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

Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
10/18/18

Patience Under the Mercy of Christ

God has forgiven you. That is an objective fact. You can reject it, but it is nevertheless true.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/12/18

Whose Bones are Buried Beneath the Cross?

Let’s take a walk together. And as we do, I’ll tell you a mystery.
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
09/11/18

The Difference Between Belief and Ideology

When we Christians shoehorn Creedal Christianity into any of these ideological positions we obscure the Gospel mingling it with the Law and strip the Good News of its catholicity.
Ken Sundet Jones
Ken Sundet Jones
08/15/18

A Look at True Proclamation of the Gospel

The Confessions instead look forward and provide a critique of the world and of all my various religions and idolatries.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
08/01/18

When God Wounds

Life is certainly unfair. But in Christ, at least in part, we rejoice at such a notion. Grace, that great descriptor of God’s devotion, is a word that only finds its purpose, only exists at all, because it exists as a response to guilt.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
07/20/18

Confessionalism and Why It’s Important

Where once we confessed reliance only in ourselves and our own power, now we confess reliance on Christ alone. So, for our relationship before God, our confession of faith matters.
Caleb Keith
Caleb Keith
07/06/18

Put it to a Vote: The Importance of the First Council of Nicea

The question at hand was quite short, “Who is Jesus Christ?
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
06/19/18

Why Luther Claimed to be a Heretic

Hus held that Christ alone grants salvation and that popes do not.
John T. Pless
John T. Pless
06/11/18

Advent Is for Preachers

Advent accents preaching, making known that it is the Lord who comes to bring salvation, to proclaim this in all the earth.
RJ Grunewald
RJ Grunewald
06/06/18

The Scandal of the Cross

A Roman execution device isn't exactly a picturesque scene of divine love on display.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
05/25/18

Woe is Me: A Different Kind of Spiritual Experience

That’s where a true encounter with God leaves you. Unable to point the finger at anyone else, all you can do is fall on your face, confess your sin, be absolved, and join the angels in singing, “Holy, holy, holy.”
John T. Pless
John T. Pless
05/14/18

Preaching Pentecost

The miracle of Pentecost is not obvious; it is the miracle of faith created through the preaching of the word of the cross.
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