April 12, 2021
Apr 18 | Application
You’re not a lunatic if you believe in God and accept the truth of the Bible. These are reasonable positions.
Articles for tag: Power
March 23, 2020
Discovery Questions for March 29, 2020
(Click here for a detailed explanation of how to use the Discovery Bible Study.) By Leigh Mackenzie Study Questions for Groups 1. What was challenging for you this past week? (Be as specific as possible.) Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—for their help. Ask the first reader to read Mark 5:1-20 aloud. Then ask the second person to read it aloud again (it may be useful to read it from a different Bible version). Then ask everyone except the reteller to set aside their Bibles and simply listen. Ask the third person to retell (not interpret) the narrative in
September 4, 2019
Key Lay Leaders of First Christian, Evansville, Die in Plane Crash
First Christian Church in Evansville, Ind., suffered the loss of three key lay leaders in a plane crash last week in Montana. Tim Arnold, Grant Weythman, and Allen Eicher were flying in a small plane toward Pinehaven Christian Children’s Ranch in Montana as part of a volunteer missions team when they struck a power line and crashed. According to the Courier & Press, Weythman and Eicher were elders at First Christian, and Arnold was a former elder. They were headed to the children’s ranch to repair broken machinery. “They were very much what we call shepherds—trying to make sure everybody
May 14, 2019
Contemplative Steps
By Stuart Powell On the southern end of the temple mount in Jerusalem is a broad staircase that led throngs of first-century worshippers of Israel’s God to the center of the Jewish faith. The steps were built irregularly and uneven, alternating between long and short treads. This pattern seemed intended to slow down the hectic pace of worship, possibly by directing the pilgrims’ attentions away from social interaction surrounding them. Instead, they focused on what it meant to approach the awesome presence of the Creator. The temple entrance was designed to demand contemplative steps, so that the multitudes passing through
April 19, 2019
How the Mighty Pastors and Preachers Fall
By Jerry Harris The announcement came in mid-January. James MacDonald, founding pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, based in the Chicago area, was taking an immediate and indefinite sabbatical from all preaching and leadership in his ministry. The elders took this action in response to mounting criticism concerning leadership overreach, financial questions, and alleged abuse of staff and members over a 12-year period. Stories of this sort are becoming all-too-common among megachurch pastors . . . and they show no sign of slowing. The churches that provide platforms for these leaders represent tens of thousands of people. High-visibility, powerful-personality pastors and
November 29, 2017
Southern Acres Church Members Sue Lead Pastor
The Lexington Herald-Leader, whose November 22 article provided much of the source material for this post, has written a follow-up. Click here to read, “After lawsuit, more turmoil at Lexington church; Attorney expects pastor to be exonerated,” posted November 29. _________ Two members of Southern Acres Christian Church, Lexington, KY, have sued the lead pastor and his wife to block them from spending church money or making real estate transfers. In their lawsuit, members James Keogh and Chad Martin accuse lead pastor Cameron McDonald of concentrating power and financial authority among himself, his wife, and one staff member, according to
December 25, 2016
Jesus and the Powers
By Joe Boyd We”ve all seen much attention this year given to power and those who possess it. But the church”s attitude toward power is different. Christmas, at its core, is about power. Who holds real power? Where does it come from? How do we get it? All the answers are in the Christmas story, buried under the sentimentality and tradition. The Christmas story shows us true power comes to earth in the humility of a dependent infant. Power comes in the form of an impoverished peasant child. A desperate refugee. A homeless wanderer. Power comes in weakness. This is
February 24, 2016
Safety
By Jim Tune A word has been on my mind lately. I”ve been thinking about what it means for me personally, and as a preacher. The word: safety. I encountered the word in an excellent book, Crucial Conversations. “In order to speak honestly when honesty could easily offend others, we have to find a way to maintain safety,” the book says. “When it”s safe, you can say anything.” We often focus on the content of our conversations, but content isn”t usually what makes or breaks relationships. Safety is. Feeling safe allows us to talk about difficult things and to speak
January 6, 2016
Kingdom Power
By Jim Tune Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water in a basin and began to wash his disciples” feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:3-5). There was never any question regarding appropriate etiquette. It was the privilege of the most powerful person in the room to never need to worry about his
December 28, 2015
