Preach the Word – September/October 2021
The Gospels: The Center of the Gospel The gospel is the good news that God forgives sins and saves sinners. This is good news because without this news the news is bad: God condemns sin ...
Four Branches – September 2021
Jump to: ExegeticalSystematicHistoricalPractical Exegetical Theology: Historical Gaps – Where is the surprise? Our historical-grammatical hermeneutic requires bridging gaps. Studying the original language bridges the grammatical gap. Over the next months, we will look at examples ...
“Changes” Hebrews 13:1-6
So, how many changes have you seen over the course of your life? As I think about my lifetime, I can’t help but think, “Wow! There have been so many changes!” The reality is, ...
Mark 8:27-35
“Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33) Can you imagine how Peter would have felt when Jesus directed those words at him? Wow! If I’d been Peter, I would have wanted to crawl under a rock! ...
When was Jesus Really Born?
Bibliographical Information: When Was Jesus Really Born? Early Christianity, the Calendar, and the Life of Jesus, by Steven L. Ware. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 2013. 281 pages. Credentials: Steven L. Ware, PhD, is ...
Four Branches – August 2021
Jump to: ExegeticalSystematicHistoricalPractical Exegetical theology: Preaching on Numbers 12:1-15 Logos Bible Study Software lists the “best” commentaries on every book of the Bible. I don’t know their algorithm, but two of their top three commentaries ...
Reflections of Light: The Odyssey of a Black American Lutheran Pastor During the Civil Rights Years
Lonnie L. Branch received a Master of Divinity by completing a curriculum between the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the ninth black pastor ordained in ...
“Yes, you can!” 1Kings 19:3-8
"I can’t do this anymore!” Do you guess that Elijah might have said those words, or felt that way? That sure seems to be a fair rendition of what he says in 1Kings 19:4, ...
Book Review: From Here to Maturity: Overcoming the Juvenilization of American Christianity
Thomas E. Bergler is professor of ministry and missions at Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana. His book The Juvenilization of American Christianity (2012) was featured in Christianity Today and won an award of merit from ...
Four Branches – July 2021
Jump to: Exegetical Systematic Historical Practical Exegetical Theology: The Way He Should Go? “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov ...