Grace and the Illusion of Control
By Ryan Couch
06/22/26
17mins

Grace and the Illusion of Control

The life we are trying to manage, improve, and secure is not something to be mastered. It is something to be surrendered. And this is where everything changes. Because in Christ, the approval we are seeking has already been spoken.
The Turk at the Door: Luther, Islam, and the Fate of Christendom in the 16th Century
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
06/19/26

The Turk at the Door: Luther, Islam, and the Fate of Christendom in the 16th Century

It is within this charged atmosphere that Luther’s writings take on their full significance. His responses to the Turkish threat were not merely reactions to military events; they were rooted in a deep theological reflection on the nature of God’s rule over the world, the responsibilities of Christian rulers, and the role of the Church in times of crisis.
AI Can't Save You
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
06/17/26

AI Can't Save You

Your God is not artificially intelligent, but the source of all intelligence (including yours).

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Ken Sundet Jones
Ken Sundet Jones
03/26/20

Temptation’s Green Pastures: The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

The gospel promise is that God in Christ knows exactly what your temptations are and still bids you find protection from them in him.
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
03/23/20

Cutting Hair and Saying Prayers: Luther on When, How, and What to Prayer

When Luther's barber, Peter Beskendorf, asked him how to pray, Luther wrote him an open letter that has become a classic expression of the "when, how, and what" of prayer. It is as instructive today as when it was first penned it in 1535.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/23/20

Three Hebrew Handholds in a Spinning Crisis

Long ago, the people of Israel began to sing words of encouragement to each other in times of distress. In their songs, the psalms, are three Hebrew words that provide stability for us. They are more than just words—each one encapsulates the way of God with his people. They serve as helpful handholds in times of stress and upheaval. The words are these: רָפָה (be still), קָוָה (wait), and שָׁמַר (watch).
Robert Kolb
Robert Kolb
03/23/20

Preparing for Holy Week: Don’t Forget Satan on Easter

The devil is to be taken seriously, but we should also not give him more credit or more power than he has after being defanged by Christ’s resurrection.
Jeffrey Pulse
Jeffrey Pulse
03/23/20

Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Lent 5: Series A)

The people to whom Ezekiel is prophesying are in exile—separated from the Holy Land. To return to the land of Israel is to be resurrected to new life, to be restored.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
03/23/20

Epistle: Romans 8:1-11 (Lent 5: Series A)

There has been a blood atonement for sin. Jesus is our propitiation. Jesus has expiated sin. Lent climaxes with this expectation.
Jacob Corzine
Jacob Corzine
03/20/20

Pandemic Preaching

The people should find their lives in your sermon, and no one’s life is unaffected by the coronavirus right now. It is the very fact that I can make such a blanket statement, free of all caveats, which makes it so necessary for us to preach on it.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/16/20

Marrying a Nun to Prepare for the End of the World

In the vortex of uncertainty and upheaval, what’s the best thing we can do? Seize the ordinary.
Robert Kolb
Robert Kolb
03/15/20

The Ambivalence of Feelings in Lent and Passion Week

Can we fully experience the joy of the Festival of the Resurrection if we do not seriously stare boldly into the sad state of our own faithlessness to Him who promises to be faithful even when we are not?
Jeffrey Pulse
Jeffrey Pulse
03/15/20

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:14-21 (Lent 4: Series A)

The preceding pericope uses the metaphor of a “mighty man,” a “warrior” for the LORD and this is not too much of a stretch for us. However, our text begins with the metaphor of a woman in child birth.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
03/15/20

Epistle: Ephesians 5:8-14 (Lent 4: Series A)

Paul seems to think singing is an excellent way of practicing and truly nurturing the Christian faith. His thought is that the life, death, resurrection and reign of Christ are the songs in the heart of those who are enlightened.
David Schmitt
David Schmitt
03/15/20

Gospel: John 9:1-41 (Lent 4: Series A)

When the story begins in creation and ends in restoration, all the moments in between are filled with the working of God.
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