Christian Standard | July 2019

Letter from the Publisher When We Go to War in Our Movement

This past April, my wife and I had the opportunity to preach and teach at Hope Christian Church near Augusta, West Virginia. Like most, I am now fully dependent on a GPS to direct my driving in unfamiliar places, so when I heard Siri say we could save 18 minutes by taking an alternative route around an accident, I jumped at the chance. The new path took us through switchback mountain roads—not a pleasurable experience for my wife, who struggles a bit with car sickness. The detour took us right by Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a

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very important site in American history, especially just prior to and during the Civil War. Stopping the car would help satisfy my love of history—and my wife certainly had no objections—so we turned off the main road and treated ourselves to a few minutes in one of the most interesting and picturesque towns in America.

Harpers Ferry holds far too much history to discuss in this column, but the landscape of the town is a story in itself. It lies in the valley at the confluence

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of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers at the border of West Virginia and Maryland. (The Virginia state line is also in the immediate area.) The word valley doesn’t accurately describe the steep slope down to the rivers; cliff is more fitting in many instances. The architecture of the mid-1700s to the late-1800s, mixed with narrow streets, give the town a European feel.

Control of Harpers Ferry changed 14 times during the Civil War. It’s location was strategic to the war effort on both sides. The site was easy to capture— in relative terms—but nearly impossible to defend.

The side that controlled Harpers Ferry could make use of river transportation for supplies and troops, but the occupier was constantly vulnerable to outside attack. (The phrase “like shooting fish in a barrel” applies.) The army that succeeded in taking Harpers Ferry almost immediately became a target! Harpers Ferry was great in peacetime but the worst in wartime.

Learning more about Harpers Ferry made me think about the Restoration Movement and how we conduct ourselves. We have a rich history of debate, and debate is great in a movement that has the freedom of autonomous churches to interpret the Scriptures on their own. We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, and no name but the Divine. We have no denominational hierarchy to push us out of the fold or repossess our church.

We look for unity in essentials, liberty in opinions, and love in everything. But we are also a movement that has gone to war over many things, and

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the problem with war is—much the same as with Harpers Ferry—even when you win, you lose.

I’m preaching to myself as I write this article. It’s way easier for me to set fire to a bridge than to build one. It’s almost effortless to demean someone (behind their back) to others who agree with me, when, instead, I should look for areas of agreement and unity to stand together with them; that’s a good starting place for debating our differences in love.

If we are going to fight, let’s fight for relationship in this movement! I know that if we don’t stand for (and defend) something, we can fall for anything, but defending doesn’t mean warring. We must remember Paul’s words, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The only war we needed to fight has already been won by a single individual. The battlefield is marked by one cross— the original cross—and an empty tomb.

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

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CHRISTIAN STANDARD —

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

The Staff Jerry Harris, Publisher Michael C. Mack, Editor Jim Nieman, Managing Editor Shawn McMullen, Contributing Editor Megan Kempf, Designer Abby Wittler, Designer Renee Little, Operations Kim Harris, Marketing and Advertising

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720.598.7377 info@christianstandardmedia.com

Volume CLIV. Number 7. Christian Standard (ISSN 0009-5656) is published monthly by Christian Standard Media at 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Periodicals postage paid at Parker, CO, and additional offices.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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Copyright ©2019 by Christian Standard Media Email: cs@christianstandardmedia.com Website: www.christianstandard.com Printed in USA

vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our leaders vested in our

TABLE OF CONTENTS —

I N E V E RY I S S UE 2-3 | L E TTE R F RO M TH E P UB L ISH E R Jerry Harris

6-7 | L E TTE R F RO M TH E E DITO R Michael C. Mack

8-11 | ME TRIC S

C a n Th ey Hea r Us Now? Kent Fillinger

12-14 | e2 : E F F E C T I V E EL D ER S

24 24 30 36

44 44 48 52 54

56 58 62 66

What Is the Restoration Movement?

Jim Estep

W HAT WE BELI EV E We Believe the Bible Is True by Johnny Pressley We Believe in the Supernatural by David Faust We Believe Jesus Is Lord by John Caldwell

15-17 | IMAG IN E A D es er t O a si s Mel McGowan

18-19 | MIN ISTRY LI F E

The Toilet Paper Ministry Tyler McKenzie and Adrienne Feldmann

B IB LI C AL LITER ACY Taking the First Bite Out of Biblical Illiteracy by Jim Eichenberger An Opportunity to Build Biblical Literacy by Mark E. Moore What Core 52 Is Doing for Us by Dale Reeves More Tools to Improve Biblical Literacy

VES TED I N OUR LEAD ER S The Pastor’s Project by Richard Creek Center for Church Leadership by Alan Ahlgrim Accelerate Group by Don and Sue Wilson

20-21 | HO RIZO N S

Five A rea s to Help You r I ntern Succeed Emily Drayne

24-41 | F E ATURE

W ha t We B eli eve Johnny Pressley David Faust John Caldwell

76-79 | INTE RAC T 80 | B IB L ITIC AL LY COR R ECT

M i s f i tbi t After Class Podcast

Moving Past the Silence: How Can We Actually Restore New Testament Christianity?

Letter from the editor

“Have we to any great extent restored New Testament Christianity?” Christian Standard editor Burris Butler asked that intriguing question 65 years ago . . . and we’re still asking it today.

Butler’s assessment of the situation in 1954 may seem harsh. He said,

Restoration movement is about where it was one hundred and fifty years ago. It is a wonderful idea, new and untried. (Read the rest of Butler’s editorial in our “Throwback Thursday” article on our website at www. christianstandard.com/2019/02/have-werestored-new-testament-christianity.)

A big eloquent silence is the kindest answer we can give to this question. Here and there a life thoroughly committed to the Son of God has shone out like a bright light in the darkness. Now and then a local congregation has given a hint of its spiritual potentialities. But on the whole the

I want to move past asking if we’ve restored New Testament Christianity and move the conversation to how we as a movement can and will work to restore it. While we might consider many factors, our focus in this issue is on what we think are three of the most significant and catalytic issues at hand: (1) What we believe, (2) How we get our people into

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God’s Word on a consistent basis, and (3) Who is going to lead us there.

Restoring New Testament Christianity is fundamentally an issue of teaching sound doctrine. In this issue, we chose three foundational beliefs on which we absolutely will not give ground: We believe the Bible is true and reliable; we believe in the supernatural, that miraculous biblical events actually happened; and we believe in the primacy of Jesus (he is God in flesh, our Lord, and Savior). We will not compromise on these. We can point to other important doctrinal issues, of course, but, as a starting place, we can all find unity on these three.

As a movement we have a very high view of Scripture. We are people of the Word. The question is, are our people consistently reading, studying, meditating on, and living out God’s Word in their lives? Surveys say no, at least not to the extent we would all hope for. We simply cannot restore New Testament Christianity if our people don’t know what the New Testament says! We must improve the biblical literacy of our people, and apparently the methods of the last century have not worked well.

Sermons, classes, and groups can help us disciple people—they can be platforms for encouraging our folks to get into God’s Word consistently—but there is no substitute for people taking the Bible into their own hands. When they do, their groups and churches and movement—not to mention families, workplaces, and neighborhoods—will grow stronger because of it.

For any of this to happen, it’s going to take strong, diligent, spiritual leaders. God always utilizes leaders of his choosing to start, sustain, and strengthen his movements, and of course the Restoration Movement is no different. Yet, in many places and in many ways, our leaders are struggling. And we wonder where leaders for the next generation of churches will come from. The future of our movement depends on the identification, mentoring, equipping, strengthening, and retention of leaders who have been called by God. If we can’t find and keep leaders, how can we continue?

We asked leaders from three ministries in our movement— The Pastor’s Project, the Center for Church Leadership, and Accelerate Group—to share what they are doing to help solve this leadership dilemma. We hope you will contact them to get the support and assistance you need or to offer your help in strengthening the leadership of our movement.

Let’s move beyond the “big eloquent silence” on whether we’ve restored the New Testament church.

Every person reading this issue can do something to make a difference. As you read, I ask you to prayerfully consider what you and your ministry will do.

Let’s not allow another 65 years go by without moving toward the church Jesus envisioned and commissioned.

On pages 44-55 we’ve provided information about three resources developed by independent Christian church authors and organizations that can help us move toward more widespread biblical literacy. I believe every church needs a plan of some sort, and all three of these are good choices.

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@michaelcmack @michaelcmack @michaelcmack /authormichaelcmack

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metrics

‘Can They Hear Us Now?’

BY KENT FILLINGER

I grew up in the 1970s when the average American home had no computer, the Internet was little more than an idea, and smartphones had not been invented. Our black-and-white family TV had four channels: the three major networks and the local PBS station.

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

By 2015, the average American home with a TV could access about 200 channels and three-quarters of households subscribed to broadband Internet. By 2018, 77 percent of Americans owned a smartphone, according to Pew Research Center. Since the introduction of Facebook in 2004, the proliferation of social media sites and other apps has resulted in a meteoric rise in usage.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

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To say the world of communications has changed in the last couple of decades is a colossal understatement. I spent most of the last decade in the nonprofit fund-raising world where I read tons of articles about the need to create a multichannel brand and communication presence. The point was to communicate on the channels donors were using to ensure they heard your message. To do that, it’s essential to know which channels your donors frequent and prefer.

The same principle applies to the church. It’s important to know the “channels” where your congregation and community spend their time and energy. The church has good news to share. But as communication methods expand, it adds complexity and costs for churches. This should force church leaders into creative conversations to determine how to best leverage the available technology to communicate.

The chart below shows the percentage of adults in the United States who use the most popular social media sites and the percentage of those users who visit those sites once or more a day. It’s likely adults in your congregation reflect these numbers.

TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF U.S. ADULTS WHO USE THIS SOURCE

TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF U.S. ADULT USERS WHO USE IT DAILY

YOUTUBE

73%

45%

FACEBOOK

68%

75%

INSTAGRAM

35%

60%

SNAPCHAT

27%

63%

LINKEDIN

25%

44% (MONTHLY)

TWITTER

24%

46%

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For example, 81 percent of people ages 18 to 29 use Facebook, which is about twice the share among those 65 and older (41 percent). However, the share of older Americans who use Facebook has doubled since August 2012, when it was just 20 percent, according to Pew. U.S. teens are using certain social media platforms regularly. Therefore, every student and children’s ministry seeking to reach the next generation should have an active presence there. Eighty-five percent of teens use YouTube, 72 percent use Instagram, and 69 percent use Snapchat, according to Pew Research Center.

Instagram users age 24 and younger spent an average of 32 minutes a day on the picture and story sharing app in 2018, the Hootsuite blog reported in March.

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More People = More Communication Channels Our annual church survey showed that, in general, the larger the church, the more technology channels they were using to communicate their message. The chart below shows the breakdown by each size category and the percentage of churches that were using each social media platform last year.

MEGACHURCHES

EMERGING MEGACHURCHES

LARGE CHURCHES

MEDIUM CHURCHES

SMALL CHURCHES

VERY SMALL CHURCHES

FACEBOOK

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

98%

WEBSITE

100%

100%

100%

100%

99%

72%

INSTAGRAM

87%

82%

69%

57%

39%

21%

YOUTUBE

66%

50%

88%

36%

37%

19%

TWITTER

70%

66%

51%

40%

26%

17%

CHURCHSPECFIC APP

59%

66%

56%

33%

23%

7%

LINKEDIN

11%

3%

4%

5%

3%

2%

SNAPCHAT

2%

9%

8%

4%

1%

2%

PINTEREST

6%

0%

2%

1%

0%

2%

In every comparison of a grouping of churches using a particular social media tool to their peers in the same size category that were not using that resource, the churches that use social media were, on average, consistently larger than the non-users. For example, in churches with less than 250 in average worship attendance, churches that use Instagram averaged 151 in worship attendance while churches that don’t use Instagram averaged 112.

A recent study showed that 71 percent of U.S. businesses use Instagram. By comparison, only 56 percent of the 400-plus Christian churches and C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

churches of Christ from our annual church survey reported using Instagram in 2018. Hootsuite reports 80 percent of Instagram users follow at least one business using the app. Think of the possibilities for a church to connect with new people using vehicles like Instagram.

It costs money to hire a web designer to create a quality website, but it costs a church nothing to create a Facebook page, an Instagram profile, or to use any of the other social media platforms.

Yes, time, energy, and creativity are needed, but churches should leverage these free resources to expand their communication reach.

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How a Church’s Location Impacts Its Communication Plan The churches in our study located in “small towns or rural communities” noticeably lagged behind the churches in other locations by reporting the lowest levels of social media usage for each platform. The Pew Research Center’s findings have demonstrated on a broader scale that location impacts social media coverage. They’ve found that “adults in urban areas are more likely to use Facebook than those in suburban or rural areas.”

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

CHURCH APP

Also of note from our survey, churches located in “older residential areas of the city” reported lower usage of available social media resources than churches in the suburbs or downtown areas. My hunch is these churches might have older demographics and therefore aren’t as motivated to use these new communication resources.

OLDER RESIDENTIAL AREA IN CITY

100%

57%

49%

51%

38%

DOWNTOWN / CENTRAL PART OF CITY

100%

67%

44%

62%

60%

NEWER SUBURB

100%

77%

65%

51%

45%

OLDER SUBURB

100%

66%

51%

52%

52%

SMALL TOWN / RURAL AREA

99%

54%

38%

43%

34%

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Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb in 1879. Only four years later, in 1883, the First Presbyterian Church of Roselle, New Jersey, made electrical and ecclesiastical history when it installed a 30-bulb “electrolier” and became the world’s first church to be lighted by electricity.

Fact is, churches have been adapting to new technologies for a long time. The rate of change today requires churches and church leaders to run faster, try harder, and not be afraid to make some mistakes along the way. By doing so, they can stay current and relevant in communicating the gospel.

Your church should regularly ask itself, “Can they hear us now?” Can the couple with the failing marriage in your community hear your message of reconciliation and hope? Can the single adult hear that your church is a place they can worship and find community? Can the seeker down the street clearly hear your heart for them as they explore your website and social media pages?

