Christian Standard | November/December 2023 by Christian Standard Media

fr o m th e pu bli sh er

The Lies and the Truth About God’s Love

his is the time of year for thankfulness, celebration, joy, and love, but it also can be a time of loneliness and longing, discouragement and depression. We may think this is a product of our own minds and circumstances, but something more sinister is at work. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul described a constant spiritual onslaught that is happening behind the scenes; it’s a battle for our hearts and minds that must be defended with the truth of God’s Word, especially as the enemy tries to rob us of that which God has richly provided. First Corinthians 13 is more than just a passage read at weddings, it’s also a description of perfect love; and since God is defined as love, it’s a perfect description of him. Let’s use this chapter—specifically verses 4-8—to expose Satan’s lies by bringing them into the light. The lie: God is sick and tired of you and your constant whining, complaining, and failing.

The truth: God is patient. The lie: God is punishing you because of the mess you’ve made of your life. You disgust him. The truth: God is kind. The lie: God just wants to take away your fun and your freedom. He doesn’t want you to be happy. The truth: God does not envy. The lie: Who can be like God anyway? He’s so much better than you. You don’t deserve him! The truth: God does not boast. The lie: God is ashamed of you. You never stop making him look bad.

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The truth: God is not proud. The lie: You deserve whatever you get. You made your bed; now lie in it. The truth: God does not dishonor others. The lie: Just think of how you’ve wasted your life and the many opportunities you’ve missed. What a failure you are. The truth: God is not self-seeking. The lie: How could God feel anything but anger toward you? He never gets a break from your stupid choices. The truth: God is not easily angered. The lie: There’s just too much in your life to be forgiven. Forgiveness is for people who are better than you. The truth: God keeps no record of wrongs. The lie: God is looking for an opportunity to judge you. Someday, you’re going to pay for what you’ve done. The truth: God doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God has abandoned you. No, God always protects. God is suspicious of you. No, God always trusts. God has given up on you. No, God always hopes. God is tired of you. No, God always perseveres.

when you feel helpless, his love remains steadfast and strong. Even when you feel hopeless, God’s love is fresh and new every day (Lamentations 3:20-23)! God loves you just as you are, even while you’re still sinning (Romans 5:8). He loves you even when you feel ruined and dead inside (Ephesians 2:4-5). God loves you enough not to keep you the way you are (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). His love will direct you out of your old life into the new one he has made for you (2 Corinthians 5:17). And God will give you what you need to feel loved and be loving to others (Romans 5:5). God’s love will not abandon you. His love can take your fear away (1 John 4:18). You cannot be separated from God’s love (Romans 8:35, 37-39). His love will shield you, protect you, and keep you safe (Psalm 5:11-12). And God’s love doesn’t just come to you and stop; rather, it moves through you to others. His love empowers you to love others (John 13:34), and your love for others will strengthen your ability to love God even more (1 John 4:9-12)! When you accept the truth about God and who he is, you can begin to accept the truth of who you are in his sight. You are precious to him, but an enemy wants to destroy your opinion of yourself, others, and ultimately God. But here’s the greater truth: Jesus defeated that enemy by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. In doing this, Jesus paid your debt and set you free. The alreadydefeated Satan relies solely on lies. Don’t listen to him. You are loved! 

God has failed you. No, God never fails. God’s love for you is personal because he considers you his child (1 John 3:1). God’s love is personal because he has adopted you into his family (Ephesians 1:5). The personal nature of his love is measured at the cross (John 3:16). God’s love can get through your pain. He loves you through your suffering and hurting (Psalm 31:7). Even

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and teaching pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris /jerrydharris

CHRISTIAN STANDARD FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.

team Jerry Harris, Publisher Michael C. Mack, Editor Jim Nieman, Managing Editor Abby Wittler, Designer Renee Little, Operations Allison Harris, Marketing + Advertising Christine Reiner, Customer Service

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LO VE

Ben Simms

‘ A S I H AV E L OV E D YO U ’ Steve Poe

L OV E I S A L WAY S A C H O I C E Gary L. Johnson

THE ADVENT OF JESUS INTO A WICKED WORLD Mike Mack

A C H R I S T I A N S TA N D A R D R E P O R T O N O U R C O L L E G E S : ‘ S TAY I N G T R U E ? ’ Chris Moon

F I G H T I N G F O R R E L AT I O N S H I P S Ben Cachiaras

IS IT TIME FOR A NEW R E S TO R AT I O N M O V E M E N T ? ( PA R T 2 )

Jim Putman

34 40

In Every Issue

HOW TO LEAD WITH LOVE . . . WITHOUT COMPROMISING TRUTH

2-3

from the publisher

6-7

from the Editor

10-11

BOLD

12-13

e 2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS

44 48 54

Agape Love in the Life of an Elder David Roadcup

14-16

MIKE, YOU WILL BE MISSED

Jim Nieman

’Tis the Season for Justice Tyler McKenzie

20-21

24-25

INTENTIONAL

26-27

PREACH

28-29

METRICS

94-95

the lookout

76 80

REMEMBERING OUR EDITOR

R E AC T I O N S TO M I K E M AC K’S PAS S I N G

Jerry Harris

ENGAGE

MICHAEL C. MACK (1960—2023) A L WAY S W I L L I N G TO S T E P O U T I N FA I T H

The Best Next Step In A Crisis Megan Rawlings

HORIZONS A Lifetime of Dedication Laura McKillip Wood

Never Alone: The Power and Importance of Oneness Oshar ye Hagood

Preaching with Depth Chris Philbeck

Evangelism Matters Kent E. Fillinger

f r o m th e edi to r

Inaccurate Assumptions About Evangelism and Christians

hen I became a follower of Jesus 35 years ago, I had several faulty assumptions about Christianity. I thought, for instance, that everyone who followed Christ shared their faith in him faithfully and frequently with others. I actually believed evangelism was the norm in the church! After all, the Bible says Jesus commanded it, and the early church practiced it regularly. And several Christians had shared their faith with me. So, I did the same.

As I got more involved in the church, I found that my assumption was mostly inaccurate. For many of the Christians I met, evangelism was neither a lifestyle nor a priority; they seemed uninterested and unprepared to tell others about their Savior. I was surprised that they were much more interested in fellowshipping with other Christians than being a witness to non-Christians. Truthfully, as a new Christian, this attitude of the church was a huge turnoff for me. But my passion both for God’s church and reaching the lost spurred me on to do something. I had read more than a dozen books on evangelism and found a couple corresponding

studies, which I used to teach others in small groups and in elective classes. In one class, about six weeks into an eight-week session, we paired up to practice sharing our testimonies and the gospel. One of the pairs I put together consisted of Shirley, an older woman with a very mature faith, and Linda, whom I didn’t know well. Shirley went first, and when she finished, she announced that Linda had just accepted Christ. I had no idea Linda was not yet a Christian—after all, she was taking a class about how to share her faith! We ended the class and went upstairs where Shirley immersed Linda into Christ as the rest of our class and a few others cheered. (By the way, Shirley continued to disciple Linda in her faith after that.) I love that true story. But I can also tell less joyful stories from classes I’ve taught. At another church, in a Sunday school class of senior adults, I asked each person to write on an index card the names of three non-Christians from their sphere

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of influence. Several of the class members struggled to come up with three names, and one couldn’t come up with even one—and she was the pastor’s mom! All her family and friends were Christians. Someone asked about her hairdresser. Christian. Her neighbors? Christians. A checkout person at the grocery? “I don’t know them or really talk to them.” This woman, whom most would consider an upstanding follower of Jesus, was not following his most mission-critical command. She had become so insulated in the Christian community that she didn’t have any relationships outside the church. My reaction to this at the time was simply, “Ugh.” However . . . Over the years, the more I hung around church people, the more I became like them. My priorities shifted. I was friends with non-Christians, but my passion for the lost became dulled by the herd mentality. Ugh. God’s love for us compelled him to not leave us in our sin and separation from him. His love led him to send his Son from his perfect—and, I assume, comfortable— heavenly dwelling to a wicked and wretched world to save us from condemnation. But do we love people enough to tell them about Jesus and his love for us? If not, Christ’s love should at least compel us, as Paul wrote, to persuade others. Because of Christ’s love for us, he has reconciled us and has given each of us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-19). Keeping God’s love to ourselves should not even be an option for us. I confess my apathy toward Christ’s commission and command. I repent of my lukewarmness regarding the lost. I’m done with the holy huddle and playing it safe. I’m going back to the love and passion I had at first when I became a Christ follower.

How can Christ followers be expected to obey Christ’s commands and commission to make disciples if church leaders are not encouraging and equipping them to do so? The problem is not with non-Christians or their supposed disinterest in God or animosity toward Christians who talk about him. Fillinger cites research that shows that most unbelievers “are open to hearing about faith when someone can show it matters or when it is shared by someone who matters to them.” Fillinger quotes evangelism professor Alvin Reid: “Lost people are more amazed at our silence than offended by our message.” Christ gave us, the leaders of his church, the responsibility “to equip his people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:12). When the mission isn’t being accomplished in the church, it’s either because people are stubborn and disobedient or because they’re not being envisioned and equipped. I believe the problem today is the latter. I encourage preachers to move beyond preaching the good news to lost people who wander into our buildings—or our online platforms—once or twice a week . . . and begin (again) to envision, encourage, and equip our people to share their faith with the unbelieving people all around them seven days a week. Keep doing this until the church is doing what Jesus built it to do. The world needs Jesus. Jesus needs his church to do what he has called us to do. Let’s restore the New Testament model and practice of evangelism so it once again will be the norm for the body of Christ. 

Will you commit to go with me? The church needs it. In his Metrics column in this issue, Kent Fillinger provides stats from recent years which demonstrate that our churches mostly are not talking about sharing our faith with others or teaching believers (or even unbelievers!) how to do so.

This is Michael C. Mack’s final From the Editor column. He died unexpectedly Aug. 24 while mountain biking in Colorado. He had served as editor for six years. Read our special section about Mike (pp. 76-89). A full obituary is available at www.newcomerkentuckiana.com (search “Michael Mack”).

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BOLD

hen I was in my twenties, I experienced what I now refer to as my “quarter life crisis.” Looking back, I suspect that many of my friends who had recently graduated college or just started their lives as adults in the workforce were also going through this existential crisis. The pressure of knowing what I would do for the rest of my life was one of the heaviest pressures I have experienced to date.

MY ‘CALLING’

THE BEST NEXT STEP IN A CRISIS By Megan Rawlings

I started college with the “calling” to be a medical missionary. I was under the impression that my purpose in God’s kingdom was to assist people in times of crisis, such as famine and natural disasters. Imagine my surprise when, during my clinicals, the unpleasant smells related to sickness and disease forced me to lean my head out of the window in the nurse’s station. The potent smells were overwhelming for my receptive nose, causing me to feel incredibly nauseous. Every week I thought it would get better, but it only grew worse. How could this be? Would God call me to do something I had to physically struggle to accomplish? Sure, he would, I thought to myself, he called Jonah to go to a pagan nation and preach repentance. The problem was, I am not Jonah, and all “callings” aren’t met with drastic opposition. Please do not misunderstand. I had a friend once tell me she felt a nudge toward youth ministry but couldn’t commit to it because teens “aren’t her thing.” I laughed and said, “Well, it looks like you know what you’re supposed to do.” She is now a primary volunteer mentoring female teens in her church’s youth group. God can call us to things we don’t necessarily want to do, and he can call us to things we are over the moon about. I felt devastated on the last day of my clinical. I knew this was not what I was supposed to be doing. I remember the phone call to my mother. “Mom, I don’t think this is it.” “Well, Meg, what are you going to do?” That was the question, wasn’t it? I felt a nudge toward women’s ministry but thought it would be too complicated. Nearly every woman who has felt called to women’s ministry will know what I mean by that. I disregarded it, believing that God was leading me to fulfill a greater purpose. As a millennial I felt special, and I held the strong conviction that I was going to do something extraordinary for God. I believed he would lead me to a ministry of national influence. While my youthful arrogance may seem humorous to some, I believe it to be the underlying cause of the crisis I mentioned earlier.

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Through years of prayer, trial, and error, I have come to understand that the calling God has on our lives is not solely about us.

PERSISTENCE

Let’s fast-forward a few years. I was attempting to navigate the women’s ministry God entrusted to me. In a conversation with a friend, I expressed uncertainty about God’s plans for us. “It seems as though he is silent,” I murmured. As I looked to the ground in self-pity, she uttered one of the most profound statements I have ever heard: “Continue to carry out the most recent instruction given to you by him.” The idea’s simplicity is astonishing and its depth is unparalleled. When you find yourself in a situation where it seems like God is not providing an answer or an opportunity that you have earnestly prayed for, continue to faithfully follow the last instruction he gave you. It’s easy to get distracted by novel and enticing things . . . to participate in ministries or capitalize on opportunities that promise to be successful and thrive. Ultimately, however, it’s our duty to be consistent and steadfast. God has charged us to be persistent and to complete the assignments he has given us. I think about the words of Jesus, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).

abou t the au thor

What has God told you to do? Are you actively doing it in a way that honors him? Continue to run the race as if to win the prize. 

“

God has charged us to be persistent and to complete the assignments he has given us.

Megan Rawlings is the vice president of planned giving with The Solomon Foundation. She is CEO of The Bold Movement and works with 1801 Media, Inc. She attends Christ's Community Church in Portsmouth, Ohio, where her husband serves as teaching pastor. /tbmministry @tbm_ministry @tbm_ministry @theboldmovement theboldmovement.com

e 2: e ffe ct i v e e ld e r s

ornerstones were critical in the architecture of the ancient world. A cornerstone was traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones set in reference to it. Thus, a cornerstone determined the position of the entire structure. Cornerstones have been around for millennia. A poorly crafted or placed cornerstone can compromise an entire structure. In the life of an elder or church leader, several critical cornerstones need to be identified, grown, and matured. Examples include these: •

A heart totally surrendered to Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23-24)

•

An attitude of service, especially regarding successfully shepherding the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1; John 21:15-17)

Agape Love in the Life of an Elder

•

A commitment to striving daily to effectively reflect and represent our Commander, Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:13-16)

By David Roadcup

•

A commitment to focusing our life, service, and ministry on love (Colossians 3:12-14)

P o w e r f u l a n d I m pa c t i n g L o v e Scripture uses four Greek words for love: eros (extreme self-gratification), storge (love for family), filos (an emotional love for family and close friends), and agape (a devotion to the other’s good that comes from a decision of the human will, intellect, and spirit).

“

Agape is the most powerful and impacting type of love mentioned in Scripture. Agape is “the unconditional, self-giving love that seeks the highest good of the other person without asking anything in return.” Agape is a decision of the mind and intellect as opposed to an emotional response. Some commentators describe agape as “intellectual goodwill.” When we express agape to others, we do so from a spirit of discernment, understanding, and concern.

W o r k t o r e m o v e b i t t e r ne s s , a n g e r , a nd m a l i c e a s y o u s e e k t he hi g he s t g o o d o f t he p e r s o n w h o o f f e nd e d y o u. L o v e y o ur e ne mie s a s Je s u s ta u g h t.

