1. Tim wanted everyone to know to the deepest part of their being that they were justified by Christ alone.
  2. This is the Christian word: grace. Such grace is found only with this Lamb who is also our Shepherd.
  3. What might Christians of the Reformation tradition think of claims like these about the nature of salvation?
  4. What greater legacy could you claim than that of Mark? Listen to the Word. Learn from Jesus.
  5. 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.
  6. This is the prelude of Easter. Is a dead Jesus still resting in the tomb? No!
  7. If we just say to God, “We don’t get it, please explain,” he will. He will send us a preacher to point us to his words for more clarification.
  8. Past, present, and future are tied together in Christ.
  9. The needs of the people remain the same, but now the people are you and me. We still sin, and that sin causes so many challenges in our lives.
  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).