Grace and the Illusion of Control
By Ryan Couch
06/22/26
17mins

Grace and the Illusion of Control

The life we are trying to manage, improve, and secure is not something to be mastered. It is something to be surrendered. And this is where everything changes. Because in Christ, the approval we are seeking has already been spoken.
The Turk at the Door: Luther, Islam, and the Fate of Christendom in the 16th Century
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
06/19/26

The Turk at the Door: Luther, Islam, and the Fate of Christendom in the 16th Century

It is within this charged atmosphere that Luther’s writings take on their full significance. His responses to the Turkish threat were not merely reactions to military events; they were rooted in a deep theological reflection on the nature of God’s rule over the world, the responsibilities of Christian rulers, and the role of the Church in times of crisis.
AI Can't Save You
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
06/17/26

AI Can't Save You

Your God is not artificially intelligent, but the source of all intelligence (including yours).

All Articles

Valerie Thur
Valerie Thur
10/25/21

Navigating Life Under Christ's Sufficiency: A Review of The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School

While the insights in each chapter are uniquely personal to the individual writers, the overarching theme is one of the sufficiency of Christ.
1517 Staff
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.
Valerie Thur
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
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
10/05/21

The Bible and How to Read It - Part 3: How Do I Understand It?

We must be careful in how we use Bible verses to establish Scriptural truth both to others and to ourselves.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
09/30/21

Mary: When Gabriel was Frightened by Mary

Grace does not emancipate us from any requirement of obedience. Rather, grace allows Jesus to be obedient on our behalf that the righteous demands of the law can be fulfilled.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther
09/25/21

Repentance In Your Name vs. Repentance In Christ's Name

To repent in his name is done thus: in those who believe in Christ God through the same faith works a change for the better, not for a moment, nor for an hour, but for their whole life.
1517 Publishing
1517 Publishing
09/24/21

In Search for the Meaning of Grace

Except for the Augsburg Confession, Melanchthon’s Loci communes of 1521 were the most important of his writings.
Paul Koch
Paul Koch
09/18/21

Performance in the Pulpit

What is it to perform the Word? Is it to speak about it, to retell it, to illustrate it, to enlighten it? What?
Kevin Hale
Kevin Hale
09/14/21

Paying Attention to Genre in Scripture

While all Scripture is the self-revelation of God, not all Scripture should be read in the same way.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
09/13/21

Free Indeed

Jesus’s freedom is different. It isn’t meant to indicate that the moorings which tether men and women to what is true, beautiful, and holy are unfastened, liberating them to do anything they please.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther
09/10/21

Hypocrites and Work-Saints

The upright, in whom the law has exercised its work, when they feel their sickness and weakness, say: God will help me; I trust in him; I build upon him; he is my rock and hope.
Katie Koplin
Katie Koplin
09/09/21

Hannah: What to Do With Weakness?

This is the second installment in our series profiling women in the Bible (Who are not named Ruth or Esther). Both the stories of Ruth and Esther are beautiful, gracious, and profound. We love reading and rereading them. However, in an attempt to bring attention to more stories of more women throughout the Scriptures, we choose now to shift our focus.
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