Today's Christian articles from January 2007

Today's Christian archives from January 2007

Worship, missions, and miracles.(The FinePrint)
January 1, 2007... We didn't plan this issue of TC with any particular theme in mind--at least not deliberately. We knew worship would be one focus, since singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin was the subject of our cover story (p. 24). We knew missions would occupy a...

A change in business plans.(Quick Takes)
January 1, 2007... Retail spaces change occupants all the time--a corner hardware store becomes a Starbucks, a seafood restaurant gets bumped for a new Walgreens. But rarely is a change in businesses as radical as the one Sue Tinsley Robinson initiated last...

Bill Hybels.(Spotlight)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... TC: Your latest book is Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith (Zondervan). You've done books on evangelism in the past. Why another one? HYBELS: This book represents another decade of my experience in personal...

What about Bob?(Phil Vischer )(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... When Big Idea, the company that brought us VeggieTales, went bankrupt in 2003, many wondered if Bob the Tomato and Larry Cucumber would survive the fallout. They did when a New York-based media company acquired Big Idea and its debts, but...

"Amazing Grace": how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.(Story BehindTheSong)(John Newton)
January 1, 2007... John Newton described himself as a "wretch" in need of grace. Though his mother taught him to pray, she died when he was 7 and his heart hardened against God. He became a wild, young man who mocked Christianity and drowned himself in drink....

Puzzled by Genesis.(Everyday Theology)(Bible. O.T. Genesis)(Column)
January 1, 2007... Q. I'm really getting into reading the Bible for the first time, but I keep running into roadblocks--things I don't understand. For instance, in Genesis, where did Cain get a wife? Who was he building a city for? I thought that after he...

Lose some weight.(Lite Fare)(Cartoon)
January 1, 2007... "Lose some weight, quit smoking, move around more, and eat the carrot." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Krispy kremes and wine?(Lite Fare)
January 1, 2007... During our Sunday-morning communion service, I noticed a lack of bread in the basket. The family responsible for bringing the loaf for communion each week was on vacation and apparently hadn't made arrangements during their absence. Did...

Too much information.(Lite Fare)
January 1, 2007... One Sunday morning, an elder stood in the midst of our Southern congregation to offer public appreciation for his wife. "I have magic laundry," he bragged. He told how his dirty laundry "magically" gets clean and shows up in his drawers. "If...

Open invitation.(funerals )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... My sister sat at the dining table making funeral plans with our precious 87-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer's. Suzanne asked Mother what hymns she wanted sung and who she wanted to sing. After a while of planning, Mother got excited and...

Poetry in motion.
January 1, 2007... In the Bible, the Book of Psalms is unique--the longest book, also probably the most-read and most-loved, quoted by generations of both Jews and Christians, and even admired by unbelievers for the power of its poetry. In Hebrew the book's...

A worshiper for all seasons: Chris Tomlin is determined to help the church see worship as much more than a weekly activity--it's a way of life.(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... Chris Tomlin was destined to be salt and light. What else would you expect from a Christian singer who grew up in Grand Saline--the "Salt Capital of Texas"? "Morton Salt is mined in our little town of 2,500," says Tomlin, whose string of...

The heart of worship.(Interview)
January 1, 2007... Contemporary, traditional, blended--lately worship has become a divisive, rather than uniting, force in our churches. Rick Muchow, worship leader at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, is author of The Worship Answer Book (J....

Credible Christianity: a former "acid-dropping hippie chick," Barbara Curtis challenges believers to find common ground with people from "the other side.".
January 1, 2007... During the first two decades of her adult life, Barbara Curtis thought Christians were idiots. A radical feminist who protested war and lobbied for abortion on demand, Barbara got her kicks from yelling obscenities at the "pigs" during...

God's weird love: I'm routinely puzzled by God's unusual choice of friends.
January 1, 2007... God makes what seem to me some very funny choices--meaning, they're not necessarily the choices I would make. You see, I always thought God had a big house in which the people who did what He said could live, worship, and enjoy fellowship. On...

Max Lucado: Max Lucado has the heart of a pastor and the pen of a lyricist. He is a preacher who writes and a writer who preaches, though none would call him preachy. This unique combination of gifts led Christianity Today to label him "America's Pastor," but he prefers to go by "Max" and leave the titles behind.(SPOTLIGHT ON)
January 1, 2007... Max Lucado is one of the rare authors who can craft memorable books for readers of all ages, races and creeds. He has written bestselling books for both children and adults, from illustrated storybooks to nonfiction and biblical...

Lighting up Silicon Valley: internet millionaire Michael Yang loves the challenge of competing with Google. But his biggest dream? Inspiring the next generation of Christian leaders.(Interview)
January 1, 2007... On paper Michael Yang is a tiger. The 43-year-old Korean immigrant has earned degrees from two of America's top universities. He founded successful Internet search engine companies, MySimon.com and Become.com, going nose-to-nose with cyber...

Does God still do miracles? You bet he does. But not all "supernatural" healings are what they seem. A Christian doctor explains why.(Reprint)
January 1, 2007... Not long ago, I heard the story of a woman whose teenage daughter was severely disabled with cerebral palsy. For several agonizing years, the mother prayed that God would work a miracle and heal her. Nothing happened. [ILLUSTRATION...

Grounded in faith: who says child stars can't survive in Hollywood? These teen siblings are shining brightly--and remembering it's better to give than receive.(Jenna Boyd, Cayden Boyd)(Biography)
January 1, 2007... The entertainment industry has a reputation of being cruel to its young celebrities. Drug addiction, eating disorders, and a host of other dysfunctions plague many of the most famous child stars--and the tabloids and showbiz programs...

God's time for Algeria: the power of the gospel is stirring souls in a once-impenetrable Muslim nation.
January 1, 2007... I was standing in Oran Airport, hopefully eyeing the baggage belt with a crowd of other passengers, when a tall, narrow-faced Algerian materialized by my side. He greeted me in Arabic, and when I responded with a blank stare he grinned and...

Pakistan terrorizing Christian women.(Persecution Report)
January 1, 2007... A Christian girl remains in hiding in Pakistan to escape Muslim in-laws. She was beaten and raped for fleeing her forced marriage and refusing to practice Islam. Asya Khadim, 16, won a divorce from her abusive Muslim husband in February...

Short term mission registration.(The LastLaugh)(Cartoon)
January 1, 2007... "I need to be back by 4:30 this afternoon." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]