Agape love is more about thinking and correct actions than about how we feel.

d ay-t o - d ay l o v e Five identifiable tenets can help describe agape love as it should appear in our day-to-day “living in the trenches” life. Each tenet, or area, is important and a part of learning to apply agape love as leaders.

•

Agape doesn’t count the cost. When we love with agape love, we do not ask ourselves, What is this going to cost me? We look past that and go the extra mile to help someone. Sacrifice is a part of agape love.

•

not by your own strength but by the strength and wisdom of the Lord living inside you. Work to remove bitterness, anger, and malice as you seek the highest good of the person who offended you. Love your enemies as Jesus taught. 4.

Generously invest time and energy into important meetings to guide the church body.

Listen to others without interrupting.

Generously give financially above the tithe.

Agape doesn’t seek something in return. We move and respond out of the purest of motives, not wanting or expecting anything in return for our acts of love and care. Agape has no strings attached.

Just be there for people and remain present with them when needed.

Love people through hardships and mistakes.

Agape doesn’t consider whether the person deserves the help. Our love is based solely on a person’s need. We overlook a person’s mistakes. We don’t keep a record of wrongs. We simply act, putting hands and feet on our love. In other words, genuine actions define our love for others.

Let people know you are proud of them, and cheer them on as you see them making progress.

10.

Show extreme patience and forbearance to others, even when they are in the wrong.

11.

Make hard decisions.

Agape always acts for the good of another. Agape guides our actions, even when someone might not see some of those actions (i.e., thoughtful discipline, instruction, advice, and correction) as loving. This “tough love” may achieve powerful results when done through prayer, authentic concern, and genuine spiritual discernment. The course we may take is best for someone’s ultimate good even though it may be hard. We are not blinded by our emotional love for others.

Agape love is not always easy, but it is Jesus’ method of loving. 

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Jesus exhorted us to love with agape. In John 13 and 14, Jesus used the word agape to exhort us to “love one another” no fewer than six times. (Remember, if it’s repeated, it’s important!) Paul and Peter echoed this theme about loving with admonitions in 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; and 1 Peter 1:22.

An Elder’s Love A church leader’s response is always important. So, how can an elder express agape to others? 1.

Proactively reach out to others, especially in the church, and try to connect with them relationally.

Take time to carefully listen to a fellow believer and validate them as they overcome struggles or problems.

Forgive anyone who becomes harsh, insulting, or cruel. “Rise above” the circumstances. Do better,

Dr. David Roadcup co-founded e2: effective elders with two other men. He has helped write 11 books on elder ministry and has trained more than 9,000 elders. He also serves as professor of discipleship and global outreach representative with TCM International Institute and serves on the board of directors of Christian Arabic Services.

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Agape love looks for a need and meets it. Sensitivity to others, where they are and what they need, is a key part of loving others with agape. We are sensitive to what others might need at any given time. We allow ourselves to be inconvenienced when we are needed.

•

e ngage

’Tis the Season for Justice By Tyler McKenzie

id you know that in the past century at least three countries outlawed the public recitation of Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)? •

Before the end of British rule over India, the Magnificat was prohibited from being sung in churches.

•

In the 1980s, the Guatemalan government banned it because they believed Mary’s words provoked revolutionary zeal.

•

And the military dictatorship that ruled in Argentina from 1976 to 1983 also banned the Magnificat. During that time, those in command “disappeared” 30,000 people. Mothers created signs emblazoned with the names of their abducted children and Mary’s song and took them to the capital plaza. Rulers soon outlawed its public display.

The sweet song of the blessed mother of Jesus banned? There must be a misunderstanding! Why would this Christmas carol strike such fear in the hearts of kings and tyrants? What’s so threatening about a holiday song? If you’re asking those questions, perhaps you are the one who has misunderstood.

Mary’s Message To the poor, oppressed, and victimized, the Magnificat’s message is clear. A child was born. The government rests on his shoulders. He is the Prince of Shalom. He will rule with justice. Scholars agree, one of the central themes of Mary’s Magnificat is that Kingdom justice will accompany the fulfillment of God’s promises. I wonder if instead of being sung today, it should be belted through a megaphone. It is unfortunate how artists have immortalized Mary as a quaint little Precious Moments Christmas figurine. We might call her Lily-Flower Mary: the soft and saccharineblessed mother, tender and thin, standing on a bed of roses, glowing in soft-white light, crowned with stars. But this is not the faithful and revolutionary activist immortalized in this new covenant psalm. I would even contend that our honeyed depiction of one of the Bible’s great heroines actually serves to oppress women by ordaining passivity as a godly female trait rather than courage, justice, and holy surrender! For those of you who don’t see it, could you imagine Mary, all of 14 years old with a baby bump, gathering the powers that be of her time—the corrupt religious establishment, Herod the Great (the infant murderer), and Caesar Augustus (the self-proclaimed son of God)—and singing this to them? . . . Caesar! God will bring down the powerful from their thrones and lift up the lowly.

All of you! His mercy is only for those who fear him. The Lord will scatter those with proud hearts. You can’t say such things to tyrants. Cries for justice are treason! Yet, Mary did not care. There was a King and a Kingdom in her belly. They were greater than the Kingdom of Rome and the Kingdom of Corrupt Religion. That is why I would remind you this Christmas, “’Tis the season for justice . . . Kingdom justice!”

Spiritual Justice + Social Justice = Kingdom Justice Kingdom justice has two aspects to it—spiritual justice and social justice. Spiritual justice is giving sinners what they don’t deserve: grace and forgiveness. Social justice is giving those born in the image of God what they do deserve: love and dignity. I n J e s u s , w e h av e t h e b e s t s p i r i t u a l r e s o u r c e s a n d p o w e r t o d o Christmas is a celebration of both.

“

j u s t i c e ! S o c i a l j u s t i c e i s n’ t s o m e t h i n g w e s h o u l d l e av e f o r p o l i t i c i a n s , l e g i s l at o r s , o r a c t i v i s t s t o d u k e o u t. T h i s i s o u r w o r k !

I’ve never understood the evangelical resistance toward the social dimension of Kingdom justice. It is an undeniable part of the story of God’s people throughout the canon. It is also incredible common ground upon which to build our public witness in the public square today. Social justice is all the rage. Everyone has their cause. Christians should seize this moment. In Jesus, we have the best spiritual resources and power to do justice! Social justice isn’t something we should leave for politicians, legislators, or activists to duke out. This is our work!

Four Kinds of People When it comes to doing justice, I’ve noticed there are basically four kinds of people. First, there are people who don’t care about justice. They live for themselves. They are generous to the extent it builds their social status and makes them feel good. Second, there are people who pretend to care about justice. These people often are loud on social media . . . but that’s it. They give about 2 percent of their income to causes, which is the national average. They rarely volunteer, but

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Religious elite! God has looked at me with favor. The lowly servant girl will be blessed for generations.

Herod! The hungry will be filled with good things, but the rich will be sent away empty.

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on the rare occasions they do, you’d better believe it’s going up on Instagram! Their passion for justice does not actually lead to any real self-denial or self-sacrifice. It is just to signal their virtue. Third, some people really do care about justice, but since they do it without Jesus, it steals their joy and sets their emotional health on fire. I have observed that, over time, doing justice without Jesus either makes a person cynical or harsh. They can become cynical when they begin to realize that no matter how hard they fight, the fires of injustice keep blazing. The powerful keep exploiting. It’s difficult for a person with no theology of human fallenness or final justice to maintain joy in their work. Others become harsh over time because they cannot understand why not everyone shares the same passion for their cause. They cannot understand those who actively resist their cause. In this situation, a person can come to hate those who aren’t joiners . . . and hate is the opposite of compassion.

a b ou t t h e au th o r

Lastly, there are Christians. We go a fourth way. We can’t not care about justice. Jesus teaches that what we do unto the least we do unto him. We don’t settle for thin justice. Jesus’ brother warned that faith without good works is dead (James 2:26). We won’t let justice make us harsh. We see God dying for our sin, and this humbles us. We see our leader forgiving enemies as he is executed, and this composes us. We won’t let justice make us cynical. The empty tomb fills us with a living hope that one day all wrongs will be made right. We hear all this first from a zealous teenage girl, and we see all this first in a royal baby laid in a feeding trough. So, this Christmas let us sing along with Mary, and like her, let us bring the King and his justice into our world again and again. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:5053). 

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hori z ons

ody Hesler was in Poland helping with a day of pampering and self-care for refugees from Afghanistan when she felt her phone vibrating persistently in her pocket. Absorbed in helping those she was serving, she opted not to answer. When she finally took a moment to read her texts, she saw a string of messages from several Ukrainian friends. They were all reaching out for help getting themselves or their children across the border.

It was February 2022. The invasion by Russia had begun, and her friends needed help getting to safety. Jody and another worker at the camp quickly hopped into a car and headed toward the border. They waited there for several days, meeting with friends or the children of friends who were crossing the border to safety.

A Lifetime of Dedication By Laura McKillip Wood

They also met people like Katya*, a college-age girl from Ukraine who had been on vacation near the border with Poland when Russia invaded. Katya heard air raid sirens, so she grabbed her bag and ran to the street. She loaded into a car filled with strangers and drove to Poland with them. Jody happened to meet Katya at the border, so—fearful of human traffickers— she offered Katya a safe place to stay while the young woman decided her next steps. Jody ended up with a house full of guests. They included two teenage daughters of her Ukrainian friends, a middle-aged woman with her two daughters, and the children of those two daughters! From time to time, she hosted other people who were traveling through. Aside from Katya, “everyone who stayed with me was somehow known to me—I had worked with them or their parents over the years,” Jody says. Eventually Jody’s landlady became nervous because so many people were living in the home; she asked Jody to find them somewhere else to stay. Jody, through the help of her supporters—whose generosity expanded during this time—secured living space for them in a nearby city. She helped with a dozen surgeries, humanitarian aid, housing, and transportation. “I had funds to do that because of the generosity of donors,” Jody explains. “The fact that I had the experience in Ukraine, speak Russian, have the resources, and happened to be in Poland at the time all this started—I am blown away.”

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The Beginning T h e E va n g e l i c a l A l l i a n c e M i s s i o n p r o v i d e s c a r e t o t h o s e w o r k i n g o n t h e f i e l d s o t h e y h av e t o o l s t o l i v e h e a lt h y, g o d ly l i v e s a n d t o p r e v e n t t h e n e e d f o r c r i sis intervention in the future.

Jody knows a lot of people. “It’s not seven degrees of separation; it’s more like two degrees!” she laughs

Jody has spent her career working abroad. She lived in Ukraine from 1993 to 2004, first working as a church planter and later starting a ministry called Project Sasha (now known as Mulberry International). Project Sasha began helping at-risk children—orphans or those who had little parental involvement—in Simferopol, Ukraine. Project Sasha began as a day center where street children or other at-risk children could get hot meals, clean clothes, medical and dental treatment, and help with homework. The ministry even had connections with lawyers who could help the children obtain what they were legally owed.

TEAM provides care to those working on the field so they have tools to live healthy, godly lives and to prevent the need for crisis intervention in the future.

After some time, the mission operation began organizing family-style children’s homes and partnered with Christian Children’s Home of Ohio to train houseparents. CCHO purchased an old school and renovated it for the families.

The Future Jody has served in many countries in many roles over the years, so she has a wealth of experience to draw from in her work. “All of my other roles prepared me in such a unique way for this one,” she says. “I feel blessed that God doesn’t waste anything.” She hopes to continue with TEAM for as long as possible. “I have never loved what I do as much as I love what I do now!” 

By July 2002, Jody was helping facilitate short-term medical and dental mission trips to Ukraine and later to Central Asia. In 2004, Jody moved to the United States and completed training to be a community development specialist. By 2009, she had moved to Central Asia to be part of a long-term development team there.

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A New Beginning Over the next several years, she lived in Central Asia, the United States, and then Poland, before finally settling in Ohio where her aging parents live. She has studied and served in various ways—first in long-term development in Central Asia, then with Alongside (a Michigan organization focused on counseling people in ministry). She then earned a degree in clinical psychology through Wheaton College’s graduate school, then she worked full-time with Alongside, and finally she began working with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). Jody is now the regional member care coordinator for TEAM, serving teams of global workers in Central Asia, the Middle East, and sometimes Europe. She travels to visit each of five teams yearly, focusing on member care, counseling, and team building. “If there’s a team member who is struggling or if a team is having communication issues, I advise the leaders on what to do,” Jody says. “I’m a coach, mentor, and counselor at times. I do team building, debriefing, critical incident debriefing, and psycho-ed-

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ucation on compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression, [and] burnout.”

when she talks about how many people she knows around the world.

Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now serves as bereavement coordinator and palliative care chaplain at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers. /laura.wood2 @woodlaura30 @woodlaura30 lauramckillipwood.com lauramckillipwood@gmail.com

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inte nt i ona l

am one of seven siblings and grew up in densely populated Los Angeles. Even in a family and city so large, it’s easy to feel alone. My late brother Hussin was only 14 months older than me, but he was my hero. No, he was my superhero. We shared an unbreakable bond. Even when we were apart, I felt I was never alone. I mean this both emotionally, but also, in a way, tangibly.

For example, a school bully once targeted me. The bully saw me by myself and assumed I was vulnerable. When he approached, all I did was mention my brother’s name, and it was like I had an army with me. That was enough to deter the bully and keep him away forever.

Never Alone: The Power and Importance of Oneness By Osharye Hagood

This story highlights an essential aspect of my relationship with my brother: even when he wasn’t physically present, his influence meant I was never alone. That’s oneness. I experienced this to a certain degree with my brother, and I experience it to a perfect degree—a divine degree—with our Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe this same oneness is what God intended for our marriages. Is this not what Jesus, the great bridegroom, said about his bride, the church, when he told the disciples, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)?

UNITY AND WHOLENESS “Never alone” isn’t merely about physical presence, especially when we consider our marital bonds. “Oneness in marriage” isn’t just a social media hashtag or a good name for a marriage seminar. It’s representative of the unity and wholeness that God designed and Jesus modeled in his relationship with the church. This oneness is something we should intentionally imitate in our marriages. The wife and husband are individual and distinct expressions of the image of God. Marital therapist Dr. David Schnarch emphasized the importance of differentiation in marriage, which means maintaining one’s identity while being close to another.

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Similarly, I am not encouraging the loss of identity; rather, I am promoting the merging together O n e n e s s o f t e n i s i n t h e n u a n c e o f e v e r y d ay c h o i c e s of distinct persons into one being, and shared moments. much like the Trinity is one, yet has three distinct personalities. This “merging together” enhances the concept of oneness rather than detracting from it. A marriage in which both partners are confident individuals who support each other leads to a bond where neither feels threatened and neither is ever alone.

