This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life (1517 Publishing, 2025). Sinner Saint is available today from 1517 Publishing.
On its journey from Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul, this special place helps us understand the broader arc of Christian history, which goes on until Christ's return.
We needn’t fear statistics and studies as palm readings into a certain future. God is God, and his Spirit is alive through his Word.

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"When God has his say, have confidence that his Word and sacraments bestow precisely what he says."
The gospel is best understood in terms of those two most important words: for you.
The gospel gives us faith, hope, and love, all of which proceed from Christ’s death and resurrection.
Belief at Christmas is neither neat nor safe. It is the path that leads to the manger and, from there, to the cross.
Ambrose's preaching continues to ring out in churches around the world, especially during Advent when we sing his magnificent, proclamatory hymn, "Savior of the Nations, Come."
While Christmas may or may not have pagan roots, it will certainly have a pagan future if Christians lose sight of what it is all about.
This is the first article in a special three-part Advent series on how Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king.
The crucified and risen Christ comes to renew, restore, and build up.
The world rushes forward, lighting up screens and decking out storefronts in a mad sprint toward the next thing, but Advent pulls us back.
Below is an excerpt from the personal devotional included in this year’s 1517 Advent Resources.
The Lord’s provision doesn’t rest on the strength of our gratitude.
What do we learn from the widow? We learn how to be dependent upon God.