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

Jake Allstaedt
Jake Allstaedt
04/19/18

We Are Nicholas

Pictures of God’s grace for us in and through His Son, Jesus, can be found in the most unlikely places. Recently, I witnessed one such picture of God’s grace during WrestleMania 34.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
04/18/18

God’s Grand Exit: Rethinking Why the Temple Veil Was Torn

The veil was not torn to let us in but to let God out.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
04/17/18

When Jesus Smashes Our Religious Piggy Banks

When we focus on God's self-giving Word, when we turn our attention to Golgotha, we are shown a wholly different way of viewing the Commandments.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
04/13/18

Am I an Apple Tree?

The law demands love, and love has no limits, no end, it is never done.
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
04/12/18

Just Like Rome...

What did Christians do, both when they encountered a Rome in its glory, as when Christ was born, and in it decline, as when Constantine tried to pull stuff back together?
Mariah Coward
Mariah Coward
04/11/18

The Gospel & Hard Times

As a woman who has suffered years of abuse, there have been times in my new life when I have found myself living out Psalm 6:6.
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
04/11/18

The Suffering Servant

Jesus, Who is truly God, became a regular Joe (or Joshua as the case may be) for us.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
04/10/18

God Is Our Salvation

Our gods expect us to be perfect, pure, and in constant control of our feelings and thoughts.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
04/09/18

Not Under Law… Say What Now?

There is just something about the idea of not being ‘under Law’ that sets off all kinds of alarms in the minds of many Christians.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
04/05/18

The Divine Portrait of Love

Whenever preachers get up to speak about the topic of love, they very often go to passages like 1 Corinthians 13, and they are very apt to do so — for there, under the Spirit’s design and influence, the apostle Paul gives, perhaps, the most complete view of love we’ve ever been given.
Joel Hess
Joel Hess
04/05/18

He is Risen: You Can Stop Pretending Death Is OK

Because of Jesus, we don’t have to pretty up anything ugly thing in life.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/31/18

Come, You Strippers and Sunday School Teachers

Come to the feast where evil and good, wise and foolish, shameful and shaming are welcomed as citizens of the kingdom.
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