Articles for tag: Romans 11

September 4, 2012

Christian Standard

The Whole in Our Gospel

By Tim Harlow The slogan I”m repeating these days: We”re called to bring Heaven to earth and take earth to Heaven. How well are we doing both? I took my dad to the World Series in Detroit in 2006. The Tigers were playing our beloved St. Louis Cardinals (we are lifelong Cardinal fans), and we had connections, so we went. I had never been to Tiger Stadium, so I relied on MapQuest to guide us there. We arrived at a stadium, but it looked pretty old and run down; the lights weren”t on, and there were no cars in the

January 16, 2012

Christian Standard

Lesson for Jan. 22, 2012: Joseph Transmits Abraham”s Promise (Genesis 50)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. ______ By Sam E. Stone Joseph is one of the most outstanding figures in the Old Testament. His life teaches us that the actions of evil people cannot really hurt us as long as we stay true to God and do what he wants us to do. Joseph experienced at least five major temptations during his life: favoritism in the home (Genesis 37:3, 4); bitterness as a slave (39:1); immorality in secret (39:6-12); discouragement at obstacles (39:13-20); and revenge at opportunity

May 15, 2011

Christian Standard

Our Lost Love

By Charles A. Lee The American Christian community is rapidly losing its love for the Bible. Studies by Barna, Gallup, and other pollsters repeatedly uncover a diminishing knowledge of the Bible among Christian adults and a consequent weakening of Bible-focused dialogue in the marketplace. In spite of the clear evidence, many churches are more interested in creating programs, developing relationships, and listening to “heartwarming stories” than in helping adult members develop a pragmatic mastery of God”s Word. Jesus told the religious leaders of his day, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of

July 4, 2010

Christian Standard

“˜Be Nice or Leave!”

By Rick Grover I met with an African-American pastor in our community who told me his church has signs throughout its building that convey one of his church”s values. The signs read: Be Nice or Leave! He indicated his church in the past had a significant challenge with a certain group of longtime members who would run off new people. The established group felt threatened by anybody with new or different ideas. Sound familiar? Rather than dealing with those differences in a healthy, biblical way, members of the group would say critical things and act mean-spirited until those with whom they

September 28, 2008

Christian Standard

Let”s Bring Back Kindness

By Victor M. Parachin A woman wrote an advice columnist to share how a simple act of kindness prompted her to seriously change her lifestyle. Signing herself as “Slimming Fast in Florida,” the woman explained she is one of those “oversized” people who more than fills an airline seat. While on an airplane that was filled nearly to capacity, a “good looking gentleman” sat down in the seat beside her and greeted her with a friendly, “Good morning.” As he buckled his seat belt, he said to the woman, “I always feel cramped in these seats. Would you mind if

September 7, 2008

Christian Standard

Worth the Wait: The Power of Patience

By Victor M. Parachin Agitated that the driver of the car in front of her didn”t go when the light turned green, a woman began screaming and making obscene gestures. Finally, after the light turned yellow, the first driver suddenly accelerated through the intersection, leaving the woman to wait for another green light. The woman was still screaming and pounding her steering wheel when a police officer, with gun drawn, arrested her. After she was searched, photographed, fingerprinted, and placed in a cell for an hour, the same officer came to release her. But first he offered an explanation. “I

December 23, 2007

Christian Standard

The Sign of Peace

By Alan Ahlgrim “Peace on earth, good will to men.” It”s one of the most common refrains of Christmas, and yet one of the most elusive of realities. Conflicts rage all around us. Families are fractured. Friendships are strained. Nations are at war. Christmas is not always a peace-filled time, and yet, peace is the essence of the message of Christmas. I suspect peace is what everyone most wants: peace with God and peace with others. You could receive all sorts of expensive and extravagant gifts this year, but without peace in your heart you will be unfulfilled. If you

December 23, 2007

Christian Standard

“˜Carols” for any Season of Suffering

By Matt Proctor Max Lucado tells of Mrs. Smith, an elderly widow who loved her parakeet Chippy. His songs brightened her lonely days. One day while vacuuming, Mrs. Smith noticed Chippy”s cage was dirty. Opening the little door, she inserted her vacuum hose . . . when the phone rang. As she turned to pick up the phone, the hose shifted slightly and””slurp!””sucked poor Chippy down into the sweeper”s bowels. Horrified, Mrs. Smith dropped the phone, tore open the sweeper bag, and dug through the dirt until she found the now-brown little feathered lump. Chippy wasn”t breathing, so she did

November 25, 2007

Christian Standard

Praying with Tears

By Jan Johnson A frequent cause of traffic jams on highways in my area is the “Looky Lou” habit of drivers who slow down to examine accidents on the side of the road. Usually an ambulance has already arrived so it”s not as if people want to help. They just to want to look. Similarly, when public tragedies occur, we find ourselves hooked on monitoring news coverage. At first, this helps us move through the shock phase of grief, but then it comes to resemble that morbid “Looky Lou” phenomenon. Perhaps we do this because we don”t know what else

July 29, 2007

Christian Standard

Portraits of Mentors: Intentional Tending

By Brian Lowery When I was very young, I tried my hand at gardening. My parents “rented” a little plot of land behind a row of houses down the street from us. We would load our station wagon with whatever tools we needed, and off we went with visions of sweet corn and vine-ripened tomatoes dancing in our heads. At first I was thrilled. There was nothing more exhilarating than seeing a splash of green in a spot that was once ruddy, clotted dirt. I did whatever I could to get the little plants reaching even higher out of the

April 8, 2007

Mark Atteberry

sinner’s prayer

What”s the Debate About?

Is belief alone enough—and is a memorized sinner’s prayer the biblical pattern? Mark Atteberry points to five responses repeatedly seen in Scripture when people accepted Christ, including repentance, confession, baptism, and perseverance.

July 10, 2005

Ben Cachiaras

what is truth

What Is Truth?

Is truth personal preference or something real and knowable? Ben Cachiaras contrasts cultural relativism with Jesus as the standard of truth, urging believers to hold to Scripture and embody truth with conviction and grace.

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