1. Prayer is not just about asking for things. It's about receiving what has already been given to us in Christ.
  2. God wants his word of promise to be the only thing we bank on, the only thing we have confidence in.
  3. Walther’s living legacy is his enduring teaching on how to distinguish the law and the gospel in the Church’s proclamation.
  4. What might Christians of the Reformation tradition think of claims like these about the nature of salvation?
  5. What greater legacy could you claim than that of Mark? Listen to the Word. Learn from Jesus.
  6. The testimony of every son and daughter of God is, God has brought us through.
  7. A father's struggle to pray for his child's healing is one of the most difficult experiences he can face.
  8. Past, present, and future are tied together in Christ.
  9. 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).
  10. Sunshine and rain, food and harvests, family, friends, and health, love and joy. All these things and more he gives, not because of what you do or don’t do, but because he is generous and gracious.
  11. This is the message of Lent. We are not called to sacrifice for Jesus in order to earn our salvation. Rather, we are called to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
  12. I can guarantee you that when Paul was overtaken by the Spirit and inspired to write these words, he did not have in mind your local school's boys' basketball tournament.