passed since the events of last week”s lesson. The 10 northern tribes had been taken captive by Assyria (722 BC), and the two southern tribes had been taken captive by Babylon (586 BC). But God raised up Cyrus to send the exiles home (Isaiah 45:1). They came home in

October 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 15, 2017: Obeying God’s Law (Exodus 20:18-26)

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 October 8, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Obedience is not Testament specific. Both the Old and New Testaments call God”s people to obey. The Old Testament contains at least 613 commands to obey. The New Testament contains well over 1,000 commands to obey. Obedience is a response to redemption (Exodus 20:2). Obedience helps us learn the mind of God (John 7:17).

September 25, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 1, 2017: God’s Covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:1-6, 17-21)

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 September 24, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God made covenants regarding creation (rainbow), about days (Sabbath), in bodies (circumcision), and within the spiritual parts of bodies (heart)””all last month”s lessons. But he also made covenants with individuals (Abram and David) and with groups of people (ancient Israel and post-exilic Israel)””this month”s lessons. The God of the Bible loves to work an

September 15, 2017

Christian Standard

Headlines: October 2017

Students Equip Toys for Kids with Disabilities Engineering students at Milligan College aren”t content with figuring out how to make things work. They also want to do good for their local community. And so this summer these students gave away two adapted Power Wheels Jeeps to children who cannot move independently. The project was part of a program called “Go Baby Go Appalachia,” overseen by AdaptoPlay, a local nonprofit organization in Johnson City, Tenn. The Jeeps are modified to allow children to use them despite disabilities that make it difficult for them to move. Steering wheels were replaced with joysticks,

September 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 17, 2017: Sabbath Observance (Exodus 31:12-18)

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 September 10, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  God is dead serious about rest. He did it (Genesis 2:2). He commanded his people to do it (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-17). He gave it to the land and animals (v. 14; Leviticus 25:1-7). He gives it to his followers now (Matthew 11:28-30) and eternally (Hebrews 4:9, 10). Heaven is a rest of sorts

August 30, 2017

Christian Standard

We Fear No More

By Jackina Stark John Donne, 17th-century poet and preacher, wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language. His Holy Sonnet X, “Death Be Not Proud,” may be the greatest expression of Christ”s victory over death since Paul wrote, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). When Donne turns to the issue of sin, his poetry isn”t always so victorious. In “Hymn to God the Father,” the speaker asks if God can possibly forgive all of his sin: Wilt Thou forgive that sin, through which I run, And do run

August 28, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 3, 2017: The Rainbow (Genesis 8:20-22; 9:8-17)

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 August 27, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The God of the Bible is a covenant-making God. He makes agreements and contracts (literally “cuts” a deal) with the creation he has made. Our lessons during September will concern some of these covenants (the rainbow, circumcision, the Sabbath, and the Spirit-filled heart). The Hebrew word for covenant, berit, appears 284 times in the Old

August 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 27, 2017: Called to Be Inclusive (Acts 10)

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 August 20, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Years ago we participated in an ordination service for a good ministry friend. The service was held at Broadway Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. The preacher was Dr. Marshall Leggett. His text for the Sunday morning message was Acts 10:1″“11:18. The opening line of the message was, “That door just keeps getting wider.” Reading the

August 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Epic Love, Exorbitant Cost

By Jackina Stark It is said that John Milton, 17th-century poet, arguably the greatest poet of all time, read everything of consequence in English, Latin, Greek, and Italian, and that he knew the Bible by heart. He wanted to use the greatest literary form, the epic, to honor the greatest kingdom and hero of all time. In his unparalleled Paradise Lost (1667), he tried to explain something of God”s ways to man. In book three (of 12), Milton fictionalizes the moment Jesus makes his grand commitment to God and man. God and the Son watch Satan, who is bent on

August 9, 2017

Christian Standard

When I Come to the Cross – Images of Sorrow and Joy

By Jackina Stark Scholars have suggested two details about the cross that I have found intriguing. One has to do with where the cross might have been placed. Some suggest it was not erected at the top of Golgotha but at the base. This is in keeping with crucifixions taking place in busy thoroughfares, but it puts the cross too close to an unconcerned, gawking public for my comfort. It puts it, for that matter, too close to me. The second detail some scholars suggest is that Jesus might have been hung only a few feet above the ground. The

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