April 21, 2026
Bring It to Me
A devotional reminder from Matthew 14 and a broken-lighthouse story: when you feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or beyond repair, God’s answer is gracious and steady—“Bring it to me.”
Articles for tag: Restoration
If God’s Power Was Real, Guys Like Philip Yancey Wouldn’t Fail After 55+ Years
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.
August 21, 2023
August 27 | Discovery
These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, “Justified” (Zephaniah 3:9-20), by Mark Scott.
March 9, 2023
THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Lying for the Love of It’ (1907)
This brief anecdote was the shorter, secondary item in J. W. McGarvey’s weekly “Biblical Criticism” column for the issue dated May 11, 1907. It is notable mainly because Restoration Movement pioneer “Raccoon” John Smith plays the pivotal role in the story.
November 1, 2022
The Stories God Tells
By Michael C. Mack Who doesn’t love a gripping story of adventure told by a master storyteller? Some of my favorites are epic sagas: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and the like. I was reminded about the adventures of the Pilgrims as I read Bob Russell’s feature article about Thanksgiving in this issue. It’s a true story about religious convictions, bravery, suffering, perseverance, and faith. God uses stories like that to teach us and transform us. It’s why Bob used this and a story about his grandson Charlie in his article, and it’s why I often remind our writers
September 5, 2022
September 11 | New Heart
Ezekiel continued to prepare the exiles in Babylon for the new days ahead. Now it was time to paint a brighter picture for their future beyond Babylon.
June 13, 2022
June 19 | Experience My Compassion
The picture of God in both Jonah and Joel is one of compassion, which the Lord so wants us to experience.
January 3, 2022
The Look
As we eat and drink, remember that Jesus knows our failures as clearly as he knew Peter’s.
December 21, 2020
Discovery Questions for December 27, 2020
COMPANION RESOURCES Lesson for Dec. 27, 2020: Fulfilled through Hope (Matthew 12:1-23) “He’s Got Your Back” by David Faust (Lesson Application) ________ Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack Leader: Provide extra time for this lesson, especially for question 2 as you recap this past year and question 9 as you plan for next year. 1. What challenge or blessing did you experience last week? 2. What was your biggest challenge and your biggest blessing of 2020? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Matthew 12:1-23 one after the other, preferably from different
January 2, 2020
Eternity with a Child Molester
By Halee Wood Hatred . . . Love. Despair . . . Hope. Rejection . . . Acceptance. Contradictory emotions filled me as I stood face-to-face with a child molester. Despite having been abused by a much older boyresulting in pregnancy and abortion by age 14God had provided me with a story of redemption that sparks emotion and hope, especially among those who share a similar history and for those living with a spouse who shares my experiences. When I share my testimony publicly, it is not uncommon for someone to discreetly wait around until the room is all but
Unbroken
By Beau Bruton Sometimes people talk about the “broken body” of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As horrible as what Jesus went through, to say his body was “broken” is incorrect when taken literally. The Bible describes specifically what happened shortly after Jesus died: Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came
Communion Commotion
From After Class Podcast A kerfuffle at First Church of Christ these last few months shows no signs of abating. During a study on Communion in the early church, the congregation learned that first-century Christians took Communion as part of a community meal at their regular gatherings. First Church, which is committed to restoring the New Testament pattern of worship, now has a potluck each Sunday after church. At about the midpoint of the meal, participants pause to remember the body and blood of Christ by sharing broken bread and the fruit of the vine. Though it has been well
July 31, 2018
Southwest Indiana Restoration Preaching Rally
Here is a poster for the upcoming Southwest Indiana Restoration Preaching Rally.
March 8, 2018
Our Heavenly Father’s Favorite Thing
The True Story of a Defeated Pastor, a Dying Church, and God’s Redemption of Both By Ken Idleman Both the Old and New Testaments reveal something about God that we tend to either quietly doubt or glibly take for granted. We can find it buried in the historical narrative of the book of Jeremiah, who speaks for God, revealing both his heart for and goodwill toward his people: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says . . . “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and
June 23, 2017
Slowly Savored
By Rick Chromey From mainstream Starbucks and neighborhood bistros, the local coffee cup has evolved into a symbol of connection, companionship, and community. The coffee experience is about family and friends, because great coffee naturally takes time. The beans must be roasted and ground. The coffee is percolated, heated, and even specially flavored. And, of course, every cup is sipped and savored to the last drop. Consequently, coffee is the perfect nonalcoholic drink of choice. It”s the ideal beverage for gathering because great community also happens with time. Friendships are grounded and grown. Relationships emerge through connection and communion. In
Feeling Spent?
By Jim Tune I encounter a lot of beat-up people. The general anxiety level in society is high, and it”s easy to feel anxious even in the best of times. Throw in financial, relational, and other stresses, and it”s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whenever I encounter beat-up people, or feel like one myself, I like to remind myself of Isaiah”s picture of Jesus: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:3, English Standard Version). The image of a bruised reed and a faintly burning wick may seem strange at first.
October 20, 2015
When the Leader Fails
By Alan Ahlgrim Integrity failures come in all shapes and sizes, and usually at the most inconvenient times, in the most surprising ways, and from the most unexpected directions. Based on my experience and what I”ve learned from others, here”s my advice for a church coping with a leader”s failure. Over the course of my ministry, here”s just a sample of what I”ve been faced with and forced to lead through. “¢ Confronting the chairman of the elders with his adultery with another visible church member. “¢ Navigating the confession of molestation, as a highly respected leader simultaneously admitted his sin
October 19, 2015
What Does Restoration Look Like?
An interview with John Walker By Alan Ahlgrim What would you like a struggling leader to know? First of all, they need to know they”re not alone. Everyone has struggled, is struggling, or will struggle with a life-limiting or ministry-threatening issue. Everyone. Sadly, too many not only struggle, but fail to the point of falling out. Is there a pattern to the failure situations you”ve seen in ministry? Not really, except to say that to some degree, sooner or later everyone messes up or gets stuck. We”re not about blame, shame, or punishment. We”re concerned about restoration and healing. That”s
July 2, 2015
A Conversation with Mike Baker
North American Christian Convention President Mike Baker interrupted his duties to speak with The Lookout Editor Kelly Carr about his 20-year ministry at Eastview Christian Church and how his perspective on the Restoration Movement has broadened.
January 23, 2015
What about Church Discipline?
By Lise Caldwell Recently I sat down with three remarkable men to discuss church discipline. Howard Brammer, John Samples, and John Caldwell have 150 years of preaching ministry experience between them. All three are retired from “official” full-time ministry, but continue to teach, preach, and guide. From country churches to megachurches, they have watched church discipline succeed, fail to happen, and just plain fail. When I asked them to share their experiences, I heard wonderful stories, much laughter, great humility, and tremendous wisdom. I want to share the best of that here. First, a word about their most recent ministries:
