Reading & Study Archives

The Church and Mental Health Workshop Audio Presentations

These audio presentations were recorded on Saturday, April 9, 2016, when LCMS Life Ministry hosted a one-day symposium at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Big Things are Happening in Latin America

There are about 14,000 trained volunteers across the United States and about 2,000 more are trained every year. What you might not know is that we train leaders and missionaries around the world to respond mercifully in times of tragedy with the love of Christ.

LCMS Disaster Response takes a FORO into Uruguay

LCMS Disaster Response’s role at the FORO is to be a subject matter expert in the area of Mercy work and giving a merciful response in times of tragedy.

Why Luther’s Hymns Sound the Way They Do

A composer can never escape his own style, and this is true even of amateur composers such as Martin Luther. Embracing the musical arts in both his schooling and his cloistered life, Luther became a proficient instrumentalist on the lute and the transverse flute.

Lost

You have probably read the startling statistics of teens and young adults lost from the church. The church must take seriously the search for young adults. God hasn’t given up on bringing them back, and neither should we.

Helping the Right Way

The most well-intentioned gifts, given in the wrong way, often end up hurting the recipient, the community, and the local church.

Journal of Lutheran Mission – April 2016

Featuring papers from the recent LCMS Mission Summit, the April issue of the Journal of Lutheran Mission discusses and critiques seminary education and the importance of teaching the faith both at home and around the world.

Bible Study with Luther: Galatians 3:1-9

The Holy Spirit is not simply the initial cause of faith but continues to be at work in the life of the Church keeping us in the faith by the proclamation of the Word and through that faith the Lord declares us to be righteous and heirs of eternal life.

When Trolls Attack

By Peter Slayton One of the most discouraging things about social media is the existence of trolls. I’m not talking about your high school friend that disagrees with every single…

The Doctrine of the Church in the Lutheran Confessions

In 1521 Thomas Murner, one of Luther’s early Catholic opponents, attacked Luther’s view of the church, accusing him of “building a church the way that Plato builds a city”

Tips for Starting a Campus Ministry

Do you have a college near you? Would you like to learn how to begin a campus ministry there? There are a lot of things to consider when starting a campus ministry…

What Jesus Has Longed to Give You

In his Maundy Thursday sermon given at the Synod’s International Center Chapel Service March 24, LCMS Chaplain William Weedon helps us appreciate Christ’s sacrifice, His body and blood, and the forgiveness that Jesus aches to give us.

The Words of Institution in the Small Catechism

In the Small Catechism’s presentation of the Sacrament of the Altar one may be a bit surprised at the amount of attention Luther gives to the words of institution. After all,...

LCMS Disaster Response in Hispanic Communities

Over the last couple of years we have discovered two needs. The first need is for our materials to be translated into Spanish. Secondly, we have found a need to train our Spanish speaking churches in the United States and throughout Latin America so that they will have Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT). We also want to do a better job of responding to disasters that strike Spanish speaking communities across the United States.

A Modern Day Lamentation – Is the USA a Lost Cause?

A modern day lamentation based on Lamentations 2:13-22. "What can I say for you, to what should I compare you… Christianity’s ruin is vast as the sea; and the United States, who can heal you?! What a mess… almost seems a lost cause."