When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not
By Russ Lackey | Mark Mattes
01/20/26
19mins

When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

American religion did not become optional because the gospel failed. It became optional because religion slowly redefined itself around usefulness.
Behold the Lamb
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
01/19/26

Behold the Lamb

The Passover wasn’t just Israel’s story; it’s ours.
Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
01/16/26

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

God makes us pure saints by planting us back in the earth we imagined we needed to escape.

All Articles

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/29/16

The Little Girl in the Shadows

The most powerless person in this story is the key to it all. God uses her who is nothing to effect everything.
Kathy Morales
Kathy Morales
07/27/16

I Have Confidence

In the classic musical, The Sound of Music, the storyline follows the main character, Maria, as she is sent from her life in an Abbey to become a governess over seven children.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/22/16

Church in Bed: Why Leave Home on Sunday Morning?

He lavishly pours out His rest in the waters of Baptism, in the spoken words of absolution from the pastor’s lips, in the preaching of the cross and resurrection, in the consumption of heavenly cuisine from the table at which He is host and meal.
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.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/18/16

Funeral Songs I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead Singing

There are many funeral songs I wouldn’t be caught dead singing. Why? Because my funeral will not be about me.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/15/16

Nice, France, and the Heart of the Human Problem

Dear church, do not get sidetracked. This is about far more than terrorism, racism, gun ownership, and the like. This is about the evil of the human heart.
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
07/14/16

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

It seems that no matter where we look in this world, we never quite find what we really need.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
07/12/16

Tulip’s Baptism: Is It Valid?

It is worthwhile because Jesus Christ gave baptism to His disciples as a means for making disciples after He had suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified died and buried and rose again on the third day.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
07/07/16

What's The Big Deal About The Liturgy? (Part 4: The Dialect of Worship)

We are continuing our summer series on a theology of worship through the lens of language. Before moving forward, let me highlight a few points by way of review.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
07/06/16

No Salvation Without Works

One of the interesting things about Paul’s writings that is not noticed enough is that Paul doesn’t really have an “application” section.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
07/05/16

Baptism's Promise

A promise was made to my older brother roughly 50 years ago. He was just an infant and had no idea that this promise was being set upon him.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/30/16

Dear Church: The World Needs a Cross Not a Pacifier

Why was Jesus crucified? Not to save victims, but to save sinners.
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.