The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
By Magnus Persson
03/25/26
12mins

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.
Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey
03/23/26

Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior

The gospel isn’t for the strong but people who know they aren’t.
Post-Denominational Lutheranism
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
03/20/26

Post-Denominational Lutheranism

One great thing about our post-denominational age is that it has opened up opportunities to make common cause with other Lutherans who, despite their differences and eccentricities, can agree on some of the most important things.

All Articles

Kelsi Klembara
Kelsi Klembara
01/21/25

Baptism: Return or Redo? On the 500th Anniversary of the Anabaptist Movement

There is a “re” involved with baptism, but unlike the Anabaptists, it’s not a “re-do,” but a “re-turn" or a “re-member.”
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
01/20/25

Gospel Safebox

"When God has his say, have confidence that his Word and sacraments bestow precisely what he says."
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
01/13/25

Epiphany Every Day

Epiphany is one of the most important festivals of the church year, although often sadly overlooked.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
01/07/25

The Epiphany Star

We now are the magi: we worship Christ because of who he is, but also because of what he has done for us and what he continues to do in his gift-giving to us.
Sam Leanza Ortiz
Sam Leanza Ortiz
01/06/25

A Look at Epiphany Traditions: Sacred and Secular

Epiphany continues the work done at Christmas, bringing light and life to a dying world desperate for hope.
Caleb Keith
Caleb Keith
12/12/24

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever: A Response to Young Men's Turn to Orthodoxy

Longstanding tradition must be bolstered by something outside of ourselves that also lies outside of the traditions of men.
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
11/26/24

Erasmus' Decision: An Excerpt from Broken Bonds

This is an excerpt from Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi (1517 Publishing, 2024), pgs. 24-27
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
11/21/24

What Was the Reformation All About?

Christ is the beating heart of Christian faith and its only object.
Aaron Boerst
Aaron Boerst
11/01/24

Reforming the Reformation

No matter how many times we hear this good news, it never stops being good news.
Nicholas Hopman
Nicholas Hopman
10/31/24

The Word that Frees: The Reformation's Enduring Legacy

Our faith is precisely where Paul puts it, namely, in the blood of Christ.
Kathy Morales
Kathy Morales
10/30/24

Hocus Pocus, Ghost Stories, and the Lord’s Supper

Just as trick-or-treaters arrive at doorsteps as beggars, we come to the Lord’s table with nothing to offer but our sin and need for forgiveness.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/28/24

Hammer Time and Rolling Rocks: The Intersection of Popular Jewish Literature with the New Testament

If we picture the New Testament as a divinely painted masterpiece that hangs in the middle of a museum, then all around it are other works of the period, in different corridors of the museum, in many styles, painted by diverse artists, with variations of color and technique.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.