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
09/20/16

Discovering God in the Ugly

We see someone driving a fancy car, owning a big home, having healthy children and an attractive spouse. Instantly, almost without a second's thought, we assume they are successful. Life is good for them.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
09/14/16

Why Did Jesus Scold Peter for Trying?

It is often the case that when dealing Divine, we find ourselves befuddled. For as relatable and surprisingly vulnerable God is as the man Jesus, he seems, at times, to retain a certain aloofness, a type of distance.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
08/24/16

Interpreting Reality Through Redemption

If you know me in the least, then you know of my fondness for the 2010 film Inception.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/23/16

The Wrinkling Clock: The Irony of Calendar Girls

The flower of youth, as lovely as it is, cannot withstand the hot winds of time. There is a beauty, however, that remains.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/20/16

The One Hebrew Word You Don't Want to Forget

To forget ourselves is to remember another, that is, to act in such a way that benefits them. That’s the problem: we don’t.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/17/16

The Danger and Delight of Happiness

In happiness, we dare never forget that it is Christ, and Christ alone, who has restored our joy.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/16/16

The Beginner's Guide to Giving Your Sin a Holy Name

Although I was too young to have mastered the skill of lying, I also knew that I couldn’t tell this woman the truth.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
08/16/16

Today, I Almost Died...

Today, I almost died several times.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
08/15/16

Endurance To The End

The Christian life is compared to many things throughout Scripture. It's likened to a soldier going to war, a sheep under the care of a shepherd, or the journey of a pilgrim to a far-off city.
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.
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.
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