You can preach your best sermon or deliver your greatest Bible lesson, but if no one hears you, your efforts are in vain. We can’t maintain a “come and get it” mentality in reaching those outside the church.

We must adopt a “go and get them” approach, and this includes expanding the number of channels by which we communicate the timeless message of God’s love for the world.  - 11 -

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e 2 : e ffe c t i v e

e ld e r s

What Is the Restoration Movement?

BY JIM ESTEP

Jim Estep serves as vice president of academics with Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Missouri, and as resource director with e2: effective elders.

The United States is becoming increasingly divided politically. Conservatives keep moving further to the right, liberals are gravitating toward the left, and those in the center are stretched between the two. It’s similar to what has happened to the Restoration Movement.

/ e2elders @e2elders

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A Formula for Effectiveness When I attempt to describe the Restoration Movement to someone, I draw on this formula: Biblical Authority + Church Unity → Global Disciple-Making The Restoration Movement affirms biblical authority and binds it to a strong commitment to church unity (beyond the level of unity by agreement), all for the sake of making disciples around the world.

First, our movement affirms the authority of Scripture above all else, including creeds, counsels, or any human authority. Candidly, the people of the Restoration Movement make use of certain credos to guide or aid our understanding of Scripture, but these are not a substitute or rival to the Bible. Here are two of these guiding principles: “No book but the Bible, no creed but Christ” and “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.” Scripture admittedly is the common theological denominator for all denominations; the Restoration Movement is unique, however, in its Scripture-based appeal for unity.

Second, we were founded as a church unity movement. Our tendency these days is to underestimate this fact. A movement of this sort can be less than ideal; it must go beyond uniting only with other believers who agree with us. When we explore the history of the Restoration Movement, we see that even Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone had sharp disagreements on matters of interpretation, doctrine, and even church governance, C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

but they remained united due to their common commitment to Christ and the Scriptures. These men recognized that unity in Christ should trump many points of division present in the church of their day, as it should for us now. “In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; but in all things, love” became one of our most challenging principles to fully embrace and embody, but it has served us well as we remained focused on disciple-making.

Third, our ultimate aim was global disciple-making. The inevitable result of embracing Scripture and seeking unity was our movement’s embrace of Jesus’ final commission to his followers: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).

When the church is divided and its message is skewed, its focus on the prime directive of making disciples is lost. A unified church with a simple, singular message would be far more effective at reaching nonbelievers than the nuanced messages of evangelism and equipping held by various denominations. Hence, another credo, “We are Christians only, not the only Christians,” describes the result of our endeavors. Campbell and Stone both saw this as the ultimate aim of the church, one being hampered by fragmentation within the body of Christ.

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- e2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS -

What Happened?

Whenever I share this, people typically respond with excitement; it makes sense. But what happened?

Around the turn of the 20th century, significant changes in society, culture, and even biblicaltheological studies occurred. Some of our churches began to prioritize biblical authority over the call for church unity; they began gravitating more and more to the right, increasing the number of elements essential to the faith, and with greater specificity. This group, which focused most intently on biblical authority, eventually became the a cappella churches of Christ.

Other churches from within our movement adopted the modern shifts and began to value the call to church unity over affirming biblical authority.

The number of elements they saw as essential to the faith, and strict adherence to those elements, declined; they began gravitating more and more to the left by allowing more room for the liberty of opinion. This group, which focused most intently on the unity of Christ’s body, eventually became the Disciples of Christ, now headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The churches in the Restoration Movement that neither gravitated toward the right nor shifted to the left formed a set of congregations in the center of the movement. These churches endeavor to balance the tension of biblical authority and church C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

unity. This rather broad spectrum of congregations became the independent Christian churches and churches of Christ. [These are the churches this magazine continues to serve.] As one person observed, our churches are as broad or narrow as you want to make them.

Debates and divisions are a sad part of the Restoration Movement’s history, but sometimes lost is that our focus on them distracted us from the true goal. While we debated amongst ourselves, we failed to leverage the principles of biblical authority and church unity to achieve global disciplemaking, which is the very thing Jesus instructed us to do.

The Restoration Movement’s message remains relevant after more than 200 years. But as we move further into the 21st century, let’s restore the mission of making disciples by upholding biblical truth as our guide and love for one another as our plea.  - 14 -

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I m ag i n e

a desert oasis

BY MEL MCGOWAN

“We did not come to Las Vegas to reshuffle the deck,” says Mike Breaux, the original lead church planter of Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas.

The heartbeat of the church remains the same as when it was planted back in 1993. Canyon Ridge doesn’t seek to take from other churches, but instead goes after the unchurched. When major construction was needed on their 40-acre campus, church leaders originally worked with commercial firms rather than hiring an architect.

Their intention was to develop a campus devoid of religious symbolism.

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Mel McGowan is cofounder and chief creative principal of PlainJoe Studios. He is a leading master planner and designer of churches in America. @visioneer /visioneer

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The resulting unadorned concrete block and tilt-concrete structures created a high school campus look that was reflective of the desert environment and welcoming to the local community.

PlainJoe kicked off our involvement with Canyon Ridge with an interactive “blue sky” workshop with church and community leaders to align the church’s mission, brand, programming, and master plan around a “path” concept.

As attendees walked between the campus buildings, signage reminded them of the church’s discipleship path— attend a service, serve at one, be in a group, invest in and invite others, and spend daily time with God.

- IMAGINE -

An ‘Outdoor-Living-Room’ Campus Canyon Ridge’s inviting “come as you are” style helped the church grow quickly. Soon, the worship center’s seating capacity needed to double; that challenge led the church to add a balcony.

Climbers who start a treacherous ascent often begin at base camp. As such, Canyon Ridge’s family ministries complex is known as Base Camp; it’s a preparation station for youth as they start to climb through life. It includes props, scenic murals, and a second-story “escape hatch” leading to a desert grotto playground. Age-appropriate zones facilitate large-group gatherings and breakouts.

The design team worked with natural materials inspired by local rock formations and mountains visible in the distance.

The desert climate informed many of the design elements. Curved concrete became canyon walls that create a filtered shade canopy for walkways.

Adding shaded galleries to all buildings made check-in areas and major entries more convenient and pleasant. Trellises and shade fabric extend ministry space and gathering places into the areas between buildings, offering protection from the harsh desert sun.

The construction reoriented the campus as an “outdoor living room.” A water feature doubles as an outdoor baptistery with seating built in among a grove of shade palms. A dry creek bed with pedestrian spines, native trees, and a special focus on color makes the walk to the parking lot an enjoyable experience.

A chapel for smaller community and church events—including weddings and funerals—also was built. The concrete sanctuary was designed as a desert landform with a kiva-inspired cross tower and a baptistery at the base.

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Moving Into the Next Quarter Century Canyon Ridge celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, and it plans to continue reaching out to the lost in Las Vegas. God has honored Canyon Ridge’s servant’s heart as it has grown to four campuses. Senior pastor Kevin Odor has been with the church since the beginning; Odor and his family moved from Ohio to Las Vegas in 1993. The first service at the church was attended by 700 people, and Canyon Ridge now reaches more than 7,000 every weekend.

Odor is nearing the end of a two-year transition that will see teaching pastor Drew Moore replace him as senior pastor. The renewed mission of Canyon Ridge is to “Join Jesus. Bring life. To everyone, everywhere, every day.”

The church serves as a community support system for service families at Nellis Air Force Base, located just down the road from the main campus.

The church also has a large Celebrate Recovery program and provides other support ranging from marriage classes to grief counseling to helping students survive today’s challenges.

“One thing we’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how many are in your church service,” Odor said. “The key ingredient is that people want to be known.” One way Canyon Ridge does this is through small groups or serving groups that care for and pray for each other.

As the church moves into its second quarter century with a new lead pastor at the helm, Canyon Ridge is excited and ready to keep extending the gospel to the unchurched of Las Vegas.  - 17 -

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ministry l i fe

The Toilet Paper Ministry

BY TYLER MCKENZIE AND ADRIENNE FELDMANN

TYLER (11:55 p.m. Saturday): Here I was, a grown man, a pastor nonetheless, about to commit a felony. I coasted quietly down the neighborhood street, lights off, car in neutral, toilet paper in hand. It was essential I not get caught.

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

ADRIENNE: I have always gone through seasons of depression. A few months ago it was especially frightening. I called in all kinds of reinforcements just to survive my day-to-day. I constantly fought off suicidal thoughts. Reaching out was difficult, but it was my last hope. I needed my friends. They were reluctant to help in the past, but medication, counseling, exercise, and prayer weren’t helping this time.

Adrienne Feldmann serves as online campus pastor at Northeast.

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TYLER (midnight Saturday): I parked about 100 yards away and slowly creaked open the car door.

It was chilly out, no moon. Just clouds and the dim yellow glow of streetlamps. I could smell rain.

Goosebumps spiked on my arms, the kind I hadn’t felt since grade-school hide-and-seek. I crept closer. A light turned on behind the front door. I froze.

They saw me! How? I whispered, “Help me, Jesus!”

Then I waited. I could see shadows. Why are they still awake? Should I turn back? Not now. I’ve come too far! This was God’s will, my newest ministry, “the toilet paper ministry.”

ADRIENNE (earlier that night, 10:30 p.m.): My husband, Chris, and I were in a group text with Tyler and his wife, Lindsay, who were walking through this season with us. I felt terrible asking for help from such busy people who had better things to do. I apologized repeatedly. After a few dozen “I’m sorry for being so needy” texts, Tyler got annoyed and responded, “If you don’t stop apologizing, I promise I will roll your house.” I had no idea what that meant, so I apologized some more.

TYLER, (12:02 a.m. Sunday): I didn’t have “better things to do.” At least not this time. To be honest, we were “C-” friends to Adrienne and Chris during similar seasons when they needed help. But we resolved to be “A+” friends this time. I smirked when I read her texts. No one tells me, “You won’t!”

No one tells me, “You can’t!” And we had tried just about everything else. Maybe a good laugh is what was needed.

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I stood on Adrienne’s front lawn. There was no turning back. I began to do my worst to her mailbox. I circled the box with round after round of toilet paper and then worked my way down the post for what seemed like 30 minutes. How much toilet paper is in one roll? I wondered. I wasn’t leaving until it was gone. And then I felt it—drip—first on my forehead—drip—and then on my hand. It was starting to rain.

ADRIENNE (7:00 a.m. Sunday): I was still in bed when Chris called to me, “There’s some mail for you.” I knew there was no mail on Sundays. I rolled my eyes, groaned, and made my way toward the door. Upon opening it, I immediately noticed the rain . . . and then I saw the mailbox. It was wrapped top to bottom with soggy toilet paper. It was disgusting. But after days of death knocking on my door, I managed a smile. Then I laughed.

To be honest, up to that moment, I wasn’t sure I would ever laugh again. Now I knew what “roll your house” meant.

TYLER: Toilet paper theology. It should be a class in every seminary! That one roll taught me as much as any lecture I’ve heard or book I’ve read. 

Submit your own 500- to 700-word essay telling of an experience through which you learned a vital ministry principle by emailing it to cs@christianstandardmedia.com with “MinistryLife” in the subject line. See more information at www.christianstandard.com/contact-us/submit-articles.

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ho riz on s

Five Areas to Help Your Intern Succeed

BY EMILY DRAYNE

Emily Drayne lives in North Carolina and has served with the International Conference On Missions since 2011. /emilydrayne @edrayne0530

People who serve mission organizations or other ministries that utilize interns should consider five important matters to ensure the experience is enlightening, enriching, and enjoyable.

@edrayne0530 www.theicom.org

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Be a Mentor Come alongside the intern. Work with them. Take time to explain what you do and why you do it a particular way. Encourage workers—whether in an office or in the field—to do the same.

During my internship in China, I taught English. Even though I loved my internship, I quickly learned that teaching was not my strong suit—or something I wanted to do my entire life. But it didn’t negate from my experience. Being pushed out of my comfort zone helped me gain experience (and coping abilities). And what helped most was having supportive coworkers.

Give Them the Experience Internships are designed for learning and growth.

It’s a time for an inexperienced person to explore an area of ministry. Don’t assign only menial tasks to interns.

Ask about the intern’s likes and dislikes and try to line up activities and responsibilities that correspond with their skill set. Ask for their feedback and suggestions about your programs. Give responsibilities to interns as you would anyone else.

Even if an intern fails, offer them constructive criticism with some grace.

Provide Intentional Training A person excels when they are given the right tools at the beginning. It’s best to assign an intern to an employee who can provide that training in a helpful and friendly way. (Be sure to clearly indicate who that trainer is.) For any job, training is part of the process. Some interns require more training than others, and some tasks also require more training. Be patient. If you take the time to train an intern, the likelihood of success increases dramatically.

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Encourage Often It’s important to make interns feel like part of the team. Encouragement goes a long way toward achieving that.

There were times in China when I felt so dumb trying to tutor someone in English, but having missionaries and workers there support me and say, “Everyone here has struggled,” set my mind at ease to just keep working at it. If you’re a missionary and you dig wells, work with farmland, teach local women a trade, or perform any specialized skill, think about your first few days on the job and remember that no one is perfect.

Be Honest Be upfront and truthful with your interns. Tell them what to expect, especially those interns who will be traveling overseas to a mission field. Most importantly, tell them what’s expected of them.

It can be scary going into an unfamiliar environment without a clear direction! Provide a sample schedule of what they’ll be doing day-to-day.

Do an honest self-assessment, as well. Do you have enough work for an intern? Do you have time to talk with, train, and instill a positive experience for him or her? There’s no shame in saying no.

Interns are a lot of work for the employer. It’s important to make sure you’re both on the same page.

Focusing on these key areas will help you provide a well-rounded experience for your interns. Who knows, you may even think about keeping them on after their internship ends!  - 21 -

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AD KORE

AD CSM

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AD ICOM/CSM

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what we believe

01

W E B E L I E V E T H E B I B L E

By Johnny Pressley

I S

T R U E

The apostle Paul encouraged his associate Timothy with a reminder of the strong faith passed on to him by his grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). “From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures� (2 Timothy 3:15).

Many of us surely appreciate the godly men and women who nurtured us in the faith. They not only taught us Scripture, they inspired us with respect and trust for the Bible as the Word of God, even in the choruses they taught us to sing.

The B-I-B-L-E Yes, tha the book for me I st alone on the Word of The B-I-B-L-E The BL-E Yes, that’s the b for me I stand alone the Word of God The I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Y that’s the book for m stand alone on the W of God The B-I-B-L-E B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s book for me I stand al on the Word of God B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B Yes, that’s the book me I stand alone on Word of God The B-I-BThe B-I-B-L-E Yes, tha the book for me I st alone on the Word of The B-I-B-L-E The BL-E Yes, that’s the b for me I stand alone the Word of God The I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Y that’s the book for m stand alone on the W of God The B-I-B-L-E B-I-B-L-E Yes, tha the book for me I st alone on the Word of The B-I-B-L-E The BL-E Yes, that’s the b for me I stand alone

As adults, we may sometimes wonder if our confidence in the Bible is as well-founded as we imagined. After all, many voices today contend the Bible is much like the sacred writings of other religions, the ideas and aspirations of religious men and women from times past. They say, as with all human productions, the words of Scripture are fallible and have fallen behind our modern perceptions of truth and morality. For many today, revelation occurs when a word is spoken that we acknowledge as truth for us.

This thinking is a departure from our historic view of Scripture as divine revelation, infallible and true in all it says, speaking to us with the authority of God. And despite intellectual arguments to the contrary, we have good reasons to continue regarding the Bible as the inspired and trustworthy Word of God.

At t e s t ed by A ncien t M a nu s cr ip t s A practical issue in assessing any piece of ancient literature is knowing whether the words we read are true to the original. Rarely do we possess the autograph (original document) of any ancient writing, including the books of the Bible. We are dependent upon people using the science of textual criticism, investing untold hours comparing old manuscript copies of a writing to reconstruct the original wording as closely as possible.

For most ancient writings, experts usually have fewer than 100 manuscript copies with which to work, and oftentimes the earliest manuscript copies were written several centuries after the original composition. And yet, despite these limitations, modern versions considered reasonably faithful to the original are published.

By comparison, those who labor at reconstructing the original text of Bible books must imagine they have struck gold, given the wealth of materials at their disposal. More than 24,000 ancient copies of portions of the Bible are said to exist.

This exceptionally large number of preserved manuscripts reflects the high regard Jews and Christians felt for their holy Scripture. In an age when copying large documents by hand was

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the veracity of our Scripture because it mentions things historical research has not yet confirmed.

That is no cause for alarm, but a reminder to be patient while research continues. Critics formerly declared the Genesis account of Abraham encountering the Hittites as fiction, but then archeologists uncovered remains from the Hittite nation. Historical research has been our friend, not an adversary.

laborious and expensive, the Bible was considered worthy of the effort.

The New Testament resources are exceptional; there is nothing comparable in ancient literature. About 5,000 manuscript copies of the full New Testament exist in the original Greek language, plus many more in various translations.

Most New Testament manuscripts are dated within 200 to 400 years of the original composition, much earlier than is typical for ancient literature. Quotations within the sermons and epistles of leaders from the first few centuries of the church also help determine and attest to the original wording of the New Testament text. Like modern-day preachers and teachers, they backed up their teaching with frequent quotations from the Bible.

s up p or t ed by f ul f il l ed p rop hecy Moses gave several tests for determining whether or not a revelation claim is genuine. His prophecy test instructed us to disregard any messenger whose attempt to prophesy a future event fails in any way (Deuteronomy 18:21, 22). Fulfillment of prophecy in the Bible instills us with a greater certainty (2 Peter 1:19).

We have good reasons to believe the original texts of the Bible have been preserved throughout the centuries for us today. Our English translations will vary in how they express the Hebrew and Greek wording, but they generally convey the same ideas. The key is to use and compare several good translations recommended by knowledgeable people we trust.

The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies validated by known history. For example, the fall of Tyre (Ezekiel 26) was predicted 200 years before it happened. Cyrus was foretold by name (Isaiah 45) 200 years before he rose to power in Persia. Daniel identified four successive empires, several by name, that would rise and fall: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2:39, 40; 7:5-7; 8:20-25). He also described well in advance key individuals like Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:21, 22) and Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 8:9-14, 23-25).

C onf ir med by his t or ic a l r e se a rch Religious writings generally speak of things that cannot be objectively confirmed now, but must be taken on faith. These include such things as a spirit realm, life after death, and prophecies of the future. However, certain things can be verified, such as statements that deal with history, geography, science, and mathematics. Any revelation claim that has verifiable inaccuracies should be rejected.

Messianic prophecies were very popular in the writings of the early church fathers because they confirmed the claims of Jesus and demonstrated the amazing power of God’s Word. The detail and accuracy of these are amazing, including parents from the north country giving birth in the southern town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), the description of his crucifixion (Psalm 22) with the crowd mocking him (vv. 6-8), the soldiers piercing his hands and feet and casting lots for his clothing (vv. 16-18), and the cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v. 1). Each fulfilled prophecy further confirms our confidence in Scripture.

In this regard, our Bible has stood the test time and time again. As historians reconstruct ancient history piece by piece with the data available to them, the stories in the Bible are consistent and credible. In the exciting field of Bible archeology, every new discovery supports the biblical text. Critics have sometimes challenged

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The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-IB-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-LE Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-IB-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-LE Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-IB-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-LE Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E The B-I-B-L-E Yes, that’s the book for me I stand alone on the Word of God The B-I-B-L-E

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A f f ir med by A p o s t ol ic W i t ne s s

Despite intellectual arguments t o t h e c o n t r a r y, w e h a v e g o o d reasons to continue regarding the Bible as the inspired and trustworthy Word of God.

As historians reconstruct ancient history piece by piece with the data available to them, the stories in the Bible are consistent and credible.

The testimony of firsthand eyewitnesses with access to the intimate activities and teachings of Jesus give their writings g r e a t e r c r e d i b i l i t y.

Peter explained that he and the other apostles did not pass along tales they had heard, but rather, actual events in the life of Jesus they had witnessed (2 Peter 1:16-18). The testimony of firsthand eyewitnesses with access to the intimate activities and teachings of Jesus give their writings greater credibility. Many people wrote about Jesus in the first century (Luke 1:1, 2), but only 27 writings have been universally accepted as sacred and trustworthy because they bear the marks of being apostolic, that is, written by Jesus’ apostles (Matthew, John, Paul, Peter) or their close associates (Mark, Luke, James, Jude). Further enhancing their credulity is the fact that all these people were willing to die for their testimony, refusing to save their own lives by recanting.

s up p or t ed by in t er n a l uni t y This truth is also worth repeating: The Bible was written by 40 authors over a 1,500-year period in 3 different languages. And yet, with all of these differences, the Bible’s doctrinal and moral teaching is uniform and consistent. A variety of styles and themes are found in the various books of the Bible, but there is unity of theological thought that implies the work of a master supervisor, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

A f f ir med by t he T e s t imon y of Je s u s Jesus spoke of Scripture as God’s truth (John 17:17), a truth that would not fail (John 10:35). In his preaching and teaching, Jesus referred to the incredible stories of the Old Testament as true events. He spoke of Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4, 5), Noah and the flood (Luke 17:26, 27), the destruction of Sodom by fire from the sky (Luke 17:28-32), and Jonah in the belly of a great fish (Matthew 12:39, 40). Some modern critics, who consider supernatural stories like these to be religious myths, propose that Jesus was likely unaware of what really happened in his past. They contend Jesus simply repeated the well-known stories of the Bible because he was a product of his times. But if Jesus could be mistaken in matters of historical facts, should we not be con-

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cerned about his statements of spiritual truths?

If you trust Jesus in all things, then you should also trust his high view of Scripture.

A f f ir med by t he Bibl e In recounting reasons to trust the Bible, it is fitting to examine the testimony of Scripture about itself. The Bible claims to present God’s truth (John 17:17), words that will stand when tested (Proverbs 30:5, 6). Each book of the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16) and written under the direct supervision of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20, 21). This allowed a variety of writing styles and emphases for the individual authors, while ensuring all of Scripture truthfully and accurately conveyed the message of God. The Holy Spirit’s involvement in the production of the Bible leads us to expect an accurate presentation of God’s Word. Jesus dubbed him “the Spirit of truth,” who would guide the apostles in conveying God’s truth to us (John 14:26; 15:26, 27; 16:13). The apostolic affirmation that all Scripture is inspired encompassed not only the long-established Old Testament canon but also the New Testament writings as they appeared. As Paul quoted “Scripture” (1 Timothy 5:18), he referred to Moses (Deuteronomy 25:4) as well as Luke (Luke 10:7).

When Peter spoke of those who distort “Scripture,” he mentioned specifically, and favorably, the Epistles of Paul (2 Peter 3:15, 16).

The psalmist proclaims: “All your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever” (Psalm 119:151, 152). We too have been taught to cherish and respect the Bible as the Word of God, and we have good reasons to maintain that trust. 

Johnny Pressley serves as senior minister at First Church of Christ in Washington, North Carolina. He previously served as professor of theology, theology department chair, and seminary dean at Cincinnati Christian University and as professor of theology & New Testament at Mid-Atlantic Christian University.

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what we believe

02

W E B E L I E V E i n t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l

By David Faust

TV sportscaster Al Michaels uttered one of the most memorable lines in broadcasting history during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

As America’s young hockey team skated toward a 4-3 win over the heavily-favored Soviet squad, Michaels blurted out, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” An underdog victory in a sporting event doesn’t compare to parting the Red Sea, but if someone asks, “Do you believe in the miracles described in the Bible?” my answer is a resounding yes!

Churches devoted to Restoration Movement ideals such as “where the Bible speaks, we speak,” give that same answer.

DON’T MAKE A ‘SKEPTACLE’ OF YOURSELF

Have you ever met someone who considers belief in the supernatural naïve and outdated? If you encounter such individuals—let’s nickname them skeptacles (“skeptic” plus “miracles”)— take their questions seriously. Scripture says, “Be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 22), and “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks” the reason for your hope in Christ (1 Peter 3:15).

The Jewish Sadducees were skeptacles. Jesus told them, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). They didn’t believe in angels, spirYes, we believe God provided manna for the its, or the resurrection (Acts 23:8).

Israelites and he made the walls of Jericho collapse. We believe Elijah prayed and fire came Greek philosophers were skeptacles. When the down. We believe Jesus changed water into apostle Paul preached in Athens, some members wine, healed people who suffered from leprosy, of the audience sneered when he got to the part and raised Lazarus back to life. We believe God about Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 17:32). This anticonfirmed the message of salvation “by signs, supernatural worldview infected the church in wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of Corinth, moving Paul to ask in astonishment, the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Corinthians 15:12).

(Hebrews 2:4).

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America’s third president was a skeptacle.

Thomas Jefferson held Jesus’ moral teachings in high regard, but he didn’t accept the miracles recorded in the Gospels. According to a Smithsonian magazine article by Owen Edwards (January 2012), Jefferson took a sharp instrument and literally cut and pasted together his own version of the New Testament. The resulting 84-page document, bound in red leather and titled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, includes some of Jesus’ life and teachings, but omits supernatural references like the feeding of the 5,000. It includes Jesus’ burial, but not his resurrection.

TV personality Bill Maher is a skeptacle. In a 2008 interview with the New York Times, Maher said, “It’s not that there are no miracles. A tree is a miracle. You’re just used to it. . . . All the essentials of religion that are in the Bible or the Koran—we’re used to them. But it doesn’t mean they’re not crazy, doesn’t mean they’re not ridiculous. And so to be religious at all is to be an extremist, is to be irrational.”

Liberal biblical scholars tend to be skeptacles. As the Restoration Movement was gaining momentum on the American frontier in the 1800s and early 1900s, a stream of biblical scholarship influenced by theologians like Rudolf Bultmann contended that history is a closed continuum of effects untouched by supernatural powers. They set out to “demythologize” the Gospels, suggesting that the wonders attributed to Jesus in the New Testament probably could be explained by natural laws if all the facts were known. Conservative students of the Bible, though, could not accept this approach. In his book Union in Truth (Standard Publishing, 1994), James B. North tells how Restoration preacher Z. T. Sweeney challenged H. L. Willett to a debate. Willett was a prominent liberal among the Disciples of Christ. The debate never happened, however, because the

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two men couldn’t agree on the definition of a miracle. To Willett, a miracle was merely “the unusual but normal activity of a perfect life in the domain of nature.”

Some of today’s religious leaders are skeptacles. When I was a young minister in New York, I got to know a Jewish rabbi from a Reformed synagogue known for its liberal views. When I mentioned my confidence in the Bible, the rabbi asked incredulously, “You actually believe Jacob wrestled with a real angel?” I nodded, and he shook his head in amazement, while a minister from a mainline Protestant church joined in the mockery.

MIRACLES REALLY HAPPENED

Can we reasonably believe in the miracles described in the Bible? Here are three key questions to consider: 1. Does God exist? Yes! The creator described in Holy Scripture is the “uncaused cause,” the author of life, the foundation of morality, and the architect of the marvels of DNA. God has revealed himself through nature, through Scripture, and through the Living Word who became flesh and entered human history (John 1:14-18; Hebrews 1:1-3). If you accept Genesis 1:1 as true, it’s reasonable to believe that on rare occasions the God who created the universe can intervene and alter a natural process by the exercise of his divine will. Miracles don’t violate the principle of cause and effect, they simply introduce a supernatural cause into the pattern. If God exists, miracles are at least a possibility.

2. Is the Bible reliable? Yes! Archaeological evidence proves the Bible trustworthy in countless areas where we can test it—for example, in its description of geographical details (cities, mountains, and rivers) and ancient government officials (kings, governors, and emperors).

