Articles for tag: The Message

July 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Daily Expectation

By John Caldwell (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) My first year at Ozark Bible College, Professor Don DeWelt distributed pieces of card stock to each of us in his Acts class. There were but two words printed on each piece: “PERHAPS TODAY!” He taught us to live each day in eager anticipation of the Lord”s soon return. For years I kept that piece of card stock prominently displayed in my study. Somehow it got lost in one of my moves. But his advice remains a major key to living a holy life. In the

May 24, 2014

Christian Standard

A Statesman, a Theologian, and a Preacher

By LeRoy Lawson   A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America Stacy Schiff New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2005  Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology Eugene Peterson Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005 One Year to Better Preaching: 52 Exercises to Hone Your Skills Daniel Overdorf Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013 Sometimes it pays to look pathetic””or eager””or greedy. I don”t know exactly what my friend saw in my face, but before I left his house that evening he gave me two books. The first was a bit of nonsense featuring

April 4, 2014

Christian Standard

Still We Meet on the Lord”s Day

By Jeff Faull “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. . . . On the Lord”s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet” (Revelation 1:9, 10, author emphasis). Today is the Lord”s Day, but it doesn”t quite seem the same. John was being punished. We are not. John was suffering. We are not. John was alone. We”re not. John was an apostle. We”re not. John was an eyewitness. We”re not But we are trying to listen to God,

January 28, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

After the Fall

By Mark A. Taylor Did you ever fall without anticipating it? No slow-motion loss of balance before your arm flew out to break the impact””you didn”t even realize you had fallen till you were on the ground. That was my experience last week in a restaurant parking lot on a frigid morning. “Oh, I”ve hit my head,” I said, moving to stand up as soon as I landed. I raised my hand to the pain on my pate and brought back a bloody palm. I have to wash my hand, I thought, and walked back inside. Thankfully, a couple of

September 27, 2013

Christian Standard

He Made It to the End, and So Can We

By David Ray One of the ultimate endurance events in all of sports is the Tour de France, a grueling, three-week, 2,200-mile race that runs throughout France. But it”s not simply the distance that creates the fierce challenge, but the towering mountains. The New York Times once compared the race to “running a marathon several days a week for nearly three weeks,” and likened the total mountain ascents to scaling “three Everests.” The last day of the multistaged race sees an international group of cyclists sprint toward a finish line down the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Thousands line the way to

August 23, 2013

Christian Standard

Communion . . . and Humility

By David Timms Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Remember summer camp or church camp? Those late nights raiding other tents or dorms? Those camp meals that looked increasingly familiar as the week went on? The mosquitoes, bugs, and sunburn that made for some uncomfortable moments? But most of all . . . cleanup duties at the end. Remember the scramble not to be assigned the shower and toilet block? Remember the hair, the soap residue, and the scum? It was nasty, and nobody in their right mind would volunteer for that job. We were made for a

June 22, 2013

Christian Standard

Training for Godliness

By Danny R. Von Kanel Approaching the last lap, Allen”s third-place position was typical. We had crossed the countryside to watch him run races, but in the end, there was little drama. Allen, it seemed, finished each two-mile run in third place. But this race would be different. Rounding the curve, Allen pulled even with the second runner. Halfway through the last lap, Allen pulled even with the first-place runner. Then a sprint ensued to the finish line . . . but Allen lost by a nose. Running has application to the Christian life. First Timothy 4:8 says, “For physical

February 23, 2013

Michael C. Mack

Ten Tips for Making Your Groups Less Scary

By Michael C. Mack The first time I attended a small group meeting, I drove around the block several times before finally getting up the nerve to walk up to the door of the host home. This was one of the scariest experiences of my life! I didn”t know what to expect and wondered if I”d fit in. Over the years, I”ve loosened up, and I”ve also learned how to make groups more inviting and accepting for new people. Here are 10 ideas.   1. Pay attention to the timing. When is the best time to invite a friend to

February 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Leadership Proverbs and Models of Change

The Leadership Wisdom of Solomon: 28 Essential Strategies for Leading with Integrity Pat Williams with Jim Denney Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 2010 Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard Chip Heath and Dan Heath New York: Crown Business, 2010 Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology (Two People, One Year, Zero Watts) Eric Brende New York: Harper Perennial, 2004 Of the writing of leadership books there is no end. So much of what you read in one seems to be copied from others of them. In Pat Williams”s The Leadership Wisdom of Solomon, though, what impresses is not that there is

August 31, 2012

Christian Standard

Bigger Issue than Same-Sex Attraction?

By James Engelbrecht Individuals with same-sex attraction make up as much as 6 percent of the male population and 4.5 percent of females (though some studies estimate half that). Those are not insignificant numbers, especially when same-sex attraction involves you or someone you love. Thus began Mark Moore”s February 12, 2012, column, “How Should the Church Relate to Those with Same-Sex Attraction?” Here”s the rub. As a follower of Christ, I hear Christians say: “Keep your nose out of my private life.” “It”s my body.” “Christians aren”t called to be judgmental.” “It”s not a sin. I”m this way due to

June 24, 2012

Christian Standard

What Would Bubba Do?

