The Battle Belongs to the Lord
By Steve Kruschel
08/17/26
17mins

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

As Jesus hung on the cross there would be no last second escape. No Greek goddess would swoop in to rescue him. He suffered alone. And yet even in that suffering he declared his victory on the spiritual battlefield to be your victory.
God, kill my enemy!
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey
08/14/26

God, kill my enemy!

God can handle grief, rage, and cries for justice. God can handle the victim who cannot yet forgive. God can handle the prayer that comes out jagged and wounded. The good news is that God is holy and merciful enough to handle all our prayers.
The Legacy of Martin Luther's Father, Hans Luther
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
08/12/26

The Legacy of Martin Luther's Father, Hans Luther

But while scholars are right to focus on the bond between Martin and Hans, the evidence of Martin’s own words suggests their relationship may not have been as troubled as some suppose. For Hans Luther was not a cartoon villain but a normal human being attempting to make his way in the world and raise his children to the best of his ability.

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But I remember that that’s how it ended. Words. Wine. Blood. A sudden halt to the conversation.
Chad Bird
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Shielded by Blood

Behold the seemingly foolish ways of our wise God. He bids us embrace what appears impossible: that blood alone is our defense, that blood alone saves us from destruction, that the blood of a lamb is more than enough.
Chad Bird
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We are like the spoiled children of kings who spit in the face of paupers on the street. We have been given so much, yet we treasure so little.
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Chad Bird
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There has only been one baptism in the history of the world: the baptism of Jesus. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
Chad Bird
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The Best Time for a Pastor to Yawn During Worship

What if, while we were admitting all these serious infractions of the divine law, our pastor simply yawned?
Chad Bird
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A Sinning Church with a Preaching Problem

We are a sinning church with a preaching problem.
Chad Bird
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What makes this story remarkable is that this man, along with others hanged that day, was among the most hated men in human history. He was guilty of atrocities so horrific only words forged in hell could adequately describe them.
Chad Bird
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The Door No One Can Walk Through

The water and blood that streamed forth from Christ, streams us back into him as we are buoyed up by the waves of baptism, through the wound, and into the body of God incarnate.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
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How Do I Know My Name Is Written in the Book of Life?

Our Father does not bid us to turn inward, but outward, to the Son who is himself our unending Sabbath rest.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
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We All Show up Late for Church

When we begin singing the opening hymn, our voices blend with those of angels in heaven, who have been belting out hymns long before we rolled out of bed that morning.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
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Crowded House: The Unexpected Home of Martin Luther

As Luther’s efforts at reform began to build, so did the vacancies in monasteries and convents across Europe as monks and nuns motivated by evangelical teaching left their orders for other vocations and opportunities, including marriage.
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