This ancient “tale of two mothers” concerns far more than theological semantics—it is the difference between a God who sends and a God who comes.
This story points us from our unlikely heroes to the even more unlikely, and joyous, good news that Jesus’ birth for us was just as unlikely and unexpected.
Was Jesus ambitious or unambitious? We have to say that the answer is…yes.

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This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life
If you struggle with doubt, take heart: You are not alone.
In grace, God chooses to love his people.
This is an excerpt from Ditching the Checklist: Assurance of Salvation for Evangelicals (and Other Sinners) by Mark Mattes (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 5-7.
Wisdom lurks in the outer places. Rich gratitude sprouts from the impoverished and forgotten.
This is the second article in a special three-part Advent series on how Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king.
This is an excerpt from Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi (1517 Publishing, 2024), pgs. 24-27
This article is part of Stephen Paulson’s series on the Psalms.
This is an excerpt from Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi (1517 Publishing, 2024), pgs. 12-14.
The Lord has an answer to your tears, your trouble, your weariness, your enemies, your grief, your shame, your sin.
You have real freedom through the gospel of Jesus Christ, a freedom that doesn’t rest on founders, votes, or power plays.
Below is the Thinking Fellows Essential Reading List with contributions from each of the Thinking Fellows hosts.