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

Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
06/27/25

Tongues of Fire & Breath of God

The Church speaks not with the cleverness of men, but with the breath of God.
Sam P. Schuldheisz
Sam P. Schuldheisz
06/12/25

Dorothy Sayers and the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is not so much the story of a “who-dunnit” as it is the story of the “who-is-it.”
Ryan Couch
Ryan Couch
06/06/25

Pentecost and the Beautiful Mess of the Church

Every time someone is baptized, every time bread is broken and wine poured, every time a sinner hears, “Your sins are forgiven in Christ,” Pentecost happens again.
Luke Kjolhaug
Luke Kjolhaug
05/13/25

Becoming Better People, An Excerpt from Sinner Saint: A Suprising Primer to the Christian Life

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.
Seth Moorman
Seth Moorman
05/02/25

May the Fourth Be With You

The Fourth in the fire is Jesus.
Zack James Cole
Zack James Cole
04/04/25

A Georgia Boy’s Lament: Val Kilmer, Doc Holliday, and the Friend of Sinners

News of Kilmer's death hit me like a freight train because his Doc Holliday stirred something in me about friendship—both the earthly kind and the divine.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
03/25/25

The Wounds We Run From: Severance and the Healing Found in Suffering

Devoid of the gospel of Jesus’s death and resurrection, sufferers are left to frantically run the halls of self-salvation, turning this way and that but never getting anywhere.
Edward Killian
Edward Killian
03/21/25

A Review of Dying to Live: The Foundation, Focus, and Shape of the Christian Life, Second Edition

Senkbeil is a pastor’s pastor, a master of the art of pastoral care.
Joey Goodall
Joey Goodall
02/28/25

You Can't Sever the Saint from the Sinner

You cannot sever the saint from the sinner. Christians remain both simultaneously.
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
01/17/25

Thank God for Wesley Huff: Defending the Historicity of the Gospel

Huff did not stop there, though. Towards the end of the interview, he asked Rogan, "What do you think of Jesus?"
1517 Staff
1517 Staff
12/13/24

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

While Christmas may or may not have pagan roots, it will certainly have a pagan future if Christians lose sight of what it is all about.
Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson
12/02/24

Too Soon for Tinsel? Why November Christmas Lights Might Be More Than Holiday Hype

In Scripture, laments are raw expressions of grief, but they always point to hope. What if our culture’s obsession with holiday lights is an unconscious way of crying out, “We need good news, and we need it now”?
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.
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