Lay Bible Institute
The Lay Bible Institute, offered three times a year by Seminary faculty members, is an ongoing study of the Bible and how it relates to today's life and events.
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025
Sola Verbum: What Word Alone Can Do in the Gospel According to John
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $20 ($15 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: Jan. 24, 2025
Dr. Bruce Schuchard
“In the beginning [!] … The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:1–2 ESV). And God spoke. And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light (1:3). God spoke, so that He might, by His all-powerful word, summon into existence the world. He spoke. And the result of His speaking was good, “very good” (“And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day,” 1:31). By His word this world was made, made by Him who is speaking, whose word, is everything. Therefore, the Gospel of John names Him “the Word” (ὁ λόγος). In John, that Jesus is the incarnate Word of God is, it seems, of utmost importance. For, in its very first verse, the Gospel states that “In the beginning [!] was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 ESV). The book of Revelation concurs, when it too states that “the name by which (Jesus) is called is the Word of God” (Rev. 19:13 ESV).
And in 1 John, the same is said again. And again it is said in the letter’s very first verse. “That which was from the beginning [!],” declares John, “which we have seen with our (very own) eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands,” concerns him who they came to know as “the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1). So all of John’s works are in agreement. They all steadfastly affirm that “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps. 33:6 ESV). They see that with Jesus –– with who He is, with what He says and with what He otherwise does –– a foundationally precious, almighty and necessary Word came, comes and will come again, a Word that must be heard. For who Jesus is (“the Word”) is what Jesus does. Because He is the Word of God, He speaks God’s word. Not only is His word solely sufficient to create. His word is solely sufficient to inform. By His word this world was made. Therefore, by His word must and will this world will be remade. By His word, and by His word alone, will the one who hears Him see what it means to belong to Him, to Him and to what it is that He has done.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025
And He Spoke Many Things to Them in Parables
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $25 ($18 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: July 21, 2025
Dr. James Fickenscher
The parables of Jesus are among the most beloved passages of Scripture yet are notoriously difficult to interpret. What, exactly, are these parables? Are they “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning?” How should Christians read and apply them faithfully in their lives today? In this workshop, Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology Dr. James Fickenscher will explore what kinds of stories parables are — and will construct a reading method faithful to the parables’ literary form and usable by all of God’s people. Finally, participants will apply the reading method as they walk through multiple parables together to see how Jesus uses this literary form to teach His people more about who He is and what it means to belong to His Kingdom.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
“Behold…the best creation of God!” Martin Luther on Marriage and the Married Life
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sieck Hall 202
Registration: $25 ($18 boxed lunch)
Registration deadline: Sept. 22, 2025
Dr. Jason Lane
The year 2025 marks the 500th anniversary year of Martin and Katie Luther’s marriage. Luther’s embrace of married life ushered in a new and joyful way of thinking about marriage and family in the 16th century and helped restore married life to its rightful place in the world. Luther once wrote to a friend that a wife is “the best creation of God!” Today in the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of lifeless sexuality, the God-given estate of marriage between one man and one woman has become increasingly distorted and despised. Fewer young men and women are marrying and among those who do, more than 40% end in divorce. In this workshop led by Dr. Jason Lane, associate professor of Historical Theology, participants will study Martin Luther’s view of marriage and married life to deepen their understanding of God’s will for marriage, children and domestic life today.
Additional Continuing Education Opportunities
Faith and Writing Workshop
Concordia Seminary’s “Faith and Writing” workshop explores various forms of creative writing — starting a blog, creating a sermon or devotion, “traditional” forms of creative writing (story, nonfiction, drama, poetry) — and everything in between.
Multiethnic Symposium
The Seminary’s annual Multiethnic Symposium brings together Lutherans and mission leaders of various ethnicities from across the country for workshops, discussions and worship.
Pre-Lenten Workshop
The Pre-Lenten Workshop includes sermon manuscripts, textual notes, orders of service for midweek services and also suggestions for the Sundays of Lent to help pastors in developing their own worship resources.
Theological Symposium
Parish pastors, LCMS district and Synod officials, Seminary and Concordia University students and faculty, and interested laypersons attend each year to delve into some of the most pressing issues of our time. One CEU is available for attending the Symposium.
Workshop Series
Hosted by congregations across the country May through August, and led by Seminary faculty, these workshops offer an opportunity to delve deeply into topics ranging from the teachings of Martin Luther to pastoral tools, such as preaching, responding to conflict and teaching confirmation.