SEVEN PILLARS OF ONENESS The first pillar of oneness is empathy. Walk in your spouse’s shoes! Empathy is feeling your partner’s emotions, their highs and their lows. So, when your spouse is elated, soar on those highs with them. When they’re down, feel that weight and offer a shoulder to lean on. This emotional sync doesn’t just bring you closer, it also fortifies the bond in ways words cannot convey. The second pillar of oneness is challenges. I believe challenges are the ties that bind in a healthy marriage. Life throws everything at our unions, from financial strains to health issues to external pressures. Instead of allowing these challenges to cause rifts, couples should see them as opportunities to strengthen their bond. Navigate the challenges together, find solutions together, and emerge victorious together. This instills confidence in the durability of our relationship. The third pillar is legacy. Let’s craft our stories together. Oneness is not just emotional, it also is tangible. Let’s build together. In your situation, that oneness may be a family, a business, or a shared passion. Maybe it’s a legacy of memories. If that’s you, build shared tales of adventure. This collective narrative, which couples write every day, becomes a testament to their united front.

The seventh and final pillar is unity. Marital oneness requires intentionality. An unattended garden is overtaken by weeds and pests. Yet, with care and nurturing, that same garden will blossom once more, bearing fruit and vegetation for everyone to see. In our marriages, nurturing takes various forms: a surprise date night, a loving gesture, or just making breakfast. Maybe it’s agreeing to disagree in private or supporting one another’s distinctiveness. These actions constantly reiterate, “I’m here for you,” and softly whisper, “unity.” In a similar way to how my brother’s unspoken protection empowered me to walk confidently, the sense of oneness in our marriages should empower both partners. It’s about ensuring your spouse feels they’re never alone, no matter the circumstances. Whether a husband or wife is facing health concerns, emotional turmoil, or external pressures, the unwavering support of a partner amplifies the strength to face them together. Marital oneness isn’t always about grand gestures or pronounced declarations of love. Oneness often is in the nuance of everyday choices and shared moments. It is a dance of two souls, two distinct beings in rhythm, two artists crafting a symphony of shared existence, echoing the profound sentiment that “together, we are never alone.”  abou t the au thors

The fourth pillar is rituals. The creation and maintenance of shared rituals can function as anchors in our marital journeys. They tether us to our unions beyond just an emotional connection. It could be a morning jog together, a weekly date night, or an annual vacation. These rituals carve out dedicated moments for reconnection, rekindling, and reaffirmation of our bond. The fifth pillar is space. I believe there is sanctity in shared space. Whether it’s a home, a corner of a room, or even a mutual spot in the park, shared spaces are sanctuaries for our memories, conversations, and shared experiences. These spaces, brimming with tales of shared life, stand as physical embodiments of our marital oneness. The sixth pillar is dreams. Shared dreams have the power to inspire and push boundaries. Maybe it’s dreaming of traveling the world together, building a dream home, or simply visualizing growing old together. These shared aspirations act as a compass for our journey,

Rudy and Osharye Hagood have seven children and nine grandchildren so far. Osharye is a women’s minister who is also certified as both a life coach and a health coach. Rudy is a college professor with a background in social work. They love being married and love to bless both married and engaged couples. @rudy.hagood @rudy_hagood_

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continually reminding us of the paths we’ve chosen to walk hand in hand.

So, I want to offer several principles and practices upon which to focus and share in your marriages. I want you and your spouse to share these seven “pillars”: empathy, challenges, legacy, rituals, space, dreams, and unity.

pr e ach

“ ’m pretty sure no one will go home and say, ‘That’s the best sermon I’ve ever heard.’” I spoke those words recently as part of my sermon introduction. Let me explain. I’m preaching chapter-by-chapter through the book of Romans in a series called, “Unashamed.” I love Romans because it gives such a thorough explanation of the gospel. Paul begins with the sinfulness of man, moves to the grace of God that makes salvation possible through faith, and then focuses on our continued pursuit of righteousness.

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Preaching with Depth By Chris Philbeck

On this weekend I was preaching from Romans 6 where the consistent message is, when you become a Christian, you are dead to sin and alive in Christ. Paul made this clear in his powerful teaching on baptism (Romans 6:17) as well as several follow-up statements. “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body” (Romans 6:12). “For sin shall no longer be your master” (Romans 6:14). So, I introduced my message by saying, “This is not going to be a flashy message today. And I’m pretty sure no one will go home and say, ‘That’s the best sermon I’ve ever heard,’ but, that’s OK, because today we’re talking about the meat and potatoes of the Christian life. Because the question before all of us is, ‘Now that I have surrendered my life in complete faith and trust to Jesus, how do I live a holy life?’” The next two days I received message after message from people saying things like, “Pastor, you were wrong. That was one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard.” I don’t write that to pat myself on the back, but as a reminder of how important it is to preach genuinely biblical sermons where the truth of the Bible is explained, illustrated, and applied to life with depth. “I’m 76 years old,” one woman told me. “I became a Christian when I was 12. I’ve never heard someone explain so clearly exactly what happens when you are saved.” She had understood and obeyed the gospel. She knew her sin had been forgiven and she had received the promise of eternal life. But the message that day gave her a better understanding of the truth that when you become a Christian, you don’t just “turn over a new leaf in life,” you receive a brand-new life. Paul made that clear. Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into

When you become a Christian, you receive a brand-new life because you move from being covered by your sin to being covered by the righteousness of Christ. The challenge, then, is to live a righteous life. This is where believers, including the woman I wrote about, get frustrated and confused, because they think, How can I count myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus—the way Paul talked about in Romans 6:11— when I still struggle with sin? Space doesn’t allow me to answer that question in this column, but I was able to answer it in my message. The result was a greater sense of clarity and thankfulness about the gift of salvation along with a deeper level of conviction and understanding of how to live a holy life.

Second, preaching with depth doesn’t have to be boring. The Bible is God’s Word and when it’s preached with the depth of explanation, people can hear God’s voice, which will never be boring. Third, preaching with depth can be evangelistic. You can make the point that preaching God’s Word with depth is an act of love for people who are lost because you’re giving them the only hope that is real. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “What is the chief end of preaching? I like to think it is this: It is to give men and women a sense of God and his presence.” That happens when we preach with depth. 

P r e a c h i n g -w i t h - D e p t h P r i n c i p l e s In a chapter from the book The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching, Michael Quicke identifies four different types of preachers. There are teacher preachers who believe their hearers must understand Scripture, so they stay close to the text and explain its meaning. There are herald preachers who believe God empowers both the Scripture and the preaching itself. They believe the Scripture must be understood, but they sound different because they are often dramatic in style. There are inductive preachers who believe the hearer’s felt needs are most important so preaching needs to be relevant to them. So, they begin where people are and find appropriate Scripture to meet the need. Finally, there are narrative preachers who believe sermons should have a story form that connects the hearer with God’s Word. My point is not that one style is better than the other but to say, whatever style you embrace, make sure it results in preaching that has the depth of explanation to go along with illustration and application. As I prepare to preach, I try to remember three important principles. First, preaching with depth doesn’t have to be great. That’s not a misprint. We all want to be great preachers. But what’s most important is that we are faithful preachers because that’s where greatness comes from in the eyes of God.

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Chris Philbeck serves as senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana. He has been in ministry since 1980 and has had the privilege of planting a new church, leading a turnaround church, and now leading a megachurch. /PastorCPhilbeck @cphilbeck @pastorphilbeck

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“

his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4, emphasis mine).

me t r i cs

uilty as charged! I admit I’m guilty. And maybe you are too. I’m guilty of not loving my neighbors and those in my network enough to share my faith with them as I know I should. Thomas Dewar said, “An honest confession is good for the soul, but bad for the reputation.” Regardless, maybe it’s time for more of us to confess and repent from living a Christian life that looks holy but may be hollower than it should be. Loving our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers enough to share the good news of the gospel with them seems to be a good starting point on the road to being a disciple who makes disciples.

willing to listen

Evangelism Matters By Kent E. Fillinger

A December 2021 Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research found that two-thirds of Americans said they were “open or very open to having a conversation about the Christian faith with a friend.” The same study found that 65 percent of Americans said they were “open or very open to talking with a friend about having a relationship with God.” It’s worth noting that just over one-fourth (26 percent) of those who identified as “religiously unaffiliated” said they were “not open at all” to faith conversations. Barna Group’s 2019 Reviving Evangelism report noted that the top two qualities non-Christians value in a person with whom they would talk about faith were “listens without judgment” (62 percent) and “does not force a conclusion” (50 percent). The same report discovered that some non-Christians said they might be more interested in Christianity “if they had more evidence” (44 percent) and if faith had “a better reputation” (34 percent).

W e ’r e N o t Ta l k i n g Despite an apparent openness to faith conversations by most people, 60 percent of Americans said “many of their friends who claim to be Christians rarely talk about their faith.” As my childhood preacher used to say, “If the shoe fits, ouch!” Also, 40 percent said they “wouldn’t think about faith on their own if a friend or family member didn’t bring it up.” Maybe it’s time we start talking. An April 2022 Evangelism Explosion study conducted by Lifeway Research found that less than half of selfidentified Christians have, at least once in the past six months, shared a Bible verse or Bible story with a nonChristian loved one (46 percent), invited a non-Christian friend or family member to attend a church service or other program at church (43 percent), or shared with a non-Christian loved one how to become a Christian (38 percent). The same study also identified that almost 2 in

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3 Christians (65 percent) agree sharing with a nonbeliever how they can become a Christian is the most loving thing they can do for them.

“While some have reached a firm conclusion that they are not interested in faith,” said Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell, “most are open to hearing about faith when someone can show it matters or when it is shared by someone who matters to them.” “Lost people are more amazed at our silence than offended by our message,” said evangelism professor Alvin Reid. We need to follow the examples of Peter and John who said, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

E va n g e l i s m 101 The 2021 Lifeway Research study on evangelism showed that most Christians agree it’s their calling to share their beliefs, but that it’s their minister’s duty to equip them to do so. Seven in 10 Christians (69 percent) said it’s every Christian’s responsibility to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. Similarly, 68 percent agree it’s the minister’s responsibility to equip the congregation to share the gospel. Christian Standard’s 2020 church survey discovered that 75 percent of our churches said they rarely emphasized “talking about one’s faith with those who aren’t part of your church and/or believers.” Our 2019 Christian Standard church survey revealed that less than half (47 percent) of our churches offered any disciplemaking and/or evangelism training programs. I hope these percentages have improved in churches over the past few years.

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W h at ’ s N e x t ? Years ago, I heard this maxim: “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.” My guess is that most longtime Christians (like me) have studied the Bible and attended worship services for years and, therefore, have more than enough Bible knowledge and tools to share the gospel and make disciples. Now, we just need to love our neighbors enough to act and share our faith story. If we do, there likely will be fewer people who receive the verdict of “Guilty!” on Judgment Day. We need to follow the Apostle Paul’s admonition to Timothy to “work at telling others the Good News” (2 Timothy 4:5, New Living Translation). 

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

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HOW TO LEAD WITH LOVE WITHOUT COMPROMISING TRUTH By Ben Simms

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Demonstrate Love—No Matter the Person or Their Circumstances

“H

ow can we love people without compromising truth?” This is a complex and challenging question, yet Jesus demonstrated it throughout his ministry. In a world that increasingly seems to want to bring down the church and challenge the teachings of Jesus, we must seek to love. As culture wages war with the truth, we are constantly bombarded with messages that run counter to how Scripture calls us to live. One of our primary purposes on earth is to love people toward the kingdom of Jesus. The culture wars, while significant, can be a way for Satan to distract us from acting on simple opportunities to love others who are in front of us.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans and Canadians pack meals to help the hungry both domestically and worldwide through mealpacking events. These meals are given to people in need resulting from disasters, famine, and poverty. IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) is one of the great Restoration Movement organizations with which we work. Lifeline also is honored to facilitate these efforts with hundreds of churches across the United States and Canada. Here’s the beginning of a story from one family from Afghanistan that recently received some Lifeline meals. Ms. A (name withheld to protect her identity) said,

So, what if we reversed the question and asked, “How can we live the truth without compromising our love for people?”

I am a mother of five children. My husband was kidnapped by the Taliban and murdered. I was bearing a lot of suffering alone. I was a single mother and had to fight for my children. I tried to protect and take care of them but was weak against the Taliban.

Here are some examples I’ve seen recently in the ministry I serve, Lifeline Christian Mission.

The cousin of my murdered husband worked with the Taliban and forced

In a sermon series from summer 2023, Jim Burgen challenged people to “live lives that demonstrate the love of Jesus to all people in a world that seems to hate Jesus.”

SERVE WITH OTHERS, LOVE WITH OTHERS, DEMONSTRATE TRUTH WITH OTHERS.

me to marry him. I refused him saying that “I am not looking for [a] husband.” He threatened me and said he will get my children and I will never see them again. He wanted to give my daughters [ages] 13 and 8 as wives to old men from the Taliban. After two days, they kidnapped my son, and I went to pay ransom to get him back. They took me into a room where my son was. They raped me and my son. It was a great shame to us, especially to my son R. After that horrible incident, R. began to stutter and most of the time was silent. . . . We fled to a refugee town in Tajikistan. Life for refugees was and is unbearable in Tajikistan. No money, no food, no place to stay. We lost hope and thought we were abandoned. R., after that incident, felt shame and cut his veins and wanted to commit suicide. I wished death to myself also. My son R. many times closed himself in the toilet and tried to kill himself. Most of the time I found him in the toilet laying on the ground crying. I decided to poison myself [and] all my children so that we all die.

Our call to be ambassadors for Christ, however, doesn’t end with the act of giving a meal. Ms. A’s story continues, They also said they have “Good News” for me. They told us that Jesus loves us and gives new life, Eternal Life. These brothers always came to us and helped us with food and a place to stay. They prayed for us, demonstrated the love of God, and invited us to meetings where we met other believers. I started believing in Jesus by seeing his love through these simple, God-loving Christians. They came to my house and invited us to Bible classes. I went to Bible school with my children. I really enjoyed Bible classes and my children felt safe in the Bible school. They prayed for me and my children. During the school time, my son R. said that he gave his life to Jesus and doesn’t want to go back to a horrible old life. R. started changing and I saw him start to smile. He stopped his suicide attempts.

But one day I met missionary Ali and her husband. She helped me and my starving family with food, clothing, and showing love and care.

It is a blessing to me as a mother to see how happy my children are and how they rejoice when we have Sunday meetings or Bible classes. Our faith is growing and getting stronger day to day. In the future, after I finish Bible school, I want to travel and share about Jesus to people.

Ms. A grew up Muslim and has suffered greatly. Ali, the missionary, led with love through the act of giving a meal. The kindness epitomized Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. . . .”

Dozens of people were involved in Ms. A’s incredible story of finding Jesus. People cared for someone far away and provided the resource of a meal, the hands of Jesus. People delivered a meal and the gospel, the feet of Jesus. We all can play a part in demonstrating truth and love in many ways.

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Demonstrate Truth—Don’t Stop at Love

LOVE PEOPLE BY BEING IN TRUTHSPEAKING COMMUNITY WITH OTHERS.

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Demonstrate Truth and Love Through Community

In Matthew 22:36, Jesus was asked, “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

A great practical step is to love people by being in truth-speaking community with others. This is how Jesus designed the church.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (vv. 37-40, emphasis added).

Since 2020, Lifeline has launched several Centres in North America. People can serve in these locations, mostly by packing meals. Camaraderie develops within the community members and volunteer teams that serve at these locations. Within these communities, Christians love and support a mix of people who may never enter a church. Some of them are far from God.