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B IBLIC AL MIR ACLE S WE RE NOT R ANDOM M AGIC TRICK S ; THE Y OFFE RE D CRE DIBLE E VIDE NCE THAT GOD ’ S ME S SAGE WA S TRUS T WORTH Y.

Unless you are biased against the supernatural, why wouldn’t you accept the Bible’s testimony about miraculous events?

• Luke didn’t pen random religious ideas; he interviewed eyewitnesses and fearlessly interspersed real-world historical events into his narratives (Luke 1:1-3; Acts 1:1-4).

• Miracles are woven inseparably into Israel’s history in the Old Testament and the growth of the church in the New Testament. Apart from God’s supernatural intervention, these historical facts are difficult to explain.

• Fulfilled prophecies found in Scripture are themselves a kind of miracle because they demonstrate supernatural foreknowledge of future events.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide his apostles “into all the truth” (John 16:13). We believe “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

3. Did Jesus rise from the dead? Yes! The entire Christian faith depends on this supernatural event. We declare “Jesus is Lord” because we believe “God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9). The resurrection distinguishes Jesus from all other religious leaders. Jesus predicted his own resurrection and considered it the ultimate proof of his identity as the Messiah. If he didn’t rise from the dead, the Master Teacher was mistaken about his main message.

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But because “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead,” our “labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 58).

Hundreds of eyewitnesses saw so “many convincing proofs that he was alive” (Acts 1:3) that

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even doubting Thomas and skeptics like Saul of Tarsus and Jesus’ brother James were compelled to believe in Jesus (John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The early church grew rapidly as believers confidently affirmed, “He is alive!”

[Read the sidebar, “What Would It Take to Raise Someone from the Dead?” available at christianstandard.com.]

MIRACLES MATTER

The New Testament writers describe miracles in vivid terms: • Dunameis (from which we derive our word dynamite) means “mighty works” and emphasizes how God demonstrated his power through supernatural acts.

• Terata (“wonders”) emphasizes the effect of the miracles. Typically, those who observed God’s mighty deeds were filled with wonder and awe (Acts 2:43).

• Semeia (translated “signs” in the Gospel of John) highlights the meaning and purpose of the miracles.

Peter used all three of these words to confirm Jesus’ messianic credentials. He declared, “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22). Likewise, Paul saw the ability to perform miracles as a distinguishing characteristic of the apostles. He wrote, “I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles” (2 Corinthians 12:12).

Biblical miracles were not random magic tricks; they offered credible evidence that God’s message was trustworthy. Nicodemus told Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2).

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By contending for biblical miracles, we don’t see the world as a wild place where scientific laws are constantly disrupted. A miracle is a rare exception, not the rule. Jesus multiplied bread and fish, but once eaten, the food was digested in the normal way. After Lazarus was raised from the dead, his body was once again subject to normal processes and pains; in fact, after Lazarus was resurrected, Jesus’ enemies wanted to kill him again (John 12:9-11). [Read the sidebar, “Facts About Biblical Miracles,” available at christianstandard.com.]

Skeptics suggest the following alternative views.

We can respond to each with rational and biblical conviction.

• “Biblical miracles were simply the invention of naive, unscientific minds.” Ancient people weren’t fools. When his virgin fiancé became pregnant, Joseph didn’t need a degree in gynecology to know babies don’t come from the stork. James and John didn’t have to be meteorologists to recognize a miracle when Jesus calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

• “Miracles were psychologically induced.”

Skeptics postulate that sick bodies weren’t actually healed; people just felt better after encountering Jesus. However, “mindover-matter” doesn’t explain how Jesus gave sight to a man born blind or simultaneously healed 10 men of leprosy. Practical-minded people with common sense could recognize when life had left the body, so they were astonished (just as we would have been) when Jesus raised the dead (Luke 8:52-56; John 11:38-44).

• “Miracles were private, unverifiable religious experiences.” Jesus did perform a few miracles in relative privacy, but he did many of his mighty works in public in the presence of large crowds (Mark 1:32-34).

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Even detractors of the faith couldn’t deny the results of Jesus’ supernatural power (Mark 3:1-6; Acts 4:13-22).

Beyond these defenses, Jesus considered miracles important. He told those who struggled to accept his claims, “At least believe on the evidence of the works themselves” (John 14:11).

Miracles don’t convince everyone. Some observers “still would not believe in him” in spite of all the miracles he performed (John 12:37).

But many were convinced. The manner of Jesus’ death, including an earthquake and supernatural darkness, even moved the centurion near the cross to confess his admiration for the crucified Christ (Matthew 27:54).

If we read the Bible with an open mind and allow for the possibility of divine intervention, we can recognize God’s purpose and power in the signs and wonders recorded there. The grand Easter miracle validates Jesus’ claims. He was “appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

So yes, we believe in the supernatural. We agree with John’s conclusion, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30, 31). 

A longtime columnist for The Lookout and the author of 16 books, David Faust is a staff member at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis and serves as a leadership advisor with Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, Indiana. He has planted and led churches in New York and Ohio and served as president of Cincinnati Christian University.

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W E B E L I E V E j e s u s i s

By John Caldwell

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what we believe

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The first song I ever learned was “Jesus Loves Me.” The first Bible verse I memorized was John 3:16. I preached my first sermon on that same text; it lasted 10 minutes. When I began my ministry with the infant Kingsway Christian Church, my first sermon was simply entitled “Jesus.” When I retired from that ministry 36 years later, my sermon was “It’s Still Jesus.” If you call me a “Jesus freak,” I’ll consider it a badge of honor.

But who is this Jesus? The answer to that question is more important than anything else.

Jesus raised the same question with his disciples: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15*). Back then several answers were suggested. That is still the case today.

A study by the Barna Group found that a majority of Americans believe Jesus was a real person. However, the study also found that younger generations are increasingly less likely to believe Jesus was God. Does it matter? Of course, it does—and not just because that fact (Jesus is God) has been the historical position of the Restoration Movement and other evangelical movements, but because it is the basis for both Jesus’ authority and his ability to atone for our sins.

This article is not a study on the Trinity—how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be three in one (although that is worthy of study). This is a study of how the One we know as Jesus existed from eternity as one with the Father. Indeed, the apostle John testifies, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .

So the Word [referring to Jesus] became human and made his home among us” (John 1:1, 14). Notice that neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit became incarnate; it was the Son.

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JESUS CLAIMED WHAT ONLY GOD COULD CLAIM Consider a few of Jesus’ claims: • “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).

• “The Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him” (John 5:22, 23).

• “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

• “I am the resurrection” (John 11:25).

• “I have come down from heaven” (John 6:38).

• “Before Abraham was even born, I am!” (John 8:58).

• “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).

• “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9).

• “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am” (John 13:13).

• “Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began” (John 17:5).

Consider also the apostles’ claims concerning Jesus. They spent three years with him, were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all but one of them were martyred for these claims to which they held fast. The apostle Paul declared, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. . . . Everything was created through him and for him. . . . He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross (Colossians 1:15, 16, 18-20, emphasis mine).

Paul also wrote, You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11, emphasis mine).

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LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD

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BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE

T h e r e

JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS

IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS

LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD LORD

w a s

a b s o l u t e l y

n o

a m b i g u i t y

o n

o f

t h e

p a r t

t h e

N e w

T e s t a m e n t w r i t e r s

i n

t h e i r

u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f

w h o

J e s u s w a s .

Think on that for a while: “Though he was God . . . he gave up his divine privileges . . . died a criminal’s death on a cross . . . that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord!”

Peter spoke of Jesus Christ as “our God and Savior” (2 Peter 1:1). Thomas referred to the risen Christ as “my Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Paul referred to Jesus as “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). Matthew quoted Isaiah 7:14 in reference to Jesus: “They will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (1:23). There was absolutely no ambiguity on the part of the New Testament writers in their understanding of who Jesus was, especially after his resurrection from the dead.

JESUS WAS WHAT ONLY GOD HIMSELF IS In John 8:46, Jesus turned to his critics and asked, “Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin?” Jesus was, in fact, sinless. The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus, “He faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15, emphasis mine).

You can study the many billions of people who have inhabited this planet and find no one else like Jesus. Even his enemies saw in Jesus of Nazareth one who was altogether sinless and pure. After examining him, Pontius Pilate declared, “I find no fault in him” (John 19:6, King James Version). Pilate’s wife told her husband, “Leave that innocent man alone” (Matthew 27:19). Judas, Christ’s betrayer, concluded, “I have sinned . . . for I have betrayed an innocent man” (Matthew 27:4), before he went out and hanged himself. Even the Roman officer who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).

The sinless Lamb of God alone could atone for our sins through his death on the cross.

JESUS DID AND DOES WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO When I say Jesus did and does what only God can do, I could be referring to many things.

He creates, he controls, he heals, he answers prayer, and he provides for our needs.

While walking this earth, he even performed miracles. He said to the storm-tossed sea, “Be still,” and it became still. He said to eyes that had never seen, “Be opened,” and immediately the blind man could see. He said to the deaf man, “Hear,” and he could hear; to the leper, “Be clean,” and he was cleansed. In Mark 2, Jesus healed a paralyzed man who was lowered to him by four friends who first dug a hole in the roof of a house. Jesus’ healing of the man did not cause an uproar, but his words did: “My child, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). The religious teachers accused him of blasphemy, rightly declaring, “Only God can forgive sins!” (Mark 2:7). They did not realize they were affirming the deity of Christ. It was Jesus’ greatest miracle of all, the resurrection, however, that proved his lordship and power over death, Hell, and the grave.

The purpose of the incarnation was to create a way for the sins of man to be forgiven . . . to provide a method for atonement. This brings us back to John 3:16 (as I learned it): “For

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God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (KJV). Our sin created so great a gulf between God the creator and his creatures that only someone who is fully God and fully man could bring the two together.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Peter proclaimed, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name [than Jesus] under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

JESUS’ LORDSHIP IS RELEVANT TO THE CHURCH OF TODAY There was a time when most preaching in churches was Christ-centered, and rightly so.

These days, however, in my rather broad exposure to Restoration Movement churches, I find the preaching to be more and more human-centered. Much of what passes for preaching in many churches could be presented in a secular seminar or a church of the most liberal persuasion. Our church services have become more entertainment-focused and spectator-driven.

Some of us have become too sophisticated to talk about sin, repentance, Heaven, Hell, grace, or salvation through the blood of Christ. Biblical terms such as being “saved” or “born again,” along with the clear invitation to come to Christ, have been all but abandoned by many. But remember, the primary purpose of the church is to proclaim the message of reconciliation between God and man through him who was both fully God and fully man. That message is as relevant today as it was to the church on Pentecost; it will remain relevant until Christ returns.

So, let’s preach Jesus. Let’s exalt Jesus. Let’s focus on Jesus. Let’s point people to Jesus.

For as the great apologist C.S. Lewis pointed out, Jesus was either a lunatic, a liar, or Lord. Lewis said, “You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him for a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God” (Mere Christianity).

Who do you say he is?

I believe he is who he said he is: Lord, Master, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, and the God who became flesh so he could save us from our sins. A person can go to Heaven without health, fame, education, money, culture, friends, or a thousand other things. But a person cannot go to Heaven without Jesus.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” . . . “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!

And I hold the keys of death and the grave” (Revelation 1:8, 17, 18).  *Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation.

John Caldwell served as senior pastor of Kingsway Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1974 to 2010. He remains involved in ministry as a guest speaker and interim minister, and he serves with three mission boards as well as a part-time field representative for Christian Arabic Services.

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Taking the first bite out of

BIBLICAL I L L I T E R AC Y

by Jim Eichenberger

A lot has changed in the past 100 years, but biblical illiteracy is still a problem.

And at the heart of this problem, in many instances, is society’s lack of respect for the Bible’s authority.

Today the challenge to biblical authority comes as radical individualism—what the Bible says to me. How God speaks to my heart.

But 100-plus years ago, the challenge came from an academic elite that questioned not only the Bible but also anything supernatural. Today the Bible can mean anything depending upon the reader. Back then the Bible meant nothing because it was seen merely as legends from primitive intellects.

Both of those approaches result in a lack of serious study of Scripture, which in turn results in biblical illiteracy.

T H E C H U R C H ’ S V ITA L N E E D F O R B I B LI C A L LIT E R AC Y It is one thing for the public at large to be biblically illiterate. It is another thing for the people in our churches to lack understanding of Scripture.

How can we call others to the message given to us by God if many of our own brothers and sisters in the faith do not have a good working knowledge of the Bible? When we speak to a culture that measures truth existentially and experientially, can we truly know what Jesus would do without knowing what Scripture says?

Church leaders must be trained to present the Bible as ever relevant. With boldness, authenticity, and intellect, they must be prepared to lift up the truth of the Bible to a skeptical, multicultural audience.

Christian-education programs are widely cited as the solution. But are they enough?

If elders or other volunteer leaders choose teaching materials for such programs, do they have the biblical knowledge to pick good

E D I TO R ’ S N OT E : As we planned this issue in February, we wanted to emphasize the importance of biblical literacy, and we could think of no better person to write on this topic than Jim Eichenberger. Jim had worked for Standard Publishing for more than 21 years.

In 2011, Jim revised Training for Service, Standard Publishing’s tool for combatting biblical illiteracy.

David C Cook purchased many Standard Publishing lines in 2015, and Jim went with them as senior editor of Standard Lesson Products, but he remained a friend of Christian Standard and The Lookout, which were not part of that sale.

On March 2, 2019, Jim passed from this life following complications from surgery.

Jim had written a number of articles on biblical illiteracy, including an article first published in Christian Standard September 4, 2011, which we’ve adapted for this current issue.

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ones? Even if the best curriculum is in place, what happens when a volunteer teacher or leader is forced “off script?” And how does a church ensure that peer-led home groups do not deteriorate into mere sharing of opinion—or worse, sharing of biblical ignorance?

What should a church do about this? What should be the first step?

