November 6, 2025
Proclamation and Persuasion: The Invitation
When the gospel is proclaimed, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction, and people are challenged to respond, they respond.
Articles for tag: Pentecost
September 25, 2023
October 1 | Application (“More to Restore”)
I was brought up in the Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, but I have remained in this tribe by personal choice. . . . But there is still more to restore. . . .
May 30, 2023
What I’ve Learned in Switching to an A Cappella Church of Christ
In the fall of 2020, as COVID restrictions were being eased, my wife and I were church “free agents.” I suggested we try an a cappella congregation I knew in Louisville, Ky. We jumped in, and two years later I joined the staff as involvement minister—a lifelong Christian Church guy now teaching, discipling, and worshipping in four-part harmony. Here are five observations from my experiences serving in an a cappella church. . . .
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Excerpts from 3 Essays About Pentecost
"It is my conviction that the day of Pentecost is the focal point in the history of the world," Wm. E. Sweeney wrote in 1929, ". . . that all the lines of history before that time converge to that great day, and that all the lines of history since that time have diverged." . . .
July 21, 2022
Throwback Thursday: 100 Years Ago in Christian Standard (1922)
We include four short items from the July 22, 1922, issue of CHRISTIAN STANDARD: an editorial on the deity of Jesus, a submitted piece about "Church Letters," two obituaries, and humorous but practical advice for prospective writers.
November 1, 2021
COMPELLED TO CELEBRATE
Expressions of Gratitude Mattered to God and His People in the Old Testament, and They Still Matter Today
December 2, 2020
50 Things I’ve Learned in 50 Years of Preaching
Victor Knowles recommends you ask yourself these questions as you preach or prepare to preach.
May 17, 2020
We’re a Renewal Movement
By Austin Gohn In the fall of 2010 on the campus of Lincoln Christian University, my friend Cody began to feel an urgency about prayer. The “prayer rooms” hidden away in the dark corners of our chapel had become little more than a favorite spot for campus couples. Uncertain of what else to do, Cody declared “squatter’s rights” in an unused room at the geographic heart of our campus, despite the amorphous stain on the carpet and a cartoonish illustration of Christ’s ascension. And we started to pray. Just over a year later, a near constant flow of students buzzed
May 1, 2020
Who Makes the First Move?
By Michael C. Mack The churches in our movement are “devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.” That is stated in the indicia of every issue of Christian Standard—but what about its processes? What can churches today learn from the start of the church on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 about how to plant and grow the church? An Acts 2 church begins in community: “They were all together in one place” (v. 1). Biblical community is the context or environment in which God does his work. This simple act
May 1, 2020
10 Foundation Stones of the Church—No. 1: Baptism
By Jerry Harris An American cultural phenomenon hit late in 2019. Kanye West released a gospel album and simultaneously declared he was dedicating himself to spreading the gospel message. The album, Jesus Is King, debuted at No. 1 and in its first week was streamed more than 200 million times and sold 109,000 copies! People were immediately skeptical, both of the music and the artist. There was no shortage of judgment upon West from the Christian community. The album includes some incredible worship songs, but one stood out, particularly because it addresses a disturbing trend within the church that leaders
March 15, 2020
The Angels: Messengers of Hope at the Empty Tomb
By John Caldwell I have a confession to make. In well over half a century of ministry, I’ve never preached about the angels as they relate to the resurrection of Christ. I have manuscripts of all my Easter sermons, but I’ve searched in vain through scores of them for any significant focus on the angels. I fear that many of us have seen angels only as “bit players” in the Easter story. In reality, however, the angels play a major role. Angels in the Bible Angels have many roles in Scripture, and they would make for an interesting study; after
June 6, 2019
Whatever Happened to Pentecost Sunday?