By Eddie Lowen I”m on the Bubba Bandwagon. This year”s Masters golf tournament concluded on Easter Sunday when a professional golfer named Bubba Watson hit an ultraremarkable winning shot from a grove of pine trees. “Bubba” is a surprising name for a Masters champion, but it”s better than being named “Boo.” Boo Weekley is a fellow pro who, ironically, hails from the same small Florida town as Bubba. Bubba and Boo””they sound like characters from the History Channel reality show Swamp People. But they have become to professional golf what the Blue Collar guys are to comedy. Trust me, their

December 10, 2011

Christian Standard

The Joy of My Heart

By Karla McElroy The Spirit brought to mind the lyrics of “You Are My All in All,” by Dennis Jernigan, this morning, specifically the line about Jesus being “the treasure that I seek.” The lyrics led me straight to Jeremiah”s thoughts about treasure. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16, King James Version). Though I rarely””OK, never””read the KJV anymore, this verse always comes to me in this grand old translation

November 8, 2011

Christian Standard

Using the Word in Worship

By Scott Dyer Just as in any recipe, worship suffers when a key ingredient is missing. I believe a foundational element in God-honoring worship is Scripture. And there are more ways to use Scripture than asking one of the ministers to read it. Here are some ideas we”ve tried. My wife, Vonda, and I are big fans of cooking competition shows. You know, the shows where they pick 15 aspiring chefs and pit them against one another to determine who is the best cook. The shows often put the contestants in difficult challenges that are almost impossible to accomplish, just

August 3, 2011

Christian Standard

An Embarrassment of Riches (Part 2: Four Popular Translations)

By Mark S. Krause Last week we looked at five factors that shape an English translation of the Bible: interpretation, version genealogy, translation theory, audience, and gender-neutral language. This week and next week, we will take a quick look at eight translations.   Popular English Translations There are too many English translations of the Bible to write about each one, but we will focus on a few. In each case, we will look at the presuppositions behind the translation, its audience, and a couple of test verses: Psalm 8:4 and Matthew 16:18. Psalm 8:4 is well-known for its ringing question,

January 20, 2011

Christian Standard

A Birthday Worth Celebrating

By Victor Knowles The King James Version of the Holy Bible will be 400 years old on May 4, 2011. Happy Birthday, KJV! Like many readers of Christian Standard who are 60 and older, I was raised on the King James Version. It was the only Bible we used in church, VBS, or Christian service camps. Not that we were King James Version-only Christians. It just happened the King James Version was the only Bible used in the Midwest where I grew up in the 1950s and “60s. There were very few translations available other than the American Standard Version

October 9, 2010

Christian Standard

Shut Up

By Janet McMahon Have you ever watched one of those dating shows on TV where two people are on their very first date? Invariably, either the guy or girl goes on and on and on talking about himself or herself. It”s painful to watch. In fact, it”s so painful you either must look away, turn the channel, or yell at the TV screen, “Just shut up already!” There is no way the chronic talker is getting a second date. Even though we hate watching someone talk too much, it”s often exactly what many of us do in our relationships. We

August 16, 2010

Christian Standard

Lesson for Aug. 22, 2010: Growing in Joy and Peace (Philippians 4:1-14)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for August 22) is written by Thomas May who serves as discipleship minister with Eastside Christian Church, Jeffersonville, Indiana. Growing in Joy and Peace (Philippians 4:1-14) By Thomas May I recently moved into an office in a just-completed wing of the church building. If you visit, you will find two walls lined with scads of books collected over years of ministry and education. My desk is situated in the midst of the shelves so that when I prepare lessons and sermons, many of the books literally are at my fingertips. But in the

June 27, 2010

Christian Standard

Church Ladies Spotted at Strip Clubs

By Jani Lewis Anyone sitting outside a strip club on Wednesday nights in Lexington, Kentucky, is likely to see three or four women piling out of a van with armloads of food and being welcomed by bouncers who yell, “Here come the church ladies!” For five years the managers and owners of these establishments have allowed us to serve a warm, home-cooked meal to the dancers and staff weekly. Not everyone “gets it”””there are folks in our church who don”t understand why we go, and many people inside the clubs who are just as confused by our presence. We go

March 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Our Money Can Point People to Jesus

By Mark A. Taylor In a day when physical needs are multiplying and some non-Christians ridicule or distrust the church, extravagant giving by Christians is sure to get attention. So it”s no surprise that Waterfront Community Church in Schaumburg, Illinois, has received national coverage. The church gives away each week”s offering! (See this week’s “Buzz.”) But the church didn”t begin the practice to get publicity. According to “servant of pastoral care” Jim Semradek, Waterfront”s strategy is simply to point people to Jesus. In an interview on K-LOVE radio, he said, “Money is a tremendous vehicle to help people consider God.”

August 24, 2008

Christian Standard

Especially in Bible Translation . . . Close Only Counts . . .

By Jeff Miller The list usually begins with horseshoes, followed by a couple clever additions. Thankfully, however, no one has proposed Bible translation as an area where “close only counts.” Indeed, problems with the details of a translated text can nudge a reader off course to the point that accurate understanding is all but impossible. Many Christians and many congregations are engaged in discussions about women in ministry and leadership. While some disagreement is inevitable, we all agree the Bible should drive these discussions. The accuracy of our English Bibles is therefore at the heart of the matter. How can

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