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

Dan van Voorhis
Dan van Voorhis
08/21/19

Christmas in August and Handel's Messiah

On this Day Handel Begins Composing Messiah, and 5 Things We Can Learn From It
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
08/20/19

Something More Powerful than Pain and Death

Jesus doesn’t talk about God’s love for us; he embodies it.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
08/19/19

God Alone Saves, Right?

This is the God of the Holy Scriptures. He is the one who repeatedly saves, always preserving his people by providing rescue in situation after situation...
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
08/19/19

Gospel: Luke 13:22-30 (Pentecost 11: Series C)

Luke does not tell us who asked it. But it’s a good question. “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
08/13/19

What Matters Most

We confuse our success and failures with God’s judgment of us.
Valerie Thur
Valerie Thur
08/12/19

Killed the Word

Mere confrontation in the form of, “What you’re doing is wrong—you need to change yourself,” can never solve the root of our problem.
Jay Sawrie
Jay Sawrie
08/12/19

My Boring Testimony

I don't remember a time not knowing I was a sinner. Seriously, I've always understood that Christ died for me.
John T. Pless
John T. Pless
08/12/19

Catechetical Preaching

[Luther's] Catechism is at home in the evangelical pulpit, guiding and shaping what the preacher says so faith might be created and love given direction.
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
08/12/19

Gospel: Luke 12:49-56 (Pentecost 10: Series C)

Jesus is still in the business of dividing. He has come to divide us from our sinful thoughts and habits. He has come to divide us from false views of the world and distortions of His Word.
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
08/08/19

Preaching and Sola Scriptura

Preaching is simply the verbal bestowal of what Scripture has already given us in written form
Dan van Voorhis
Dan van Voorhis
08/07/19

Hiroo Onoda and the Gospel of Reconciliation

Stories like Onoda’s offer an interesting parallel to our life in the Gospel.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
08/05/19

No Church Revitalization without Mission

The Church, having turned the Gospel into a moral performance, a judgemental system of do's and do-nots, must come to grips with the fact that the culture has moved on.
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.