A TRU E-TO -TH E-B IB LE S O LUTI O N One hundred-plus years ago, Herbert Moninger offered a solution: the systematic training of Bible teachers, complete with a certification system. [Read our sidebar about his book, Training for Service, which has been updated and republished several times since it was first published in 1907.]

And though such training wasn’t enough back then, and it isn’t enough now, a church that offers a vigorous and well-vetted, trueto-the-Bible survey class to its attendees—or to its teachers and group leaders, at the very least—is inarguably taking a positive first step to improving biblical literacy.

And what exactly does the term biblical literacy mean? It can be hard to define, but it certainly consists of the following: • The ability to tell the Bible story from creation to completion using the words of Scripture • Competence in navigating through the different types of literature that comprises Scripture to tell that story • An understanding of the core doctrines held by the Christian church from the days of the apostles to today What percentage of people in your church can do these things?

An honest assessment can’t help but lead one to conclude that, even as society and culture have changed, training Bible teachers is still a key component to improving biblical literacy. 

TRAINING FOR SERVICE: PROVID I N G WE L L-R O U N D E D B I B LE KNOWLE D G E FO R 112 YE A R S

In the early 1900s, Herbert Moninger created a formal approach to teaching Scripture and measuring the effectiveness of what was taught.

A key aspect of Moninger’s solution hinged on something that was growing in popularity in the world of manufacturing, medicine, law, and education: certification. If an attorney, physician, or engineer must demonstrate a baseline of understanding in his or her field, Moninger thought, should anything less be expected of those who handle the Word of God? Moninger created a course of study that gave Christian workers a basic understanding of the unfolding of God’s plan as revealed in the pages of Scripture.

He first presented his course to more than 150 eager learners who gathered for the better part of a year for the Northside Union Teacher-training Class in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the conclusion of the course, a certification examination was given. As a result, 122 members of that group received diplomas from the Ohio Sunday School Association. In the years that followed, Moninger offered the course again and again, training more than 500 students representing 102 churches in the Cincinnati area.

In 1907, Standard Publishing put Moninger’s study into book form. In the preface of the first edition of this book, Training for Service, Moninger referred to his first graduates: “If this book has any value, it will largely be because these lessons were tested before being printed.” In the decades that followed, the value of the book was even more dramatically demonstrated.

More than 1 million Bible students joined the original 122 by being trained using this book!

Over the years, the book was revised and updated again and again.

Cecil James “C. J.” Sharp, a minister, church planter, and high school principal, wrote New Training for Service in 1934, retaining Moninger’s basic outlines and content. Orrin Root, an editor, writer, and Christian educator, authored the second major revision, Training for Service—A Survey of the Bible, in 1964. Root distilled the 40 original lessons into 26.

Another prominent Christian educator, Eleanor Daniel, revised the book once more in 1983. And in 2011, Jim Eichenberger, then an editor with Standard Publishing, authored the most recent revision.

Most things about Training for Service have remained constant through the years.

Content is clearly arranged in five units— The Bible, Old Testament Geography and History, Old Testament Institutions, The Christ, and The Church. Old Testament history is woven around 16 leading characters arranged in chronological order.

The life of Christ is presented in 7 periods that can be easily memorized and used as a structure for understanding the work of our Savior. Map studies help root the Bible story firmly in time and space. And those who successfully complete the final exam can still receive a certificate testifying to that accomplishment.

More than 100 years have passed since its introduction, but this Bible survey elective continues to provide well-rounded Bible knowledge . . . and with an added bonus of motivating students to commit to Christian service.

Training for Service is available today from Standard Publishing, a part of the David C Cook family. See more at www.standardlesson.com/trainingforservice and www. standardpub.com/our-company.

—J.E.

A N OPP ORT U N I T Y TO BU IL D

BIBLICAL L I T E R AC Y

BY M A R K E . MOOR E Biblical illiteracy is not a problem to be solved, it’s an opportunity to be embraced.

According to a 2016 survey by Barna, 80 percent of people in the church want to know the Bible better. If the church could develop a quick and comprehensive solution for this, imagine the impact it would make. Furthermore, 60 percent of the people who say they want to know the Bible don’t attend church.

So, providing access to biblical training might be one of the most attractional strategies for church growth.

Research has repeatedly confirmed that Scripture has the power to transform lives.

For example, a Center for Bible Engagement study involving more than 100,000 people demonstrated that reading the Bible on your own four or more times a week is the most important factor in spiritual growth (from “Bible Engagement as the Key to Spiritual Growth: A Research Synthesis,” by Arnold Cole and Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, 2012).

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Beyond spiritual growth, biblical literacy offers practical help on multiple levels. Those who are engaged in reading and studying the Bible are far less likely to engage in destructive behavior (according to the just-mentioned study).

Here are several examples: drunkenness, -62 percent (that is, a person who takes up vigorous Bible reading experiences a 62 percent decline in the likelihood of giving in to that temptation); pornography, -59 percent; sexual sin, -59 percent; and gambling -45 percent.

Just so we are clear, these declines in destructive habits are not from guilt manipulation but rather personal transformation. Bible engagement empowered individuals to reduce bitterness by 40 percent, destructive thoughts by 32 percent, isolation some 32 percent, unforgiveness by 31 percent, and loneliness by 30 percent. Simply put, those who want to know the Bible better know the Bible will make them better.

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BUILDING BIBLE ENGAGEMENT The key, of course, is Bible engagement. This means individuals must read and apply the Bible four days a week or more. A weekend message isn’t going to cut it . . . and it never has.

That’s why so many of us in “the industry” bemoan the woeful lack of biblical literacy.

So, if the majority of people want to know the Bible better, why do so few achieve it?

We actually know the answer. There are two major barriers between believers and their Bibles: (1) The Bible is too big for people who are too busy (read “all of us”); and (2) We get lost along the way because the Bible emerges from a foreign place and time. What if people could hurdle both barriers? They can. That is precisely what Core 52 provides.

The idea for Core 52 started with a discussion at my church. We wanted to get people into the Word, but we found that our frenetic pace pulls us in many different directions. So, rather than asking people to come to church more often, we asked if we could offer a pocket-sized solution that would empower the busiest people to fulfill this bucket-list goal.

I wrote Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year to provide a simple approach to help people become familiar with the big ideas of the Bible in less time and with less effort than other reading plans. The book, published by WaterBrook, comes out this month.

Core 52 utilizes the Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule). The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto noticed that 80 percent of the peas in his garden came from 20 percent of the pods. The same proved true for land ownership: approximately 20 percent

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of the people owned 80 percent of the land in Italy. It holds true today in sports, economics, and many other applications. Why not apply this principle to Bible engagement?

Once you know the main “hooks” in Scripture, hundreds of other passages can be grasped, applied, and shared. Core 52 identifies these “vital few” verses. Each verse becomes a lens through which dozens of others come into focus. Even though it requires a fractional reading of the Bible, it offers exponential benefit.

The first half of my career, God allowed me to dig deep into the Bible as a professor of New Testament at Ozark Christian College. In 2012, I traded my “Professor Moore” title for “Pastor Mark” at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona. Now my role is to help those far from God navigate this large and intimidating book called the Bible. The Core 52 project is a culmination and collision of my two careers. I’ve tried to mine the depths of the Bible for those passages with the highest return on investment and the greatest potential for practical application.

A BIBLE-ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY This project has a three-pronged strategy: 1. Identify the 52 most powerful and profitable verses in the Bible. They are the “core,” that is, the central or most essential elements, of sermons, books, and songs because they are the most effective at constructing a Christian worldview.

2. Provide a “bathroom-length” essay that unpacks the theological core of each verse and traces its trajectory through the whole of sacred Scripture.

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A S T R AT E G I C P L A N F O R MASTERING THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

3. Augment each essay with four tools to take the reader on a discipleship journey to spiritual maturity: (a) one action step for application; (b) one resource for further exploration; (c) three parallel passages for meditation; and (d) a Bible story for illumination of the one core verse. [See the chart, “A Strategic Plan for Mastering the Bible in a Year.”]

Of course, limiting the core verses to 52 allows the Bible study project to be accomplished in a year. By doing this as a church, you can add the primary missing component: accountability. Trevor DeVage, lead pastor at Christ’s Church, Mason, Ohio, is taking his church through Core 52.

“In 20 years of ministry, I’ve never seen anything engage and excite our people more than Core 52,” DeVage said. “This is going to be a massive part of our discipleship pathway.”

Your church might have a different path. If so, that’s great. Nonetheless, it’s time for our churches to recognize the power of Scripture to transform disciples. One sermon a week while people sit passively in the pews will hardly get the job done; it never has.

One final comment: The apostle Paul identified our only offensive weapon as the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The Greek word used here is rhēma—the spoken word. The power of God’s Word is not hearing it preached, or even reading it on our own, but speaking its truths where we live. Biblically literate Christians repeating the core of Scripture will terrify our enemy and cause him to sound the signal of retreat.  Mark E. Moore serves as teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona. @markmoore330

@markmoore330

/mark.e.moore.31

www.markmoore.org

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CORE VERSE

MEDITATION

STORY TEXT

STORY TITLE

Genesis 1:1

John 1:1; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:15, 16

Genesis 1, 2

Creation

Genesis 1:26

Psalm 8:4, 5; 139:13, 14; Hebrews 2:6-8

Ephesians 1

Our True Identity

Genesis 3:6

Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6; 1 John 2:15, 16

Genesis 3:1–4:16

The Fall

Genesis 15:6

Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4; Galatians 3:6

Genesis 21:1–22:18

Covenant

Leviticus 11:45

Exodus 19:6; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:9

2 Samuel 11; Psalm 51

Holiness

Deuteronomy 18:18 John 5:45-47; Acts 13:39; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Exodus 2, 3

Jesus and Moses

1 Samuel 16:7

Judges 21:25; 1 Samuel 8:1-18; 13:14

1 Samuel 15, 16

Kingdom of God

2 Samuel 7:12

Matthew 1:1; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 5:5

Matthew 21, 22

Jesus and David

Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 37:4; Philippians 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Job 1, 2

Finding Happiness

Psalm 2:7

Psalm 22:1; 118:22-29; Revelation 19:15

1 Kings 18, 19

Prophecy

Psalm 23:1-3

Ezekiel 34:3, 4; 1 Timothy 3:1; 1 Peter 2:25

John 10

Good Shepherd

Psalm 110:1

Matthew 16:16-18; 22:41-46; Acts 2:34, 35

John 5, 6

Messiah

Psalm 118:22

Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 21:33-46; Acts 4:11

Acts 3–5

Jesus Rejected

Proverbs 1:7

Deuteronomy 10:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13; James 1:5

1 Kings 3, 10, 11

Wisdom

Isaiah 53:5

Leviticus 17:11; Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 1:18, 19

Exodus 7:14–11:10

Atonement

Jeremiah 31:33, 34

Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; Hebrews 8:13; 9:14, 15

Matthew 3; Luke 4

New Covenant

Daniel 7:13

Isaiah 9:6; Mark 14:62; Hebrews 2:6

Daniel 3, 6

Son of Man

Matthew 5:11, 12

James 1:2, 12; 4:10; 1 Peter 4:13, 14

John 3:1–4:42

Blessedness

Matthew 5:20

Matthew 5:32, 44, 48

Judges 15, 16

Deeper Morality

Matthew 6:9-13

Numbers 6:24-26; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 7:7, 8

John 17

Prayer

Matthew 6:19-21

Matthew 19:16-30; Acts 20:35; Philippians 4:13

Joshua 5:13–7:26

Money

Matthew 7:12

Isaiah 1:11-17; Micah 6:8; James 1:27

Luke 10:25-37

The Golden Rule

Matthew 16:24, 25

1 Kings 12:7; Psalm 22; Galatians 2:20

Mark 15

The Cross

Matthew 22:14

Joshua 24:15; Romans 8:29, 30; 2 Peter 3:9

Acts 9:1-31

Election and Predestination

Matthew 25:41

Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 20:10

Revelation 12, 13

The Supernatural

Matthew 28:18-20

Mark 16:15, 16; John 20:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:20

Acts 10, 11

Our Co-Mission

Mark 1:1

Acts 20:24; Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:6-9

John 2

The Gospel

Mark 1:15

Proverbs 3:5, 6; Hebrews 11:1; James 2:17, 18

Genesis 6:9–9:17

Faith

Mark 2:27, 28

Genesis 2:2; Matthew 11:28-30; Colossians 2:20, 21

2 Kings 25

Rest

Mark 10:45

Luke 12:37; John 13:14; Ephesians 5:21

John 12:1-8; 13:1-14

Leadership

Mark 12:29-31

Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; 10:12; Luke 10:26, 27

Exodus 20

The Greatest Command

John 1:14

John 1:18; 14:6; Acts 4:12

Matthew 2; Luke 2

The Incarnation

John 3:16

Romans 5:8; 8:38, 39; 1 John 3:16, 17

1 Corinthians 13

Love

John 4:24

Acts 2:42; Romans 12:1, 2; Hebrews 10:24, 25

Exodus 40

Worship

John 6:53

Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25 Exodus 12, 13

Communion

John 10:28

John 6:37; Romans 11:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4-6

1 Samuel 17

Eternal Security

Acts 1:8

John 16:13, 14; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 1:13

Acts 2

The Holy Spirit

Acts 1:9

John 16:7; Ephesians 4:8-10; Revelation 1:7

Acts 1

The Ascension

Acts 2:38

Romans 6:3-6; Titus 3:5, 6; 1 Peter 3:21

Exodus 14, 15

Baptism

Acts 17:26

Isaiah 49:6; Ephesians 2:13, 14; Revelation 7:9, 10

Jonah 1–3

God’s Solution to Racism

Romans 8:1

Romans 8:15, 28, 37

John 8:1-11

Freedom

Romans 12:2

Romans 10:9, 10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 4:4

Matthew 17:1-20

Radical Change

1 Corinthians 2:16

Isaiah 6:9, 10; John 7:17; Colossians 1:9

Acts 17, 18

Knowing God’s Will

1 Corinthians 15:14

Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:25; 20:1-31

Mark 16; John 11

The Resurrection

Ephesians 2:8

Acts 15:11; Romans 3:23, 24; 10:13

Luke 15

Grace

Ephesians 4:4-7

John 17:20, 21; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:11-16

Acts 15

Unity

Philippians 2:5-7

Proverbs 29:23; John 3:30; 1 Peter 5:5-7

Genesis 37, 39–41

Humility

Philippians 4:6

Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:41, 42; 2 Corinthians 10:5

Genesis 42–45

Overwhelming Worry

2 Timothy 2:2

Joshua 1:7; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 4:9

Ruth 1–4

Mentoring

2 Timothy 3:16, 17

Psalm 119:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:22

Mark 4:35–5:43

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1, 2

Luke 21:19; Philippians 3:7-11; 2 Timothy 4:7

Nehemiah 1, 2

Gaining Grit

Revelation 21:1-3

John 14:2; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 22:20

Revelation 21, 22

Heaven

BIBLICAL L I T E R AC Y what Core 52 is doing for us

by Dale Reeves

How desperate are you to kn ow God , s Wo rd, w ha t he wa nts to say to yo u, and w hat h e wan ts you to do about it?

