Augsburg Fortress

Making Sense

Big questions. Great conversations.

What do the Making Sense studies offer?

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    A way to discuss tough questions

    Tackle the questions that many people have—but often don’t discuss—regarding the Bible, the Christian faith, and the cross of Jesus.

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    A place for everyone’s ideas

    Invite participants to raise their own questions and offer their own ideas in a respectful environment.

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    A catalyst for conversation

    Ignite thought-provoking group discussions with Making Sense books and videos.

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    Content from a respected source

    Making Sense was created by David J. Lose, president of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and popular international speaker.

How it works

Making Sense gives people a framework to discuss questions like: Is the Bible true? How does Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection make a difference in our lives? How do we understand the cross of Christ? Each session in a Making Sense course features a chapter to read and a video presentation by David Lose, as well as leader guide suggestions and activities that help you grapple with these questions in a group setting.

"Two long-time members commented that Making Sense of the Cross was the best Bible study they had ever participated in."
Mark , pastor, Illinois
"Lose’s clarity of thought, his humility in presentation, and his easy skill as a writer are a singular combination, and they give to this very accessible and significant work an added grace and appeal that will delight as well as instruct his readers."
Phyllis Tickle , author, The Great Emergence
"Making Sense of the Christian Faith helped teach the members of our congregation not only what they felt they should know about their faith, but what they deeply wanted to know."
Tim , pastor, California

Course contents

Each Making Sense course explores a major aspect of Christian faith. Download a summary of course contents.

What Is the Bible?
Is the Bible True?
How Is the Bible the Word of God?
Where Did the Bible Come From?
How Can I Read the Bible with Greater Understanding?
Is There a “Center” to Scripture?
What Kind of Authority Does the Bible Hold?
God Talk: Theology
Original Blessing: Creation
Missing the Mark: Sin
East of Eden: Covenant, Law, and Community
God con Carne: Incarnation
Life Wins: Atonement
The Body of Christ: Church and the Holy Spirit
The End of All Things: Eschatology
A Man Hanging on a Tree
Portraits and Perspectives
Ransom and Victory
Substitution, Satisfaction, and Sacrifice
Example and Encouragement
Event and Experience
The Reluctant Reformer—Introducing "the Monk Who Changed the World"
Freedom! Justification by Grace through Faith
The Present-Tense God—Law and Gospel
The Ambidextrous God—The Two Kingdoms and God’s Ongoing Work in the World
Called for Good—Vocation, Sinning Boldly, and the Respiratory System of the Body of Christ
God Hidden and Revealed—Luther’s Theology of the Cross and the Sacraments
Semper Simul—Sin, Forgiveness, and "Becoming Christian"

Why these books were written

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