Reading & Study

Formula of Concord Study: Article XI

The last single-issue article of the Formula of Concord, Article XI is unique in that it was largely preemptive. While acknowledging that no major struggle had yet erupted over this article of faith...

Responding to the Loss of the Charitable Deduction

Will the loss of the charitable deduction ruin the fabric of the nonprofit sector and cause the end of the world? Only if getting something out of the act of giving is more important than the positive change that happens through the church and its related nonprofits.

Bible Study with Luther: Genesis 1

The Bible is dripping with verses which teach that the Triune God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - created all things and that this same God has redeemed us from sin, death, and hell through the blood of the incarnate Son.

Celebrate. Grow. Praise.

DCEs share how a congregation can benefit from having a Director of Christian Education.

Issues of Life and Death

“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” (Genesis 3:4)

Summer Servant Events Opportunities Are Here!

Find an LCMS Servant Event for your group this summer. I am an echo that points to Jesus!

‘Mission Field: USA: A Resource for Church Planting’

The manual offers a step-by-step approach from forming a core group to becoming a fully established congregation in the LCMS.

Formula of Concord Study: Article IX

Arguably the most opaque passage of the Creed is that Christ descended into hell. The passage is based on Scripture, but these scriptural passages (e.g., 1 Peter 3) lend themselves to multiple interpretations...

Interacting with the Scriptures

The first thing to note about the interacting with the gospels is that the each has to do with the Gospel.

“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” – Hymn Feature

Based on Psalm 45, the hymn quickly became extremely popular in Germany and was used for a variety of occasions. The tune is believed to be a reconstruction of “Jauchzet dem Herren, alle lande,” Psalm 100, included in Wolff Köphel’s Psalter (1538).

The Luther Seal: Summary of the Gospel

The most enduring symbol of the Lutheran Reformation is the seal that Luther himself designed to represent his theology. By the early 1520s, this seal begins to appear on the title page of Luther’s works.

Bible Study with Luther: Galatians 6:1-18

Following in the footsteps of St. Paul, Luther and the Reformers sought true peace and unity in the Church through the pure proclamation of the Gospel.

Formula of Concord Study: Article VIII

Both historically- and theologically-speaking, seeing these two articles together is proper and useful. They almost serve as “A and B” of the same conversation, two sides of the same coin.

The Gloria in Excelsis

“Glory to God in the Highest” is the first Christmas carol. It was sung by the angels to the shepherds on the night when Jesus was born (Luke 2:14). But Christmas is not the only time that we sing “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Lutheran Spotlight: Katharina von Bora Luther

The first concrete evidence that we have of von Bora’s life is her entry into the Benedictine cloister at Brehna in 1504. She was placed there by her father for the sake of furthering her education. Later...