St. Louis, Missouri—The shifting tide of culture can leave men and women of all ages struggling to understand who they are. In Confessing Jesus: The Heart of Being a Lutheran, by Molly Lackey, readers will learn that in order to know themselves, they must first know Jesus Christ.

“Our status before the almighty God in eternity is defined by Jesus, and our own awareness of ourselves is defined by how we think about Jesus,” writes Lackey. “In order to know ourselves, we must first know Christ.”

“Molly Lackey helps us live life (as well as face death) by examining ourselves in light of who Christ is and what He has done for us,” says Rev. Dr. Kevin Golden, associate professor of exegetical theology, Concordia Seminary St. Louis. “Plumbing the central truths of Scripture in eminently accessible fashion, she leads her readers to know themselves as God knows them in Christ. She faithfully teaches that life examined in light of Christ is worth living now and for eternity.”

Drawing from Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, Confessing Jesus helps readers confidently answer five questions: Who is Jesus? What did Jesus do? Where is Jesus now? When is Jesus coming back? Why did Jesus do all this? Lackey’s goal with these questions is to show readers “the real, comforting presence of Jesus, the heart of what it means to be Christian, especially as a Lutheran,” writes Lackey. 
“It is a book by a layperson, for other laypeople, which I hope will spark a deeper understanding and appreciation for who Jesus is.”

For more information on Confessing Jesus: The Heart of Being a Lutheran or to order the book, please visit books.cph.org/confessing-jesus. Contact Erica Sontag, Public Relations Specialist, for more information or to schedule an interview with the author.  

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About the Author

Molly Lackey is a wife, author, and historian. Raised outside of Los Angeles and transplanted to north Alabama her senior year of high school, she was a teenage convert to the Lutheran Church who immediately fell in love with the original Evangelicals’ teachings and history. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History, German, and Latin from the University of Alabama and a Master of Arts in Early Modern European History from Saint Louis University. Molly enjoys drawing, reading, and drinking tea with her husband, Jonathan.

What Others Are Saying

Socrates faced death, saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Molly Lackey helps us live life (as well as face death) by examining ourselves in light of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Plumbing the central truths of Scripture in eminently accessible fashion, she leads her readers to know themselves as God knows them in Christ. She faithfully teaches that life examined in light of Christ is worth living now and for eternity.

—Rev. Dr. Kevin Golden, associate professor of exegetical theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis 
 

Catechesis in the Church can sometimes be reduced to making sure a person can define the “big words” we use on Sundays, but in our world of chaos and confusion, Molly very simply puts forward the truth of your identity as being found in Jesus and in Him alone. Who is Jesus and why does His work matter, you ask? Confessing Jesus does exactly that: it candidly confesses Jesus—His life, death, and resurrection—and grounds your life and hope in Him. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, Confessing Jesus is helpful for individual study or groups.

—Rev. John Bussman, senior pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School, Cullman, AL 
 

Whether you’ve been Lutheran for one year, eighty years, or anywhere in between, Molly presents our core theology of “Jesus for you” in an engaging, relatable, and honest way. She retells our story of salvation with toe-holds for every reader, with a beautifully clear exposition of Law and Gospel. In our rapidly changing culture and sometimes overwhelmingly confusing world, Molly’s words about who we are in Christ and His creation bring a delightful and introspective pause in order to refocus on what Christ has done for us, why that’s a big deal, and how we can rest in Him.

—Sarah Gulseth, digital media specialist, KFUO Radio 
 

A lot of energy is being spent in our current culture to know one’s identity. Things become even more problematic when individuals turn inward for answers. This is why Mrs. Lackey’s book, Confessing Jesus, is so incredibly pertinent, timely, and helpful. With a refreshing writing style, combined with a deep knowledge of Scripture, culture, and history, Mrs. Lackey turns a searching culture outward to the who, what, where, when, and why of Jesus. But how does confessing Jesus address identity? Mrs. Lackey wonderfully answers this in the pages of Confessing Jesus, saying, “To know ourselves, we must first know Christ.” Indeed, Mrs. Lackey’s gem of a book gets all of us to the core of our identity—hearing and knowing how Jesus defines us.

—Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Minot, ND, and author of Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? 12 False Christs and Minute Messages: Gospel-Filled Devotions for Every Occasion