The Sacrament of Baptism: Through the Wardrobe and the Water
By Sam P. Schuldheisz
06/24/26
7mins

The Sacrament of Baptism: Through the Wardrobe and the Water

When Jesus washes you with baptismal water, you can rest assured that the Lion of Judah is on the move.
Grace and the Illusion of Control
Ryan Couch
Ryan Couch
06/22/26

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.

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Steve Byrnes
Steve Byrnes
12/30/15

Reflections on a Cold Silent Night

There are so many paradoxes that we can appreciate as we seek to grasp more of the meaning of the miracle of Christmas.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/04/15

A Tree Decorated with Tears: The Dark Side of Christmas Is Why Christmas Exists

As I remember these stories of the other side of Christmas—where it’s not a wonderful life, where there’s no joy to the world, where silent nights are interrupted by screams and sobs and cursing and gunshots—I remember that this other side of Christmas is precisely why there is a Christmas in the first place.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
12/01/15

It's Just Coffee...?

I could’ve stopped it, but I didn’t. I'm surprised that I didn’t turn my back to receive a pat as I let loose from lips, how good and saintly I was. What a reminder, that we are all susceptible to looking for the adulation of others.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
11/30/15

The Answering Voice

Have you ever read scripture and been caught by a crippling wave of guilt, shame and fear? Have you sat with your Bible open in front of you and thought, “Well, if this is the case, I might as well pack it in right now, because there’s no hope for me!”
Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
11/25/15

Justification: You Have It All, But You Always Need More

To be justified means to be declared righteous in the forgiveness that is ours in the crucified Christ. It is a done deal, and by faith we have it all.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
11/12/15

The Way Things Should Be

I love stories with happy endings! My husband makes fun of me, but he has been known to graciously sit through a variety of schmaltzy chick flicks because he knows how I feel.
Rick Ritchie
Rick Ritchie
10/27/15

That Sermon Was Perfect For Those People

If there was a proclamation of grace, it was an afterthought, given in the sense of “just in case anyone needs this.”
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
10/14/15

From Treasure to Trash

A while back, I drove past my neighbor's house and right there in the street with the rest of the garbage were several golden trophies nearly half my height and still looking quite shiny and new.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/13/15

Building Towers of Babel to the Glory of God

Here’s what lurks beneath this seemingly righteous behavior: they wanted to make a name for themselves, these tower-builders.
Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
09/30/15

Christians Have A Secret: Good Works

Just how should we think about our good works in the Christian life of faith as we live that life before others... and before God?
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/24/15

Forgive Us Our Good Works

Good people like fist-pounding on the pulpit about the bad things that bad people do in this bad world of ours. It makes them feel better about themselves.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/18/15

God Writes Straight With Crooked Lines

I stumbled down labyrinthine paths, crawled in and out of cavernous pits, got lost a million times, and somehow ended up a little farther down the road to healing. Yet in all those crooked lines I see the hand of God writing straight.
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