“I don’t just want to read God’s Word weekly. I am implementing changes in my life—sometimes daily—as a result of reading Core 52.”

“When we’re out of town during the week, we love staying on track by reading the same Scriptures many others at Christ’s Church are reading.”

“Even in the midst of my busy lifestyle, I am staying committed to a daily reading of God’s Word. The practical action steps each week are great!”

“The weekly essays written by Mark Moore are deep and challenging, but I love that he makes these concepts easy to comprehend.”

These are a few of the comments from members of Christ’s Church in Mason, Ohio, where I serve on staff. The first Sunday of January this year we challenged our members to participate in a beta test for Mark Moore’s book, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year. Moore’s publisher, WaterBrook, sent us 1,000 prerelease copies of his book so that our people could use it as part of a trial run (the book is scheduled to release July 16). As of this writing, our church members have read onefourth of the book, and it has been an overwhelming success. Here are some of the positive takeaways: • Our lead team, of which I am a member, comes prepared every Monday with thoughts that impacted each of us in that week’s essay. It has been awesome to see these six folks begin each week by connecting the dots between the Old and New Testaments. We talk about personal and corporate applications each Monday, and I love how it sets the tone for that week’s ministry and the individual discussions we each are having with others.

• People with different levels of church experience and Bible knowledge are participating, from the godly saints who have known Jesus for 70-plus years to a nonpracticing Catholic who is not yet a member of our church. This man has been struck by “God’s purpose, the meaning behind the words in both the Old and New Testaments.”

• Some of our small groups are using the Core 52 material to dive deeper into God’s Word in the context of authentic community. Our pathways pastor, Adam Brucker, said, “A gal who was new to our church at the beginning of the year started Core 52 along with us, and then reached out to me, saying, ‘I am desperate to discuss this with other people.’ Wow! Isn’t that what we want, people desperate for Jesus?”

Our church is grateful we got to experience Core 52 on the front end. I encourage you and your church members to get on board with this deeply engaging Bible-reading experience. If you choose to participate in the Core 52 plan, I guarantee your life will be enriched and your church members will grow deeper in their journey with Christ.  Dale Reeves serves as pastor of creative content with Christ’s Church, Mason, Ohio.

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MOR E TOOL S TO I MPROV E

BIBLICAL L I T E R AC Y Christian Standard’s sister publication The Lookout offers a daily Bible reading plan to walk you through the entire Bible in one year.

The Daily Reading Plan can be found for free at lookoutmag.com/resources, or you can connect to the plan using the You Version Bible App. In the app, simply go to Plans and search for “The Lookout.”

The plan provides a selection of Scripture reading for 6 days per week. Subscribers to The Lookout will find the Bible Reading Plan in the print magazine, with a small accompanying daily devotional. These can also be found in the free digital version of The Lookout at lookoutmag.com.

We’ve included here an at-a-glance version on the facing page. Each of the 52 lines comprises a week and includes a selected reading from the Gospels, New and Old Testaments, and Wisdom Literature.

Join us in journeying through the Bible together, and be sure to check out The Lookout for more indepth Bible study resources. 

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READ THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN O N E Y E A R W I T H T H E L OO KO U T

GOSPEL Matthew 1–3 Matthew 4–5 Matthew 6–7 Matthew 8–9 Matthew 10–12 Matthew 13–14 Matthew 15–17 Matthew 18–20 Matthew 21 Matthew 22–23 Matthew 24–25 Matthew 26 Matthew 27–28 Mark 1–2 Mark 3–5 Mark 6–7 Mark 8 Mark 9–10 Mark 11–12 Mark 13 Mark 14 Mark 15–16; Luke 1 Luke 2 Luke 3–4 Luke 5 Luke 6 Luke 7–8 Luke 9 Luke 10–11 Luke 12 Luke 13–14 Luke 15–16 Luke 17–18 Luke 19 Luke 20 Luke 21 Luke 22 Luke 23 Luke 24 John 1–2 John 3–4 John 5 John 6 John 7–8 John 9 John 10–11 John 12

NEW TESTAMENT Acts 1–4 Acts 5–7 Acts 8–10 Acts 11–14 Acts 15–17 Acts 18–20 Acts 21–23 Acts 24–27 Acts 28; Romans 1 Romans 2–6 Romans 7–9 Romans 10–12 Romans 13–16 1 Corinthians 1–5 1 Corinthians 6–9 1 Corinthians 10–12 1 Corinthians 13–16 2 Corinthians 1–3 2 Corinthians 4–9 2 Corinthians 10–13 Galatians 1–5 Ephesians 1 Ephesians 2–4 Ephesians 5–6 Philippians 1–2 Philippians 3–4 Colossians 1–3 Colossians 4; 1 Thessalonians 1–2 1 Thessalonians 3–5 2 Thessalonians 1–3 1 Timothy 1–3 1 Timothy 4–6 2 Timothy 1–3 2 Timothy 4; Titus 1–3 Philemon 1-25 Hebrews 1–5 Hebrews 6–8 Hebrews 9–10 Hebrews 11–13 James 1–3 James 4–5 1 Peter 1–2

John 13–14 John 15–16 John 17–18 John 19

1 Peter 3–5 2 Peter 1–2 2 Peter 3; 1 John 1 1 John 2–3 1 John 4–5; 2 John 1-13; 3 John 1-14 Jude 1-25; Revelation 1 Revelation 2–5 Revelation 6–11 Revelation 12–17

John 20–21

Revelation 18–22

WISDOM Psalm 1–6 Psalm 7–12 Psalm 13–17 Psalm 18–22 Psalm 23–27 Psalm 28–33 Psalm 34–38 Psalm 39–44 Psalm 45–49 Psalm 50–55 Psalm 56–61 Psalm 62–67 Psalm 68–71 Psalm 72–77 Psalm 78–82 Psalm 83–88 Psalm 89–92 Psalm 93–98 Psalm 99–104 Psalm 105–109 Psalm 110–115 Psalm 116–118 Psalm 119:1-64 Psalm 119:65-112 Psalm 119:113-176 Psalm 120–122 Psalm 123–129 Psalm 130–137

OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 1–17 Genesis 18–30 Genesis 31–40 Genesis 41–49 Genesis 50; Exodus 1–12 Exodus 13–29 Exodus 30–40; Leviticus 1–4 Leviticus 5–20 Leviticus 21–27; Numbers 1–4 Numbers 5–20 Numbers 21–36 Deuteronomy 1–21 Deuteronomy 22–34 Joshua 1–14 Joshua 15–24; Judges 1–3 Judges 4–15 Judges 16–21 Ruth 1–4; 1 Samuel 1–10 1 Samuel 11–24 2 Samuel 1–7 2 Samuel 8–19 2 Samuel 20–24; 1 Kings 1–3 1 Kings 4–12 1 Kings 13–22; 2 Kings 1–3 2 Kings 4–15 2 Kings 16–25 1 Chronicles 1–14 1 Chronicles 15–29

Psalm 138–143 Psalm 144–150 Proverbs 1–4 Proverbs 5–10 Proverbs 11–13 Proverbs 14–16 Proverbs 17–18 Proverbs 19–22 Proverbs 23–25 Proverbs 25–28 Proverbs 29–31 Ecclesiastes 1–4 Ecclesiastes 5–9 Ecclesiastes 10–12;

2 Chronicles 1–16 2 Chronicles 17–33 2 Chronicles 34–36; Ezra 1–6 Ezra 7–10; Nehemiah 1–3 Nehemiah 4–10 Nehemiah 11–13; Esther 1–4 Esther 5–10; Isaiah 1–5 Isaiah 6–23 Isaiah 24–39 Isaiah 40–53 Isaiah 54–66 Jeremiah 1–13 Jeremiah 14–31 Jeremiah 32–49

Song of Solomon 1–3 Song of Solomon 4–8 Job 1–4 Job 5–9 Job 10–15 Job 16–20

Jeremiah 50–52; Lamentations 1–3 Ezekiel 1–15 Ezekiel 16–28 Ezekiel 29–41 Ezekiel 42–48

Job 21–24 Job 25–31 Job 32–34 Job 35–38 Job 39–42

Daniel 1–18; Hosea 1–6 Hosea 7–14; Joel 1–3; Amos 1–2 Amos 3–9; Obadiah 1–21; Jonah 1–4 Micah 1–7; Nahum 1–3; Habakkuk 1–3 Zephaniah 1–3; Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–14; Malachi 1–4

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The future of the Restoration Movement rests in large part on our ability to continually raise up and retain good leaders. Yet this is a struggle today, as seemingly fewer young people are going into ministry and attrition rates are rising. We asked three ministries associated with independent Christian churches—The Pastor’s Project, Center for Church Leadership, and Accelerate Group—to describe what they are doing to help solve this leadership dilemma.

We hope you will connect with these ministry resources. They may be able to help you, or you may be able to help them in strengthening church leaders throughout our movement.

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vested in our leaders:

The Pastor’s Project Church Leaders Need Connections to Battle Ministry Challenges

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By Richard Creek

In 1975 I was standing in the lobby of the Veteran’s Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming, waiting to see Dr. Bruce Howar. Howar was the chief physician/administrator of the hospital, but he previously had been my family doctor back in Iowa. He had brought me into the world with the help of his nurse, my grandmother. From that time he had cared for all my broken bones, bumps, and bruises.

“So, tell me,” he asked after we had greeted each other with hugs and smiles, “What are you doing with your life?”

“I’m in the ministry.”

He removed his glasses, lowered his chin, looked right at me and said, “Young man I’m so proud of you. I want you to know that you’re entering the most difficult profession in the world.” He then said, “I need to see a young cowboy who thought he could jump his motorcycle from one side of the canyon to the other. He didn’t make it. He broke his neck. He won’t be able to walk the rest of his life. Is that a tough thing to tell someone? You bet it is, but you will face situations, people, and circumstances that will be far more challenging.”

Years later, I learned everything Dr. Howar said that day was true.

Today’s church needs to awaken and respond to the challenges and critical issues facing our ministers and their wives. Bible colleges no longer prepare enough ministers to fill pulpits. Churches are scrambling to find ministers to help keep their doors open. This is particularly true for rural congregations.

Focus on the Family, Barna Institute, and the National Church Growth Research Center tell us that 73 percent of Bible college graduates entering the ministry will leave within three to five years, 55 percent of ministers would quit today if they had another means of making an income, and 71 percent of all ministers report not having a personal friend or close confidant they trust.

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Five Stressors Ministers Face Research and personal observation indicate at least five stressors affecting those who end up leaving the ministry:

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Financial challenges: Ernie Goss, an economist from Creighton University, reports the majority of ministers earn less than lower middleclass income. And most have little to no health insurance.

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Discouragement: In 2012, Lifeway Research found that half of all pastors were discouraged. The number-one reason for this discouragement involved conflicts, complaining, and murmuring, according to a Twitter poll. As one pastor put it, “My problem is exacerbated by naysayers using social media as their outlets to complain.”

•

Church bullies: Bullying is growing across the country as churches struggle with attendance, finances, and commitment. A Barna Institute survey indicates 40 percent of minsters who leave the profession reported parishioner conflict (aka, bullying).

•

Mental health/depression: Duke Divinity School conducted a survey of 1,700 pastors and found that clergy are at a higher risk for depression and anxiety. Much of the depression was due to stress. Depression was once a topic reserved for “other” people, not ministers. The underlying issue is that depression, particularly among ministers, is kept off the radar screen.

•

Loneliness: The number-one reason pastors (and their wives) leave the ministry is loneliness.

Eight out of 10 wives say they feel unappreciated or unaccepted by their husband’s congregation, according to the Global Pastor’s Wives Network.

GPWN also reports 80 percent responded they wish their husbands would choose a different profession.

“I wish you could listen to some of the phone calls that come to my house,” writes Letitia Benjamin of the National Church Growth Research Center’s Safety Net program. “They come from all over the country—Ohio, Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon, Missouri—all over. They all tell a single story. The caller (a pastor) is desperate, afraid, and lonely.”

The importance of ministers having trustworthy peer support must not be underestimated.

Responses to the Challenges Connections is a Christ-centered, compassionate, and confidential program for any pastor who is combating loneliness, depression, or anxiety. At Connections, pastors and their wives discover a seasoned servant of the pulpit ministry to help them. These mentors are not professional counselors, but empathetic, experienced, and gifted pastors who are willing to assist with professional or personal problems.

The Connections peer mentor assures the caller (minister) he is not alone, but is speaking to a “safe” person with whom he can share his or her challenges. Through the Connections relationship, the mentor provides biblical advice, compassionate support, and a listening friend. Minister’s wives also have access to a female Christian mentor.

Rapid Response is a component of Connections. It offers immediate assistance, day or night, for any pastor who finds himself in a crisis situation. Rapid Response is staffed by a pastor who is a former crisis-trained firefighter.

Rapid Response has three initial objectives: 1. Provide an advocate for the pastor. This might be all that is needed. The worst thing in a crisis is for a pastor to feel isolated and suffer through a situation alone.

