When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

By Russ Lackey | Mark Mattes

01/20/26

19mins

When Religion Becomes Obsolete, Christ Does Not

American religion did not become optional because the gospel failed. It became optional because religion slowly redefined itself around usefulness.

Bradley Gray

01/19/26

Behold the Lamb

The Passover wasn’t just Israel’s story; it’s ours.

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

Steven Paulson

01/16/26

Psalm 12, Part 2: The Saint Fails, The Word Purifies

God makes us pure saints by planting us back in the earth we imagined we needed to escape.

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Philip Bartelt

01/27/20

Pelagius and Pelagianism

Pelagius maintained an orthodox appearance while rejecting original sin and the distinction between law and gospel.

Donavon Riley

01/27/20

A Good Place to Get Stuck

We don't have to worry about making progress towards God because he's already come to us, named us as his own, and promises to never leave or forsake us.

Peter Nafzger

01/27/20

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 (Epiphany 4: Series A)

Our first mistake in thinking about the blessed life is we expect to experience it fully in this life.

Bob Hiller

01/24/20

Good Gifts

The following is an excerpt from "Finding Christ in the Straw" written by Robert M. Hiller (1517 Publishing, 2020).

Craig Donofrio

01/22/20

Let Us Sing Our Faith

We sing, and in so doing, we are blessed as we are instilled with the word of God in word and song.

Robert Kolb

01/20/20

Siegfried Sack’s Homiletics

Above all, pastors must aim their preaching at the people God has placed in the care of the pastor rather than airing pious ideas that did not speak to their situations.

David Schmitt

01/20/20

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-25 (Epiphany 3: Series A)

This is the wonder which is present in the calling of the disciples. Not how they drop their nets to follow Jesus, but that Jesus does not need to go far to find disciples. He chooses the people He lives among.

Joel Fitzpatrick

01/15/20

Unity Like Beard Oil

We all long to be in a community of believers that gives us life and makes us feel loved and where we experience real, fruitful community. This comes as we announce the gospel to one another.

Chad Bird

01/15/20

Why Did God Add Fish to His Diet?

Throughout the Old Testament, the seas and fish were symbols of the Gentiles. When Jesus ate fish, and called fishermen, he showed us that the mission to the Gentiles was about to begin in earnest.

Pete Lange

01/15/20

Come and See

From all accounts, everyone in Nazareth would have just thought of Jesus as a very good boy who obeyed his parents and worked hard with his father as a tekton’s apprentice in the family trade.

David Schmitt

01/13/20

Gospel: John 1:29-42 (Epiphany 2: Series A)

This is what makes the reading from John so frightening and yet so exciting. Notice how Jesus appears. Not in miracles, not in marvels, but in relationships.

David Schmitt

01/06/20

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17 (The Baptism of Our Lord: Series A)

Jesus did not need to be baptized. But he did it. Why?

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