All will agree that Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, is foundational to the church. Now, here is an observation (not an accusation): We don’t write or talk about Pentecost as much we used to. It’s true both for our magazine and our churches. The index for Christian Standard’s first 100 years shows there were well over 200 articles about Pentecost published during that time. W.E. Sweeney’s keynote address at the 1929 North American Christian Convention was “The Challenge of Pentecost.” A dozen articles about Pentecost were published during 1930, a year in which the 1,900th anniversary of the birth
June 4, 2019
Memory: Weak Yet Powerful
By Stuart Powell Suffering and sorrow stink! Pain—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—is seemingly ever present in our lives, and there often is no good way to deal with it. It never passes quickly enough. Some pain never diminishes. The death of a loved one gives birth to intense and enduring pain. Philip Yancey explained that God gave us memories of those who are absent from this life as a gift to help with the pain. The weakness of our memories is the best weapon we have to combat the pain of loss. Memory is limited, but memory also is a
April 11, 2019
A Sampling of Editorials from April 1939
We go back 80 years with today’s column to see what was being discussed on Christian Standard’s editorial pages on April 8 and 15, 1939. Easter fell during that time—April 9—and of the 13 editorials published during that short span, the longest two focused on Jesus’ resurrection and on the folly of “trying to accomplish the aims of Jesus without the methods or the help of Jesus.” Our next column will center on Easter, but this week we will zero in on some shorter editorials. The subjects of these pieces include: dead churches, Adolf Hitler, Pentecost, and immersion. The first,
October 8, 2018
Lesson for October 14, 2018: The Church Begins (Acts 2:1-11, 22-24, 37-42)
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. 11 (weeks 41–44; October 14—November 4, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ The Bible lessons now follow a scope and sequence prepared by Christian Standard Media. For more information, click here. ______ Lesson Aim: Expect wonderful things to happen when God pours out his Spirit on his people. ______ By Mark Scott On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 God turned a new page in
May 7, 2018
Lesson for May 13, 2018: Bringing Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14, 22)
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. 4 (weeks 17–20; April 29—May 20, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Our laughter and our tears display our hearts, but our calendars and checkbooks display our priorities. God wanted his people to get first things first. This principle related to every category of their lives. A reoccurring phrase in the book of Leviticus is, “I am the Lord.” God’s peoples’ conduct
July 31, 2017
Lesson for August 6, 2017: Called to Witness (Acts 6:1-8)
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 July 30, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Seth Wilson said, “I don”t know about being “˜called,” but I know we”ve all been “˜sent.”” All Christians have been commissioned to witness (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Disciples have been called out of the world only to be sent back into it. Darin Brown from the Journey”s Crossing Church in Germantown, Maryland, said, “You
March 25, 2017
A Woman”s Place
By Tim Harlow In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, many women in the U.S. are feeling devalued. What should be the church”s response? Although many issues were debated during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, gender issues didn”t seem to be at the forefront. Most people seemed prepared for the possibility of a female president. It wasn”t a big deal. Even those who were dead set against Hillary Clinton for president seldom said it was because she”s a woman. And while many people were offended by Donald Trump”s comments and apparent attitudes toward women, they tended to overlook this
January 16, 2017
What Is the Church?
By Mark Scott Ask people on the street, and they”ll come up with many inadequate answers. But what would Christians say? A survey of Bible definitions gives us a clear answer. In the mid-1990s, a few doctor of ministry students from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary hit the streets of Boston, Massachusetts, to interview people. One of the 10 questions they asked was, “What does church bring to mind?” Here are some of the answers: “¢ guilt “¢ obligation “¢ uncomfortable “¢ stuffy “¢ one and one-half hours of complete boredom. Does the church need a better press agent? Did the church
February 26, 2016
Our Target? Everyone
By Eddie Lowen For a long time, I believed every church needed a target group: the irreligious, the unchurched, men, young families, singles, young adults . . . some group that is underrepresented in most established churches. But my thinking has shifted. I am now cautious about identifying target groups. Let me walk you through the New Testament passage that altered my philosophy and shaped our church”s mission language. Acts 10 introduces Cornelius, captain of the Italian Regiment. It”s safe to assume Cornelius looked and sounded much like the soldiers who brutalized and killed Jesus. That unsavory association made Cornelius
