Surveying Our Soiled Condition, and the Condition of our Soil
Ash Wednesday, is meant to remind us we have a death problem. All living things made from the soil shall return to it.
Contributors
Steven A. Hein
Dr. Steven A. Hein serves as Director of the Concordia Institute for Christian Studies, an organization that offers auxiliary educational services to Christian gatherings across the country and the leadership of Lutheran Churches in West Africa. Dr. Hein also serves as an affiliate professor of theology at Concordia University, Chicago and the Institute of Lutheran Theology. He is the author of, "Christian Life: Cross or Glory?" and "You Can Give an Answer: A Study in Christian Apologetics."
Most Recent
The Man Born to be King
Epiphany celebrates that we have not been left in our hearts’ cold darkness and this spoiled creation.
Happy Thanksgiving, Now and Then
We are given, so we give thanks, and we give thanks by giving.
Sanctification: The Powerful Pardon
The following is an excerpt from “The Christian Life: Cross or Glory” written by Steven A. Hein (1517 Publishing, 2015).
Slavery, Freedom, and Bondage
In spiritual matters, the Scriptures teach us that freedom is tied to slavery and bondage.
Culture Wars: The Challenge
Today we need to promote almost the reverse – to talk it like they walk it – the know-how and courage to engage in social discourse that reflects the truth of God’s revelation.
Edward John Carnell: Defender of the Faith
Using common everyday events, Carnell sought to clarify that there are three standards of duty that we demand others to respect to protect our dignity.
Good Questions and Bad Questions
There is a question often raised by Christians and even some theologians that is unanswerable: Why are some saved, and others are lost? While it might seem to be a good question, it is not. Let’s examine it more closely.
Ordinary and Extraordinary Business
In the upper room, Jesus revealed himself as the Lord of the dirty business of life.
Gathering up Our Dust During Lent
Ashes and dust do not need the services of spiritual EMTs; we need a Second Adam from whom we regain life itself.
Am I Really Included?
Any conception that contends that Jesus only died for some sinners turns the gospel into an uncertain message for everyone.
Christ in You, Christ for You
The distinction between Christ-for-you and Christ-in-you can present a misleading dichotomy.
When You Can't Forget
In truth, forgetting transgressions has little to do with forgiving others who wrong us.
Without a Doubt
Thomas was without a doubt a skeptic. And he was a skeptic without a doubt.
After Epiphany: The Rest of the Story
Epiphany teaches us that when God’s peace advances, spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness does not decline. It increases.
The Song of Zechariah
Zechariah’s prophecy about John’s ministry also comes to us in the fullness of our time.
The Christian Life: Cross or Glory
Here We Still Stand is an annual three-day event, designed to center your faith in Christ for you, based in the Scriptural truths rediscovered in the Reformation. It's an invitation to celebrate the gospel truths reclaimed in the Reformation and a call to incite a modern Reformation under the banner of the finished work of Christ. It is a three…
Getting Saved, Doing Nothing
We are saved by grace, and strictly speaking, not by an offer.
Truth is Hard
In order to shore up wavering faith commitments, both for the disciples and for us today, Jesus used His actions during a day’s worth of ministry to evidence the hard truth about His Messianic identity.
Taking the Lowest Seat
The first course is always humble pie because, at the table, there are just two seats: from humiliation to exaltation.
Outrageous Grace
Exemplified here are two misunderstandings about the forgiveness and graciousness of God among some Christians.
God’s Last Word
The Gospel predominates when hearers receive the saving gifts of Christ as God’s final word to them.
Christ’s Seventh Word From the Cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”
So, on this Good Friday, our sinful self and all our sins rest with Jesus here in His tomb. Our transgressions are fully atoned.
A Good Day to Die
Every day for the baptized is a good day to die."
Mary's Joy, For a Song
What comes to us at Christmas is not a great seasonal bargain to enhance our happy holidays. It is the priceless gift of God’s Son.
Featured Resources
The Christian Life: Cross or Glory?
This book offers a radically different perspective from that of many best-selling authors concerning how the Christian should measure and evaluate travel along God’s path of righteousness. It will endeavor to persuade the reader that by feeding regularly on the…