By Philip Bartelt

12/12/25

8mins

A Review of "Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus" by Wade Johnston

Wade Johnston, Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis: MO, 2025.

Matthew L. Rubinstein

12/11/25

A Tale of Two Mothers

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.

Christmas with the Herdmans: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Sam P. Schuldheisz

12/10/25

Christmas with the Herdmans: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

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.

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1517 Publishing

02/11/22

Contentment is Preferable to Struggle

Excerpt #1 from the new book “Withertongue Emails" by Donavon Riley.

David Schmitt

02/05/22

Gospel: Luke 6:17-26 (Epiphany 6: Series C)

Jesus curses our cultural expectations. He says "woe" to those who are rich, satisfied, joyful, and praised. The good life of our world is not good for discipleship.

Luke Kjolhaug

02/03/22

Victims & Villains

The world we inhabit is wrong in so many ways, and a holistic approach to this “wrongness” traces its cause both to sin itself and to the effects of sin.

David Schmitt

01/30/22

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 (Epiphany 5: Series C)

The miraculous catch of fish happens not just once in the ministry of Jesus but twice. And, interestingly this miracle happens twice to the same person. Simon Peter.

Bruce Hillman

01/27/22

Happily Waiting for My Faith to Die

You might not know it, but every Christian hopes for the day when their faith will die. Really. I promise. Faith’s death is our celebration.

Bradley Gray

01/25/22

The Gods We Make vs. the God We Need

Even for idolatrous sellouts like you and me, God’s position has not changed. Even though we may have forgotten him, he never forgets us.

Dan Weber

01/23/22

Gospel: Luke 4:31-44 (Epiphany 4: Series C)

The same Christ we proclaim to the people in our pews is the same Christ who is for those not in our pews.

Chad Bird

01/18/22

The Devil in the Details of the Old Testament: Is Satan in the Hebrew Bible?

Is the serpent in Genesis 3 just a snake or Satan? Does the Hebrew refer to "the satan" or "Satan"? And does it make a difference? Let's take a look at the Old Testament, early Jewish literature, and the New Testament for the answers.

Dan Weber

01/16/22

Gospel: Luke 4:16-30 (Epiphany 3: Series C)

During this season of Epiphany, we experience more than the revelation of who Jesus is. We also celebrate how Jesus makes God fully known.

Bradley Gray

01/13/22

The Words That Fill the Halls of Our Churches

I write this as someone who’s genuinely concerned that American congregants are getting bamboozled by preachers who are giving them less than what they need Sunday after Sunday.

Ryan Stevenson-Cosgrove

01/12/22

Death and Rebirth in James McBride's Deacon King Kong

At its heart, this is what Deacon King Kong is all about: the paradox of Jesus carving his victory out of the last thing we expect, not our triumphs but our defeats.

Brad Soenksen

01/11/22

Losers Not Choosers

Our only claim to fame is that we have been claimed by a God who is consistently drawn to losers!

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