To truly love ourselves, we want the best outcome. Likewise, to love our neighbors, sometimes we need to love people by challenging them to a better future and toward truths we find in Scripture.

Lifeline is serving the church by providing an outreach tool to a community that the local church can leverage. The beauty is found by starting with love and service that is grounded in the truth of the gospel.

In Honduras, Lifeline had a student named Leany. She wanted to go to summer camp with Christ In Youth in her country; she also needed money for school supplies. Times were difficult for her family. Instead of simply giving her a handout, Lifeline’s in-country staff challenged Leany to find a way to earn the money. She took part in economic business training where she learned to start a tortilla business (watch her story at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fzJw_IcKAX8).

Christians don’t have to go it alone. Serve with others, love with others, demonstrate truth with others. That’s my biggest takeaway from our ministry work.

Today Leany is supporting several family members through her business. In this case, the act of love was built around the vision and truth of God wanting an abundant life for us. Though it would have been easier to just give Leany some cash, the opportunity of sharing an even better future would have been lost.

It reminds me of Jim Burgen’s challenge: “Live lives that demonstrate the love of Jesus to all people in a world that seems to hate Jesus.” 

Ben Simms serves as president and CEO of Lifeline Christian Mission.

Demonstrate Love Challenged by Truth

' ou

e v L o a v H e i dY s A WHAT LOVING OTHERS AS JESUS LOVED US LOOKS LIKE— AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES BY STEVE POE

pon arriving at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the first thing you notice is the endless sea of white headstones. These grave markers of service members from all of America’s major wars remind us of the high price of freedom. That price is dramatized by the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every hour during the winter and every half hour during the summer and daylight hours, 365 days a year, a new guard reports for duty. When the new guard arrives, he orders the relieved sentinel to “Pass on your orders.” The sentinel who is being relieved says, “Post and orders remain as directed.” To which the newly posted sentinel replies, “Orders acknowledged.” In other words, orders remain unchanged. And since the start of this duty decades ago, the orders have not changed, and they never will. The night before Jesus was crucified, his disciples were also given orders, and those orders have not changed.

The 12 disciples had gathered with Jesus in the upper room, but no servant or apostle took the initiative of serving others by washing off their dirty feet. Jesus ultimately wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash their feet. He demonstrated love for everyone in the room though he knew in just a few hours Judas would betray him, Peter would deny him, and he would be crucified. How many times have we failed to love everyone in the room? All too often, I’m guessing. We might choose instead to show love only to the people who look like us, are the same color as us, agree with us, or have the same political worldview as us. How many times do we avoid the person who annoys us? And, of course, if someone dares to betray us or hurt our feelings, we immediately “cancel them” and decide they are no longer deserving of our love. By washing the feet of Judas and Peter, Jesus demonstrated we should continue to love others despite their failings or faulty thinking. After washing everyone’s feet, Jesus sat down and asked the disciples if they understood what he had just done for them. He told them they should follow his example and wash one another’s feet. He wanted them to understand that serving is an act of love—it’s one way they could demonstrate love for one another. Later, Jesus pointed out that one of them would betray him. He dipped the bread into the dish and handed it to Judas. He told Judas to go do what he was planning, and Judas got up and left the upper room. Jesus then talked about his glorification, which would be realized in his death on the cross and his resurrection. God the Father also would be glorified through those events. Jesus said he would be with them only a little while longer, and then he gave some final instructions.

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A HUMBLE DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE

A ’NEW’ COMMAND TO LOVE “A new command I give you,” he said. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). This command to love one another is arguably the most powerful command given to Christians, and it certainly is the one most quoted by both believers and unbelievers. But the simple, easy-to-understand command is difficult to live out. Loving difficult and messy people can be very hard. But consider that some might find you difficult to love, and yet Jesus still demonstrated love for you when he went to the cross. Over the next few chapters in John, Jesus reiterated his command to love one another. He even said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). Jesus framed this as a new commandment. But the idea of loving people was not a new concept. Leviticus 19:18 said you should “love your neighbor as yourself.” This principle was taught throughout the Old Testament. But the idea of loving people the way Jesus loved people—the way he demonstrated love for his disciples on the night he was betrayed—well, that certainly was new. Jesus’ love for humankind was so great it overflowed in a motivation to meet the needs of others. John offered a picture of that when he wrote, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16). That’s the kind of love God wants us to have for one another. Our love for God should motivate us to meet the needs of others. God is love, and love is from God. Therefore, loving one another is doing whatever it takes so others have as much of God as they can.

With this command, Jesus introduced us to a new way of living that attracts others to a relationship with God. We live in a self-centered world in which we think everything should revolve around our wants and desires, that everyone should be caught up in our orbit. But Jesus wants us to understand that if we demonstrate our love toward others, then they will recognize that we are his disciples. When we demonstrate that self-sacrificing kind of love to others, it is undeniable evidence that we are followers of Christ.

ONE-ANOTHER COMMANDS TO LOVE This way of loving one another is so much more than washing another person’s feet. There are about 60 “one another” commands or references in the New Testament. Each describes a way we can demonstrate love toward one another. We are told to serve one another, care for one another, honor one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, accept one another, pray for one another, and on and on. I believe Christians could reach the unchurched world for Christ if we would actively follow these “one another” commands. And that is why it is so important for us to engage with one another! If Christians really did that—if non-Christians saw us really loving one another—then the unchurched world would be drawn to the message of the gospel. Paul said, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). That faith is expressed by mutual submission to one another. This is so important, because everyone wants to feel included in a community characterized by “one-another love.” God created humankind with the need to love and to be loved. God

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wired us for relationships. We are at our best when we experience life’s highs and lows with other people.

d go

& love is fr , e v o om is l

So, this command to love one another is the essence of the New Testament teaching. When the religious leaders asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

Our instructions are to love God and love one another. And our obedience to that command is imperative in fulfilling the Great Commission to reach the world with the gospel. Jesus demonstrated how important it is to love the people we rub shoulders with every day. For instance, our neighbors and our coworkers are people God has placed in our life so we can love and serve them (even if they are annoying or radically different from us). We are called to love them so they might experience God’s love and mercy. The guards’ orders at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier have not changed in decades, and similarly, our orders as Christ followers have not changed for 2,000 years . . . and they never will. We have a responsibility and an obligation to love one another. 

Steve Poe serves as legacy pastor at Northview Church in Central Indiana. He is author of Creatures of Habit (2021, Thomas Nelson). stevepoe.org

LO VE I s Always a Choice By Gary L. Johnson

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e make choices from the time we get out of bed until long after the sun sets. Some choices are simple and some are more serious, ranging from what clothes we wear to whom we marry. Weighty decisions are difficult, while simple decisions are made with little thought or effort. “What the World Needs Now Is Love” was a hit song in the mid-1960s, but that sentiment holds true in today’s era of conspicuous conflict. But will we choose to bring actual love into the corner of the world we call home? In a TED Talk some years ago, Simon Sinek presented his theory of the golden circles—specifically, three concentric circles—which I think will help us grasp that love is a choice. Sinek’s theory is that most businesses and organizations start from the outside circle, knowing what they do (i.e., what products they make, what services they provide). Some can go a step inward to the next circle and describe how they do what they do. But only a handful make it to the innermost circle, knowing why they do what they do. Sinek believes that businesses and organizations that start with why and move outward will impact their world. To understand love being a choice, let’s start with why, move to how, and end with what.

We should choose to love because, simply put, we were made in God’s image and God is love (1 John 4:8). The opening pages of Scripture tell us God made us in his image and likeness, meaning we have the capacity to love. In my home, we have three generations of wedding pictures, and anyone looking at them can easily see the resemblance of my dad, myself, and my son. When it comes to love, could the same be easily said of us in that we resemble God, our Father? Do we love others because he first loved us? Come to think of it, God modeled that love is a choice. Think of it this way. While on earth, Jesus was God in the flesh (Colossians 2:9), and toward the end of his ministry, Jesus was approached by a man whom we call the “rich, young ruler.” Mark 10:17-31 describes their incredible conversation and Jesus’ teachings in the immediate aftermath of it. When I slowly and carefully read of their encounter, I am not challenged by what Jesus said so much as by what he chose. Jesus was fully and completely God—he was omniscient—so he knew the wealthy younger man would reject the invitation to become his follower. Still, “Jesus looked at him and loved him” (v. 21). Despite being rejected, Jesus chose to love him. When we encounter difficult people—whether at home, work, school, in the neighborhood, or even at church—do we look at them and love them? We should, and we must. Why? We have been made in the image of God, and if people are going to see God in us, they must see love from within us. After all, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). Do we resemble God or not?

WHY CHOOSE TO LOVE

LO VE

is truly an action.

It is not easy to love unlovable people, particularly when we love them biblically and not culturally. Our culture defines love as an emotion. We are quick to say we “love” something: “I love my car; I love pizza; I love hiking, etc.” Moreover, when we say we “love” a person, we do so with an emotion in mind. Our culture defines love as a warm, fuzzy feeling expressed with a $10 greeting card and accompanied by a bouquet of flowers.

We make choices every day, and one of the more difficult choices is to love others.

Leah, my wife of 45 years, appreciates receiving a card and flowers from time to time, but she knows that I love her when I do the dishes, make the bed, and vacuum the rug. Love is more than an emotion. It is an action.

Jesus’ way of loving people stands out to me. While encountering people on the proverbial road of life, he had compassion for hurting people (Matthew 9:36). The word compassion means that feeling came welling up from deep within Jesus. The word in Greek means “moved to one’s bowels.” It’s one thing to have sympathy for individuals, acknowledging their loss. It’s quite another to have empathy for individuals, attempting to feel their hurt and helping them walk through the valley of suffering. Doing so is a choice that can be made only in the strength of the Spirit.

The most recognized verse in Scripture demonstrates that the biblical definition of love is truly an action. John 3:16 declares that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son to die for us. Similarly, Romans 5:8 states that God demonstrated his love for us in that Jesus died for us. Clearly, love is an action and not merely an emotion. In writing his brief Epistle, James, the brother of Jesus, used more than 50 imperatives (i.e., commands). James was very Jewish in his Christian faith, and to him it was essential to substantiate his belief in Jesus as his Messiah with his actions. James is well remembered for having declared, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (2:17). James also wrote, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right” (2:8). How do we love others? Love is an action and not merely an emotion.

WHAT MATTERS MOST When we choose to love others by our actions and by the power of the Spirit, we discover what matters most in this life. When Jesus was asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” he replied that we are first to love God with all our being, and second, we are to love others in the same way we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). All other commandments are of lesser importance. God takes seriously his command that we love both him and others. Yet, do we? I prove my love for Leah by my actions. In the same way, I prove my love for God by my actions: “This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 5). The second most important command (per Jesus) is to love others! When I choose to love others (by my actions and not with mere emotion), I actually love God. I express my love for God by obeying his command to love.

It is difficult to choose to love a difficult person. It can’t be done in our own strength. However, when we realize that the Spirit of Jesus is in us (1 John 4:4), the Spirit empowers us to make the right choice—and that choice is to love. The Spirit produces the fruit of love in us (Galatians 5:22) when we rely on him to do so.

I remember a time 23 years ago like it was yesterday. I stood looking out a window at a place—and in a moment of time—where I wished I wasn’t. Just days before, a phone call from my family in Michigan informed me that my mother had suffered a massive stroke. I left immediately for Michigan to be with my dad, my brothers, and most importantly, my mom. I arrived in time to be with her as she went home to Jesus. At the funeral home, while looking out that window, I wondered what life would be like for our family to not have our mom with us. My grief was sudden and overwhelming. But then I saw something that deeply moved me. An enormous motor coach had just pulled into the parking lot. Its door opened and people began stepping off the bus—and each one was a close friend from my church, The Creek. Dozens upon dozens of people boarded the bus in Indianapolis and made the six-hour-plus drive to be with me in my loss. They took time off from work and away from their families. In the Spirit of Jesus, they expressed their love for God by expressing their love for me. They made a choice to get on the bus. And to this day, I am grateful they did. 

Dr. Gary Johnson retired after 30 years with Indian Creek Christian Church (The Creek) in Indianapolis. He is a cofounder of e2: effective elders, which he serves as executive director.

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LOVE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE

HOW TO LOVE

By Mike Mack

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Jesus was born into a world of turmoil and disorder. Heavenly peace? Hardly. The city sounded more like all hell had broken loose. People were tired, stressed, and frenzied. (Sounds like the Christmas season today, doesn’t it?)

ach Christmas I faithfully sing the hymn . . . though I question the historical accuracy of the words. Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright. . . . As I read the biblical accounts, I imagine the atmosphere surrounding Jesus’ birth as something other than silent, calm, and bright. More like clamorous and chaotic. The streets of Bethlehem are bustling as people from across the region arrive in their ancestral hometown to register for Caesar Augustus’s census. Joseph and Mary walk wide-eyed through throngs of fellow Jews from King David’s line hectically looking for a place to spend the night. Distant family members they’ve never met press in all around them. The couple inhales a brew of body odor, donkey dung, fermenting grapes, and baking bread. Tempers flare for irritable travelers. Their angry outcries mix with a cacophony of other sounds. Donkeys bray. Chickens cluck. People grumble. Zealots

Jesus came into a lost, sin-darkened world that had been that way for a very long time. The Old Testament reveals the repeating pattern of human wickedness followed by God’s punishment, which led to the people’s repentance and then God’s restorative grace. God’s people had, time after time, gone astray, each turning to their own way (Isaiah 53:6). And although the line of Old Testament history experienced ups and downs like today’s stock market, the overall trajectory of human evil was rising precipitously. People in general, and even God’s people, had become increasingly proud, selfish, greedy, murderous, deceitful, blasphemous, disobedient, rebellious, perverse, and hardhearted, just to name a few of their unholy attributes. Something had to be done. Jeremiah, among other ancient prophets, had predicted it. He had said that the Holy City of Jerusalem had become so wicked that God would give the city into the hands of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 32:3ff.). The Lord later told Jeremiah, “I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness” (33:5). It had become that bad.

vociferously resist the census. Mary, who is nine-month’s pregnant, and Joseph— both weary from their 70-mile trip— wander through all this, a bit bewildered but with an inexplicable tranquility.

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A LL I S N OT C A LM . . . As I read the Old Testament, I see periodic seasons of calm. Often, in fact, the writers called attention to these times of rest or peace from Israel’s enemies as if this was something unusual. Because it was. More frequently, it seems, nations were in conflict and at war. Or God’s people lived in captivity to a stronger nation. They lived in constant fear, frustration, anguish, and anxiety. The people were waiting for God’s Messiah to fix all that. They looked forward to the one who would come as a mighty warrior king to break them free from their pagan occupation, someone who would bring political peace and cultural calmness. Today, we still live in a world where peace seems scarce. Cities, neighborhoods, and Twitter have become war zones. Discord exists in many marriages, families, and churches. We need real, lasting peace. Where can it be found?

