United in the Father by the Son
God not only unites us to himself by the death and resurrection of his Son; he unites us, the church, together and to himself under Christ as his children.
Contributors
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones is a husband and father. He serves as Director of Youth and Family Ministry at Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookfield, WI. He graduated from Concordia University Texas with a B.A. in Religious Education with an emphasis in Worship and the Arts through the Director of Christian Education program. He is the co-author of "The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional" and is a contributor for 1517, Christ Hold Fast, and other online publications.
Most Recent
Out of Fatherly, Divine, Goodness and Mercy
When a manager faces imminent termination by his wealthy master for mishandling his wealth, what will he do? Where can he turn? In this challenging parable, Jesus teaches us that our salvation lies outside of ourselves and our works.
Let’s Go to Dark Gethsemane
So let’s go to dark Gethsemane. For there we see that even in his greatest moment of weakness, Jesus is our only source of strength. He drinks the cup of wrath so we can drink the cup of grace.
Pilate's Baptism
The following is an excerpt from “The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional” written by Kyle G. Jones and Kathy (Strauch) Morales (1517 Publishing, 2019).
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.
The Root of It All: The Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer
This petition is proof that the Christian life is not a practice in perfectionism. Rather, it is a life of dying and rising, lived under the cross of Christ, in the continual forgiveness of our sins.
Understanding Jesus’ Parables
When anything other than the gospel of Christ crucified for sinners becomes the center of the parables, we exchange the Gospel for the law.
Where Jesus Is Found
Where our sins are forgiven, there God in Christ is to be found.
The Introduction: Our Father Who Art in Heaven
This article begins an eight-part series inspired by the Lenten themes of catechesis, prayer, and repentance found in the Lord’s Prayer as Luther taught it in his Small Catechism.
Limping In The Faith: How the Narrative Order of Scripture Teaches the Gospel
What then does this sequence of stories teach us? It teaches us a pertinent lesson about the Christian life.
The Pastor’s Office as a Life-Giving Tomb: A Case For Private Absolution
It is the words the pastor speaks that send the dead out alive.
The Promises of Advent: Suffered and Died
Should we really be surprised that it would happen this way, that the servant would suffer for our salvation and die for our forgiveness?
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Despite its familiarity and frequent usage, the imagery in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," is often underappreciated.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Thanksgiving
To pray that God’s name is hallowed among us is to pray for the continual proclamation of the gospel in truth and purity that we would hear the word about Christ crucified for sinners.
When the Dead Preach the Gospel
His kingdom is not one of force and might for our exploitation and his gain, but one of his patience and long-suffering for our benefit.
On Freedom in Christ and the Parable of the Forgiving Father
Like the younger son, we can return to our Father every time our sinful hearts rebel against him. Like the older brother, we can complain and lament to our Father without fear of being destroyed.
Confessing the Father's Confession About the Son
When it comes to confessing the truth of the Christian faith, Christians are given the words. We don’t have to formulate them ourselves.
Crucified Expectations: The Great Reversal of the Cross
By pouring out his life unto death, Jesus reverses our death.
A Look at 1 Peter 2: That We May Be His Own
He calls us to suffer as Christ suffered. That is, we are to suffer in service to our neighbor even if they caused the injustice.
Our Righteous Doorman: A Reflection on 1 John 2:1–6
We walk to the cross by the faith that God bestows on us, not by our own power, reason, or might.
Staring into the Sun on Holy Trinity Sunday
On Holy Trinity Sunday, God draws our attention, not to the inner workings of the Trinity, but the outer workings of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A Communion of Saints for the Forgiveness of Sins
The Holy Spirit gathers us together and keeps the church in the true faith, and He does it all by way of the Gospel.
Can Christianity and Science Coexist?
In life, we make decisions, from the most basic to the most lasting, lacking specific knowledge about the outcome.
Beyond Our Grasp
We would rather be God ourselves. But, being God is always beyond our grasp.
A Spirit-Wrought Confession in the Midst of Suffering
In the midst of our suffering, grief, and distress, David gives us words to confess.