More Than Chocolates: St. Valentine, Baptism, and the Love of Christ
By Russ Lackey
02/13/26
7mins

More Than Chocolates: St. Valentine, Baptism, and the Love of Christ

Baptism does not promise us chocolates or flowers, but something far greater: life in Christ.
Laughing with Moses All the Way to the Promised Land
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
02/11/26

Laughing with Moses All the Way to the Promised Land

The Promised Land invites us to laugh at how relatable it is to be exhausted and exasperated by all the people, and the egos and opinions they bring with them, that come with living.
Justice Reclaimed
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
02/10/26

Justice Reclaimed

Christians can pursue projects of justice free of the burden of being the justifier of the world; that office belongs to Christ and Christ alone.

All Articles

Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
06/28/21

Come to the Waters of Repentance

Mankind’s “thoughts and ways” on the matter of pardon and forgiveness do not even come close to exhausting, let alone fathoming, God’s “thoughts and ways.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/27/21

Have No “Great Expectations” of Your Pastors and Christian Leaders

Our leaders, our pastors, our priests, our teachers, all have feet of clay, just as leaders in Israel did. We do not put our faith in them, even in the ones—perhaps *especially* the ones—in whom we are inclined to have great expectations. They preach the Messiah but are not the Messiah.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
06/27/21

First Principles of Preaching: The Verb Itself (Part 2)

The Christian sermon is Gospel preaching. We only preach the Gospel. Only the Gospel is the sermon, notwithstanding necessary admonishments of law and requisite exhortations toward sanctification.
Jeffrey Pulse
Jeffrey Pulse
06/26/21

Old Testament: Ezekiel 2:1-5 (Pentecost 6: Series B)

Ezekiel is not called/sent out to be “successful” in his prophetic ministry—he is sent out to be faithful!
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
06/26/21

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (Pentecost 6: Series B)

The God whose power is made perfect in our weakness is the God who, in weakness, saved you from sin, death, and the Devil.
David Schmitt
David Schmitt
06/26/21

Gospel: Mark 6:1-13 (Pentecost 6: Series B)

Jesus will bring good news, send His disciples to bring good news, and, in His death and resurrection, become good news for all.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/25/21

The Psalms as the Prayerbook of Jesus and the Church

As the sin-bearer, Jesus was also the sin-confessor in the psalms.
Mark Mattes
Mark Mattes
06/23/21

A Guide to the Augsburg Confession

The reformers were compelled to confess the true faith and challenge corrupt practices—this is what the Augsburg Confession is about.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther
06/21/21

Keeping the Law in its Place

Our certainty is of Christ, that mighty hero who overcame the Law, sin, death, and all evils.
Jeffrey Pulse
Jeffrey Pulse
06/19/21

Old Testament: Lamentations 3:22-33 (Pentecost 5: Series B)

In the overall context of Lamentations this text stands out as a breath of fresh air, or perhaps more accurately, words of relief after so much dismal lamenting!
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
06/19/21

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15 (Pentecost 5: Series B)

If you truly love the brethren, you will not grudge to help them in their distress.
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
06/19/21

Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 (Pentecost 5: Series B)

The people you serve are still hanging on by a thread, which is another way of saying they are living by faith.
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