1. I’ve experienced firsthand the promise that God never leaves a congregation empty-handed.
  2. A pastor is sent to proclaim the unconditional grace of God, reminding us again and again that it is our Heavenly Father who reaches out to us in love through his Christ-won forgiveness, and not the other way around.
  3. 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.
  4. It was meant to be Karlstadt’s moment to shine, but all anyone remembered was Luther.
  5. Grace comes for every foolish, self-absorbed sinner, for every “Nabal,” and announces that there is one who has already taken it upon himself to shoulder all of our wrongdoing, paying the price for it through the sacrifice of himself.
  6. As Luther said, “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf of spring.”
  7. The Holy Spirit unleashes his power through us, his vines, and we then get to watch as his fruits blossom and ripen.
  8. Everything in Scripture is God revealing himself to his people, you and me.
  9. The Parable of the Lost Sheep bursts through the confines of convention and demands that we embrace the messiness of life and the unpredictable ways in which God's grace and forgiveness operates.
  10. 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.
  11. Church historians attempt to determine why Melanchthon made those controversial decisions.
  12. God's faithfulness is constant and consistent. It knows no season. His love for us doesn't fade with the summer sun.