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.

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

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.

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Zack James Cole

11/24/21

The Lord’s Thanksgiving

In the Lord’s Thanksgiving Supper, we are not served turkey, green bean casserole, and cornbread. We are served Christ.

Chad Bird

11/22/21

From the Mark of Cain to Baptism

Throughout the Scriptures, God puts "signs" or "seals" upon people. Often these are placed upon the forehead. How do all these connected stories take us from the mark of Cain, to the Exodus, to the cross, and finally to baptism?

John T. Pless

11/19/21

Your Pastor Is Not Your Therapist: Private Confession

Forgiveness of sins does not come in bits and pieces. There are no levels of forgiveness.

Kelsi Klembara

11/13/21

On Demystifying the Church

The church is the only place God promises to lift us out of ourselves not in order to become more like God but so that we may finally be freed from our obsession with becoming little gods.

Bror Erickson

11/09/21

Introduction to the Gospels

This is an excerpt from “The New Testament Devotional Commentary: Volume 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke” written by Bo Giertz and translated by Bror Erickson (1517 Publishing, 2021).

Luke Kjolhaug

11/08/21

Who Stole the Magic?

Without the sacraments, God’s grace is simply an artifact behind a glass-case in a museum. We might be able to describe and even admire it, but we never get firsthand access to it.

Cindy Koch

11/03/21

Do You Want to Be Healed?

Grace and mercy are a powerful act of the Almighty God. God alone can grant forgiveness and restoration, salvation from the sorrow of this world.

Magnus Persson

11/02/21

A Q & A on “Reclaiming the Reformation: Christ for You in Community"

This book is for people who want to get serious about the church. It’s for pastors who are sick and tired of surfing the latest wave or jumping from one program to the other.

Edward Killian

10/28/21

The Tragedy of an Incidental Christ

The tragedy of the incidental Christ I was raised with is that he was really no Savior at all.

1517 Staff

10/23/21

A Lot Can Happen in Forty-Five Seconds

Forty-five seconds is about how long I have as a pastor leading a Sunday morning service to sit at the feet of the cross and receive Jesus’ body and blood given to me by the hands of another at the Lord’s Table.

Bradley Gray

10/09/21

The Mystery of Faith

The Son of God is still God the Son in the Incarnation.

Valerie Thur

10/07/21

Martha: Herald of the Gospel

Martha’s pain is not met by a to-do list. Jesus’ reply is not that she should try harder or change her behavior

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