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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Peter Nafzger

11/28/21

Gospel: Luke 3:1-20 (Advent 2: Series C)

Like Isaiah and John, we look forward to that great and glorious day, trusting the resurrected One will return as He promised.

Justin Rossow

11/28/21

Epistle: Philippians 1:2-11 (Advent 2: Series C)

God is in control, and we are actively engaged in God’s work of saving the world.

Chad Bird

11/26/21

Implications of the Incarnation: Christmas in the Garden of Eden

In Genesis 1-2, the Lord reveals—or, at a bare minimum, starts dropping some big hints—that he will be quite comfortable becoming a human being himself someday.

Jeffrey Pulse

11/21/21

Old Testament: Jeremiah 33:14-16 (Advent 1: Series C)

In Christ, all things are new. This is also true in so far as His three-fold office of prophet, priest, and king.

Robert Kolb

11/21/21

Every Apple Gives Thanks to the Lord

Thanksgiving utters a confession of dependence, an acknowledgement of the gift of something not earned or deserved.

Justin Rossow

11/21/21

Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 (Advent 1: Series C)

Preaching on this text isnan invitation to express love and longing in your relationship with your hearers.

David Schmitt

11/21/21

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40 (Advent 1: Series C)

The oddness of this moment, at the beginning of Advent, is God’s way of saying, “The reason I’m here...”

Bradley Gray

11/20/21

A Tale of Two Cities

The youths that mock Elisha are representative of Israel’s collective contempt and disregard for all things relating to their One True God.

Jeffrey Pulse

11/14/21

Old Testament: Isaiah 51:4-6 (Last Sunday of the Church Year: Series B )

The Israelites had taken the Covenantal promise and the language of separation and interpreted them to mean the message of salvation and restoration was meant for only them. But this is counter to the reality of the Scriptures.

Bob Hiller

11/14/21

Epistle: Jude 20-25 (The Last Sunday of the Church Year: Series B )

God is most glorified in the sending of Jesus to be the Savior of sinners.

David Schmitt

11/14/21

Gospel: Mark 13:24-37 (The Last Sunday of the Church Year: Series B )

Trust in the midst of trouble. That is what our Lord calls us to experience today.

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.

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