1. God’s published will offers us anchorage, the anchorage of Jesus Christ, in the midst of chaos, reminding us that there is a greater purpose to our lives than the pursuit of worldly success or fleeting pleasures.
  2. While we wait in tribulation for our white robes (or pants) to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, we confess to one another our seen and unseen stains.
  3. The Holy Spirit unleashes his power through us, his vines, and we then get to watch as his fruits blossom and ripen.
  4. Everything in Scripture is God revealing himself to his people, you and me.
  5. It’s not our eloquence or persuasive rhetoric that changes hearts, but the Word of God that pierces through the hardened shells of unbelief and breathes life into the dead bones of sinners.
  6. God's faithfulness is constant and consistent. It knows no season. His love for us doesn't fade with the summer sun.
  7. What might Christians of the Reformation tradition think of claims like these about the nature of salvation?
  8. What greater legacy could you claim than that of Mark? Listen to the Word. Learn from Jesus.
  9. Paul thinks the consequences of Christ not being raised are worse for those who believe than those who never did if it were to be true Christ was not raised.
  10. Past, present, and future are tied together in Christ.
  11. This is an excerpt from the introduction of “Common Places in Christian Theology: A Curated Collection of Essays from Lutheran Quarterly,” edited by Mark Mattes (1517 Publishing, 2023).
  12. Even if the numbers are bad, the news about Jesus crucified for sinners and raised to new life hasn’t become any less good.