Articles for tag: Reconciliation

January 19, 2015

Christian Standard

Carpet Splitting

By Brian Jennings As a young man still in Bible college, Chuck Thomas was invited to preach at First Christian Church in Gotebo, Oklahoma. The church was searching for a new preacher. Chuck accepted, and drove to the small town the following Sunday. Chuck noticed the church (both the building and the people) seemed split down the middle. Both sides had their own Communion table, and their own elders, who separately prayed and served their half of the congregation. This strange division bewildered Chuck and his wife, Anita. A friendly family invited them over for Sunday lunch. After eating, Chuck

October 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Right and Righteous

By T.R. Robertson The reaction of Christians to a prominent athlete”s admission of homosexuality can provide one clue to how the church is relating to culture. On February 9, Michael Sam, a senior defensive end for the Missouri Tigers football team, publicly “came out” in an ESPN interview. The news went viral nationally. In traditional and social media, Sam was heavily praised for his courage in announcing he is gay. In May, he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and the celebratory kiss with his boyfriend on national TV was replayed many times during the following days. This news

October 14, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Sowing Seeds of Unity

By Mark A. Taylor Two weekends ago (October 5, 6, 2014) I attended the 19th annual gathering of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue, this year in Abilene, Texas. It was a wonderful gathering! I had the privilege of preaching at the Minter Lane Church of Christ before the Dialogue convened, and I enjoyed rich fellowship with members and leaders of all three “streams” of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. The goal of the Dialogue is to foster understanding, trust, and partnership among these “streams”: the Christian churches/churches of Christ (my group); the traditionally a cappella churches of Christ; and the Christian Church (Disciples

August 10, 2014

Christian Standard

What Every College Kid Needs

By Mike Kerrick From a campus minister, ideas for the students in your life. What do you give someone who is going off to college? A new laptop computer? A phone/data upgrade? A devotional book on keeping faith at college, with a nice note inside: “Praying for you every day”? These are all good ideas, especially because they point to the thing needed most in college: healthy relationships. From my experience ministering to college students, let me tell you what I mean.   Healthy Relationships Begin with God According to the Barna group*, up to 61 percent of Christian students

August 5, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Ready to Heal

By Mark A. Taylor Nobody forced Atlanta”s Emory University Hospital last week to accept two patients stricken with the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, Dr. Bruce Ribner, head of the Emory unit treating the sick Americans, welcomed the chance to admit them. Emory, according to Ribner, is one of only four U.S. facilities uniquely equipped to treat such a contagious disease. He told CNN, “We are not going to miss this opportunity.” Hospital staff members congratulated him for accepting the patients, he said. When he explained his decision to his wife, she responded, “Great, that”s what you”ve been dreaming of for

May 21, 2014

Michael C. Mack

The Eternal Impact of a Small Group Leader

By Michael C. Mack This is the time of year many small groups and group leaders make some vital decisions about their futures. Will we take a break over the summer? Will we continue meeting after this month or are we done as a group? Is it time to change our focus as a group? Over the next two months, I want to encourage you as a leader and as a group. It”s easy to lose sight of what God is doing in and through you, and what plans he has for your future. I thank God for Marcus and

February 8, 2014

Christian Standard

From Meager to Eager

By T.R. Robertson When people say they wish they could watch more football, or they wish they could spend more time on the Internet, most of them will actually find a way to do just that. But when the people in your church say they wish they knew the Bible better, will they actually set out to do it? For many, the answer is probably not. But why not? One reason some don”t work at learning the Bible might be they don”t really understand the benefits of being more biblically literate. Sure, they”ll agree it”s important. But in fact, they”re

December 16, 2013

Shawn McMullen

The Father Was There

By Shawn McMullen We see Jesus Christ as the focal point of the final week, the main character in the drama of redemption. From the triumphal entry to the resurrection, our eyes are fixed on him. We picture him during his last days on earth cleansing the temple, teaching the masses, and warning hypocrites. We follow him as he observes the Passover, prays in the garden, and suffers a friend”s betrayal. Our hearts ache over his abandonment, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Following Christ in his final week helps us appreciate the scope of his sacrifice and the depth of his

December 14, 2013

Christian Standard

God Enfleshed

By Miriam Y. Perkins Incarnation is not a word we often use in church settings. It has the intimidating look of a complicated theological term that causes more confusion than clarification. Yet the incarnation sums up three of the most important aspects of Christian faith: the nature of God”s love, the shape of salvation, and the spirit of Christian ministry. The incarnation inspires wonder and delight in knowing and worshipping God, who is beyond all we know and understand and yet is as fully present to us in the person of Jesus as we are one to another. I invite

October 21, 2013

Christian Standard

The Ministry of Christian Scholarship

By Thomas Scott Caulley Nearly 20 years ago, Mark Noll, then a professor at Wheaton College, began his book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, with a simple and provocative assertion: “The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind.”1 He described his work as a “cry of the heart” on behalf of the intellectual life by one “who embraces the Christian faith in an evangelical form.”2 Compared to other religious groups, Evangelicals fare poorly on the intellectual scene. One symptom of this problem, according to Noll, is they support no specifically Evangelical

June 3, 2013

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 9, 2013: Worship with Thanksgiving (Isaiah 12)

