Christ Alone: Meditations and Sermons

by Chad Bird

“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” St. Paul’s words to the Christians at Corinth are his words to the believers of every generation. Christ alone is the proclamation of the church. He is therefore the one who permeates every page of these meditations and sermons. In rich and colorful language that is steeped in the account of creation, the Passover, the worship life of Israel, and the Gospels, the author focuses the reader on the crucified and risen Jesus. The meditations and sermons in this book were written over the course of many years, and preached in a variety of contexts. The earliest of them, one that has come to be called “The Amy Sermon” (p. 193), was preached while Chad Bird was serving as a vicar at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Colorado, in the mid 1990’s. A few of them were written for St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wellston, Oklahoma, where he served as pastor from 1997-2001. The majority of them were delivered from the pulpit of Kramer Chapel, on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he served as Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology from 2001-2006. Many of the selections were originally published in a collection entitled, Christ Lutheran Sermons, which is now out-of-print. In addition to those sermons, there are many new meditations and homilies, all of which deliver the riches of the Gospel to sinners in need of the forgiveness, life, and salvation that is found in Christ alone.

228 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2014

About the author

Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He has contributed articles to Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Modern Reformation, The Federalist, Lutheran Forum, and other journals and websites. He is also the author of several books, including Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul, Your God Is Too Glorious: Finding God in the Most Unexpected Places, Upside-Down Spirituality: The 9 Essential Failures of a Faithful Life, and Unveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions Based on Insights from Old Testament Hebrew. He cohosts two popular podcasts: “40 Minutes in the OT” and “Hidden Streams.” Chad and his wife Stacy have four children and three grandchildren. They enjoy life together in the Texas Hill Country.

Reviews

[Bruce Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

[JoJo Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

The turmoil of this world is oppressive. The crush of our sin as well. The sermons and meditations in this book seek to uplift weary souls. And they do. Christ is our hope and balm because He alone is the friend of sinners who thirst for His righteousness and truth. Scripture reminds us that Christ alone was crucified to pay for our sin. Using Scripture, Chad Bird delivers this Gospel promise on every page. A real blessing.