Some lies are so obvious they can’t be disguised. So, cults rely on a trick the Navy once used when trying to hide ships on the open seas. Vessels were painted in bright, bold colors, and covered with complex geometric patterns. The idea was not concealment but confusion. Confusion is a key factor in Christian… Read More »Christian Science Read More

One of the complaints that is often leveled against conservative Lutherans is that we are much too polemical. “Polemic” comes from the Greek word “polemos” which means “war.” In plain English the contention is that we Lutherans spend too much time and effort fighting over doctrine when we should be doing other things. Perhaps you’ve… Read More »Why Lutherans Fight Over Doctrine Read More

Short answer: nothing.   Where nothing happens, there is no spiritual growth. No lightning bolt will fall from the sky warning you about spiritual danger. No one will return from the dead to plead with you about using your time of grace wisely. Nothing visibly upsetting may happen at all. In time, your conscience problems… Read More »What Will Happen to Me If I Don’t Attend Church? Read More

“ Thesis XXIII–In the nineteenth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when an attempt is made by means of the demands or the threats or the promise of the Law to induce the unregenerate to put away their sins and engage in good works and thus become godly; on the other hand,… Read More »The Right Tool For The Job Read More

ERROR’S ECHO In this series we take a look back at some of the most notorious errors and heresies that have threatened the church over the centuries, as well as the subtle (and not so subtle) ways in which those false teachings continue to haunt 21st century thought and theology. There is a reason why… Read More »Monothelitism Read More

Christian Love Reflects A Debt Forgiven The evangelist Luke calls her “a certain woman in that town who was a sinner.” But as she stepped into the room that day her reputation preceded her. She was possibly a prostitute who had sold her body and bargained away her soul. She was the talk of her… Read More »“To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” — Luke 7:47 Read More

“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (FOURTEENTH IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions It’s a legitimate question, and one that should be reviewed on a regular basis. Organizations change over time. Using outdated materials to evaluate them is both unwise and unfair. At the moment, there are polarizing differences between us and the Boy Scouts of… Read More »Why Can’t Our Sons Belong to the Boy Scouts? Read More

“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (THIRTY-SECOND IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions I’m not sure why some churches hire their pastors, but I can show why we call ours. Our forefathers used the phrase von Gemeinschafts wegen to describe what a call is and does. It means “in behalf of the community or group.” Every… Read More »“Many churches just ‘hire’ a new pastor, but CLC churches ‘call’ a pastor. What is the difference?” Read More

“I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!” (TWENTY-FOURTH IN A SERIES) Pastors Answer Frequently-Asked Questions If I started by telling you what it is, you might not read anything that follows. So let’s start by explaining its purpose and place in God’s plan. Near the end of Genesis 1, Moses writes, “So God created man in His own image;… Read More »“What is the ‘Headship Principle’?” Read More

One of the hallmarks of the Lutheran Church is its proper understanding and application of the Bible’s two main teachings—Law and Gospel. Dr. C.F.W. Walther’s seminal work, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, is the basis for this two-year series. Note: page numbers given are accurate for the 1929 and 1986 editions of the… Read More »What Do You Mean by Faith? Read More

“If your only tool is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail.” A similar thing could be said of Gnosticism. If you understand what Gnosticism is and how it works, you will see Gnosticism wherever you look. “Gnostic,” comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means knowledge. More specifically, it refers to experiential… Read More »Gnosticism Read More

The people who handle sweepstakes contests seem to know a lot about the way Americans celebrate Christmas. As you read this article, millions of entry-forms have already been addressed, bundled, and are now waiting to be fed into the stream of mail after December 26. Not before Christmas, when Third Class mail is impatiently tossed… Read More »CHRISTMAS IS A MYSTERY Read More

UNDERSTANDING THE CULTS In this twelve-part series we are taking a brief look at some of the major cults, past and present, that have found adherents in the United States. Your pastor can help you if you’d like a more in-depth study of a particular group. Imagine a world so ancient that even an evolutionist… Read More »Church of Scientology Read More

ERROR’S ECHO In this series we take a look back at some of the most notorious errors and heresies that have threatened the church over the centuries, as well as the subtle (and not so subtle) ways in which those false teachings continue to haunt 21st century thought and theology. You probably know more about… Read More »Arianism Read More

“Thesis XX–In the sixteenth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when a person’s salvation is made to depend on his association with the visible orthodox church and when salvation is denied to every person who errs in any article of faith.” There was a reason why the church graveyard was often located… Read More »The Happy Inconsistency Read More

Foundation Work Sometime what you can’t see is really more impressive than what you can see. The Sears Tower in downtown Chicago is a good example. What you can see is an amazing building that reaches a quarter mile straight into the air, features 110 stories, and yet in the strongest of winds sways a… Read More »A Mother’s Day Meditation– Read More

READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER (AUTHORITY OF THE WORD) Passages that will help you respond when people say… It used to be that the most frequently-cited passage in America was John 3:16. The reference was visible at practically every NFL game you watched. As the football sailed toward the uprights, someone beyond the end-zone would… Read More »“Don’t Judge Me” Read More

There had never been a football game quite like it. Not in all the years before; not in the 80-some years since. It was a dark and dreary day in 1916, the perfect setting for a matchup between the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech and their unlikely opponents from Cumberland. Under the leadership of John… Read More »Never A Day Like This One! Read More

Charles Dickens called it “the finest short story ever told.” Whether he was referring to its literary quality or its theological message, it is true of both. The Prodigal Son is a masterpiece that is as compelling today as it was two thousand years ago. With an economy of words, the parable convicts, pardons, and… Read More »INTRODUCTION TO THE PARABLES Read More

It was probably the most unlikely statement to be made during the entire Gulf War. Within hours after the cease-fire was declared, a badly beaten Saddam Hussein emerged from his bunker and announced his victory. Here was one of history’s most convincing and lopsided battles; seldom has an enemy been so largely out-gunned and handily… Read More »A COMPLETE VICTORY Read More