Blog Posts

  • Why the Cross Is Central to Christian Spirituality

    Why the Cross Is Central to Christian Spirituality

    A better term for “Lutheran” spirituality is “evangelical” spirituality. The term evangelical is simply a term derived from the Greek word for “Gospel,” which in turn literally means...

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  • 6 Tips for Organizing Your Church Office

    6 Tips for Organizing Your Church Office

    Organization in the church office isn’t just about optics. Having streamlined processes makes things easier for your team and supports your church’s mission as a whole. Have you thought...

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  • Ask These 7 Questions When Choosing Youth Ministry Curriculum

    Ask These 7 Questions When Choosing Youth Ministry Curriculum

    To say that there are plenty of youth ministry curriculum options out there would be an understatement. But how do you sift through your options to land on one that truly benefits your...

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  • Is the Separation of Church and State in the Bible?

    Is the Separation of Church and State in the Bible?

    Like most Americans, I was raised to believe there should be a separation between church and state. Christian things belonged in one place, separate from the worldly, earthly parts of our...

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  • Music of the Month: Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine

    Music of the Month: Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine

    This new take on the German Christmas carol uses the ancient Resonet in Laudibus melody but places it in an entirely different setting for SATB choir, piano, and alto saxophone. The...

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  • 4 Tips for Navigating Advent As Christians

    4 Tips for Navigating Advent As Christians

    I sat with some friends back in October, talking about when we put up Christmas trees as kids. Everyone in the group said “the day after Thanksgiving” except one. She had grown up putting...

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  • Christian Encouragement for When Life Gets Hard

    Christian Encouragement for When Life Gets Hard

    If you’re a Millennial like me, I bet you’ve heard somebody say (or have at least seen a meme on social media that says) something about the regret and exhaustion of living in ongoing...

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  • 5 Reflections on Giving Thanks to God

    5 Reflections on Giving Thanks to God

    Our homes are adorned with decor inscribed with “Thankful” and “Blessed.” We often utter “Thanks be to God!” in worship. We have holidays dedicated to giving thanks. But do we truly have...

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  • Top String Music Settings for the Church Year

    Top String Music Settings for the Church Year

    String instruments bring a rich depth and emotional beauty to worship. Whether supporting congregational singing, accompanying the choir, or offering reflective meditations, strings can...

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  • What Do Lutherans Believe About Mary?

    What Do Lutherans Believe About Mary?

    In a doctrinal note issued on October 7 with the approval of Pope Leo XIV, the Roman Catholic Church set aside the sometimes-used reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, as...

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  • Prayers on Patience: December 2025 Everyday Faith Calendar

    Prayers on Patience: December 2025 Everyday Faith Calendar

    The second my daughters get in the door after day care, they’re asking for a snack. I’m usually cooking dinner already, and often I’m nearly finished. Do you think that matters to my...

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  • Ten Questions to Ask Yourself While Reading 2 Thessalonians 3:1–13

    Ten Questions to Ask Yourself While Reading 2 Thessalonians 3:1–13

    My book Ten Questions to Ask Every Time You Read the Bible is all about building biblical fluency through the practice of curiosity. In the final chapters, I provide examples of what it...

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  • Hands-On Christmas Resources for Kids

    Hands-On Christmas Resources for Kids

    Ahh, Christmastime as a parent. Christmas is a busy time of year for anyone, but as someone with young children, there’s an added pressure in the air. There are all the things to...

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  • Music of the Month: Word Made Flesh to Dwell Among Us

    Music of the Month: Word Made Flesh to Dwell Among Us

    “Word made flesh,” “barn made palace,” and “sky made song” are just a few of the wonderful poetic phrases in this charming Christmas anthem by Carl F. Schalk (1929–2021) with text by...

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  • What Disagreements Led to the Nicene Creed?

    What Disagreements Led to the Nicene Creed?

    The controversy over the relationship between the Father and the Son (and, later, the Spirit) broke out in the first half of the fourth century AD, but the source of the controversy goes...

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  • From 1838 to Today: A Reflection on American Lutheranism

    From 1838 to Today: A Reflection on American Lutheranism

    The Concordia Publishing House team recently took a field trip to Perry County, Missouri. This place is as much the original home of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (the LCMS, our...

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  • Spreading the Good News Through Arch Books with CGO

    Spreading the Good News Through Arch Books with CGO

    The food bank Arch® Book program of Concordia Gospel Outreach (CGO) has soared to amazing heights in its first full year of operation, now sending 10,000 Christian books to food pantries...

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  • Philemon: An Overview

    Philemon: An Overview

    Paul’s experience under house arrest at Rome is well described by his frequent companion, Luke, in the last chapter of Acts (cf Phm 24). Paul had to pay his own expenses for the house...

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  • Philemon: An Overview

    Philemon: An Overview

    Paul’s experience under house arrest at Rome is well described by his frequent companion, Luke, in the last chapter of Acts (cf Phm 24). Paul had to pay his own expenses for the house...

    Read Article
  • Five Favorite Christmas Activities for Families

    Five Favorite Christmas Activities for Families

    Concerts, shopping trips, gatherings, and other tasks often take up a lot of our time during the season of Advent. None of these activities are inherently bad, but they can take our...

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