Articles for tag: Steve Wyatt

September 1, 2023

Christian Standard

When Hope Is What You Want

When Hope Is What You Want

By Steve Wyatt  On the Phoenix campus of the Mayo Clinic—where I received my new kidney—two private streets divide an otherwise massive parking lot. The streets are fittingly named Hope Drive and Healing Drive.   Sometime after my surgery, I stood at the intersection of Hope and Healing drives and observed something remarkable: Although Hope Drive is in the middle of a parking lot, it has zero parking spaces and no off-ramps . . . not even a deceleration lane.   Why? Because, on Hope Drive, you’ve got to, well, drive! Idling in place is not an option. You can’t park, either.

March 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Why the Resurrection Matters

By Steve Wyatt   His name was Cleopas—and he felt hopeless. So did his friend.   These two friends had gone to Jerusalem to join up with Israel’s latest, greatest world-changer—another prophet, this time from Nazareth, who was rumored to be the one who would forever end Rome’s tyrannical reign.   But instead?   Although they had left hopeful, they were returning hopeless. Have you ever been there . . . hopeless?   • Yes, these guys were believers.  • Yes, they had grown to deeply love Jesus.  • Yes, they had dropped everything to follow him.  Here’s the problem: Jesus was trapped behind a huge stone, and

May 14, 2019

Christian Standard

Ranson Closing Out 40-Year Career at Hazelwood Christian

By Jim Nieman Back on May 20, 1979, during his first Sunday as senior minister with Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton, Ind., Steve Ranson had no idea it would be his first of 2,000-plus Sundays there. He was unaware the church had had 31 ministers since its founding in 1910—a span of 69 years. That’s a new minister every two-plus years. “It wasn’t trending well,” Ranson deadpanned. But things worked out, though Ranson now confesses that, early on, he was occasionally at a loss for topics to preach about. “It wasn’t like it is today, with the Internet and so

July 4, 2018

Mark A. Taylor

A Brief History of Restoration Movement Media and Christian Standard Media

Compiled by Shawn McMullen   Christian Standard and The Lookout have a rich history within the Restoration Movement. Christian Standard was first published in 1866; The Lookout was first published as the Young People’s Standard in 1888 and changed to its current name in 1894. Under the umbrella of Standard Publishing, the magazines served Christian churches and churches of Christ across the United States and around the world for a century and a half. Ownership and leadership have changed through the years, but the purpose of the publications has remained the same—to strengthen churches and their leaders through biblical teaching and the promotion of the Restoration

August 28, 2015

Christian Standard

All of Us Have Rocks!

By Steve Wyatt Some successful real estate developers gathered to discuss a possible joint venture. To their surprise, the group”s leader began by describing his most embarrassing failure. He explained how his eagerness to make a killing caused him to overlook one important detail. He added, “I”m more careful now to get all the facts before moving out.” The person beside him admitted he hadn”t always been a genius, either. He once purchased land for development that, unbeknownst to him, was sitting on solid bedrock. But the youngest member was reluctant to share his big flub. Instead, he fumbled around

August 21, 2015

Christian Standard

The Scars That Heal

By Steve Wyatt The venerable apostle Paul was reminiscing about his ministry exploits in a letter to the believers at Galatia. He”s nearing the close of his letter when he suddenly states, rather matter-of-factly, “On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).1 And that”s all he said. No additional embellishment, no “please feel sorry for me.” Just the facts”””I”ve got some scars.” And yet, in the very same paragraph, Paul also said, “But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). You see, Paul had

August 14, 2015

Christian Standard

Reaching Down the Throat of Evil

By Steve Wyatt Bill was walking with his 10-year-old daughter and her small dog. Without warning, a neighbor”s pit bull rushed at his daughter”s dog. Bill quickly lifted his daughter and her pet to the roof of a nearby car, but the pit bull jumped onto the car”s hood and then onto its roof and savagely grabbed the smaller dog by its left hind leg. Bill saw the pit bull release its powerful jaws in an attempt snap at the neck of the smaller dog, so he reached into the pit bull”s mouth and grabbed its tongue. The dog bit

August 7, 2015

Christian Standard

No More Soggy Slippers

By Steve Wyatt It was winter in West Virginia. Snow had freshly fallen and I, a 9-year-old geek if there ever was one, was wearing my cotton-flannel Zorro PJs and a brand-new pair of monster feet slippers. Something happened that was not to my liking (I can”t remember what it was), so I announced I was leaving. Moving out. Running away. No sooner had those words exited my mouth than Dad leaped out of his chair, grabbed a medium-sized suitcase, and proceeded to pack my bag. In less than three minutes, I was standing all alone on the front porch

April 11, 2015

Christian Standard

Way Better

By Steve Wyatt You probably wouldn”t have liked the man I once was””though you might”ve been impressed by my résumé. I certainly was! I sang my first solo at 6, taught a seventh-grade Bible class at 15, preached my first sermon at 16, and was a youth pastor at 19. I served as senior pastor of a multistaff church at 23, and wrote two books by my early 30s while leading a church of 200 to more than 3,500! And all God”s people said . . . ? Big whoop. Back in my former life, I was on most short

April 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Fuzzy Worship

By Steve Wyatt God made us to worship him. Which means we need to get worship right. But at least four factors push worship out of proper focus. The No. 1 reason God gave you his breath is to bring him pleasure. “O Lord. . . . You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist” (Revelation 4:11, New Living Translation, 1996; author”s emphasis). “All things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16, King James Version; author”s emphasis). How much of “everything” is included in “all things?” ALL. Including you! You were made for God.

October 10, 2013

Christian Standard

What I Want to Tell Large Churches

By Steve Wyatt Church planters are quirky and extremely headstrong, loner types who plow into most every “church” conversation with a Mighty Mouse mind-set (“Here I come to save the day!”) They tend to have an overdeveloped sense for “the way things ought to be” and confidence they can make it happen. At least that”s the case before launch day. I can make such seemingly harsh statements because I am a church planter. Church planters, as a tribe, are seriously impaired. Consider Exhibit A: we viciously trash the current church “model”””especially megachurches””but then build our “new and improved” model by

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