April 18, 2022
April 24 | Application
The road of life is littered with perils. Often, we manage to glide over the hazards and keep going, but a small nail can lead to a slow leak or a major blowout in our relationship with God.
Articles for tag: Spiritual Warfare
March 7, 2022
March 13 | Discovery
How would you summarize the struggle between the desire to do good and the allurement of evil?
Pastors Are Quitting; What We Can Do to Help
Pastors in Restoration Movement churches quit at an alarming rate. According to research from the Christian Church Leadership Network, 70 percent of Bible college graduates in the Restoration Movement leave pastoral ministry within the first 10 years.* That means 7 out of 10 current Bible college students called to pastoral ministry in this movement probably will not last a decade. How might we better develop and grow healthy leaders? In what ways might we support the leaders we already have so they last a lifetime in ministry? The future of our movement and the health of our churches is at
September 28, 2021
Possible Errors in Practicing Apologetics
"I believe we can make at least two errors in practicing apologetics," writes Chad Ragsdale. "The first error is when we forget the purpose of apologetics. Apologetics is a servant of evangelism and discipleship. . . ."
July 1, 2021
The Elder’s Role in Leading Through Conflict
A primary responsibility among leaders should be to successfully handle conflict and the disunity it can so easily create.
April 1, 2021
One Victory
History is full of victories. Some, like the Super Bowl, are watched by millions of fully committed fans only to be forgotten the next year by all but the most committed. Some victories actually turn the tide of history from one empire to another, leaving those who follow to speculate on what might have happened had the battle been lost and the tide not turned. Some victors are heralded as the greatest of all time but are later found to have cheated to gain an unfair advantage. Some victories change the course of history but are completely forgotten by later
September 7, 2020
How to Have a Good Fight (Sept. 13 Lesson Application)
This “Application“ column goes with the Bible Lesson for Sept. 13, 2020: “Fight” (1 Timothy 1:12-19; 6:11-16) ________ By David Faust Ironically, it was a fighter who informed us that peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Paul compared himself to a boxer throwing punches (1 Corinthians 9:26). He saw the Christian life as a battle against dark spiritual powers (Ephesians 6:12). As death approached, he said, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). Not all fights are good. Some are petty or even humorous. The author Kevin Leman quips, “My wife and I live in
February 24, 2020
Lesson for March 1, 2020: Anointed to Heal (Luke 4:14-20, 31-44)
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. 3 (weeks 9-12; March 1-22, 2020) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ________ Lesson Aim: Bring your heartaches and brokenness to Jesus for his healing. ________ By Mark Scott Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35). Jesus was ordained by the Holy Spirit at his baptism (Luke 3:22). Jesus returned from his wilderness temptations by the devil in the power of
June 10, 2019
Lesson for June 16, 2019: Strong in Him (Ephesians 6:10-20)
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. 5 (weeks 21-24; May 26–June 16, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Stand strong in the power of the Lord against the forces of evil. ______ By Mark Scott The scholar Oscar Cullmann distinguished Good Friday from the Second Coming with an analogy. He likened Calvary to D-Day and the Second Coming to V-Day. D-Day was a decisive battle in WWII
May 22, 2019
When We Go to War in Our Movement
By Jerry Harris This past April, my wife and I had the opportunity to preach and teach at Hope Christian Church near Augusta, West Virginia. Like most, I am now fully dependent on a GPS to direct my driving in unfamiliar places, so when I heard Siri say we could save 18 minutes by taking an alternative route around an accident, I jumped at the chance. The new path took us through switchback mountain roads—not a pleasurable experience for my wife, who struggles a bit with car sickness. The detour took us right by Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a very
February 27, 2019
‘Run the Race’ an Exercise in Perseverance for Filmmaker
By Chris Moon Last Friday was more than a decade in the making for Trey Brunson. The communications director at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville watched as a film he helped produce, Run the Race, opened in theaters nationwide. The movie was coproduced by Tim and Robby Tebow and marks their first venture into filmmaking. “It doesn’t even seem real,” Brunson told Christian Standard. Brunson and his friend Jake McEntire were students in 2004 at Dallas Baptist University when McEntire came up with the idea for the movie—about two brothers trying to get out of their hometown and the working
September 28, 2018
Richard Baxter: Timeless Advice
