January 19, 2026
David Faust recalls his relay leg in Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon and the lessons it taught him about endurance, teamwork, and finishing well. The Christian life, like a marathon, calls for perseverance with eyes fixed on Jesus.
December 8, 2025
The focal point during this sacred time of remembrance is the death of our Lord on the cross. As we meet around his table we are in essence commemorating two deaths: Jesus dying for our sins and we, as believers, dying to our sins.
August 11, 2025
In the last two chapters of Philippians the apostle Paul uses panta three times to drive home important points about the Christ-centered life.
March 10, 2025
As we participate in this sacred commemoration of the Lord’s death, may each of us pursue a more intense involvement in the sufferings of Christ.
September 1, 2024
There is something right and beautiful about grateful, healthy patriotism, as long as it is always subject to our greater citizenship and its responsibilities.
April 22, 2024
Jesus Christ is risen indeed! Aren’t you glad? The miracle of Jesus’ resurrection is the turning point of history, the backbone of biblical theology, and the foundation of the Christian faith. . . .
January 9, 2023
The ultimate “Lord’s table” is described as the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).
January 1, 2023
By Michael C. Mack What is truth? We seek to answer that big question in this first issue of 2023 because truth is foundational for our faith, our lives, our churches. This issue is like a seminary course on biblical truth; we seek to answer the most important questions about what it is, how to discern it from untruth, how to live it out, how it affects our worldview, how it relates to grace, how to respond when people question or reject truth, and more. If you don’t usually read Christian Standard cover to cover, you’ll want to do so
November 1, 2022
By Rudy Hagood Have you ever considered how unthinkable it is that we have intimacy with the Spirit of God within our marital unions? The prophet Malachi asked this simple rhetorical question: “Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” (Malachi 2:15, English Standard Version). Your marriage is not simply between two people, but three, since it includes the third person of the godhead. For this reason, I want to talk about the health of our marriages by talking about how we engage God. Since our marital unions consist of three people, knowing
September 1, 2022
By Jeff Faull Who am I? How do I see myself? How do I want to be perceived? Which aspect of my identity is most important to me? Is there a right way or a wrong way to settle these questions as a follower of Jesus? When considering these questions, some people focus on racial, ethnic, or national identity. Others are consumed with sexual or gender identity. Still others emphasize economic, professional, cultural, social, or even religious identity. With the furor over people, politics, passions, pride, power, perceptions, and pronouns, identity always seems to be an issue and an unceasing
April 1, 2021
Imagine being an eyewitness to Jesus’ final days on earth: his entry into Jerusalem, his celebration of Passover with his followers, his trial, death, burial, resurrection, commission, and ascension. Try to put yourself there as part of the crowd or one of his followers or even one of his detractors on the dusty streets of the Holy City. In this issue, we provide nine character studies of people who witnessed these historic events. None were the main characters in Jesus’ passion, but all were vital to the story. (By the way, this is a sequel to last April’s Easter issue.)
February 1, 2021
By Randy Ballinger Striving for immortality sometimes results in strange ideas. As an example, “transhumanism” is a philosophical movement that advocates using technology to modify and enhance the human condition, expand human capacities, and extend human life. To its proponents, the desired end is immortality, potentially outside the human body, as one’s intellect is transferred from the biological brain to a computer. Immortality is possible, but not by means of artificial engineering or far-fetched faith in technology based on human ego. Instead, it is all about Jesus dying in our place so that we may live forever. The Lord’s table
November 1, 2020
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 2020 issue of Christian Standard + The Lookout. (Subscribe to our print edition.) ________ COMPANION RESOURCES “Blame the Leaders?” by David Faust (Lesson Application) Discovery Questions for Nov. 8, 2020 ________ Lesson Aim: Consider the importance of godly leadership in the church. ________ By Mark Scott Traditionally, this past Tuesday has been the day Americans would go to the polls to vote for national and local leaders. By
July 1, 2019
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. 5 (weeks 25-28; June 23–July 14, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Speak up by living with Christ’s values. ______ By Mark Scott In many ways, believers are similar to unbelievers. Both are made in God’s image and therefore have dignity and worth. Both are fallen due to sin and therefore have need of redemption. But they are also very different.
December 1, 2018
By Jerry Harris Besides the actual Christmas story from the Bible, one could argue that the most significant written expression of Christmas is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It’s actually an unlikely story about Christmas. The nightmarish tale features ghosts who haunt a cold-hearted moneylender, making it wholly different from the circumstances of a conventional Christmas. It’s a story about a miserly man who is the master of his own destiny—a curmudgeon with money, position, and reputation. It’s also a story of that same man alone, isolated, dried up, and hateful . . . a man dismissive of his
November 15, 2017
By Charles Gerber Everything changes. If you put macaroni and cheese in a refrigerator for a month, it becomes green and fuzzy. It changes into something unhealthy and nonnutritious. But, while most food items will spoil over time, our past has no expiration date! Everyone wrestles with his past. Oscar Wilde said, “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” But regret is sometimes the reason we try. Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer whose quest was to find the fountain of youth. Was he looking to undo his past mistakes by regaining his youth? The
January 4, 2017
By Jim Tune Much has been written about the psychology of success. Is it talent that enables success? The right connections? A positive mental attitude? In the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth argues that most success stories come down to one vital element: endurance. Toughing it out. Grit. Talent, Duckworth claims, is overrated: “We inadvertently send the message that these other factors””including grit””don”t matter as much as they really do.” Duckworth writes: To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be gritty is to hold fast to an
December 6, 2016
By Mark A. Taylor Because we are trapped in time, always we are challenged to keep in balance the reality of the past, the present, and the future. But throughout life, one of these tends to dominate the other two. For example, both toddlers and young teens are consumed by the present. The 14-year-old verbalizes what the 2-year-old can only demonstrate: “The world is about me. Everyone”s looking at me, and every need I have is supremely important.” By age 22 or 24, many of these difficult people have become ambitious and concerned about establishing themselves in a world full
November 18, 2016
By Diane Stortz Have you ever longed for a clear conscience? A man named Saul had reason to think about this too. Before Saul became a believer, he zealously persecuted Christians””rounding them up and throwing them in prison, standing by as a crowd of angry Jews stoned and killed a young believer named Stephen. Then Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul became Paul the apostle, one of the leaders of the early church and the writer of much of the New Testament. As Paul looked back at his life, he called himself the worst of sinners (1
By Mark A. Taylor Is anybody still using the slogan “Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice”? It used to be standard verbiage in stewardship campaigns raising money to underwrite a budget or build a new auditorium. If the expression is no longer used, I”m not disappointed. Although the phrase does touch the Bible”s principle of proportional giving, I”m a little suspicious of that word sacrifice. After I”ve given a tithe and more, I still can pay for food, clothes, cars, the mortgage, and a vacation. How much would I have to give before the gift would qualify as sacrifice? Perhaps
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June 3, 2026
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