The need for a bold confession
“Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father…
Please explain: What is the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of a Christian?
What is the Holy Spirit's role in the life of a Christian? When Lutheran students learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, they…
One little word
The title of this article can get you thinking about Martin Luther’s Reformation hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (Christian Worship 863/864). The third stanza ends with the observation…
Preachers and listeners
Serving as a vacancy pastor recently put me behind a pulpit on a weekly basis. It had been quite a while since I prepared sermons with that degree of regularity.…
Please explain: What does it mean that Christians are priests before God?
What does it mean that Christians are priests before God? The sign-up sheets for the neighborhood canvass were empty. The pastor went out of his way to recruit more door-knockers.…
Q&A: When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” what are we praying for?
When we pray, "Your kingdom come," what are we praying for? The word kingdom is short for “king’s dominion.” What does Jesus have dominion over? Everything! However, when we pray,…
Savor the rain
Martin Luther was not only a student of the Scriptures but also a keen observer of history. He was well aware of how the Christian church spread and grew from…
What to know before you go
If you read issues of Forward in Christ like a Hebrew Bible—from back to front—the title of this column will not make much sense. On the other hand, if you…
Our Lord reigns
Even when all the world seems against him, our heavenly Father holds all history in loving hands. Aren’t you glad the worst of the pandemic is over? It wasn’t just…