2. Perform “triage” on the situation. This ensures the appropriate resources are allocated. The pastor may require encouragement to seek professional help outside of Rapid Response.

3. Normalize the situation. A crisis affects everyone differently. Helping pastors realize these reactions are normal, and that they are not alone, provides healing hope.

Volunteers staff both Connections and Rapid Response. There is no charge for assistance. The process is simple. Go to The Pastor’s Project website, www.pastorsproject.com, and click on the Connections/Rapid Response tab.

Scroll down to find the contact information of a peer mentor of your choice.

The Church Health Adviser is a coach who helps pastors and other church leaders to develop a healthy congregation.

At one time or another, every minister will face challenges within his congregation; these challenges might range from what direction to take next to handling an issue that affects the entire body of Christ. Bill Campbell—an accomplished author, pastor, professor, and church health expert—is available as a coach for church leaders.

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The Pastor’s Project offers a support program for our churches and preachers serving in ministry. We desire to encourage pastors and save our churches, especially small and rural churches, through several initiatives.

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Dr. Howar was right. Ministry is challenging. The apostle Paul, who personally faced many ministry challenges, encouraged fellow ministers, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then . . . I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (Philippians 1:27, 28, my emphasis).

I want to encourage you, pastor. We must stand firm and strive together for the gospel message to which we were called. None of us can do this alone!  Richard Creek serves as founder and director of The Pastor’s Project. He is a graduate of Nebraska Christian College and Southwest Bible Seminary. He has ministered to churches in Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. He lives in Papillion, Nebraska. He is available for speaking engagements, church revitalization workshops, and rural church day seminars. Contact him at RDCreek@cox.net or (402) 391-4363. /ThePastorsProject

www.pastorsproject.com

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By Alan Ahlgrim

Many pastors lead growing ministries and have hundreds or even thousands of social media friends, yet they have no one other than their wife who really understands them and is truly devoted to them. A recent survey found that less than 25 percent of Christian men have a close male friend; for pastors the percentage is even smaller: less than 5 percent.

The isolated leader is a vulnerable leader! Isolation is the devil’s tool to discourage and dishearten those in vital roles. We all are weak and vulnerable at times. The pressures of life, especially life in ministry, take a heavy toll. Unrelenting responsibility, unfair criticism, and sheer weariness of body and soul often leave us feeling overwhelmed. Every leader knows what this feels like, but to find understanding, we must go to others who have experienced similar things. Few people truly understand the unique challenges of pastors—except other pastors.

In my role as director of soul care covenant groups at the Center for Church Leadership, and previously as director of pastor care and leadership development at Blessing Ranch (New Port Richey, Florida), I have had the opportunity to help leaders through a process of rejuvenation, renewal, and discovery. Many pastors struggle, wondering if anyone is safe, really, to talk with. Soul care covenant groups provide pastors with the opportunity to connect, with both head and heart, in a safe, confidential, collegial, joyful, fun environment.

When we as pastors share only our successes, we continue to feel alone, but when we share our struggles, we become brothers and discover we are not alone after all. Henri Nouwen, a university professor and writer (now deceased), said he felt alone for years: “Notwithstanding all the praise I was receiving while speaking about community, I didn’t feel that I truly belonged to anyone.”

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The Need for Soul Care

Some who talk about community the most enjoy it the least . . . why is that? It doesn’t take long for local church leaders to learn that sharing openly can be a dangerous thing. While we may teach well publicly, it doesn’t mean we are doing well personally.

At the close of the first session of a recent soul care covenant group, one pastor said, “In 54 years, I never really felt like I belonged, but now I do!” What made the difference? It was a deep dive into a safe community of soul care—a place where he and a few others got away for an in-depth, agenda-free, head and heart conversation.

Sermons and seminars can be helpful, but transformation requires far more. Transformation must happen on purpose, over time, in community. That’s why the Center for Church Leadership is so invested in leadership health. CCL offers resources, seminars, coaching, monthly roundtable discussions, and three-year covenant groups. We

don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. We know not everyone is ready or able to jump into every opportunity available, but we seek to be ready whenever church leaders are!

We all have a lot to learn about soul care. This we do know . . . heart work is hard work and soul work is not only slow work but shared work! We don’t become healthy by living life alone. We were created for community. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” And it’s definitely not good for leaders to feel alone. Sadly, many do.

That is a crushing burden.

What if we actually followed the ministry and mentoring model of Jesus? Every Christian leader is committed to making disciples. That’s why we’re on an endless search for the best materials and newest systems to assist in growing others. Unfortunately, transformational growth is not merely a matter of more and better information. It’s not just a head thing, it’s a heart thing!

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Going Small, Going Strong, Going Slow Only when we move from “head land” to “heart land” do we see true maturity take place. This is a lifelong journey that requires going small, going strong, and going slow.

Going Small— Jesus was in a small group! He sometimes taught multitudes and in local synagogues and homes, it’s true, but he spent most of his time in quiet places investing in a dozen or fewer disciples. Do we really think we can improve on Jesus’ strategy?

Sadly, most of us do. As one soul care recipient recently said, “If Jesus were to launch his ministry today, would he seek out the 12 biggest platforms or [would he seek] 12 men he could invest in so they could invest in others to change the world?

We already know the answer to that!” We all need a band of brothers who are not set on “fixing” us, but rather who seek to enlighten and liberate us.

Going Strong— Jesus held nothing back. He shared hard truth, such as, “You must be born again,” “Follow me,” and “Go and sin no more.” Jesus dared to ask hard questions: “Do you believe that I can heal you?”

“Who do you say I am?” and “Do you love me?” Je-

sus set the standard for saying strong stuff, including his challenge to Peter: “Away from me, Satan!” Since Jesus set the standard for sharing strong challenges, we need to be willing to follow that pattern. Strong words, however, can best be heard in the context of a strong sense of community. We don’t need a lot of people to be close to us, but we need the right people. We need to share our lives with a trusted few to experience greater depth and fulfillment.

Going Slow— Life change doesn’t happen at the speed of light, but at the slow speed of love. A person can’t speed their way into a soul-satisfying relationship with God or into a fulfilling relationship with others.

We often say children spell love as T-I-M-E. Aren’t we all like that? Don’t we all crave quality attention from others, and don’t we all feel valued when they listen to us and invest in us? I know I do. I’m blessed to enjoy that with my wife, but also through several dozen others who have easy access to me. I don’t just facilitate soul care conversations and groups, I’m immersed in them. Spiritual growth can’t be microwaved like a quick snack. True growth requires marinating and then slow cooking.

Designed for More than Casual Connections and Surface Conversations We were made to grow through disciplined community. That doesn’t happen by accident, especially for leaders. Those who lead are typically only casually connected with those they serve. That’s why leaders often starve for candid community with other leaders outside of their own ministry.

In soul care groups, we often talk about the three levels of authenticity: • Honesty with all. (As Christ followers, we are committed to truth.)

• Transparency with some. (Discretion requires caution and sensitivity.)

• Vulnerability with few. (Full disclosure requires safety and acceptance.)

We don’t talk about holding other leaders accountable, because no one will ever be more accountable than they want to be. Instead, we talk about holding each other close. That is, we are committed to being available when we are asked. We don’t intrude or force conversations; we serve through listening and guiding. That takes time. It requires patience to allow others the freedom to think out loud, to process hurts, and to feel genuinely accepted. Another longtime minister said, “For the first time in ministry, I experienced community. My group allowed me to feel accepted and not judged.”

Stories abound of leaders feeling betrayed and burned out, and finally giving up. In a recent survey of ministers within our own fellowship, 43 percent said within the previous year they seriously considered dropping out of ministry. Discouragement is at epidemic levels. And many also struggle with serious moral issues and have even fallen into a ditch of some sort. Sadder still, some fell late in

their careers. No doubt, each of them knew better.

They knew the Bible. They had one or more academic degrees. They attended countless sermons and seminars . . . some taught other leaders. They were even surrounded by others who loved and cared and prayed for them! So, how did it happen?

Even though they may have been “head strong” they were not “heart strong”!

A study on “finishing well” by Fuller Seminary discovered two important things. Among 100 leaders chronicled in the Bible, it was concluded only one-third finished well. The two prevailing factors were these: First, leaders failed to personally apply God’s truth in their lives and second, leaders failed to have close relationships with others who could speak into their lives. It’s not rocket science; it actually is harder than that. It’s “heart work.” As someone said, “Christian leaders don’t fall because they forget they are holy; they fall because they forget they are human.”

Theologian and scholar William Barclay observed that no one can understand the Christian faith apart from community. We see that in the geometry of the cross. The vertical axis points to a love relationship with God through Christ and the horizontal points to healthy, life-giving relationships with others in the body of Christ. No one can thrive, or even survive, in the Christian life without both.

We all need that—especially leaders!

The Center for Church Leadership seeks to provide increasing access to helpful resources and also to healthy connections and community. Without healthy community, we are all more vulnerable than we could possibly know; but with healthy community, we can be prepared to finish well! 

Alan Ahlgrim served as founding pastor of Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Boulder County, Colorado, from 1983 to 2013. He remains actively involved with the church that he loved and led for three decades. He now serves as director of soul care covenant groups with The Center for Church Leadership based in Cincinnati. @alanahlgrim

/BlessingsAhead

www.blessingsahead.wordpress.com

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Church Leaders Need Healthy Marriages

By Don and Sue Wilson

Accelerate Group was born out of a desire to encourage and support ministry couples.

Many times, over our years in ministry, we went to conferences that offered resources and encouragement to pastors about how to be more effective in ministry, but rarely did a conference encourage us together as a couple.

With Accelerate Group, we wanted to offer couples a way to see what ministry looks like from their spouse’s perspective, while providing an opportunity for each mate and couple to voice their needs—not only in ministry, but in life. Statistics that indicated large numbers of pastors were leaving ministry during their first two years broke our hearts. We felt God calling us to do something to improve those numbers.

Pastors’ wives seem particularly isolated in the crowd that is their church. Many struggle to find a friend they consider trustworthy. Most have difficulty articulating their loneliness to their spouse. A pastor’s wife can feel as though there is another woman in her husband’s life, and that “woman” is the church. How can a wife complain about the many hours her husband spends “doing ministry” without feeling a sense of guilt?

“I have been in ministry alongside my husband for 36 years,” said one pastor’s wife.

“There have been many hard times through the years, with very little support from anyone other than our parents. We feel so blessed and cared for by what Accelerate has done for us. It feels like the floodgates have been opened!”

Connecting Ministry Couples

The more we minister to couples, the more we become aware how lonely they often feel. Our goal is to connect couples to others and provide them with resources to help them do their jobs better. We do this by providing several safe environments and special opportunities.

Conferences

Accelerate Group designs conferences that are unique to each set of ministry couples; each grouping is allowed to set the discussion agendas. During the first few hours of each conference, men and women share areas for which they desire feedback.

Most sessions include “couple time,” when spouses share their hearts during the discussion time, while also hearing advice and encouragement about those important issues. But we also utilize same-gender groups. We’ve found it helps deepen relationships when women can talk about issues with other women—and the same with men.

This in turn helps the marriages because both spouses realize they aren’t the only ones dealing with these issues and their mate isn’t deliberately being obstinate; he or she simply doesn’t see the world the same way.

“My wife and I were able to get away and find a safe place to share with other couples that were going through similar ministry challenges,” said one pastor. “It was nice to have access to mentoring couples for three days. It was nice to be able to set the agenda as couples through our questions. This made the session times highly practical and relevant.”

God’s work in these couples becomes apparent even in seemingly random acts, such as choosing a table, which become unique opportunities to meet others who are experiencing similar struggles or life issues. As an example, at one of our conferences, two couples at a table discovered they were adoptive parents and were struggling with the unique difficulties that come with that role. Another time, a couple going through a particularly challenging time in ministry began conversing with another couple at their table that had been through something similar, and the second couple offered advice and encouragement.

A pastor’s wife said, “One private conversation in particular stood out because it was another wife who could understand exactly, spiritually and emotionally, what I was talking about when discussing a unique challenge I have as the wife of a pastor. It’s encouraging to know I’m not alone in what I experience and feel.”

Holy Land Trips A natural extension of Accelerate Group’s ministry is providing an opportunity for ministry couples to visit the Holy Land to experience the biblical world upon which so much of their ministry is based. Visiting where Jesus walked and taught gives couples a new depth of insight into the Bible and a new enthusiasm for their ministry. We’ve seen God work in couples’ lives on these trips.

“When we were at the Garden of Gethsemane reflecting on where we wanted to be in five years, I felt God lead me to have a very courageous conversation with my husband,” said one pastor’s wife. “I felt God tell me that with knowledge comes the burden of knowing more than most but also the truth that our world is broken, even in Christian community. All that to say we are good—in fact, better than good. [My husband] came back recharged and seeks joy rather than letting Satan steal joy by whispering lies in his ear.”

Connections

In addition to the conferences and trips, we also work to connect pastors with pastors and their wives with other pastors’ wives. This effort seeks to reinforce the fact that they are never alone! A pastor’s wife said, “Just knowing I have a solid circle of support when needed gives me courage that I can do this!”

We’ve found that couples in one stage of life often are in a perfect position to help younger couples find perspective and inspiration to trust God and go the distance.

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“A pastor’s wife can feel as though there is another woman in her husband’s life, and that ‘woman’ is the church.”

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Unique Challenges of Ministry Families

The pastor’s family is unique in many ways. Their lives typically are under constant observation and scrutiny. Many who watch the pastor’s family feel compelled to comment on behavior that does not meet their expectations.

Consider whether you would introduce someone as “my plumber’s wife” or “my attorney’s wife.” No, you would likely say something such as, “I would like you to meet my friend, Kathy.” And yet the pastor’s wife typically is introduced as “my pastor’s wife.” Over time, she is made to feel she is an extension of her husband rather than the daughter of a King!

