The Gospel

Not only is a works mentality exhausting, but God isn’t even impressed when you try to get his attention in this way.

When conversations rarely stretch below the surface in the few minutes of mingling at church each Sunday, how do these strangers in our church body start to feel like family?

We all want to belong. But the sad truth about belonging is that it isn’t easy. It’s hard to get in, and it’s even harder to stay in.

The start of the second part of the catechism—on believers’ redemption in Christ—might not seem as invigorating as you would expect. It feels cautious as it explores the possibility of redemption.

Part of living and dying in the joy of eternal comfort is knowing how great our sin and misery are.

The average person is convinced that something newer and greater is just around the corner.

I see things more clearly now than I did then.

I’m not asking if you believe the gospel. I’m asking, do you participate in it? Are its marks on your life? Are you invested in the fight?

The ability to make this distinction can mean the difference between a spiritual life that’s full of despair, angst, and sorrow, or one that’s marked by joy, peace, and hope.

We either, through our own efforts, perfectly obey the law, or we trust in a mediator who, standing between us and God, fulfills the law in our place.

Martin Luther said that, since the fall, our hearts have been hard-wired with a “wages” mentality: We only get what we deserve. We’re only worth […]