We Need The Lutheran Confessions Because A Theology Of Experience Is Not Easily Transferable
This past week I had a dialogue with a gentleman on Facebook over a theological topic. Part way through the discussion he asked…
Author: Pastor Matt Richard
Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard is the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Gwinner, ND. He was previously a Senior Pastor in Sidney, Montana, an Associate Pastor of Spiritual Care and Youth Ministries in Williston, North Dakota, and an Associate Pastor of Children and Youth in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
He received his undergraduate degree from Minot State University, ND and his M.Div. from Lutheran Brethren Seminary, MN. His doctor of ministry thesis, from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, was on exploring the journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran thought.
Pastor Richard is married to Serenity and they have two children. He enjoys fishing, pheasant hunting, watching movies, blogging, golfing, spending time with his family and a good book with a warm latte!
To check out more articles by Pastor Matt you can visit his personal blog at:
www.pastormattrichard.com.
Exposing Ten Myths Of The Church Growth Movement
Brian Orme has an excellent article on the “Church Leaders” website titled, 10 Old Wives’ Tales About Church Growth. In this article he…
Christmas Is For Sinners
Many years ago my family and I had a wonderful time giving my grandfather a lump of coal for Christmas. Yes, that is…
Attention All Former Evangelicals
Attention all former Evangelicals! I am currently enrolled at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in their doctor of ministry program. With my schooling I…
What Is So Convenient About Prevenient Grace?
Prevenient grace is the official doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene, as well as Methodism. It is found in the roots of…
The Theology of Rob Bell: Making Evil Good and Good Evil?
Several years ago there was a lot of buzz on the internet about Rob Bell’s new book titled, Love Wins. The conversation in the…
Legalism, Licentiousness, And Freedom From Reactionary Aversion Theology
I recently posted an article on Steadfast Lutherans and my personal blog PM Notes titled, “Free The Gospel! The Gospel Does Not Lead To…
The Church Of Cain Will Always Attack The Church Of Abel
In Genesis 4 we read of the first murder in the Bible. In this story, Cain kills his brother Abel. Michael Horton in…
Pik – A – Pastor (A Good Laugh)
While we can get a good laugh from the previous cartoon, this causes us to ask the more serious question, “What ‘is’ the…
The Quote Attributed To St. Francis Of Assisi Is Wrong: Why The Great Commission and The Great Commandment Are Not The Same
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi You have probably heard the previous quote before…
So, Does The Christian Need God’s Law For Christian Living?
Does the Christian need God’s Law for Christian living and what is the use and purpose of God’s Law for a person after…
Virtue To Grace: Why The Converted Need To Be Converted!
“The Christian life is not an exodus from vice to virtue, but rather from virtue to grace.” -Gerhard Forde Growing up as a…
Is The Megachurch The New Liberalism?
Albert Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In case you missed it, there was a recent…
Money And My Church’s “October Stewardship Month” Scare Me! Examining Stewardship In Light Of Coram Deo
Money scares me! Actually the talk of money brings about fear for me and I know it does for others. It is also…
Why Subjective Feelings Are Not A Good Standard To Judge Sin
In previous articles I have consistently pointed out that we do not look within ourselves to find the Gospel, but that we look…
Why We Should Rethink The Use of “Visual PowerPoints” In Sermon Messages
For the longest time I was a big proponent of using visual Powerpoint slides in sermon messages. I would spend hours finding the…
The Old Adam, A Stubborn Donkey; The New Man, Spontaneous And Free. Understanding The War Between The Old And New Nature.
I had a professor in seminary that would always stress to us that all of the Christian life is gift. As students we…
Is Joel Osteen’s Anthropology Hyper-Pelagian?
The picture to the right is from a parishioner at my church. Apparently she copied the figures on a napkin for some friends…
What Led To Grape Juice Being Used In Communion?
The development of pasteurized grape juice by Thomas Welch as a substitute for Communion wine is well documented. Welch, a pietistic, temperance-minded nineteenth-century…
Is The Lord A Bush? Examining The Lutheran View Of Communion
Sometime ago I read the best explanation of the Lutheran’s view of Communion that I’ve ever encountered. It turns out that the illustration…
Free Beer! Where?
Alright, you most likely got excited when you saw the title of this post. Yes, FREE BEER! The next logical question is, “Where?”…
Why We Are Not Declared Righteous By Christ Dwelling In Our Hearts
During the 16th Century a debate arose on the doctrine of justification. Andreas Osiander taught “…that a person is declared righteous by God because…
Do You Love Chicken? If So, You Must Be A “Hater”
As the controversy over Chick-fil-A continues, I have noticed something that has been reoccurring. Ad Hominem reasoning has been really active lately. Ad…
Q&A: Why Do Lutherans Go To Church on Sunday?
This question came in regarding why Lutherans go to church on Sundays. Since this question can be asked in two different ways, two…
Why The Old Adam Loves Crossless Sanctification
My concern with some preaching and teaching these days is the desire to move to sanctification without journeying through the cross first. This…