E2: Effective Elders Blog Editor’s Note: Each Friday we publish a new blog post from our partners in ministry, E2: Effective Elders. We publish it here simultaneous to E2’s posting on their site. The leaders of E2 write an article for our print and online magazine every month as well. Those articles are full of wisdom and practical help for elders. Please check them out! _____ By Larry Carter Richard Baxter, a preacher who lived in the 1600s, wrote a book to help church leaders understand the nature and task of ministry. Among his many wise instructions and observations in The
May 22, 2018
Battlefield Sacrifice
By Rick Chromey This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer, but it’s also when we pause to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Since 1970, the last Monday of May has been designated as Memorial Day. It’s an annual sacred holiday to remember our fallen soldiers. Jesus taught his disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Friends will do that for friends. A friend will honorably take a bullet for a buddy, but those who serve in our military often die for people they
November 10, 2017
Elders Champion MissionsÂ
By David Roadcup  An effective elder-shepherd team connects to the missions initiative of the congregation. Elders should be the greatest proponents for mission service in the body of Christ. By following Jesus” marching orders, we can facilitate and support the missions outreach of our churches in the most effective way possible. Good elder teams are involved in missions!  In Acts 20:17-38, Paul, who is on his way to Jerusalem, arrives by ship at Miletus and calls for the Ephesian church elders to join him there. (Paul had planted and nurtured the Ephesian church.) When the elders arrive, Paul involves them
The Devil, the Disbeliever, and the Politicians
By LeRoy Lawson Reviving Old Scratch: Demons and the Devil for Doubters and the Disenchanted Richard Beck Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016 Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense Francis Spufford New York: HarperOne, 2014 The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan Rick Perlstein New York: Simon and Schuster, 2015 What should we do when faith falters, either our faith in God or our faith in no God? Either loss is a life-changer. Like most serious believers, I have had my own doubts. I am not alone. Some of my best friends have
March 14, 2016
Eat, Pray, Love?
By T.R. Robertson Is there a difference in the way we Christians talk about calling versus how the rest of our culture pursues calling? It”s certain many outside the church today have great interest in calling and identity. How can Christians be missionally purposeful in relating to that interest, especially when non-Christians may talk about calling with the same words Christians use? Oprah Winfrey is a touchstone of all that is popular in the culture at large. If it”s cool, she”ll be talking about it. If it”s not cool yet, she makes it cool by bringing it up. Winfrey has
January 24, 2016
Protecting Your PK
By Angela Sanders I am a minister”s wife. I have the scars to prove it, but my children don”t. Not because they didn”t see. Not because they didn”t hear. Not because we lied to them. We didn”t. Hunter and Hope came through an enemy attack on their family by church members with their optimism, faith, and desire to serve the body intact. This was possible only because a few who had successfully waded through the murky waters of vocational ministry ahead of us were selfless enough to take us by the hand and teach us to survive and thrive””and maintain
November 1, 2015
Going Short
How one congregation prepares people for short-term trips and helps them see how they are part of a much bigger picture. By Tom Moen We use a document at Mountain Christian Church called “The Anatomy of a Short-Term Mission Trip” to help our people understand the gravity, depth, and commitment involved in getting the team ready to go, serve well, and return home to continue the mission. This information illustrates the great investment of time that goes into making a GO Team trip work. The team leaders and church staff work together to lead the team participants through this process. Our hope
February 16, 2015
Lesson for February 22, 2015: Clothed and Ready (Ephesians 6:10-20)
This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the February 15 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone Today we complete this quarter”s survey of practical help for Christian living. Having considered such themes as worship, prayer, and stewardship, we now focus on the reality of the believer”s battle with the devil. William Hendriksen pointed out Paul”s emphasis on the source of power for believers: “Apart from Christ, Christians can accomplish nothing at all (John 15:1-5). They are like
August 14, 2014
The Apostle Paul’s Top 21 Leadership Character Traits
By Michael C. Mack Acts 20 contains 21 character traits of the apostle Paul. Look over this list, and then take time to assess yourself as a leader. Which three to five of these are you doing well? Now, identify three to five traits missing or in short supply with you. Huddle up with a few other leaders and share what you’ve discovered. Paul’s character traits: 1. Humility (v. 19). 2. Possessing a Servant’s heart (v. 19). 3. Integrity. Never hesitated to preach the Word, no matter what the consequences (v. 20). 4. Committed. Devoted to teaching God’s Word regardless
