The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
By Magnus Persson
03/25/26
12mins

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.
Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey
03/23/26

Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior

The gospel isn’t for the strong but people who know they aren’t.
Post-Denominational Lutheranism
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
03/20/26

Post-Denominational Lutheranism

One great thing about our post-denominational age is that it has opened up opportunities to make common cause with other Lutherans who, despite their differences and eccentricities, can agree on some of the most important things.

All Articles

Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
12/24/25

The Christmas Letdown

The anticipation of Advent is supposed to build us up, not make us exhausted.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
09/15/25

The Most Important Theological Writing Ever Turns 1700 Years Old

The Nicene Creed is the gospel distilled—a refined and concentrated byproduct of Scripture’s own witness to the grace and power of God in Jesus Christ.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
08/12/25

Is Protestantism Really Going Extinct?

Protestants, in my view, don’t suffer from a Goldilocks problem. They have an arrogance problem.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
05/09/25

Church Attendance Increases in New Study—But Can We Trust It?

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.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
04/22/25

What does Pope Francis’ Death Mean to Protestants?

While I disagree with many things Francis did and believed, I think he deserves credit for this: Francis showed us what Christian leadership can look like.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
04/15/25

From Eden to Easter: Wandering in the Wilderness

This is the second installment in our series, From Eden to Easter: Life and Death in the Garden. Each day throughout Holy Week, we will take a special look at the gardens and wildernesses of Scripture, and in particular, these scenes' connections to Christ's redemption won for us on the cross.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
10/01/24

Augustine, Abuse, and the Gospel that Puts Away Shame

What is it about the cross and its embrace of shame that informs and inspires Christians, who, for various reasons, might find themselves inscribed by shame, to no longer be shameful?
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
09/24/24

Some Practical Advice on Keeping Your Faith Resilient while at University

In his resurrection, God says "Yes" to Christ, and all those in him.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
08/19/24

The Creator of Nature

This is the first installment in our series entitled, God and Nature, which explores the relationship between our Creator and nature: how God uses nature, how we are meant to view nature, and how God chooses to reveal (or hide) himself in nature.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
07/29/24

For the Desperate, Who Wish to See God

God can never really be said to be ignoring us, even if our experience with God at any given moment is that he is.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
07/11/24

What Makes the Church Fundamentally Unique?

This week, when you go to church, take a moment to reflect that you are being summoned by a loving Father, hands full of gifts he wants to give.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
06/28/24

Defining Worship Through Creatureliness

To embrace our creatureliness is to affirm the truth that we were created to worship.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.