May 24, 2021
May 30 | Application
God is omnipresent and inescapable. The trouble is, we can be oblivious and distractable. The problem isn’t God’s availability, but our awareness.
Articles for tag: Time
April 21, 2021
Amor Ministries Eager to Resume Short-Term Mission Trips
After a yearlong travel hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the leaders at Amor Ministries are hoping they can begin leading short-term mission trips again in June.
March 15, 2021
Inmates Are First to See Church-Produced Film, ‘A Father’s Fight’
First Capital Christian Church’s first feature-length film received its world premiere last week . . . at the Harrison County Jail in Corydon, Ind. “We really wanted to have the people that we wrote the movie for be the first people to see [it],” said director Tyler Sansom.
February 1, 2021
Feb 7 | Discovery
Study Questions for Groups 1. What was the biggest challenge you faced last week? 2. What did you put into practice from last week’s study? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read James 1:22-27 and James 2:14-26 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to summarize the main points of the passages. 3. Imagine parents instructing their child in a basic command, i.e., “Don’t run into the street” or “Brush your teeth.” Time after time, however, the child disobeys. The parents ask, “Didn’t you hear me?” to which
January 11, 2021
Jan 17 | For Mine Is the Kingdom?
Often I find myself trying to run my own little kingdom—the “kingdom of Dave.” I know that sounds ridiculous, but it won’t sound any better if you substitute your own name in the phrase.
December 31, 2020
‘Have We Plans for 1921?’
"All the Standard asks is the opportunity to serve, and it yearns to render in 1921 the greatest, finest, and best service of its history. . . ."
October 26, 2020
Trimming Around the Edges (Nov. 1 Lesson Application)
This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Nov. 1, 2020: God Is Faithful (2 Timothy 2:11-13; 4:6-8, 16-18) ________ By David Faust I learned a lot of practical lessons on the farm where I grew up. Dad was good at fixing things. I wasn’t. He didn’t have a college degree, but he deserved an honorary doctorate in the school of hard knocks. He knew how to weld metal, mend fences, install electrical wiring, fix leaky water pipes, help a cow give birth, and grow a flourishing garden. He knew his Bible well. Neighbors and church members respected his
September 14, 2020
‘Surely, You Don’t Mean Me?’
By Randy Ballinger When we read the Gospel accounts about the night before Jesus went to the cross, we see words about the institution of the Lord’s Supper: “Do this in remembrance of me”; we remember what Jesus did for us. “For the forgiveness of sins”; this is why Jesus did what he did for us. But we also see words that may trouble us, for they certainly troubled his disciples: “One of you will betray me.” When Jesus revealed that a betrayer was sitting at the table with him, it caused each one of his disciples to consider whether
August 24, 2020
They Forgot
By Stuart Powell The book of Judges begins with the hope that Israel will complete the unfinished work Joshua left them by transforming the land into the dwelling of God’s people. Yet the generations after Joshua learned that living as holy people is not easy. It created conflict between Israel and the people around them. As the Israelites settled into their inherited houses and began gathering the harvests from the adopted gardens, something terrible happened. Judges 3:7 summarizes the tragedy: “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals
August 17, 2020
Discovery Questions for August 23, 2020
Study Questions for Groups By Michael C. Mack 1. What struggles have you faced over the last week? 2. What actions did you take this past week to pass on your faith to the next generation? Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the readers to read Judges 4:1-16 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Ask the third person to retell the story in their own words. Remind them to keep it simple. 3. Imagine we as a group are writing a sermon on this passage. Let’s brainstorm a title for the message! 4. Let’s
July 7, 2020
Discovery Questions for July 12, 2020
(These Discovery questions go with the Bible lesson for July 12, 2020: “Perfect Love Living in Me” For a detailed explanation of how to use Discovery Bible Study, click here.) By Leigh Mackenzie 1. Name one thing for which you are grateful today. 2. What challenges did you encounter last week as you sought to walk in obedience to God’s Word? • Did you share God’s love with anyone this past week? If so, tell us more about it! Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—to help. Ask the two readers to read 1 John 3:24 one after the
June 29, 2020
Declaration
By Stuart Powell In the late 18th century, a colonist began writing a manuscript that summarized the political unrest of his time. He produced a startling declaration read aloud in a political hall in Philadelphia: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
