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

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/14/16

Justification by Facebook

We want people to notice us, know us, like us, or even hate us. Just please don’t ignore us. Social media is the ego’s dream come true.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/12/16

Don't Tell Hurting People That God's in Control

We want to know how God rules this world, how he is present in all things, how he exerts his control over the course of world events. We want to know why some get cancer and some don’t, why terrible things happen to the best of people, why volcanoes erupt and hurricanes strike and fires consume.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
08/11/16

You Are All Saved

God’s desire that all be saved led him to pay the price by which all are saved, all are justified.
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
08/10/16

Rejecting the Gospel?

Over the last 11 months I’ve spent the bulk of my time working to plant a church in New York City.
Larry D. Hughes
Larry D. Hughes
08/09/16

The Reality of Sin, Death, and Forgiveness

When we explain away God’s Word, we jettison the reality of our ominous diagnosis in the “Thou shall/shall nots” of the law, and with it the sweet cure in the, “This is My body/blood” of the Gospel.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/03/16

We Expect Too Little from God

We shrink away from God’s godness and almightiness, and so shrink down our prayers. Perhaps it is a lack of faith. We don’t trust God to give what He himself has promised to give.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
08/02/16

Pejorative Piety

One of the things you get used to if you talk about this thing called “grace” often enough, is sooner or later you’ll be looked down on by your peers.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/30/16

The Sign Said, "Just Kill Me."

One thing is for certain: my day was heaven compared to his. My minor headaches nothing compared to whatever he was going through.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
07/25/16

Ask or You Won’t Receive

Years ago a pastor friend of mine who felt betrayed by someone he trusted told me that he was under no biblical obligation to forgive his betrayer unless and until he asked for forgiveness.
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
07/22/16

A Gospel That You Can Touch, Smell, Taste, See and Hear

Looking back, I see that the biggest problem (besides heresy) was that my faith was first about what I did or didn’t do, but it was also intangible and spiritual.
Paul Dunk
Paul Dunk
07/20/16

The Man Behind The Curtain

When Dorothy, Toto and her 3 new friends finally arrived in Oz, they were met with a staggering disappointment. The Great and Powerful is Oz was not so great and powerful.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/19/16

What's Wrong with the World—in Two Words

The Christian faith makes a bold claim: We are the world's problem, but we are not the world's solution.
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