. . . B U T G O D P R OV I D E S C A LM N E S S Enter Jesus.

regardless of our circumstances. The peace Jesus gives is far different than the kind of peace the world gives (John 14:27). It’s deeper and more substantial than the peace that’s discussed on talk shows or many podcasts. His is the kind of peace that surpasses all worldly concerns. Jesus brings peace not from our world, our circumstances, or even our enemies; he brings his peace in the middle of our difficulties, a peace that transcends all human understanding amid everything the world throws at us. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace,” Jesus said. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). One day after a teaching session on a lake, Jesus and his disciples set out on a boat to the other side. As they traveled across the lake, what Mark described as a “furious squall” came up and water swamped the boat. Jesus was sleeping in the stern, and his disciples, who were anything but calm or at peace in the situation, woke him. “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” they asked (Mark 4:38). Jesus calmed the storm.

Advent means that the thing people have awaited is finally here. When Jesus came, the wait was over for the Jewish people. He did not come as a warrior king, but as the Prince of Peace. His peace did not match most people’s expectations, however. He made disconcerting statements such as, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division” (Luke 12:51).

Jesus still brings calm to those he loves. I have gone through many storms and squalls in my life. So have you. And, as his follower, I know he is aware of the difficulties; he is not only “in my boat,” he is on the throne of my life, completely in control of every circumstance I go through. The Lord can either calm the storms for me or bring calm to me amid the storms. He always does one or the other, and sometimes he does both.

An all-in disciple of Jesus knows this is true. Following him often brings division in our relationships rather than peace. And yet, we have his soul-satisfying peace

Jesus came into the world as Immanuel, God with us, and he still is with us. He not only brought peace, but, as Paul put it, “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14).

. . . B U T G O D P R OV I D E S L I G H T Jeremiah wrote, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

A L L I S N OT B R I G H T . . . Jeremiah and other prophets had warned the people of their day about how wicked they had become. By the time of the New Testament, Jesus’ apostle John described the condition of the world with one word: darkness (John 1:5). Darkness in the Bible illustrates evil and resulting judgment. The world is still a very dark place. People are still proud, selfish, greedy, murderous, deceitful, blasphemous, disobedient, rebellious, perverse, and hard-hearted. It’s hard to find a place where all is calm and bright. I often feel like Joseph and Mary walking through hordes of lost people living in chaos and confusion. We live day by day in what Paul called this “present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12, English Standard Version). Each day’s news reports confirm that the world is still a very wicked place. It seems not all that different, in some ways, from the world Jesus entered. Something must be done! From the beginning, God had a plan for redemption. He would do what needed to be done.

“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior” (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Jesus our Lord and Savior came, said John, as a Light into a world of darkness. Yet not everyone accepted him. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). This is still true. Jesus often used the imagery of darkness and light. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Note the vital means for moving from darkness to the light of life: following Jesus. God rescued us, said Paul, “from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). That’s good news! We are no

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around you—in every environment where God puts you—should see a difference in your life. As you receive God’s grace, love, wisdom, strength, and more, it should naturally overflow from your life into the lives of others near you.

longer in darkness, and we do not belong to the darkness of this world (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). While that’s true, the world around us is still very dark. At least part of the reason is that so many of us live like 10-watt blacklight bulbs rather than 90,000-lumen lights that truly make the world a place where all is bright. We live like mood lighting rather than searchlights. The Bible gives us a plan for living as stewards of God’s grace and ambassadors in his kingdom. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul outlined several ways we should respond as his lights in this dark world. Read the whole chapter for yourself, but here are a few of the highlights: 1.

“Walk in the way of love.” It starts with living out the Great Commandment to love God and others “just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (v. 2).

Live a holy life in a wicked world. For Christ followers, “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place” (vv. 3-4). This is still about how Jesus’ disciples live as lights in a dark world. You and I must set an example with our actions.

Live as the transformed person you are. Paul said, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (v. 8). People

Light up the dark places where God puts you. Paul went on to say, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (v. 11). You can expose deeds of darkness by simply being light—that is, through how you live—and you can also expose them, if you’ve gained the regard of those around you, with your words. You do this, said Peter, “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Wisely watch for opportunities to be light. Paul said, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). We’ve established that this world is evil. So, you and I should respond with the wisdom and the opportunities God gives to be his lights in this sin-darkened world. And he will provide these for us if we pray each day for them and are watchful for how God is working in us and all around us.

The night (or day—we don’t really know) of Jesus’ birth may not have been silent, calm, or bright. In fact, I think that’s a point of the biblical narrative. Jesus came into a tumultuous, sinful, dark world and brought his peace, calmness, and light into it. Now, as his followers, let’s do the same. 

A CHRISTIAN STANDARD REPORT ON OUR COLLEGES

I NG TRU Y A E? ST COLLEGE PRESIDENTS ANSWER KEY QUESTIONS ON SCRIPTURE, SEXUALITY, AND WOMEN IN MINISTRY By Chris Moon

Are Restoration Movement schools drifting from their historic theological moorings in response to cultural pressure? “From what I know of our schools and leaders of our schools . . . we’re hanging true to who we are,” said Kevin Ingram, president of Manhattan Christian College. And hanging true in believing the Bible is true— that it accurately points to God and to his plan of salvation—is of central importance.

ost Restoration Movement colleges and universities remain committed to a high view of Scripture and maintain a biblical view of human sexuality—even as American culture values the Bible less than ever. In a Christian Standard survey of college presidents aligned with Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, 16 presidents shared their institution’s views on the topics of biblical inerrancy, human sexuality, and women in ministry. Some of them said the Bible was “inerrant.” Others chose to use such words as “infallible,” “inspired,” or “God-breathed” to describe Scripture. Many made it clear the Bible is a core part of their school’s identity and mission. The presidents also expressed support for a biblical view of human sexuality. They continue to view homosexual activity as sinful and appeared to reject the tenets of the transgender movement. The colleges’ views on women in ministry were mixed. Some maintained the role of preacher and elder were reserved for men. Others took no position on the topic and said those doctrinal positions were for local churches, not the colleges, to decide.

“If there’s unity there, that’s significant for everything,” said Derek Voorhees, president of Boise Bible College.

NO RESPONSE Not all college presidents were unified in their willingness to answer questions about their school’s positions on biblical inerrancy, human sexuality, and women in ministry. Christian Standard’s survey was sent to the presidents of 23 colleges and universities. Seven declined to respond despite multiple requests. (See “Why Some College Presidents Were Hesitant to Respond” on page 60.) Instead, some of them signed onto a joint statement—issued by a group of 20 college presidents in the Restoration Movement—that expressed their solidarity with one another. The joint statement itself was a response to Christian Standard’s survey. The presidents were concerned a discussion about hot-button topics like human sexuality and women in ministry would be divisive. The joint statement declared the presidents’ desire for “healthy doctrinal conversations” grounded in biblical authority, humility, and discernment. The statement, however, did not directly address any of Christian Standard’s survey questions.

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The Christian Standard survey was sparked by ongoing debate in American culture and the church about gender and human sexuality.

‘HANGING TRUE’

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AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE BIBLE Christian Standard’s survey comes as the American church grapples with a persistent cultural push against biblical values. A 2022 Gallup poll reported “a record-low 20 percent of Americans now say the Bible is the literal word of God.” That was down from 24 percent in 2017. Meanwhile, the number of people who consider the Bible to be mere fables and moral precepts grew to a new high of 29 percent. A Gallup News story that accompanied the poll said, “Belief in a literal Bible is declining, part of a general pattern of declining religiosity among the adult American population.” The report noted the way Americans interpret the Bible affects public policy: “Gallup’s data show that the use of a literal interpretation of the Bible as the basis or justification for social policy positions will likely resonate only with a declining minority of the overall U.S. population.” Meanwhile, within the American church, the debate over human sexuality and women in ministry continues to reverberate. For example, the United Methodist Church continues to fracture because of issues related to homosexuality. And Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church was among five removed this year from the Southern Baptist Convention after a debate about female ordination.

‘AN UNSETTLED ISSUE’ Restoration Movement churches and colleges long have had diverse views about women in ministry, which was borne out by Christian Standard’s survey on that question. Six of the 16 colleges that responded take the position that the roles of elder or preacher in a local church are reserved for qualified men. The remaining 10 either have no policy on the subject or were open to women serving in a variety of ministry roles. Some presidents said decisions about women serving in ministry should remain in the hands of the local church. They said their colleges would train men as well as women in preaching. For at least one president, the topic seemed a tiresome one. “Christian Standard has been wrestling with this issue for more than 130 years (an entire year— 1892—was devoted to it),” wrote Frank Weller, president of Great Lakes Christian College, in his survey response. “Can we all agree that it is an unsettled issue that correctly belongs in the ‘in matters of opinion’ column?”

Christian Standard’s survey asked whether the colleges believed in biblical “inerrancy.” Some colleges don’t use that word in their official descriptions of the Bible.

MALE AND FEMALE On the issue of human sexuality, the 16 respondents were unified in expressing a biblical view of sex and sexuality. In various ways, the presidents affirmed homosexual acts are sinful and marriage is between one man and one woman. Multiple presidents were direct in their support of the male-female binary—and against the growing transgender movement. Kentucky Christian University president Terry Allcorn pointed to the 2021–2022 KCU student handbook. It reads, “A member of the University community who wishes to express a gender other than his or her sex is understood to be rejecting the truth and the image of God within that person. Biblical Christianity requires the body of Christ to compassionately dwell in the truth and assist those we love in doing the same (Eph. 4:15).” Allcorn said an updated version of the handbook was planned for the fall 2023 semester, but “there are no revisions occurring concerning the topics at hand.” In his response, Milligan University president Bill Greer noted that a group of alumni from his institution protested recently, pushing for Milligan to soften its position on homosexuality and transgenderism. A page on the college’s website is dedicated to the issue. On it, the university declares “sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed solely within a faithful, covenant marriage, which is monogamous, permanent, heterosexual, and characterized by the self-giving love of Jesus Christ.” The page includes a list of frequently asked questions-and-answers. “I appreciate the CS sharing this as it demonstrates our beliefs in action,” Greer said.

But in answering the survey questions and in subsequent interviews, many presidents supported the idea Scripture contained no errors in its original manuscripts. Some said that if any errors occurred in the copying of those manuscripts, those errors were minor—and the transmission process still was superintended by God to bring about his purposes for his Word. An official doctrinal statement by Dallas Christian College proclaims, “the Bible alone is the divinely inspired Word of God . . . and is expressly and historically true in the commonly accepted meaning of the terms.” In an interview with Christian Standard, DCC president Brian Smith added his own commentary to the college’s official statement. “While they don’t use the word ‘inerrancy,’ they mean the word ‘inerrancy,’” he said. As a theologian, Smith said he personally believed Scripture contains no errors. Other colleges describe Scripture as the “infallible” Word of God. To be “infallible” means something is incapable of producing error. Still others say they prefer to use “Bible words for Bible things.” Scripture is “God-breathed,” some said—a reference to 2 Timothy 3:16. “I would agree that the Bible is truthful,” said John Baxter, president of NationsUniversity. “That word represents the absence of errors.” The word inerrant is a relatively recent term coined in the 19th century to combat a more liberal interpretation of Scripture, Baxter said. “We understand the history of this term and agree with the need to oppose the liberal theology of that era and continuing to the present day,” he said.

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Meanwhile, college presidents expressed a high view of Scripture in a variety of ways.

INERRANT, IN OTHER WORDS

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‘CENTRAL TO WHO WE ARE’

“CAN WE ALL AGREE THAT IT IS AN UNSETTLED ISSUE THAT CORRECTLY BELONGS IN THE ‘IN MATTERS OF OPINION’ COLUMN?”

At Ozark Christian College, Scripture is “infallible” and the “final authority in all matters of faith and practice,” according to the college’s statement of faith. President Matt Proctor came to the point: “To answer the question directly, we believe Scripture to be inerrant.” Perhaps more explicitly, Proctor said the issue of biblical authority is of such importance at Ozark that he preached a sermon about it during the first weekly chapel service last school year. Proctor said he used the words inerrant and infallible as he delivered his message. “That’s pretty foundational to us,” Proctor said. Meanwhile, the faculty at Kentucky Christian University affirm the school’s “faith covenant” every year by signing it; that covenant includes a statement that Scripture is the “only infallible, authoritative Word of God.” The stakes are high. To drift from its high view of Scripture is to allow culture to begin to dictate the university’s beliefs, said KCU president Terry Allcorn. “To me, it’s central to who we are and how we define ourselves,” he said. “We’re pretty public about that.”

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A NEEDED ALIGNMENT Maintaining doctrinal alignment among faculty is only one part of the equation, however. A college also can feel extreme pressure to soften its doctrinal positions when funding gets tight.

AGAINST THE DRIFT In Christian Standard’s survey and subsequent interviews, multiple presidents stressed that their colleges—like KCU—require faculty to reaffirm their agreement with the colleges’ doctrinal positions each year as they renew their teaching contracts. The idea is to ensure the instruction does not drift from each school’s theological roots. Maintaining a high view of Scripture across an entire institution requires vigilance, some presidents said. One president told the story of having a sitdown conversation with a faculty member whose views were changing on doctrinal issues. Others had witnessed the dismissal of faculty over such things. “We do realize how easy it is for the slide to take place, particularly on issues of inerrancy and things,” said John Maurice, president of Mid-Atlantic Christian University. MACU has a stringent interview process for its biblical studies faculty, Maurice said—“not just on inerrancy, but how do you interpret Genesis? Are there more authors than one for the book of Isaiah?”

Many colleges receive most of their funding from student tuition dollars, said Lincoln Christian University president Silas McCormick. A college might be tempted to tweak its doctrinal positions to attract more students with a greater variety of beliefs. LCU recently grappled with that question as declining enrollment and funding forced the university to trim its program offerings and sell off a portion of its campus. McCormick said the college preferred to “fail faithfully” rather than change its original mission to train up Christian workers. But the scenario hits on a concern McCormick has with the Restoration Movement. Its colleges are too reliant on tuition dollars. Churches and individual donors could do more. “We’re not as a movement, by and large, putting our money behind that,” he said. A college that gets 80 percent of its financial support from students with still-developing doctrinal views may look at things differently than a college that gets 80 percent of its funding from churches that share its high view of Scripture. “Which [college] has more freedom to remain true?” McCormick asked.  Please see the full responses by college presidents to Christian Standard’s survey on our website at ChristianStandard.com/fullresponses. Chris Moon is a pastor and writer living in Redstone, Colorado.

N TS

L L EG E P

WERE HESITANT TO RESPOND

ANSWERING, BUT NOT ANSWERING Within hours of the dissemination of Christian Standard’s survey, 20 college presidents launched into a discussion about publishing a joint statement expressing their solidarity with one another. The presidents already interact with each other on a regular basis. Fincher helped draft the joint response. To answer or not to answer. That was a question 23 college presidents faced upon receiving a Christian Standard survey asking about their institution’s views on biblical inerrancy, human sexuality, and women in ministry. The survey was sent to presidents of colleges affiliated with the Restoration Movement. In the end, 16 presidents responded. Seven did not. Multiple presidents who responded to the survey said they grappled with the decision because such topics are controversial. Proclaiming one’s views about transgenderism or women in ministry could cause a landslide of reaction.

