1. God is the end of living, the destination, the point of it all.
  2. God wants his word of promise to be the only thing we bank on, the only thing we have confidence in.
  3. This hymn is not for people who feel strong, but those who are weak.
  4. Luther's emphasis on the need for sinners to have preachers who can provide them with the comfort and support they need for their faith in Jesus Christ and life is as relevant today as it was in his time.
  5. Christ's words of exclusive salvation are not just a warning but a sure promise for you.
  6. What might Christians of the Reformation tradition think of claims like these about the nature of salvation?
  7. The drama of Scripture is about God renaming us by bringing us into his image-bearing family once again. And it would take “a name above all names” to accomplish it.
  8. What if sin was truly removed and what if the one who took it from us had the power to conquer it’s curse and spit in the face of death?
  9. By mandating the promise, Christ states something stronger than just an invitation.
  10. It’s scary to share my struggle and to show that I have cracks because once I’ve shown my cards, I open myself up for judgment.
  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. Human history, our history, is the story of two Adams with two very different encounters with the devil.