Meditating on Love: December 28
By Becky Ahlberg Monday, December 28 Perhaps the greatest Christmas text is also one of the most familiar to Christians: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16, 17). God so loved . . . so “agaped“ the world, he put his privilege, his position, and his power aside and gave. He did what was best for us, not
Plausible Deniability
By Jim Tune In the United Kingdom, members of Parliament have long been allowed to bill taxpayers for the expense of maintaining a second home because they are required to spend time in both London and their home districts. The office responsible for deciding what was reasonable approved nearly every request. Consequently British members of Parliament (MPs) treated it like a big blank check. And because their expenses were hidden from the public, MPs thought they had it made, until a newspaper printed a leaked copy of those expense claims in 2009. Not surprisingly, the MPs had behaved abominably. Many
July 1, 2015
You Will Receive Power
By Jim Tune Luke ends his Gospel with the promise of power from on high (Luke 24:49)””a promise quickly fulfilled with an exclamation mark in the book of Acts, as the Spirit descends on Jesus” disciples at Pentecost. Mark”s Gospel, at least in its longer form, ends with a dramatic promise of signs, of poison swallowed without harm, of snake handling and tongue speaking. So you could be forgiven for harboring expectations of dramatic spiritual ecstasies when the resurrected Christ, invested with all heavenly and earthly authority, promises his presence to the end of the age. Yet the charge Jesus
April 22, 2015
World on Trial
By Jim Tune Henri Nouwen tells about a doctor in Paraguay who spoke out against the oppressive tyranny of the government. The local police took revenge against him by arresting his teenage son and torturing the boy to death. It was a brutal and senseless murder. The boy”s courageous father responded with the most powerful protest imaginable. At the funeral, the father did not have his son”s body cleaned up and embalmed. Instead, he displayed it as he found it in the jail: naked, scarred, twisted, with open wounds from the beatings and burns from cigarette butts. All the villagers
July 17, 2014
A Conversation with Rick Rusaw
Rick Rusaw thinks about how the “externally focused” concept has matured to make a difference these days in whole communities. He describes the power of neighboring and tells how that’s being lived out where he preaches, LifeBridge Christian Church, Longmont, Colorado. Hear his interview with CHRISTIAN STANDARD editor Mark Taylor here.
July 1, 2014
3 Ingredients to Get Men Engaged in the Church
David Morrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church, shares 10 ways to “man up” the church. Here are his top three suggestions: 1. A Manly Senior Minister: Not macho or power-hungry, but someone who projects a healthy masculinity. Men gravitate toward leaders they respect. 2. Excellence: Men will stay away from anything bad, hokey, or half-baked. The church doesn”t need to be perfect, of course, but men do seek out churches that strive for excellence in preaching, music, facilities, and programs. If you can”t do it well, it may be best not to do it at all. 3.
June 12, 2012
What About Workouts?
By Dale Holzbauer Here”s a nonsense syllable to help you achieve your goals: “FID.” Workouts should have frequency, intensity, and duration. F””Frequency. You should work out about three times per week. I worked out as frequently as six times per week when I was in hard training for a fight, and I have worked out as little as twice per week when I was “peaking” for a power lifting meet. I have found that working out three to four times per week allows plenty of time for recuperation and provides good health benefits.  I””Intensity. You must push yourself a bit in order
April 23, 2012
Church Hosts Special Services for “˜Transitionals”
By Jennifer Taylor Because of its warm winters, Florida has a large population “in transition”””people without steady jobs or permanent housing. Since last summer, First Christian Church in Kissimmee has worked to connect with this group in new ways. Each Sunday afternoon, FCC holds a worship service designed especially for the transitional individuals in their community. Around 80 people attend this Community Outreach Service, which includes music led by a praise team and a sermon by preacher Jim Book or another member of the staff. The church provides coffee and refreshments for 30 minutes before each service and treats
April 4, 2011
Focused Group
By Jennifer Taylor Some groups at Pantano Christian Church (Tucson, Arizona) reach the community through outreach or benevolence. PCC”s Disaster Action Team serves Tucson by working to keep its citizens safe. The team, which formed several years ago, is led by Tom Taylor, a retired lieutenant for the sheriff”s office who serves as the church”s director of security and emergency services. “We didn”t try to create something new,” he says. “We partner with existing agencies and organizations to work within their systems. That”s how you get by the yellow tape so you can help.” Because of this collaborative perspective, the
