January 13, 2026
Tyler McKenzie reacts to Philip Yancey’s moral failure with grief, anger, and sobriety—then points to confession, repentance, and grace. He argues God’s power is often clearest in the humbled and desperate.
December 15, 2025
Here at the Communion table, we gather as wanderers who have come home and are part of God’s forever family: his church.
November 6, 2025
It comes down to this: Do you care? Do you value lost people? Do you have the same compassion for them that Christ had for you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)?
Still healthy, somewhat effective, and obedient to a fault, many churches have lost the passionate vision they once had. Vision has been replaced by tradition, and passion by obedient maintenance.
July 17, 2023
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “Hope in God's Promise” (Jeremiah 32:2, 6-9, 16-27, 36-41).
June 5, 2023
Questions for group discussion for use with this week’s lesson titled “Warning for Idol Worshippers” (Jeremiah 2:1-13, 26-28; 4:1-2).
October 10, 2022
What do you do with a prodigal king? You allow him the privilege of repentance. . . .
May 16, 2022
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin clearly set up the parable of the lost son(s). And all three parables connect back to the criticism of the religious elite in Luke 15:1-2.
May 16, 2022
Have you ever wandered from God and squandered your resources, wondering if the Father would welcome you back? In a sense, it’s every Christian’s story. . . .
May 9, 2022
From this parable, what do you learn about how we should effectively and productively wait for Jesus’ return?
May 1, 2021
There's an incredible connection between in-person church attendance and spiritual, mental, and physical health.
November 23, 2020
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 29, 2020: Seek Reconciliation (Philemon 8-21) ________ By David Faust “I missed you.” I found myself saying those words a lot when the coronavirus pandemic began to ease early this summer. One by one, friends emerged from quarantine. Worshippers inched back to the church building for in-person services. Restaurants reopened. During weeks of lockdown in the spring, I stayed in touch with my granddaughters by phone, text, and Zoom, but I longed to see them face-to-face. I missed the servers at the local deli. I missed visiting patients in the
August 15, 2020
By Megan Rawlings What a time to be alive. This year has handed us unique opportunities that have changed our sense of normalcy. Could these changes become the standard moving forward? I doubt it, but it’s safe to say some changes are here for a while. Take the quarantine, for example. Our routine was roughed up, plans were postponed, and distraction delayed what needed to be done. But there is a positive side to all of this. We were exposed to an eternal truth: Even when the world seems to be falling apart, God has a plan. I have seen
December 25, 2019
Reviewed by Caleb Kaltenbach Tim Harlow excels in ministry leadership. He serves a growing church—Parkview Christian in Chicagoland has gone from 150 to 10,000-plus—mentors countless people, and encourages fellow senior ministers. He has served as president of the North American Christian Convention and authored Life on Mission: God’s People Finding God’s Heart for the World. And he’s done all of this—plus earned a doctorate—while loving his family and displaying courage, humility, and a sense of humor. However, if Harlow were asked what he’s most proud of in his ministry (besides his family), my guess is he’d say, “Leading a church
June 5, 2019
By Jim Nieman Tim Harlow, senior pastor with Parkview Christian Church, Orland Park, Ill., for almost 30 years, has written a new book with the provocative title, What Made Jesus Mad? Rediscover the Blunt, Sarcastic, Passionate Savior of the Bible. In the book, to be released next Tuesday, Harlow explains that Jesus was most angry with people whose attitudes got in the way of his purpose, and he shares what that means for his followers today. He suggests it’s more important to ask, “What made Jesus angry” than the oft-quoted cliché, “What would Jesus do?” Harlow—who cowrote the “Ministry Today”
April 2, 2017
By Jeff Faull It”s difficult to find a follower of God in Scripture who did not take big risks. Look at those who brought Jesus into the world. Look at the first church and the ministry of the apostles. How can our ministries and personal lives follow their example? Famous psychologist Abraham Maslow is best known for his hierarchy of needs pyramid. According to Maslow, the most primal needs we have involve our bodily activities, like breathing, eating, or drinking. Second only to those needs is the basic human desire for security and safety. We are driven by the desire
February 5, 2016
By Jennifer Johnson As a professor of Greek and New Testament at Milligan College in Tennessee, Lee Magness taught about the exegesis and theology of the parable of the prodigal son for decades. But a few years ago he taught a class on “Jesus and the Arts” with his wife, Patricia Magness, and began noticing the great works of art this parable has inspired through the years. “It sparked an idea””to teach a course that approached the parable from both an exegetical and artistic perspective,” he says. “I also added in some work on the sociological background of the story
October 15, 2015
“Let your “˜yes” be “˜yes” and your “˜no” be “˜no.”” What was Jesus saying, and what does it mean to our own quest for integrity? By Casey Tygrett Why is integrity lacking in the church? I don”t believe it comes from not knowing certain sacred doctrines. The great issue is a spiritual formation problem because the formation of the Spirit of Christ within us should shape the action of the Spirit of Christ outside of us. Integrity comes from our mind shifting, our motivations being redirected, and our actions following suit. Jesus speaks about integrity in a passage I have
June 3, 2015
By Jim Tune I once heard a preacher tell of a tormented young woman who attended his church. He described her as being broken in ways so shattering he doubted she”d ever get all of those broken parts fixed. Her father had abandoned the family when she was a young girl. Her longing for a father grew so intense that when other dads in the neighborhood mowed their lawns, she grabbed her rag doll and walked next to them, back and forth, while they cut the grass. She remembered being hopeful every time she heard a lawn mower start because
May 18, 2015
Interview by Mark A. Taylor Dave Ferguson founded Community Christian Church, Naperville, Illinois, with his brother, Jon, 25 years ago. Finding Your Way Back to God was released March 3, and we talked with them shortly before that about the purpose and their dreams for their new book. (The book is now available at Amazon.com.) Why write Finding Your Way Back to God? Jon: As many as 92 percent of people who live in the United States would say they believe in God, but research also tells us the majority of those people feel distant or disconnected from God. We sense a
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok