December 29, 2025
New Year’s Resolutions Every Christian Should Make
From the Christian Standard archives, Dorothy Errett reminds every Christian of New Year's resolutions we all should make to begin the new year.
Articles for tag: sanctification
March 24, 2025
What Do You Need?
As we come to the table of the Lord, we come to what we truly need the most—to the only Savior, Sanctifier, Lord, and Giver of Eternal Life. Let’s celebrate him today.
March 1, 2023
How Do We Talk About Grace with a Generation That Feels No Guilt?
By Tyler McKenzie As generations of young people emerge who are more different than ever imagined, how should our presentation of God’s grace change? Millennials (those born 1981–96) are assuming leadership. Gen Z (born 1997–2012) is entering the workforce. The youngest of those from Generation Alpha (about 2013–25) are upon the age of accountability. They are the new mission field. From Guilt to Shame One of my hypotheses is that evangelists of the future will shift from presenting grace through a guilt framework to a shame framework. Guilt is, “I did something bad.” Shame is, “I am bad.” While guilt
March 7, 2022
March 13 | The Holy Commandment Exposes My Unholiness!
The law was intended to make God’s people holy. In the end, the law underlined their sinfulness.
February 28, 2022
March 6 | Raised to a Holy Life
Second to love, holiness is probably God’s greatest quality. It is God’s “otherliness,” setting him apart from his creation. . . .
February 14, 2022
Feb. 20 | Called, Justified, Glorified
In Romans 8, everyone and everything is groaning—creation, believers, and the Holy Spirit. But through all the groans, believers know they were called, are being justified, and will be glorified.
January 1, 2022
Wrestling with Deconstruction and Doubt
I recently read a book on the deconstruction of one’s faith called After Doubt by A.J. Swoboda. I’d highly recommend it. In it, he suggests everyone goes through three phases in their faith journey: Construction Deconstruction Reconstruction. The Construction Phase The construction phase is when we first come to faith (usually as kids) and receive what Swoboda calls precritical beliefs. We don’t ask questions, we don’t wonder why, we simply accept what adults teach us. When I was a kid, I was told that Jesus rose, and I believed even though I knew dead people stay dead. I
September 13, 2021
Sept. 19 | Jesus Is a Superior Sacrifice
When Jesus was done, he sat down at the right hand of God. These days, people sit down to work. By contrast, in the ancient world when someone sat down, it meant their work was finished (John 19:30)
June 8, 2020
Has-Beens
By Stuart Powell The term has-been is a demeaning way to describe the diminished status of once-popular personalities—athletes who can no longer compete, actresses who have not aged well, singers whose vocal ranges shrank with their fan base. A has-been’scurrent status is a dim shadow of what it once was. As Christians, maybe we should consider becoming a has-been as a liberation rather than a demotion. Compare the “glory days” of our life prior to knowing Christ with the abundant life of our present faith. Would we willingly adopt the term has-been to become more like Jesus? In 1 Corinthians
August 20, 2019
Washed, Sanctified, Justified
By Stuart Powell As Christians, we must choose how to express ourselves. We all are tempted to display the sins in our relationships with people inside and outside of the faith. Paul wrote about this battle in his letter to the believers in Corinth: Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and
April 25, 2019
God’s Love for a Lost World
We continue our monthly series of excerpts from Christian Standard, circa 1909. The magazine devoted one issue each month that year to articles of particular interest to our movement. Today we feature a sermon by Barton W. Stone, who allied with Alexander Campbell to form the Restoration Movement (aka, the Stone-Campbell Movement). No date is attached to this sermon, which we will prune some, as it is quite long. Here’s Barton W. Stone (1772–1844): _ _ _ God’s Love for a Lost World A Sermon by Barton W. Stone (Published April 10, 1909; p. 6) The love of God is
September 24, 2018
Lesson for September 30, 2018 | Sanctification: Christ Empowers Me (Ephesians 4:1-16)
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. 10 (weeks 37–40; September 16—October 7, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ The Bible lessons now follow a scope and sequence prepared by Christian Standard Media. For more information, click here. ______ Lesson Aim: Sanctified and empowered to serve and build up the body of Christ; serve in love. ______ By Mark Scott According to Dr. James McHenry (Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787),
May 20, 2017
How I Know My Wife Married the Wrong Person
By Tyler McKenzie Today my wife, Lindsay, and I celebrate our five-year anniversary. Five years ago we tied the knot and took the plunge. Five years ago the cutest girl in Indiana was taken off the market! Five years ago we launched the beginning of the rest of our lives. Five years ago . . . And after five years, there”s no more hiding behind the dinner-and-a-movie façade of dating life. I can”t buy enough flowers to conceal it. I can”t open enough doors. I can”t say enough “I love yous.” She knows (and painfully, so do I) that she
April 17, 2017
Lesson for April 23, 2017: Reconciling Love (Romans 5:1-11; 8:31-39)
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 the April 16, 2017, issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott How did the facts of Jesus” death on the cross and his empty tomb set things right between God and humanity? How to articulate the atonement is of great debate among scholars today. Twelve different New Testament words and at least six different models have to be examined. Many of those are in Romans. Romans
July 25, 2016
Lesson for July 31, 2016: From Death to Life (Romans 6:1″“4, 12″“14, 17″“23)
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 the July 24 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott Jesus specializes in bringing life out of death. To the widow”s son at Nain Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” (Luke 7:14). To Jairus”s daughter Jesus said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41). In front of Mary, Martha, and others, Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43).
February 2, 2015
The Beauty of Sex
By Paul E. Boatman For me and most people I know, sex has always been a bit perplexing. Forming a solidly Christian perspective on sexuality seems an elusive goal.  “Sex is dirty. Save it for marriage.” This was how David Seamands once summarized the sex education he received in his Christian family. I recall a vivid moment as a 9-year-old sitting in church with some peers. Randomly skimming the Old Testament, I paused at the Song of Solomon. What I read went beyond stirring my preadolescent curiosity. Right there in the Bible I was reading about a distinctly “sexy” interaction
January 5, 2015
Lesson for January 11: Jesus” Prayer for His Disciples (John 17:1-26)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the January 4 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone The night when Jesus was betrayed was filled with significance. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all reported on “The Last Supper” but included only a brief synopsis of Christ”s teaching that evening. The Gospel of John was written later, however, and includes four long chapters recounting many specific things that Jesus said that evening (John 14″“17). In today”s lesson we study what
April 22, 2013
Lesson for April 28, 2013: The Lord Will Triumph (2 Thessalonians 2)
By Sam E. Stone Paul wrote his first letter to the church in Thessalonica to encourage the new converts and give additional teaching. Last week”s lesson from that letter focused on the certainty of the Lord”s return and the need to be ready for it at all times. A short time later””perhaps six months or so””he wrote them again. In this second letter he corrects their misunderstanding about the return of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) and offers additional encouragement and guidance. Unshaken Believers 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 People in the church at Thessalonica were upset. Paul urged them not to
July 19, 2011
The Holy Spirit and the First-Century Church
By Jack Cottrell The Holy Spirit, as one of the three persons of the Trinity, has been working alongside the Father and the Son since the world began (Genesis 1:2). He was involved in the life of God”s people, Israel, from the days of Moses onward (Numbers 11:17, 25; Isaiah 63:10-12). When the church took the place of Israel as the people of God, the Spirit continued his work and indeed added a new blessing, as indicated in Acts 2. He will continue to work among God”s people throughout this age and in the age everlasting. This essay focuses upon
April 25, 2007
Interview with Dan Gilliam
By Brad Dupray From his youth, Dan Gilliam has been seeking the path to true communion with God. Dan says his new book, God Touches: Finding Faith in the Cracks and Spaces of My Life (recently released by Standard Publishing), “is simply a record of how God has spoken to me in fresh ways through my life experiences.” These stories from Dan”s life illuminate a spiritual journey that causes him to challenge the status quo and seek a simplified expression of church, as found in the New Testament. Dan, a graduate of Cincinnati Christian University, and his wife, Lynn, live