“I believe one president saw this as an opportunity to bring us together and show the brotherhood the nature of our commonality,” Fincher said. “And it’s always easier to edit and sign onto what someone else wrote than for 20 people to write their own thing. I believe we genuinely respect and affirm one another, so it was an easy sell for people to do.” In the joint statement, the presidents said they were “accountable to the Lord, our Boards, and our constituents.” They expressed their desire to have “healthy doctrinal conversations” and neither bend to cultural pressure nor get bogged down in “secondary issues.” “We thank God for our fellow presidents and intercede for our sister schools,” the presidents said.

Some presidents said they feared being misunderstood. Others said they were concerned they would receive a lot of phone calls—and even criticism— from their student and donor bases.

The joint statement, however, did not directly address any of the three major topics of the survey— biblical inerrancy, human sexuality, and women in ministry.

Still others were concerned a public airing of views on hot-button subjects would divide the colleges.

Seven college presidents declined to share their institution’s views on those topics. They represented Alberta Bible College, Bushnell University, Carolina Christian College, Colegio Biblico, Hope International University, Johnson University, and Summit Christian College.

“I believe there were some people who feared that with a survey, we could be pitted against each other and be in the unenviable position of speaking against the stands that other schools take,” said David Fincher, president of Central Christian College of the Bible. The things Christian Standard asked about are “a gotcha topic” in the news and on social media, Fincher said. “And people who read your magazine often participate in such things: ‘There goes Ozark again, Johnson’s not the same school it used to be, Central is changing, etc.’ I believe they felt there was a danger they would provide ammunition”—either against another school or their own schools, Fincher said.

Christian Standard tried multiple times to garner responses. Fincher said timing was an issue. The survey was sent out as the presidents were wrapping up the 2022–2023 school year. But the presidents were given an opportunity to respond well past the original deadline. One president—Carolina Christian College’s LaTanya Tyson—indicated her only response would be the joint statement. Other presidents didn’t respond at all.

MULTIPLE PRESIDENTS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY SAID THEY GRAPPLED WITH THE DECISION BECAUSE SUCH TOPICS ARE CONTROVERSIAL.

‘CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES’ Presidents who did respond to the survey provided a window into their thinking. Frank Weller, president of Great Lakes Christian College, said “the challenges in Christian higher education right now are enormous.” He said faith-based, four-year private colleges like GLCC are “a critically endangered species right now.” Indeed, multiple Restoration Movement colleges have closed in recent years. (The upcoming closure of Johnson University Florida on June 30, 2024, was announced as these articles were being edited.) Other institutions face financial and accreditation hurdles. Faith-based colleges, Weller said, also face an “existential threat” with the possibility they could be excluded from federal financial aid programs. That funding helps keep colleges afloat. The national progressive agenda, rallying around the homosexual and transgender movement, could jeopardize that funding. It also could jeopardize the accreditation of faith-based colleges that don’t acquiesce to its demands. Because of that, Weller was hesitant to respond to Christian Standard’s survey. The questions in the survey, he said, could lead to debate. And colleges, he said, need to stay “laser-focused” on their core mission of educating their students. “I don’t want a distraction. That’s it,” Weller said. But he admitted, notwithstanding the potential distraction it may cause, that colleges have a duty to make their positions on these hot-button topics transparent—because prospective students and their parents will be asking these questions. “The only responsible thing is to know where the colleges stand on those issues,” he said.

‘O CANADA’ In Canada, the environment is even more volatile than in the United States. Richard Jones, president of Maritime Christian College on Prince Edward Island, said he also hesitated before completing the survey. He noted Canada has a constitutional right to free speech. But, he said, the nation has a progressive federal government as well as a legal aversion to “hate literature.” Jones said it remains unclear what a person or institution can and can’t say as it relates to things like homosexual activity and transgenderism. “It’s a battleground in Canada for sure,” he said. Still, colleges have a duty to “openly and honestly” state their positions on these topics, Jones said. “We want to be very wise,” Jones said. “That doesn’t mean we hide our values.”  —Chris Moon

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F IGH T I NG F OR R E L AT ION SH I P S: STRIVING FOR UNITY IN POLITICALLY DIVISIVE TIMES By Ben Cachiaras

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Shortly before his recent unexpected passing, my friend, Christian Standard editor Mike Mack, asked me via email: “How can we love one another in a culture where there is so much sharp disagreement? . . . Would you write something on the challenge of fighting for relationships?” Before his untimely death, the burden on Mike’s heart—and likely many of our hearts—was to see Christ followers navigate the nasty culture wars, the lack of civility, and the political polarization to live out faith in God-honoring ways. “How do we disagree without hating?” he asked. Indeed, some people now contend we are more divided than we’ve been since the Civil War, to the point of dysfunction. Right and left are no longer two opposing sides that keep each other in balance; John Mark Comer says they are two rival religions locked in holy war with zealots fighting it out online and, increasingly, in the streets. The greater tragedy, which prompted Mike to commission this article, is that this same ugly division has entered the church. Rival ideologies have gathered their tribes and gained allegiance, pitting us against one another. People “are often willing to do whatever it takes to elevate their own group and undermine their rivals”—even if it means being nasty or hurting someone, Adam Grant wrote in Think Again. We know this to be true because we lived through 2020, when—as Preston Sprinkle has noted—factions fought tooth and nail over mask mandates, lockdown measures, the efficacy of vaccines, and not only who should be the next president, but whether anyone who disagreed with your point of view could possibly be a real Christian. And it is breaking the heart of our Lord. Jesus prayed we would be united as one, protected from the schemes of the evil one which he warned would appear in the form of disunity (John 17:11, 20-23). As we approach another election year, we must do more than brace ourselves. Instead, we must embrace four key concepts, each a critical aspect of Jesus’ kingdom.

L OV E : WE’VE GOT TO LEARN TO DISAGREE POLITICALLY AND STILL LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY. When asked to boil down the entirety of Scripture, Jesus told us to love God and love people (Matthew 22:37-39). Paul said love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). And yet Christians fight and fling dirt at each other over issues of race, immigration, politics, and more. It’s as if we believe being passionate about our position on an issue justifies spiritually immature behavior. But if we don’t have love, we are nothing but an obnoxious, blaring alarm (1 Corinthians 13:1, 3). Even if you think you’re right, without love—as a Christian song from more than a decade ago said— “you ain’t nothing.” Tribalism erects barriers and divides us; the gospel crashes those barriers and draws us together in Christ. If your gospel isn’t strong enough to crash through political walls, it’s a false gospel (Ephesians 2:14-22). Jesus didn’t say, “Ridicule your enemies.” He didn’t teach, “Put up with your enemies. Just try to ignore them.” No, Jesus commanded, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48). Tolerance is not a high enough standard for Jesus and his people. It’s time to take Jesus’ teaching more seriously and embrace love. Our faith will not be proven by how deeply we love our friends but how deeply we love our enemies. The people who tick you off. The ones you can’t stand (Luke 6:27-36). Imagine if, this next election cycle, Christians in America were primarily known for the very thing Jesus said we ought to be known for—not our politics, but our love (John 13:34-35).

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U N I T Y: “MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH THE BOND OF PEACE” (EPHESIANS 4:3). Paul reminded us in Ephesians that we are one body and one Spirit, with one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all (4:3-6). And he stressed that it will take some hard work to keep that unity. Strive for it! It’s as if he was saying, “Christ has made you one. Now act like it!” Jesus’ people are not held together by political affiliation. And we must never let it drive us apart. The picture of God’s people joined around the throne one day reveals a wonderfully diverse collection from every tongue, tribe, and nation. There is unity despite the diversity because Jesus is at the center (Revelation 7:9). The early church’s rapid growth amid the pagan Roman Empire was fueled by the core distinctives that marked Jesus’ followers. Specifically, their communities were truly diverse and welcoming, crossing lines of race and ethnicity. Their gatherings included folk from all socioeconomic groups; they cared for the poor and shared with those who had less. They staunchly resisted the practice of infanticide and abortion, and resolutely upheld marriage and sexuality between one man and one woman for life. Think about those distinctives for a moment. They are all part of orthodox Christian faith. But nowadays, if you care about race or the poor, people assume you’re a “liberal Democrat” and are therefore opposed to the sanctity of life and traditional marriage. On the other hand, if you uphold the sanctity of life and traditional marriage, you must be a “conservative Republican” and unconcerned about racial justice and helping the poor. Our version of Christianity isn’t taking the empire by storm because the empire has taken hold of us. Many Christians choose one side and ignore or demonize the other. Instead of uniting around Jesus and presenting a compelling alternative way to live in the world, we have adapted to the categories and parties handed to us. We’ve become political about our religion, and we have imported a religious zeal into our politics. Politics are “America’s new religious war,” The Economist noted in a March 2021 article. So

many have been taken captive not by Jesus, but by their preferred brand of politics which we’ve baptized and correlated with Christianity itself. It’s a form of idolatry. As John Mark Comer has noted, a growing number of people are more loyal to their ideology or political party than to Jesus and his teachings. Honestly, if we could get some people as fired up about Jesus as they are about their politics, we’d have a revival on our hands! One of the saddest outcomes of the pandemic was the church swapping that happened as people migrated to churches not over doctrinal matters, but over such issues as masking and politics. This resulted in a more homogenous church, where we gather according to our cultural preferences with others who are politically like-minded. Now, it seems, we no longer strive for unity, but instead settle for uniformity. This robs us of a central feature of the gospel which brings together people from all walks of life into a beautiful new community that does not merely mirror the way society gathers, but which demonstrates the gospel’s power by uniting diverse people around Jesus, the one and only source of our unity. It’s wonderful to find the affinity of people who are “like me” at church. But the church at its best leads us to the special joy of relating to, appreciating, understanding, valuing, and loving people who are radically unlike us. It shapes our hearts with Christlike sympathy, compassion, and understanding. It fosters humility and broadens our frame of reference so we can begin to imagine how to take ourselves out of the center of things and love the world like Jesus. It’s helpful to remember that Christian is a noun. It is our primary identity. All other descriptors are adjectives that modify our core, which is found in Christ. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, an American or an Australian, slave or free, Jew or Greek, male or female—all these categories are secondary to our primary identity which is that we are one in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Galatians 3:28). What would happen if we remembered that we are one . . . and acted like it?

J E SUS’ PEOPL E A R E NOT H E L D TOGET H E R BY P OL I T IC A L A F F I L I AT ION . A N D W E M UST N EV E R L ET I T DR I V E US A PA RT.

A CH U RCH T H AT L OV E S L I K E JE SUS , IS UNITED IN JE SUS U N DE R T H E L OR DSH I P OF JE SUS F OR T H E M I S SION OF JE SUS ...

M IS S IO N:

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“THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS” (MATTHEW 28:18).

If you want people to leave your church, be turned off by your preaching, and become disillusioned with Christianity in general, make politics and ideology more important than theology. There is an exodus from American congregations across our land. Much of it isn’t because people are less interested in faith; it’s that they are less interested in politically induced slants and rants.

L OR D S H I P : “WHY DO YOU CALL ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’ AND DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY?” (LUKE 6:46). When politics and faith became entangled during the crusades, the result was an ugly blemish on the name of Christ. It is said that when some soldiers were baptized before going to war, they would hold their swords out of the water. They were saying, “I’m not surrendering this part to God. Jesus can be Lord of the rest of me, but I know he wouldn’t approve of what I want to do with this sword, so it’s not going under.” They would “convert” to Christianity without fully surrendering to Christ. They forgot that receiving Jesus as Savior meant obeying him as Lord. How easy it is for us to do the same today! It’s as if we have been baptized completely, except for our mouths, so we then feel free to speak however we choose on social media about our opponents. As if our fingers were not baptized so they are free to type scathing ad hominem attacks against fellow believers, ignoring Jesus’ command to love and pursue peace. As if our heads didn’t go under, meaning our minds are free to care more about our ideology and our political bent than Jesus’ teaching. When we are baptized, we are immersed completely. Our entire being surrenders to Jesus— including the priority we give to politics. We adopt the politics of Jesus, which is the new way of his kingdom. For the Christian, our primary pledge of allegiance happened at our baptism. This is what unites us. It is the basis and only hope for our unity. What would happen if our primary identity was “Christian,” and our only master was Jesus?

We live in what can be labeled a “post-Christian” culture. We are on a mission field! People who show up at a church in this climate aren’t looking for your political views or ideological bent. They’re looking for God. The moment we wade beyond biblical justice and scriptural teaching into partisan talking points, we alienate a huge percentage of the very people we are sent to reach. Why would we be OK with that? Jesus died for them and wants to welcome them, but we’re fine with chasing them out the door? Some church leaders feel they are being “courageous” by “taking a stand” on the issues. This is how we justify relaying our own personal preferences and ideas with political overtones. “What if it’s actually not courageous to take a partisan position and say something partisan from the pulpit?” Carey Nieuwhof asked in New Exodus? Four Reasons People are Leaving the Church, “What if being courageous these days means becoming an alternative to the culture, not an echo of it?” Jesus ushered in a different kind of kingdom, inviting us all to participate in a radical, countercultural community that doesn’t parrot the categories of modern politics. It is built on a way of living and being that is so much larger, so much more beautiful and lasting than anything portrayed by modern political categories. A church that loves like Jesus, is united in Jesus under the lordship of Jesus for the mission of Jesus— that is what our friend Mike Mack wanted to see. That is what our Lord calls us to be. And that is what a hungry, watching world desperately needs.  Ben Cachiaras serves as lead pastor of Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, Maryland.

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Is It Time for a

N EW R E STORATION MOVEM ENT?

PA R T

B Y

J I M

P U T M A N

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Thomas Campbell, a Restoration Movement founder, coined the phrase, “Where the Bible speaks, we speak, and where it is silent, we are silent.” It captures the spirit of Romans 14 and resonates with me. Freedom exists where Scripture is silent, but we must not refuse to speak (or believe) where Scripture speaks on matters that have been understood from the beginning.

As I stated in Part 1, two people can read Scripture differently even if they use many of the same hermeneutical tools. Personal experiences impact the choice of the tools we use. The culture we live in, the meaning of words handed down to us, and the passages we use for context impact our conclusions. Established understandings provide a basis for what we believe about Scripture, its writers, and its purpose. The world was created with purpose and perfection, and Jesus pointed to this when answering questions about divorce. Likewise, Paul shared reasons that pointed to creation, not culture, when he gave his commands concerning women in leadership. So, when we consider a new interpretation that challenges an established idea concerning a Scripture’s meaning, we must ask several questions:

HOW DO WE EVALUATE NEW IDEAS?

What new information have we received that would cause us to reexamine this?

When someone dreams up a new way of interpreting Scripture, we must be familiar enough with the New Testament to discern and evaluate that change. We must ask such questions as, “What does Scripture say on the subject?” and “How has this been understood since the early church?”

What motive is behind this new idea? Is it cultural? Is it based on an experience that is causing the Scripture to be read in a different light? Is it a result of some misuse of Scripture that has caused harm? Is it because our world has changed and now views things differently because of “science” or popularity?

How old or new is this new idea? Can I find it in the early church (that is, among those who lived just after the apostles?)

In the Old Testament, God’s prophets pointed people back to the writings of Moses as the standard of righteousness without adding to it or taking away from it. The Jews were judged for not living out what was written in that standard. In the same way, New Testament writers pointed back to what had been written and understood from the beginning without adding to or taking away from it. All of this was for our good—the Word was given by a good God who created us and always wants the best for us.

If the challenge to the original scriptural interpretation is being advocated by people who have an unbiblical agenda, the new interpretation is not the answer; rather, Christians should live out Scripture using the long-established interpretation.

As I shared in Part 1, I am skeptical of any new view of original things. My reasons are twofold. First, when speaking about something historical in nature, eyewitnesses and their contemporaries are more likely to have it right. Second, Scripture warns that people will come seeking to change views that were once well understood.

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DOES ‘NONESSENTIAL’ MEAN UNIMPORTANT? Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell understood that not all truths were equally important. They sought to focus on agreement to bring unity rather than being divided by secondary issues. This created such a stir that the Restoration Movement exploded, but it didn’t mean that nonsalvation issues were unimportant. The Restoration Movement developed distinctives that sought to restore the original model found in Acts 2 and the rest of the New Testament. For example, many views of baptism existed at that time (the early 1800s), but since baptism was originally by immersion and included a public confession of faith, the movement’s leaders decided to follow that pattern. Their conviction was the early church had done things in a specific way, and that way was worth repeating. Alignment around those distinctives keeps us unified so we can attack the real enemy without fighting amongst ourselves. Not every truth is equally important, but just because something is nonessential does not mean it is unimportant. These days I’m hearing some in the Restoration Movement saying things like, “It’s not a salvation issue so it doesn’t matter.” I disagree. Discipleship involves much more than just sharing the gospel. While it should start with declaring the truth about our sin and that we must accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, it must not end there. Since all authority is his, we are to teach all Jesus commanded in Scripture, through his apostles, in every sphere of our lives. Every part of our lives has been tainted by sin, and that sin has affected God’s design for marriage, the church, parenting, and leadership, just to name a few areas of concern. God has expressed his design for restoration and recreation in Scripture. So, when the storms of life hit us, we can stand strong because our lives are built on the solid foundation of his Word.

IS IT ‘NO BIG DEAL’ TO REDEFINE CHURCH LEADERSHIP IN A MORE CULTURALLY ACCEPTING WAY? Can you be saved and yet not understand what it means to be a good leader? I certainly hope so because far too often I have been poor at leading. I am a work in progress, but I should continue to work toward the definition of a good leader found in God’s Word until the day I die. But what if someone challenges what God’s Word says about good leadership by redefining it in a more culturally acceptable way? Should I say, “No big deal”? (After all, it’s not a salvation issue.) What happens if I do? As I see it, I will have allowed the world (ultimately the enemy of our souls) to redefine a biblical concept; in doing this, I will have allowed that part of my life to be less godly than it could have been. Many have sought to improve church leadership by taking cues from business leaders rather than Scripture. This leads to businesses that call themselves churches rather than churches that use Jesus’ methods of leading his people toward his goals. Winning souls becomes more about gathering crowds than making disciples. People become employees rather than brothers and sisters and children in the faith. If I were to adopt those ideas and practices, then those I lead will undoubtedly experience something “less than” what New Testament believers experienced. If I had accepted such unbiblical views at Real Life, where I serve, I would have been either willfully ignorant of Scripture or willfully disobedient to Scripture. I know many Restoration Movement leaders who have allowed their ideas about church to be formed by those who are seemingly wise in the business world. How did this happen? A hallmark of the Restoration Movement is to go back to the purity of the beginning.

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GOD HAS EX PR E SSED H IS DE SIGN FOR R E STORATION & R E- CR E ATION I N SCR I PTUR E .

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WHAT ABOUT REDEFINING WOMEN’S ROLES? A hot topic in churches today is men’s and women’s roles, particularly in leadership. I have heard from many in the Restoration Movement about a new way to look at this subject, and because it’s not a salvation issue, it shouldn’t matter. A new view about women’s roles is pushed at conferences and other platforms. I should note, to those folks who are pushing the new view, it seems to matter a great deal! Thirty-five years ago, when I started full-time ministry, I was shocked to find many Restoration Movement scholars, professors, and pastors joining with a minority of liberal churches that were creating new ways to disregard the clear historical understandings of Scripture pertaining to men’s and women’s roles in the church. Back then, it was a small percentage. Problem was, many of these scholars held prominent positions in our colleges and seminaries, where they were influencing future pastors. These Christian church “scholars” echoed a strain of Christianity (e.g., the Disciples of Christ) that had already made that jump years earlier to mainline denominationalism. Those who had led the way pushing for female leadership in the church didn’t stop there but moved to affirming homosexuality in the church and in leadership. Early in this process, most pastors and scholars did not agree with those espousing new ways to look at women’s roles, but they didn’t think it was that big of a deal. “It’s not a salvation issue,” they said then. But was it unimportant? Was it not an issue the enemy used as a stepping stone to create a new way

of understanding and then dismissing Scripture? If it was an issue important enough to be clearly spoken about in Scripture, then it is an issue that could cause us great trouble if we get it wrong. The early church clearly understood this teaching, so utilizing women as pastors with newfound authority and responsibility is a new phenomenon. If it wasn’t, the tension wouldn’t be there. For nearly 2,000 years, the church has maintained a consistent view on the issue of women pastors and teachers. To be clear, women did teach women and children and they have long been an essential part of the ministry of the church. No one I know is questioning that, but in what roles and what conditions? When it came to the gathering of all the believers for teaching and leadership authority, there is no single example where a woman led the gathered church as an elder, pastor, or teacher in early Christianity. I know of no early church example where a woman was the central teacher or even a minor one when the church gathered. I am aware of the arguments concerning women and prophecy, and I think there are right answers given by scholars today, but they fit with what we know about history. The clear reading of Scripture directed to “the gathering of the believers” tells us they are not to do that. The early church understood it that way and the only women who sought that role or were given it were in the early Gnostic cults. I cannot take on every objection here, but I do provide a clear principle: the best people to tell us what

a passage meant are those who were there in the beginning. If a modern scholar tells me they have a new understanding of something, I am immediately skeptical. Frankly, I should be skeptical, because the Scriptures tell me that some will come as false teachers. I am told to hold to the faith—once for all entrusted—and the role of men and women are included in that. One might argue that the original model of male-only church leadership won’t help us win people in the world we live in today. I would respond, however, that in discipleship, we become the family of God as we grow in our knowledge and application of the Scriptures. Leaders lead humbly and sacrificially—like Jesus did. Followers are submissive and humble—like Jesus was. And as we become ordered around God’s design and filled with his love, we become something altogether different in the world. The enemy will seek to divide and infiltrate us so that we cannot win against him, but as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds and become mature, we will become the body of Christ, which functions completely differently from those who live in the world. Then the Lord adds to our number daily. If it is true that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God and the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world, then we must ask, “Am I looking more (or less) like what the world would see as acceptable?” If I lead like those at Microsoft, am I seeking to be approved by the world? If my view of men and women, sex, and marriage is more acceptable and understandable to the world, should I worry or not?

The percentage of pastors in the Restoration Movement who now dismiss Scripture’s roles for men and women is growing incredibly. These shifting views seek to reshape the church . . . but for what purpose? Is it feminism, a rejection of patriarchy, a desire for inclusion, or a desire to gain status, money, or power? At what cost? Why do it? Rejecting God’s plans for worldly things may get us more of the world but it results in less of God’s blessing. How many times will we ignore God’s counsel and suffer before we learn? Maybe it’s time for a new Restoration Movement. Most of us were handed something, but it has become something we take for granted. Maybe it’s time to remember the problem the Restoration Movement faced . . . a bunch of opinions not found in the Scriptures and not endorsed by New Testament church practice. The Restoration Movement’s founders decided to disregard those opinions and rely, instead, on the first practices of the first church. Let’s make our stand—not to be the only Christians, but to be Christians only. Let’s define that by going back to the Scriptures as understood by the early church, for this is precisely what the founders of our movement did. Let’s not just use the name Christian, but let’s also live out its principles.  Jim Putman serves as senior pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. He is the author or coauthor of several discipleship books, including Church Is a Team Sport, Real-Life Discipleship, and DiscipleShift. www.jimputman.com /JimPutmanRLM @JimPutmanRLM

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Recently, I have been watching many national Christian leaders fail morally. Some are falling because they have rejected God’s version of submission and authority within the structure of a church. A person’s ability to attract a crowd can be more important than their character. Another famous and influential pastor just told me that homosexuality is not sin.

IS IT TIME FOR A RESTART?

— M I C H A E L C . M AC K ( 1960 – 2 0 2 3) —

Mike Mack

WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO STEP OUT IN FAITH

Christian Standard editor Michael C. Mack wasn’t afraid to step out in faith. He switched from Catholicism to New Testament Christianity in his early 20s, gave up his business career to enter seminary, left his full-time job to launch a Christ-centered website early in the Internet craze, and became editor of a 150-year-old magazine for Christian leaders after more than two decades focused on small-group ministry. For Mike, it all boiled down to the courage to engage with people on a personal level about their life in Christ. Mike Mack died of a blood clot August 24 while on a mountain bike adventure with friends in Colorado. He was 63. It was his birthday. Mike is survived by his wife, Heidi, two daughters, two sons, and hundreds of loved ones who expressed shock, grief, and love for him via social media.

FRIENDS REACT TO THE NEWS “Mike was a people person,” wrote Jerry Harris, who hired him as editor of Christian Standard. “He was thoughtful and compassionate and had a passionate desire to find out who they are in Christ. . . . He had a close relationship with Jesus, and whenever he experienced adversity in life, it only drew him closer to his Lord.” “Mike Mack was not only a good friend but also a mentor to me as well,” wrote Nick Lenzi, a small groups minister in New Jersey. “He was a selfless pioneer in small groups. Beyond his vast knowledge, he was humble, kind, generous, and thoughtful. “Mike was a great leader, and a compassionate, caring pastor,” Bill Donahue, president of the LeaderSync Group, wrote on Facebook. “He understood the depth of spiritual community and what it can do to transform lives. And he could engage with strategy and the more tactical aspects of group ministry. But he was always a people person first. And he was a shepherd to almost everyone he met and worked with. What a loss.”

He graduated from St. Xavier High School, regarded as Cincinnati’s pre-eminent Catholic academic institution, in 1978. He enrolled at his beloved University of Cincinnati. While walking across campus one day, he saw a sign for cheerleader tryouts. He had no experience, but tried out, and became a three-year cheerleader for the Bearcats. He also worked on the school newspaper. After graduation from UC with a degree in finance and economics in 1983, he worked as an auditor/ manager for Lazarus Department Stores in the Dayton, Ohio, area. He studied his Bible informally during this time but was seeking connection and the “right” church to attend. He found instant connection when he visited Centerville (Ohio) Christian Church (now called SouthBrook Christian) and was invited to participate in a small group. A short time later, in 1988, he was baptized by minister Tom Jones, and not long after that, he moved back to his hometown to start a graduate ministry program at Cincinnati Bible Seminary. Mike had become convinced God wanted him to use his passion for writing to serve Him. He received direction to enter the seminary when he visited Standard Publishing to inquire about a position, and the publisher at the time (Eugene Wigginton) and editor of Christian Standard (Sam E. Stone) took the time to speak with him and offer advice. He worked on the school paper at CBS, where he graduated with a degree in Christian education. He served in an editorial position at Standard Publishing from 1989 to 1995, most notably as assistant editor of The Lookout magazine under S.J. Dahlman, who remembers that Mike “simply and unabashedly loved Jesus Christ and committed himself to serving the Lord and the church. That love and commitment was the foundation on which he built everything else in his life.”

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Mike grew up in the small city of Deer Park, just northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the youngest of four children in a Catholic family. He enjoyed sports his entire life, but his small stature required him to compete all the harder. He learned he had diabetes in 1971, which caused lifelong challenges but did little to slow him down.

MIKE’S EARLY YEARS . . .

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AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Mike saw a great opportunity with the rise of the global internet. He encouraged Standard Publishing to embrace that opportunity, but ultimately decided he needed to move forward on his own. He founded smallgroups.com, a resource to support and equip small group leadership in local churches. The website’s outreach grew to international influence and is now operated as a ministry of Christianity Today, Inc. Concurrently, he served in associate ministry roles with Bethany Christian Church in Anderson, Ind., and then Foothills Christian Church in Boise, Idaho. He then served 11 years (2001 to 2012) as small groups minister with Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., where he was attending at the time of his death. Since 2000, Mike had owned and operated Small Group Leadership, a ministry supporting leaders and church ministries through speaking, coaching, and consulting. He provided training via workshops, seminars, and conferences. Also, for 28 years, Mike was a freelance writer and editor. He wrote 8 books and more than 25 discussion guides. He was working on another book project at the time of his death.

MORE REACTIONS FROM FRIENDS “Mike Mack was the perfect person to assume the role of Christian Standard editor,” said Mark A. Taylor, a former coworker whom Mike succeeded as editor. “[He was] a local and national church leader with a track record of publishing success and experience, and he was absolutely sold out to God. “I worked with Mike in so many different capacities over the years, and in every role, whether as someone I was supervising, a colleague, or freelance contributor, he was always diligent, efficient, and creative,” Taylor said. “He was a man of prayer, and he took his work very seriously, always committed to doing his very best for God. It is most difficult to lose him. . . .” Christian minister David Faust, who writes a weekly column for Christian Standard Media, called Mike a “a devoted follower of Christ and a longtime friend.” In their weekly correspondence when he would turn in his column, Mike “always had encouraging words to share.”

Frequent colleague Shawn McMullen recalled Mike’s love for the Word of God. “In nearly every personal meeting or phone conversation I had with Mike, he would share a verse or passage he had come across in his reading, tell me what it meant to him, and explain how he was striving to apply that truth to his life.” “I will miss him in this life,” McMullen says, “but I take comfort knowing that for Mike, hope has become reality. He no longer reads the Word; he’s spending eternity with the Word.”

THE PAST TWO YEARS Recently, Mike struggled to recover from a serious knee injury that he suffered while mountain biking in October 2021. Ultimately, it required three surgeries and relearning how to walk and how to ride a bike. The trip to Colorado was the next step in his recovery. But, as usual, Mike also was focused on work and on evangelism. In his final “From the Editor” column for Christian Standard, which appears in this issue (p. 6), Mike lamented that most Christians are not committed to evangelism, and he confessed that his passion and fire to reach the loss had somehow “become dulled” over time, as well. He wrote: Keeping God’s love to ourselves should not even be an option for us. I confess my apathy toward Christ’s commission and command. I repent of my lukewarmness regarding the lost. I’m done with the holy huddle and playing it safe. I’m going back to the love and passion I had at first when I became a Christ follower. Will you commit to go with me? He concluded the column this way: I encourage preachers to move beyond preaching the good news to lost people who wander into our buildings—or our online platforms—once or twice a week . . . and begin (again) to envision, encourage, and equip our people to share their faith with the unbelieving people all around them seven days a week. Keep doing this until the church is doing what Jesus built it to do. 

ill you commit to go with me?

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Mike,

YOU WILL BE MISSED By Jim Nieman

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My boss at Christian Standard for the last six

years, editor Mike Mack, loved God, the church, his family, his friends, small group fellowship, and mountain biking. On August 24, Mike died toward the tail-end of a weeklong trip to Colorado to take part in that last activity. I texted him that morning: “Happy Birthday, Mike! Hope you’re having a great time in Colorado!” “Thanks,” he replied moments later. “5th day of riding different trails today.” It was the first weeklong vacation Mike had taken during the entire time we’d worked together. Mike tried to do everything with excellence. He carried out his duties as if God might ask for an immediate accounting. He worked tirelessly and conscientiously and with joy. He sometimes grew frustrated, for sure, but he thought the best of others and defended them, even when they were the source of his frustrations.

(I wonder how many times he needed to defend me.) Mike had recently experienced an extended period of struggle. It started when he broke his left kneecap while mountain biking in October 2021. His recovery was ongoing, up until his death. It involved three major surgeries. Mike resumed biking earlier this year, but he admitted that the trip to Colorado would be a “test.” He was concerned his knee wouldn’t hold up. He was concerned he hadn’t been able to train enough. As always, he was concerned about falling behind with magazine work while he was away. I encouraged him to go. He traveled to Colorado with a group of cycling friends from in and around Louisville, Ky. I’m told they rode for a while on that Thursday but were taking a break when Mike told them he wasn’t feeling well. An ambulance was called, but Mike died of a heart attack before making it to the hospital.

I texted him that morning: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE! HOPE YOU’RE HAVING A GREAT TIME IN COLORADO!”

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A Partnership that Worked

‘C’mon Man!’

Mike and I made a good team. We shared some common strengths as editors, but our skill sets were largely complementary.

Mike’s daily ritual was to awake early and study God’s Word. Sometimes those sessions went longer than he anticipated.

Mike was outgoing, a small-group Bible study expert, an entrepreneur, a theologian, a grammarian, didn’t mind tackling nettlesome computer problems, and enjoyed new challenges.

In 2018, Mike challenged church leaders—and all Christians, really—to humbly seek to follow God’s agenda in their quiet time with the Lord. In the column—titled “Five-Minute Daily Devotions for Leaders: C’mon Man!”—he wrote:

I enjoy working silently at my keyboard and prefer repetition to newness. Somehow, we figured it out. And we generally spoke at some length by phone about once per day. Mike and I worked remotely out of our homes for six years—me in Cincinnati and Mike in Louisville. For a few years we got together for lunch most months to look over the proof of our next print issue and to discuss various work-related projects and life. And then COVID-19 hit, and we met only once, I think, in a two-year span. We were taking baby steps to resume our lunches. The plan was to meet every two months. I miss our lunches.

Do you rush through your daily quiet time to get to the “more important” things on your to-do list . . . or would you rather hang out with God a little longer, enjoying more intimate time with him? Do you schedule a 5- or 15-minute meeting with God and do the bare minimum because you feel you should . . . or do you open your heart to God and desire to spend as much time as needed to enter into real fellowship with him? If it was midmorning and Mike hadn’t checked-in with me via text, email, or a phone call, I just assumed he was spending extra time with the Lord.

Mike wasn’t perfect, of course. BUT HE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO HIS BEST, AS UNTO THE LORD.

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Mike wasn’t perfect, of course. But he always tried to do his best, as unto the Lord. I think he was a perfectionist who realized perfection was impossible to mortal men and women. But that didn’t stop him from reading through an article or skimming through a 100-page magazine proof one more time even if he’d already done four passes and it was pushing 10 o’clock at night. It didn’t stop him from changing a comma to a semi-colon in the online version of an article that was already in print. It didn’t prevent him from contacting a writer by email and phone if a sentence in the 17th paragraph didn’t quite make sense. No, Mike seldom failed to go that extra mile when something—however small—could be made better. If something needed to be done, he often would volunteer himself. In many cases, Mike’s name appeared above a feature article in our print magazine because the person who had been asked to write the article had turned us down or had failed to follow through. Mike would just step in like Isaiah (“Here am I. Send me!”). I’m not a social media user, but Mike was. In fact, I couldn’t keep track of his various social media outlets. After learning of his death, I saw that he posted this on Facebook in July. I think it nicely sums up his outlook and his life: “Even when you can’t rejoice in your circumstances, you can (and should) rejoice in your God. ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength’ (Nehemiah 8:10).” Mike, you will be missed.  Jim Nieman has served as managing editor of Christian Standard for 25 years.

As Unto the Lord

REMEMBERING OUR EDITOR, Mike Mack (1960-2023)

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It’s very hard to put into words my feelings upon hearing of the passing of Mike Mack on August 24. While I grieved for the sudden loss of a friend and coworker, I rejoice in his being welcomed to glory. As editor of Christian Standard since 2017, Mike was everything for the magazine that I am not. Among those strengths was gently but firmly guiding me to adhere to deadlines. Mike was a people person. His thoughtfulness for others was beyond my abilities. He displayed great compassion for individuals and had a passionate desire to find out who they are in Christ. He often discovered this in the context of discipleship, particularly through small groups. He had a close relationship with Jesus, and whenever he experienced adversity in life, it only drew him closer to his Lord. When I was named publisher of Christian Standard Media in February 2017, my first hire was to select Mike as editor. It quickly was apparent to me that God’s hand was in that choice. As I made changes, Mike was a steady encourager and an honest evaluator; he provided important feedback that moved us forward. I leaned on his relationships with

writers and editors, and his ability to develop and carry out new processes and procedures. He was incredibly patient with me. I miss him greatly! Mike died of a blood clot while on a biking adventure with four friends in the mountains of Colorado. He loved to mountain bike. But an accident while cycling in Indiana in October 2021 caused much suffering over the past two years. He severely injured his knee when he fell from his bike; he had surgery, and then complications, and more surgery. He was told he would never bike again. With incredible patience, he did the hard work to get back onto his bike, exceeding all expectations, especially for a person who was severely diabetic since childhood. During his trip to Colorado, Mike posted pictures on Instagram of breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and views. He was in his happy place. I can only imagine him trading in that scenery for heaven’s landscapes and the face of his Savior and Lord! I continue to pray for Mike’s family and his many friends. I’ll end these thoughts the way Mike ended his emails in the weeks of his life . . .

“MERCY, PEACE, AND LOVE BE YOURS IN ABUNDANCE.”

R E AC T I O N S T O M I K E M AC K ’ S PA S S I N G Several of Mike Mack’s friends, co-workers, and former colleagues shared comments about him in the days after his death on August 24. These reflections on Mike’s impact were offered beneath articles, columns, and social media posts. Alan Ahlgrim “Sad and stunning news! He has served nobly ‘with skillful hands and integrity of heart.’” S.J. “Jim” Dahlman “Mike Mack and I met in 1990, when he joined me on the staff of The Lookout magazine, where we worked together for six years. Our early working relationship soon evolved into a partnership and then a friendship which, happily, endured over many years and many miles. With Mike, words like determination, discipleship, enthusiasm, humility, and graciousness come to mind. He simply and unabashedly loved Jesus Christ and committed himself to serving the Lord and the church. That love and commitment was the foundation on which he built everything else in his life. Whenever we’d talk or email—sometimes about an article and sometimes just to talk—I always came away feeling enriched, encouraged, and somehow quietly inspired.” Bill Donahue “Mike was a great leader and a compassionate, caring pastor. He understood the depth of spiritual community and what it can do to transform lives. And he could engage with strategy and the more tactical aspects of group ministry. But he was always a people person first. And he was a shepherd to almost everyone he met and worked with. What a loss. Thank God for Mike’s resources and impact through these years. . . .” Glen Elliott “All of us will miss him greatly until our great reunion.” David Faust “Mike has been a capable editor, a devoted follower of Christ, and a longtime friend. For years, he and I exchanged friendly greetings and updates by email every Monday when I sent him my weekly articles. He always had encouraging words to share. I noticed that his last published ‘From the Editor’ column (September-October, 2023) was entitled ‘Hope Makes All the Difference.’ I’m sure Mike would want us to remember that we have ‘a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Peter 1:3).” Kent Fillinger “Heartbreaking news! Mike was a great Christian man, a wise editor, and a good friend! His words and influence will be missed but remembered! I'll miss our conversations and working together on articles.” Mary Alice Gardner “Mike and I worked on The Enquirer, Cincinnati Bible College’s school newspaper, while we were in school together. He made it such good fun and worked with excellence. When he became editor of Christian Standard, I was excited to see his influence for God’s kingdom. He asked me to write about the translation of the American Sign Language Bible and gave it a platform that helped to bring it to light for the greater church body. I’m saddened for Heidi and his family, but I know Jesus welcomed him as a faithful servant.” Rudy Hagood “Thoroughly shocking loss! Praying for his loved ones and considering his vast impact on the kingdom!” Justin Horey “I’m one of those writers who shared a byline with Mike because I was unable to complete an assignment during a particularly difficult time. He was always gracious, encouraging, and kind. It was my honor to work with him, and it was a blessing to be a small source of encouragement to him during his own recent challenges.” Dale Meyers “Mike was a great friend and fellow Standard Publishing alumni family. This is such a loss for us, but heaven’s gain.” Bryan Parris “[Mike] was a huge part of my life as a younger man. He hired me in 1997 to maintain the website at Smallgroups. com . . . a job I kept for 11 years. That was really my intro to small groups, and I eventually became a small groups pastor. Jennifer and I were saddened to hear this news. Mike was a resilient leader and I learned so much from him.” Chris Philbeck “I was so sorry to read of Mike’s passing. While I never got the chance to meet Mike, he was a great friend and encourager to me as we corresponded about my preaching column. Every time I submitted my column, he wrote back a word of encouragement. I’m praying for Mike’s family.”

Rick Howerton “I am so, so sorry to hear this news. Mike made a difference in so many lives, including my own.” Ken Idleman “Authentic Christlike character is the indispensable qualifier for a Christian leader, and Mike Mack had it. I will miss our ‘level 5’ conversations about marriage, family, and ministry over hot tea at Heine Brothers.” Stephen LaFontaine “Mike Mack was a great leader, not only with small groups, but also a leader of men. He emulated Jesus by his discipling many to follow Jesus through community. May we all honor him by continuing his efforts to lead others to discipleship.” Nick Lenzi “Mike Mack was not only a good friend but also a mentor to me. He was a selfless pioneer in small groups. Beyond his vast knowledge, he was humble, kind, generous, and thoughtful. I’m going to miss him deeply. His early impact on me was profound, and I’m not sure he realized just how many of us he mentored. Mike’s influence on our dinner groups in Hoboken, New Jersey, was immense. Not only did he come to speak with our leaders three times, but his book is also the one we give to every apprentice even today. What I admired most about Mike was his genuine love for small-group leaders. All of his books were specifically written for them, which is quite rare. Many authors write for pastors or share a system for general leadership. But Mike? He taught individuals how to lead directly within a group. He consistently guided leaders on how to direct their members toward Jesus and emphasized the importance of stepping back to let Jesus take the lead.” Reggie Hundley “I am shocked and saddened to learn of Mike’s passing. I met Mike some years ago while I was serving as editor of Horizons magazine. We shared ideas and a love for small groups then as well. Praying for all Mike’s family, colleagues, and friends.” Michael McCann “This breaks my heart! Mike and I knew each other through writing projects together. . . . His life and ministry were conducted humbly and with integrity. What a loss for so many.” Tyler McKenzie “While we lost him too soon, I know Mike, and if he got to choose how he went to meet Jesus, then he got it. Biking with his friends on a beautiful mountain in the middle of God’s glorious creation.” Shawn McMullen “Mike Mack will be remembered for many things. Editor of Christian Standard, influential leader in small groups ministry, avid mountain biker, discipler, and friend. For many years I watched him thrive and honor God in each of these areas. But above all of them, I remember Mike as a man who loved the Word of God. His life and example were a reflection of the psalmist’s admission, ‘Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long’ (Psalm 119:97). In nearly every personal meeting or phone conversation I had with Mike, he would share a verse or passage he had come across in his reading, tell me what it meant to him, and explain how he was striving to apply that truth to his life. If you followed Mike on social media, you’re familiar with his posts—scenic photos providing background for Scripture passages he had recently read. I will miss him in this life, but I take comfort knowing that for Mike, hope has become reality. He no longer reads the Word; he’s spending eternity with the Word.” Tim Robertson “I knew he was biking from his social media posts. It’s terrible news to hear but a blessing to know he was doing one of the things he enjoyed most in life. May we all be so blessed when we pass from the joys of this life to the unimaginably greater joys of the life to come.” Mark A. Taylor “Mike Mack was the perfect person to assume the role of Christian Standard editor: a local and national church leader with a track record of publishing success and experience, and he was absolutely sold out to God. I worked with Mike in so many different capacities over the years. . . . In every role, whether as someone I was supervising, a colleague, or freelance contributor, he was always diligent, efficient, and creative. He was a man of prayer, and he took his work very seriously, always committed to doing his very best for God. It is most difficult to lose him and most challenging to remember the example he set for us so many times in so many ways.”

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THE LOOKOUT

OUR FREE WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH CHRISTIANSTANDARD.COM AND OUR “+LOOKOUT STUDY” NEWSLETTER. To access our weekly lesson material, simply visit ChristianStandard.com in your web browser and select +The Lookout in the main menu. There you will find the most recent • Study by Mark Scott (longtime Christian college professor) • Application by David Faust (veteran Christian educator and minister) • Discovery questions by Doug Redford (retired preacher, professor, and editor of adult Sunday school curriculum) A new block of related lessons begins every month, so your group can jump in at any time during the year. Many small-group leaders and participants prefer to receive our lessons via newsletter, which we send out monthly at least 10 days in advance. The newsletter provides a link to a download of the next month’s lesson material all in one easy-to-print pdf. (Send an email including the title “The Lookout Study” to cs@christianstandardmedia.com to be added to our mailing list.) You have our permission to print as many copies as you need for your group or class, or you can forward the link or share the pdf via email with your friends. A final thought: Our Discovery questions are designed to foster conversation and “discovery” of biblical truth among groups and individuals with much Bible knowledge or no Bible background. Try it out! It’s free!

christian standard .com

november 2023 ACTS (PART 2) THE CHURCH GOES GLOBAL Shrunken spirits and miserly hearts have no place in God’s global mission. His plans are always larger than ours (Genesis 1:28; 11:4, 9; 12:3; Isaiah 49:6; Daniel 7:13-14; Zechariah 9:9-10). Clearly God’s mission for the church has always been worldwide. The International Conference on Missions realizes this; the theme for their gathering Nov. 15-17 in Oklahoma City is “Hope for the Nations.” In Part 2 of this study from Acts, students will learn of this global mission by studying one family (Cornelius’s household), a first journey (by Paul and Barnabas), and two cities (Ephesus and Rome).

december 2023 GOSPEL OF JOHN (PART 1) LIGHT AND LIFE Life cannot exist without light, water, and food. That is true both scientifically and theologically. First in the order of creation was the creation of light (Genesis 1:3). Second was the separation of the waters (Genesis 1:6). Finally, God made food (Genesis 1:30). Everyone needs light to see. Everyone needs life, which God alone can provide (John 10:10). Everyone needs food (John 6:48). For three months we will study the Gospel of John, the “spiritual Gospel,” as an early Christian theologian called it. In Part 1, students will learn about the themes of light and life from John the Baptist, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the apostle John, and Jesus himself.