A Listing of Church-Planting Organizations
We have compiled a listing of Church Planting Organizations associated with Christian churches and churches of Christ. Note that organizations often partner on church plants. This list is not a comprehensive count of church plants from the past five years but is meant to demonstrate who is actively planting churches and where. For each church-planting organization, we have listed its location, leader, website and contact information, the region where it plants, and total number of churches planted in the past 5 years. We will update this list at a future time. If your organization should be listed, please provide us
SPOTLIGHT: South Union Christian Church, Bloomington, Indiana
Prayer as a Way of Life . . . and Ministry By Melissa Wuske From the outside, it seems South Union Christian Church caught a lucky break—but minister Jim Cain and his church know different. The church was outgrowing its building, unsure what to do next, when it received a donation of 83 acres right off the highway in December 2018. Location has always been a challenge for the church, which is still waiting to move to its new site. “We are currently four miles off the highway, out in the country next to a stone quarry,” said Cain, who
April 12, 2020
Discovery Questions for April 19, 2020
(Click here for a detailed explanation of how to use the Discovery Bible Study.) By Leigh Mackenzie Study Questions for Groups 1. With whom did you share the message and hope of Resurrection last week? 2. From this past week, what are you thankful for? (Be specific . . . more than, “I’m thankful for a good day” or “a great family.”) Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—for their help. Ask the first reader to read John 21:1-14, 24, 25 aloud. Then ask the second person to read it again, perhaps from a different version. Ask the third person
April 6, 2020
Discovery Questions for April 12, 2020
(Click here for a detailed explanation of how to use the Discovery Bible Study.) By Leigh Mackenzie Study Questions for Groups 1. If you had the opportunity this past week to share Jesus’ miracle of feeding more than 5,000 people with someone, how did that go? 2. What challenges did you face last week? (Be specific!) Ask three people—two readers and one reteller—for their help. Ask the first reader to read John 11:17-27 aloud. Then ask the second person to read it again, perhaps from a different version. Ask the third person to retell the narrative in about 60 seconds
December 22, 2019
A Strange Birthday Celebration
(This essay by John Greenlee appeared on p. 7 of the December 19, 1982, issue of Christian Standard. At that time, Greenlee served as minister with First Christian Church, Thousand Oaks, Calif.) A true story of Christmas . . . There was once a great king. His love for his people knew no limits. Although the kingdom was very large, the king knew every person by name. Everything the people of the kingdom had was a gift freely given by the loving king. So, to show their love and appreciation to the king for all he had done for them,
November 26, 2019
When the Unlimited Takes on Limitations
By L. Mackenzie Consider an Olympic triathlete becoming a paraplegic or the world’s greatest scientist diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. What is more tragic than someone with so much potential suddenly becoming limited or cut off from what they were created to be? They suffer, and the world suffers with them. When something great becomes severely limited by earthly circumstances—this is tragedy. What of Jesus? He who was infinite, outside of time and space, over and above all, knowing and in control of every aspect of the universe, was born an infant child. How can the infinite take on a limited form?
November 12, 2019
Impressions
By Beau Bruton We all have people we look up to for one reason or another. After meeting someone, it’s common to say, “They made a good impression on me.” The word impression can mean your first thoughts on someone, mimicry of someone, or the imprint of something. Many people look up to the rich and famous—musicians, athletes, movie stars, and sometimes politicians. People of note leave indelible marks on society, sometimes for good things but often for bad. Kirk Franklin sings, “America has no more stars, now we call them idols.” (He obviously is referring to TV’s American Idol.)
September 24, 2019
Happy New Year!
By Jon Wren Tonight [September 29, 2019] marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah literally means a “day of shouting or blasting of horns” by the priests. The year begins anew, and according to Jewish tradition, over the next 10 days, the people’s deeds are examined and weighed by God. The culmination of the 10-day observance is Yom Kippur. Historically, on that final day, the sinful deeds of the people were symbolically placed on a literal “scapegoat” that would be sacrificed by the priests so the sins of the past year would be
