1. Paul is writing as a man who has already lived a life of law-keeping while denying the resurrection.
  2. This is the prelude of Easter. Is a dead Jesus still resting in the tomb? No!
  3. By mandating the promise, Christ states something stronger than just an invitation.
  4. 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.
  5. This is an excerpt from the prologue of “On Any Given Sunday: The Story of Christ in the Divine Service” by Mike Berg (1517 Publishing, 2023).
  6. My fear of this coming darkness only lasts a moment.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  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. Unprompted, without any warning, for no reason at all, without any instigation say, "I love you." And that will wash over your parents like a beautiful absolution.
  12. I hate to break it to you, but "are" is not an action verb. "Are" is a being verb.