November 8, 2021
Nov. 14 | Grow Up
Ongoing growth was a challenge for the Hebrew Christians. In this section of the Epistle (Hebrews 5:11–6:12), the writer inserted this aside to exhort people to Christian maturity.
Articles for tag: Parable Of The Sower
May 28, 2015
By Christians, for Christians
By Scott Caulley How long has it been since you really read the Gospels? Maybe, like I, you remember stories about Jesus brought to “life” with flannelgraph figures in Sunday school classes. Because of my upbringing, I am blessed with wonderful memories of Jesus with the lost sheep, Jesus with the man born blind, Jesus and the lame man lowered through the roof by his faithful friends. And maybe you, like I, have heard many sermons taken from these Gospel stories. For us, as well as for children, these stories are brief, action filled, and work well as freestanding units.
June 10, 2013
Lesson for June 16, 2013: Worship with Meaning (Isaiah 29)
By Sam E. Stone Each week our lesson planners include a devotional reading that is parallel to the message of the printed text. Their choice for today, Luke 8:9-15, comes from Jesus” parable about the sower. It clarifies and confirms the meaning of Isaiah 29. God is concerned about what we really mean when we say we worship. In Luke 8:10, Jesus quotes a similar passage in Isaiah (6:9) that warns those who are “hearing, but never understanding . . . seeing, but never perceiving.” Lewis Foster notes, “These words do not mean that God desires that some will not
April 27, 2013
Changing Church Culture
By Jim Powell Recently, several leaders from a local church asked to meet with me to discuss their congregation”s decline. They wanted advice on how to turn things around. When I sat down to visit with them, I noticed all of their questions were exclusively programmatic in nature. What kind of music do you play? What do you wear on Sundays? How do you present announcements? Do you serve coffee and doughnuts? There is value in asking such questions because we need to contextualize the gospel, and having relevant methods can make a difference. Yet I was concerned that they
June 20, 2010
Crimes and Misdemeanors (a Parable)
By John Castelein Some movies arrest our imagination the same way parables do. For instance, when I saw Groundhog Day in the theater, I immediately experienced it as a profound parable of repentance. Other movies that have similar parabolic dimensions for me are Amadeus, Forrest Gump, and The Truman Show. Almost as many parables are presented in cinemas today as in sanctuaries. If Christians can use these movies as parables of our shared humanity, hopes, and fears, powerful bridges of communication with nonbelievers can be built. Are you able to use such teachable moments? The movie Crimes and Misdemeanors can be seen as
