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The Resource of the Month |
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"Here We Stand" PodcastYesterday, October 31, wasn't just a popular American holiday. It was the 507th anniversary of an extremely significant date in world history. On this day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the chapel door in Wittenburg, Germany, galvanizing the growing opposition to corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, and sparking what we now call the Protestant Reformation. Today at Grace, we find ourselves in the stream of theology and practice which flowed out of that great movement. If you've ever wondered, "Why aren't we Roman Catholic?" or, "What's really the difference?" then learning a little about the Reformation will be a tremendous help. That is this podcast's aim. Produced by Desiring God (the ministry founded by John Piper), Here We Stand has crafted 31 episodes containing mini-biographies of various heroes of the Reformation. Each episode is only 5–6 minutes in length, and gives you a 30,000-foot overview of the individual's life and ministry. They include the big names you may have heard of––like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli––as well as many you probably haven't. For example, you can learn about forerunners of the Reformation, like John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, and Peter Waldo. You can hear about prominent women of the Reformation, like Wibrandis Rosenblatt, Marie Dentiere, and Margueritte de Navarre. You can explore lesser known Reformers, like Guillaume Farel, Balthasar Hubmaier, Johannes Bugenhagen, and many more. And each one is only 5–6 minutes long! No matter which mini-biography you listen to, you will hear how these believers boldy chose faithfulness to scripture over allegiance to instutions of religious and political power, often in the face of danger and persecution. Sadly, when they turned to the scriptures as their supreme authority (the Protestant conviction of Sola Scriptura, or "Scripture Alone"), the powers-that-be turned on them. Yet they continued to live for Jesus, even as they lived out Jesus' very words: "If they persecuted me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20). These men and women are our spiritual forebears. They articulated not only Sola Scripture, but also the other core convictions of the Reformation: that our salvation is Sola Gratia (by Grace alone), Sola Fide (through Faith alone), Sola Christus (in Christ alone), Soli Deo Gloria (for the Glory of God alone). We share these convictions today. In other words, the heroes of the Reformation paved the way for a church like ours to even exist. I am grateful! As I've listened over the past month, these stories of courage and sacrifice have touched my heart and even moved me to tears. I have been so encouraged by their faith, and I want to share that encouragement with you. If you listen in, I am confident their examples of faithfulness will encouarge you today in your own walk with the Lord Jesus. |
