July 8, 2024
July 14 | Discovery Questions
These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, “She Found Courage” (Esther 4:1-17), by Mark Scott.
Articles for tag: Pride
November 7, 2022
November 13 | Application (‘Learning the Art of One-Downmanship’)
Do you ever try to one-up someone and make yourself feel superior? Have you ever engaged in a competitive conversation where, instead of listening well, everyone tried to outdo each other by telling more impressive stories of their own?
November 11, 2019
Lesson for Nov. 17, 2019: Warning! (Isaiah 5:18-28)
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. 12 (weeks 45-48; November 10—December 1, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Turn away from sin, or judgment will come. ________ By Mark Scott The real irritating thing about the bearded guy who carries the sign, “Turn or Burn” is not the beard or the guy—it is the truth of the sign. As much as we may think the sign’s content
July 16, 2019
A Moment
By Stuart Powell By definition, a moment is a very short span of time. The swing of a pendulum,a breath,a sigh,a yawn,a statement;all of them take only a moment. We often dismiss the moments of life as insignificant events. But sometimes such dismissals trivialize the impact those moments can have on our lives. _ _ _ A lot can happen in one moment. There was a moment when perfection and beauty were crippled by an act of pride and selfishness. It was the moment Eve stretched out her hand to receive the forbidden fruit. In a moment, the innocence of
February 25, 2018
Civil Liberty: How Christ Frees Us to Be Civil in Less-than-Civil Times
By Shawn McMullen You’re driving down the highway and notice a silver Honda in the passing lane traveling a few miles per hour below the speed limit, impeding the progress of the gray Toyota behind it. When the Toyota gets a break in the line of traffic, its driver veers quickly into the other lane, moves in front of the Honda, and taps his brakes, causing the driver of the Honda to brake and swerve into the berm. The party of four at their lunch table simply can’t be pleased. They complain loudly to one another throughout the meal: the
May 27, 2017
The Culture of Certainty
By Joe Boyd Something has been gnawing at me for more than a year. It”s been hard to put into words, but it”s a frustration that seems ever present. I feel it when I turn on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. It”s there at work. It”s also present at church. Ever present. Everywhere. For lack of a better way to label it, I”m going to call it the “culture of certainty.” It just seems to me there is no room in any of our political, social, or religious conversations to be unsure, let alone to be wrong. I once heard
April 23, 2017
Fear Knot
By Eddie Lowen How to untangle boldness, fear, and pride. I wonder how Pharaoh and his crew sized up Moses when he barged into their presence. Did Moses look “fresh from the farm” after decades of rural ranching? No doubt, age and circumstance had altered Moses” appearance. Those easy childhood years as adopted grandson of an earlier king were long gone. However, what Moses lacked in fashion and grooming, he overcame with boldness. True, he hedged at the burning bush. Yet something had shifted in him. His presence was amplified by another presence. Aaron went along because Moses lacked confidence as
November 26, 2016
Over Your Skis
By Tim Harlow When we get ahead of God, we”re getting ready to fall. Like you, I cringe every time a pastor flames out. For one thing, I know that there, but for the grace of God, go I. I also know my job just got harder. I know that people look at the fallen pastor, and then look at me and wonder what I”m really like. The apostle James warned us of this reality (James 3:1), but it doesn”t make it any easier when another teacher doesn”t make it. Somewhere, deep inside, we all love hearing stories about someone
Lesson for May 15, 2016: Humble Faith (Luke 18:9-14)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the May 8 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Humility was not prized in the ancient world. It was viewed as weakness. Jesus Christ changed the way that the world looked at humility. Following the incarnation, humility became a virtue. That does not mean the modern world does not struggle with arrogance. An NBA
April 26, 2016
Not Common Enough
By Mark A. Taylor An old friend was catching me up on his career in Internet technology project management. More than once he”s been thrust into dysfunctional situations in companies struggling to reach goals and meet deadlines. These aren”t Christian enterprises, but my friend told me what he”s discovered about how to make progress: “Good management generally is a matter of Christian principles combined with common sense.” Excuses he”s heard: She”s wrong. He”s late. They”re incompetent. “That”s not what we”re going to be about,” he tells employees. “We”re all in the same boat, heading toward the same goal.” Common sense:
Whose Supper Is It?
By J. Michael Shannon In 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, Paul describes the proper attitude to exhibit around the Lord”s table. His admonition is to the church at Corinth, a congregation that desperately needs this message. That church has many problems, more so than most any congregation we might attend today. One of the more serious problems is that it fails to take the Lord”s Supper seriously. Here is a church where the rich will not wait for the poor to arrive for the supper and eat all the food before the actual celebration of the emblems. This is a church where
January 19, 2016
How Low Will You (Let It) Go?
By Mark A. Taylor “Let It Go” is more than the title of a worldwide pop hit song introduced in Disney”s blockbuster film Frozen three years ago. According to Glen Elliott, “let it go” also makes a good theme for every Christian leader, indeed for every Christian. He shared his heart on the subject of humility in a moment for Bible study and prayer at this year”s annual Christian Standard contributing editors retreat last week. He reminded us that both James and Peter admonish us: “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.” He quoted Proverbs 16:18 (“Pride
December 21, 2015
Lesson for December 27, 2015: A Generous Gift (Matthew 23:2″“12; Mark 12:38″“44)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the December 20 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Generous gifts and humble deeds sharply contrast with shrunken hearts and hypocritical actions. Today”s lesson shows that contrast in neon lights. The antagonists in the Gospels (the Pharisees, who were actually greatly respected) contrast sharply with a humble widow who made a most generous gift at
November 25, 2015
All You Can Do
By Jim Tune (This column was first posted November 26, 2014.) In Star Wars: Episode V””The Empire Strikes Back, Luke talks to the ever-wise Yoda about the enormity of his mission. Luke finally says, “All right, I”ll give it a try.” Yoda sagely offers his famous advice: “No! Try not. Do . . . or do not. There is no try.” Yoda was wrong. Sometimes there is no do. There is only try. I am frequently discovering that try is enough. What”s more, there are many things not worth trying or doing! Not everything is up to us. We are
February 27, 2015
The Three Biggest Challenges Facing Christian Leaders
By Michael C. Mack On a recent Facebook discussion of Christian leaders, T. J. Lawson, senior pastor at West Side Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas, asked, “What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Christian leaders?” Here are the three most popular responses: 1. Self. This one was phrased a number of ways: “Christians,” “themselves,” the idea that “if it”s to be it”s up to me,” and “pride.” Leaders and other church members often put themselves and their desires (a form of consumerism) above God and his purposes. This is more than just a challenge; it”s idolatry. 2. Apathy
July 21, 2014
Be More
By LeRoy Lawson (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received? An almost impossible question! When you”ve lived as long as I have, and have sought as much counsel as I have needed, how do you highlight just one bit of advice? I could write a book on the extrabiblical proverbs (from unlicensed, insightful masters of living) that have guided me. Here”s one that would receive a whole chapter of its own in that book: Be more than you seem. When I”m tempted to boast about this or that achievement or
July 19, 2014
The Secret to a Level Head
By Dudley C. Rutherford (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) My dad told me many years ago that whenever someone compliments or criticizes you, you should only believe about 10 percent of it. For example, I”ve had people come up to me after a sermon and tell me it was the best message they”ve ever heard. That”s encouraging to hear, and there might be some truth in their words. But if I allow myself to steep too long in flattering remarks, I”ll eventually drown in my own pride. On the other hand, I”ve had people
Loving God Wholeheartedly
By Indu Lall (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) “God has made us relational beings. He has given us the commandments for our best. When it comes to living a Christian life, “˜love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.”” I received this “best advice“ from my Heavenly Father and my earthly parents. My parents were committed servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. They sacrificially served lepers all of their lives in a very remote village of India. If God wanted them to have an easy, comfortable, happy, luxurious life””and if
July 8, 2014
My Only Hope
By Jim Tune When I read the Gospels, I encounter a Jesus who proclaims peace for the fringe dwellers. Indistinct and frequently offensive, they reached for his cloak, cried out in desperation, or fell forward to make contact with real love. Convention would treat them as nonpersons, insisting they be kept barely visible and hidden behind a veil of shame. But Jesus was unconventional. Life”s losers sense this. They crash the party and find themselves not only accepted, but favored and blessed as well. With Jesus, they get the seats of honor. For someone with as many opportunities as I”ve
‘Are You Being Broken?’
By Kay Moll In his book A Distant Grief, Kefa Sempangi says when he began his ministry in Uganda, he was challenged by some older ministers about the need for continual repentance. One of them would often ask him, “Are you repenting? Are you walking in the light? Are you being broken?” The older minister went on to stress how important it is to be broken, even as Jesus was broken for the world. He said to be broken is to have no pride. If there is pride, there is no confession. If there is no confession, there is no
