LadyLike: A Book Every Man Should Read
LadyLike: Living Biblically is an outstanding collection of forty-four short essays which provide an unapologetically biblical perspective on matters significant to life in family,…
Category: Steadfast Throwdown
Steadfast Throwdown
The Cost of Becoming a Pastor
I absolutely love being a pastor. There isn’t a single thing I would change about what I do—not even the meetings (which often…
Prayer Is Not Always a Good Thing
One of the most frequently abused gifts of God among Christians today is prayer. For some reason we’ve gotten this notion that prayer is…
Extending Our “Smack Down Reach”
Steadfast Throwdown – “the very best theological podcast that is produced by the Brothers of John the Steadfast” (Yeah, so what if we’re…
Tolerance: Narcissism in Disguise
We live in a highly individualistic age, an age which fancies itself tolerant. The sad description of Israel under the Judges could equally…
Why I Left the Roman Catholic Church
I was raised Roman Catholic. Now I’m a Lutheran pastor. But I didn’t just leave the Roman Catholic Church because I happened to…
“Speaking of Life” – Homily for the Resurrection of Our Lord
“Speaking of Life” Mark 16:1-8 Other Holy Week sermons from Pastor Asburry: Palm/Passion Sunday Good Friday Maundy Thursday P: Christ is risen!…
When Shadows Are Better than Reality: A Devotion for Easter Tuesday on Exodus 15 & 16
“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come…” (Hebrews 10:1) Who would settle for looking at a…
“What Great Love!” – Homily for Good Friday
“What Great Love!” John 18-19 When we began the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, we prayed: “Almighty and everlasting God, You hate…
“Washed and Fed to Love” – Homily for Holy (Maundy) Thursday
“Washed and Fed to Love” John 13:1-15, 34-35 A new commandment I give to you, Jesus said, that you love one another: just…
Introducing… The Church Growth Translation of the Bible!
Do you want to grow your congregation? It’s simple! Just follow these two easy steps. 1) Read the Bible. 2) Do the exact opposite….
“Ride On…to Die!” – Homily for Palm/Passion Sunday
“Ride On…to Die!” Philippians 2:5-11 & Matthew 27:11-54 St. Paul sums it up well. Jesus “made Himself nothing, taking the form of a…
Why the McDonald’s Bathroom Isn’t as Holy as the Divine Service
Prolegomena: This is the sixth and what will likely be the final chapter of the recent discussion on praise bands between Pr. Reeder…
The Most Dangerous Situation You’ll Ever Encounter: A Sermon for Wednesday of Judica on Psalm 130
Click here for a free, downloadable Bible study of Psalm 130 from Around the Word. Out | of the depths* I cry to…
Why the Praise Band & I Are Never, Ever, Ever Getting Back Together
Please note: This post is a response to Pastor Kent Reeders’ response to my post, “Why I Quit the Praise Band.” If you…
Bible Studies That Don’t Ask You to Talk about Your Feelings
This Lent I began editing and co-authoring a weekly free, downloadable PDF Bible study with Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller on the Penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38,…
Why I Quit the Praise Band
Quitting the praise band wasn’t easy for me. Nor did I just play in the praise band— I started it. It was my…
Why Christians Make the Sign of the Holy Cross (and a word on genuflection)
In The Small Catechism, Martin Luther encouraged Christians to retain the practice of making the sign of the cross. The Missouri Synod, following Luther’s…
Steadfast Throwdown — Ways to Participate in Lent
Mrs. Holly Scheer joins us to discuss her article, “Nine Easy Ways to Participate in Lent.” Why does the Church have its own…
Diamonds in the Rough: Digging for Homiletical Gems in an Anglican Mine
I recently finished The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel against the Wisdom of the World by the late Episcopal priest, Robert Farrar…
Steadfast Throwdown — Round 35
Steadfast Throwdown recently released Round 35 of their podcasts, including the following: Barking Dogs – The ACELC and Its Work Pr….
Snatched, Scorched, & Strangled (or: High Fructose Hymns and Liturgical Saccharine): A Sermon for Sexagesima on St. Luke 8:4-15
There were two types of sowing in the ancient world. The first method, by far the most accurate, was to scatter the seeds…
Winter is Coming
I have always found it puzzling that we have been quick to remove pastors from office for immoral conduct but slow to rebuke false…
Suffering as the Key to Evangelism
Recently I was up at the hospital providing pastoral care to one of my members. As usual, I was wearing my clerical attire, and,…
False Christs and Wrong Answers: A Sermon for the Confession of St. Peter on St. Mark 8:27-35
From the very beginning of St. Mark’s Gospel, things hadn’t been going particularly well for our Lord. In chapter 1 He’s tempted by…