By Sam E. Stone The apostle Paul told Christians, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is undoubtedly good advice, but it is often difficult to do. When Isaiah warned the people of God”s coming judgment on the nation of Israel, he gave them a similar message. In last week”s lesson we studied Isaiah”s call to the prophetic ministry (Isaiah 6). The chapters that follow (7-11) foretell the coming of Immanuel, the Messiah. This is good news! But along with these words of hope, Isaiah also described God”s coming punishment for his unbelieving

April 12, 2013

Christian Standard

It”s Hard to E-mail Your Way Through Matthew 18

By Jim Dalrymple It has been said, “Wherever two or more are gathered, there will be conflict.” In today”s digital world, conflict speaks a new language. Yet text tapped out on a screen comes with limitations and liabilities. Let”s face it””e-mails do not convey vocal inflection, and text messages do not allow for body language. It is too easy to fire off e-mails like cannonballs from a ship. All too often such exchanges between two people also bring others into the battle. In my experience with conflict, it is hard to e-mail your way through Matthew 18. In Matthew 18:15-20,

April 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Embracing Conflict, Spreading the Gospel

By Mark A. Taylor As much as we might like to avoid the subject of conflict at church, the fact is we can”t. In fact, if your church is not experiencing conflict now, it”s safe to say it probably has. Or it will. Our best strategy is not to pretend conflict doesn”t exist or to assume all conflict is wrong. Instead, we”ll do well to anticipate conflict and find godly ways to handle it. The first step may be to embrace the potential of conflict. It”s OK to disagree with each other. Too many Christians harbor the notion that unity

February 9, 2013

Christian Standard

Living in Rhythm with Jesus

By Casey Tygrett Let”s face it. We can”t dance. Most of us, anyway. Perhaps you are one of the chosen few who can actually dance, but that takes rhythm. And the kind of rhythm involved in dancing is a gift I was not blessed with. There is no rhythm in this overcommitted and under-paused culture, either. But Jesus offers a solution for that. The rhythm we create for ourselves is fragile and broken and built on selfish foundations that turn and fade with the seasons of our lives. It”s not that our seasons aren”t important, but when we travel the

January 26, 2013

Christian Standard

Sticky Conversations: Homosexuality

THIS IS THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF FIVE “STICKY CONVERSATIONS”   By Casey Tygrett The kingdom of God has an open invitation. Paul talks about it freely, saying that in Christ the distinctions that set up boundaries between us melt into a mist and simply fade away (see Galatians 3:28). The brilliance of Jesus shines brighter than the different tones of our culture, gender, and reputation. I was thinking about this as I talked with a man who had recently started attending our church and had taken all the preliminary steps to get to know us as a church.

October 8, 2012

Christian Standard

The Power of Uncertainty: Find This Book and Read It! (Part 1)

By Gayla Congdon   In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day Mark Batterson Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2006 The book I have read that has impacted me the most in the past few years was In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. The title comes from a story found in 2 Samuel 23:20, 21. On a snowy day during the reign of King David, Benaiah chased a lion down a pit and killed it. The story is timely because we are living in days when fear is consuming us and, I

May 31, 2012

Michael C. Mack

Eight Vital Characteristics of a Life-Changing Small Group Leader

By Michael C. Mack One of the fundamental differences between healthy and unhealthy small groups is the spiritual vitality of the leaders. Healthy leaders have a soft heart that God can use to accomplish his will. While imperfect, they are highly committed first to God, and then to the group. Healthy leaders have the following attributes:   Healthy small group leaders have been transformed. One of your main functions as a small group leader is to build an environment where spiritual transformation is experienced. This happens best when you have first experienced transformation yourself. What happened to Peter and the other

April 26, 2012

Christian Standard

Interview with Mike Bowling

By Paul Boatman Mike Bowling has spent 19 years in ministry with Englewood Christian Church of Indianapolis, Indiana, an inner-city church with an impressive history and a unique present-day witness.   How did inner-city Indianapolis become the place for you to do ministry? I grew up and went to college and seminary in mostly rural East Tennessee. Two influences put me on the track to this place. When I became a Christian at age 15, West Side Christian Church in Elizabethton challenged me to radical discipleship. In seminary, under Dr. Charles Taber, I became enraptured with urban missions. When I

February 14, 2012

Christian Standard

Our Journey with Grace

By Pam Parmenter Two and one-half years ago, on our Monday-morning walk together, my husband confessed to me that he had lied to the elders of our church. Later that day, he confessed to the elders. On the next Sunday evening, he lost his job. He came home with tears in his eyes and said, “Honey, I”m so sorry. I lost my job.” I took his face in my hands and said, “Yes, but look at you. You”re clean.” In that moment, I believe God let me glimpse what he sees when we confess and repent of our sins, because

February 13, 2012

Christian Standard

What We Learned

By Brad Neal I remember feeling the anguish surface again. The pain of dealing with a fractured ministry, and the resulting fallout, all came rushing back when it came time for public restoration. Was this the right course? Would members trust us? The easy path would have been just to leave it in the past.   Take sin seriously. The restoration process takes time. In our case, two years. It takes time for the seed of repentance to bear the fruit of a changed life. It also takes time for those who are hurt to be ready to trust again

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