Some pastors try to protect their wives from difficult times, people, and details at work, but that can make the spouse feel as if they are being shut out. Pastors and wives would do well to remember they are partners in life and ministry. Partners do not need all of the details of what is happening at work, but they will feel more like a partner if they are asked to pray for their spouse and the difficult situation. Our indwelling Spirit means we don’t need all of the details about something in order to call out to God on behalf of our spouse when they face difficulties.

One reason for starting Accelerate Group was the obvious loneliness we found among pastors’ spouses. We know from our experience that the pastor’s marriage has a huge impact on his overall ability to lead well.

Our intent is to provide a safe place for pastors and their spouses to share struggles and find encouragement. It is our belief that this ministry can “accelerate” the following formula: Healthy marriages = healthy pastors = healthy churches = kingdom impact.  Don Wilson retired in 2017 as founding and senior pastor of Christ’s Church of the Valley, a multisite church in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. He and Sue founded Accelerate Group, a nonprofit organization created to encourage and support pastors and their wives. Sue blogs at www.suespaperthoughts.blogspot.com and is the author of As the Fog Lifts, available at Amazon. /AccelerateGroupInfo

www.accelerate.group

support@accelerate.group

(623) 252-4859

In the banking world, where I spent the first 15 years of my career, financial institutions did not finance churches. Banks sought to avoid ever needing to “foreclose on God.” From 1980 to 1995, I focused on commercial real estate transactions and banking. During that time, I traveled coast to coast learning and perfecting the trade.

In the early 1990s I was introduced to the world of church finance. I heard about a church extension fund (CEF) through my local church in Southern California. It was intriguing to learn about this industry because it perfectly blended my career knowledge and my heart for Jesus. I immediately wanted every church attendee in America to know about this incredible industry.

Not much later, my pastor nominated me to serve on the board of a CEF. That began my career in the church lending world, in which I am about to enter my fourth decade.

I remember going to those early board meetings and reviewing the financial data and analyses and thinking to myself, These people have rocks in their heads! How are they doing this? How are they justifying their decisions? Why do they evaluate the leadership of the church when considering the risk of the investment? My mind was still conformed to the world’s way of banking.

Over the last 27 years, I have learned God has a better plan for his church— certainly a much better plan than the commercial banks that are out to fill their own pockets.

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CEFs perform better than most financial institutions. Church failure, delinquency, and foreclosure rates are significantly lower than the normal loan recipients in the banking world. Better yet, church attendees are investors in CEFs, they are earning honest interest, and their investments fund the loans that support church construction. It’s simple, Jesus-centered banking.

Most people in Restoration Movement Christian churches probably do not know this special group of nonprofit banks exist. CEFs have been behind the scenes for 80 years growing churches through investments and loans.

It is time for that anonymity to change. Imagine how today’s church could benefit from exposure and promotion of a church extension fund, which serves as an engine to grow the local church.

CEFs are more than a financial tool for the church. They can equip, resource, and encourage the church. They can operate as a link to connect churches with varying degrees of financial competence so they can learn from one another.

CEFs are more than a financial tool for investors. Consider your personal investments; I would imagine you cannot identify a single person associated with those investments and have no idea whether that money plays any role in growing Christ’s church and baptizing people. The CEF stakeholder, on the other hand, knows his or her investment is honoring God. (Consider Proverbs 3:9, 10.)

What I learned in those early years as a CEF board member was something I never learned in business college or while working for major financial institutions. Throughout my career I’ve known you “bank with the banker, not the bank.” I knew of the importance of relationships in banking, but in the church finance world I found that relationships are the central component on which everything else hangs, including financial stability. Why? Because relationships matter to God. (Consider Hebrews 10:24, 25.)

I found out very quickly the two biggest risks in making a church loan were moral failure in the pulpit and leadership meltdown. We all have seen pastors fall into the first category, and we all have seen the ugliness of dysfunction between elders and key staff. With solid biblical teaching and a grounded outside consultant, a church can overcome both of these major obstacles; and a CEF can play this role well! Even church leaders in healthy situations need to be aware of this.

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In the 21st century, how does a CEF balance kingdom expansion and financial stability? It’s not easy to do. The Solomon Foundation follows these six key rules:

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We analyze the leadership. Real estate professionals always talk about location, location, location! Church finance professionals emphasize leadership, leadership, leadership! A face-to-face meeting with church leadership is a great place to start. I actually try to schedule two or three days with the elders and staff, plus a solid oneon-one with the senior pastor and the executive pastor on my first visit. I believe in “boots on the ground” to learn more about their ministry, life, and vision. It is imperative these meetings be in-person and in-depth. I can get a good feel for leaders in my first meeting.

I can also detect problems by asking probing questions.

We ensure the five key financial ratios are in balance and that the church can afford the financing. The five key ratios are: • Debt service to income. This is a simple ratio of how much of the monthly offering will go to debt service. A prudent number is around 30 percent; however, a growing, dynamic church can start at up to 50 percent. Assuming the church grows, this ratio quickly comes back into line.

• Expense coverage ratio. We want to make sure the church produces enough income to cover expenses.

• Debt per attendee. This ratio is the total debt divided by the average weekly attendance.

• Giving per person, per week. This ratio is the per-capita giving per week.

• Loan to value. The “LTV” is the least reliable ratio, for it is meaningless if the church cannot provide adequate cash flow.

All of these ratios are important, but cash flow is the highest priority.

We determine if the church can grow and, if so, at what pace. Analyzing potential growth is difficult. But knowing the leaders, the area, and the project’s potential provides a seasoned church finance professional with a solid perspective for analysis.

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We discourage the church from relying on outside income. School income, rental income, etc. are great to have, but this type of income can fluctuate, which can quickly put the church in a challenging position. Outside income can evaporate quickly. Too many churches rely on it.

We analyze the demographics. Analyzing the growth potential for the area is prudent. I have found the best way to do this is not just by reading reports, but by also driving throughout the area. I check out the retailers, major employers, and other large churches in the area. The statistical data is easy to acquire.

We go with our gut! Over the years as I’ve loaned money, I’ve learned you cannot rely solely on your brain. Neither can you allow your heart to unduly influence your decision. So, I have always relied on my gut, which is a combination of my brain and my heart!

Kingdom expansion is my passion, and I pursue it with all my time and resources. I determine the opportunities, listen to every church need that comes my way, spend time with church leadership, walk the grounds in person, and review the financial information with elders and my staff.

This God-honoring course of action always leads me to a path that helps the church grow and the investors earn interest. Kingdom expansion is not at war with financial stability. When done right, kingdom expansion lives in harmony with financial stability.

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INTERACT

BOOK REVIEWS

RETIRING GRACEFULLY

I have read The Lookout and Christian Standard for many years. I enjoy the new format. One thing I miss is LeRoy Lawson’s column where he reviewed books. Perhaps you can include something like that from time to time.

Thank you, Mark Taylor, for an insightful and timely article on retirement [“If You Have a Pulse, You Have a Purpose,” p. 32, May 2019].

I wish I had had this advice several years ago when a new pastor told me the date of my retirement. No planning. No thoughts of what to do next. After all, I thought I would live forever and my job was super secure. I had traveled the world in missions, taken hundreds of youth to countries we now call allies. Yet someone decided for me when I was to retire. Taylor gently wrote of the need to plan and to leave gracefully, not hurting those you leave behind. The pastors interviewed all said the same thing: When you leave, leave . . . and do so gracefully.

Jack and Marion McCracken Washington, Indiana via postal mail

Editor’s Note: Please watch www.ChristianStandard.com for occasional reviews of books for Christian leaders and by Restoration Movement church authors. If you would like to review a book that fits those parameters, please send it to cs@christianstandardmedia.com and put “Book Review” in the subject line. We may use it on our website.

iKUDOS I very much enjoy the articles in your magazine. I appreciate getting it on my iPad. Don Forrest via website

Churches need to let pastors leave for a little while, and then welcome them home to become part of the congregation again. Allow them to cry a little, then love them the way we love anyone who is lost—as they are. The article has helped me to heal. I thank you sincerely.

Ruth Anne Shattuck via email

Really appreciate being able to download the mag, especially being in Africa. I know your postage cost is in the stratosphere somewhere.

So proud to know these wonderful servants of God!

Rowland Roberts via Facebook

Guthrie Veech via Facebook

ARE WE STILL DISCUSSING WOMEN IN MINISTRY? About the specific matter of women preaching and being elders (do we really still need to be discussing this?)—it’s not a matter of sin [“In the Arena: Should Women Be Involved in Church Leadership and Preaching Roles?” by Dale Cornett and Lorelei Pinney Nij, pp. 50-59, March 2019]. Do we ever find Paul listing “women preaching” in his lists of sins? (No.) Does anyone argue that men must always pray with their hands lifted up? (I have never heard that.) Has anyone washed someone else’s feet lately? Let’s be wary of turning the new dispensation into new law. We end up being like the Judaizers.

When might women preaching be a matter of sin? If it’s done in a wrong spirit or contentiously or without proper authority. What is proper authority? If men are the ones granted headship, then aren’t things being done decently and in order if the (male) leadership sees and encourages a gifted female preacher or elder?

Let’s not hold one another back but do all we can to build up the body of Christ. . . . Men, be the leaders God has called you to be, which of course means being the servants we are all called to be.

We need to be the body of Christ ministering in every possible way to the needs of the world.

Cara Snyder English Professor Dallas Christian College via email

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I appreciate professor Cornett clearly expressing his views, and I respect his ministry of teaching. I also appreciate Christian Standard for publishing tandem articles by professor Cornett and Lorelei Pinney Nij. I’ve chosen to respond to two of the article’s specific statements, in an effort to give readers more information to consider.

First, regarding 1 Corinthians 14, the article states, “Most translations connect verse 33b with verses 34 and 35 so that it means, ‘As in all the church of the saints . . . the women are to keep silent in the churches’” (p. 52). The alternative is to link verse 33b with 33a, resulting in “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (King James Version). At BibleGateway.com, 33 English translations punctuate the text as professor Cornett suggests (linking “all the churches” to women’s silence), and 25 instead keep verse 33 as a unit (linking “all the churches” with God’s peace). This latter group, which punctuates verse 33 as a complete sentence, includes the KJV (which surely was not influenced by feminism) and the New American Standard Bible (which is often claimed to be the most literal English translation and is the one professor Cornett uses throughout his article). Though a ratio of 33 to 25 may qualify as “most translations,” the article risks giving the impression that almost all translations link verse 33b with women’s silence, which is not the case. Going

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THIS WILL PREACH back in time, the opinion of Robert Estienne, who added the verse numbers in the mid-16th century, can be added to those who consider verse 33 a complete sentence. Even further back, the fourth-century Latin Vulgate shares the same view, as did several early Christian authors, such as Origen, a Christian scholar in the third century.

Second, page 53 says regarding 1 Timothy 2, “It is seldom noted that the word first in verse 13 is not an adverb, telling when Adam was created (before Eve), but an adjective: Adam was formed ‘as first’ or ‘to be first’ as a matter of position.” It is true that this is seldom noted (I’ve never heard this argument before), and for good reason—it is inaccurate. Yes, prōtos (“first”) in 1 Timothy 2:13 is an adjective, but it functions here to indicate that Adam was created first, sequentially before Eve. “First” in Greek is much like “first” in English. As an example, it is the opening word of the second paragraph of this letter, and I doubt any readers were struck that I didn’t begin that paragraph with “firstly.” This sequential meaning of “first” is the first definition given in all seven Greek-English dictionaries I have in my office.

As a clear example, consider Acts 1:1: “The first [prōtos] account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach . . .” (NASB).

Jeff Miller Johnson City, Tennessee via email

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Hearing a sermon based on this plan would be refreshing [“Preach the Word,” by Chris Philbeck, p. 40, April 2019].

Janelle Dunham Wawrzyniak via Facebook

All pastors need to read this.

Judy Coons Marsh via Facebook

A REMINDER AND CHALLENGE Thanks for the reminder and the challenge, Kent [“Christianity in Confusion: What Happens When We Forgo Reading the Directions,” by Kent Fillinger, p. 8, April 2019]. It’s certainly hard to play by the rules when you haven’t read them.

Dean Jackson via website

Give us your feedback /ChristianStandardMagazine @ChrStandard @christianstandardmagazine Cs@ChristianStandardMedia.com For space, length, readability, relevance, and civility, comments sent to Interact may remain unpublished or be edited.

We do read them all and prayerfully take them to heart. If we publish your comment, we will try to honestly reproduce your thoughts with those considerations in mind. Where we disagree, let’s continue to keep P.H. Welshimer’s words in mind to “disagree without being disagreeable.”

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- BIBLITICALLY CORRECT -

MISFITBIT From After Class Podcast

It’s time Christians stop obsessing about fitness and start focusing on more important things in life—like sin. This is why we’ve developed an innovative, always-oncall spiritual healthcare consultant. The Misfitbit Sinful Activity Tracker is a technologically advanced wristband that monitors your morality 24/7.

be programmed to verify that you show up on time for work, church, and even supper.

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The Misfitbit empowers and inspires a spiritually healthy and wholesome lifestyle. We have wristbands for sinners of all sizes. And while this device automatically generates daily, weekly, and monthly reports, one need not wait to see how holy one has been. The Misfitbit’s rather aggressive vibration feature zings you immediately whenever you stray from the narrow path.

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Sync the Misfitbit to your phone and computer to monitor your web browsing. Activate the optional pay tag and keep track of all your purchases—for where your money is “there your heart will be also” (The Bible).

Why burden fellow Christians to help you grow spiritually? They’re busy enough dealing with logs in their own eyes. The Misfitbit takes spiritual health monitoring to the next level by putting it into your own hands.

The devil does not want you to buy this device. So, get your very own sin sensor today, and let’s send Satan falling from the sky like lightning! 

The After Class Podcast guys are Bible and theology professors at Great Lakes Christian College; from left to right in the logo, they are Samuel C. Long, Ronald D. Peters, and John C. Nugent. They strive to engage provocative contemporary topics with wit and careful biblical scholarship. www.afterclasspodcast.net

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@after_class_pod

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