This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life (1517 Publishing, 2025). Sinner Saint is available today from 1517 Publishing.
On its journey from Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul, this special place helps us understand the broader arc of Christian history, which goes on until Christ's return.
We needn’t fear statistics and studies as palm readings into a certain future. God is God, and his Spirit is alive through his Word.

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In Christ, the Word become flesh, this is a concrete, real fact. It is the bedrock foundation of the Gospel.
“Obey God and he will bless you,” says the wind and the reed is bent over and bruised throughout. “God will never stop loving you but you can disappoint him,” says the wind and the once lit candle is now a sad smoldering wick.
The promise is trustworthy because God has proven Himself to be trustworthy.
We just finished celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
What is it to be an heir of the Reformation? It is to look outward to Christ bleeding and dying on the cross as Great Rescuer of sinners—of me.
Where Jesus speaks to us, takes ahold of us, and gives Himself to us.
God’s justification of us does not happen secretly in our spirits. God justifies you and me in His absolving Word
When I was about 10, I went on a hike with a boys brigade. We were all racing down this path at lunchtime when I decided to beat everyone to the bottom by deviating from the path.
In Christ we are freed to be for our neighbor without fear of sin and damnation falling upon us.
We are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Losers set free to trust in God’s promises.
My parents will be the first to tell you, I can really put my foot in my mouth. I often don’t say the right thing.
God created Israel to be the vessel into which he would place both his Law and his Son.