'A Man Named Martin' Reformation Video Series

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is less than a week away and what a better way to begin preparing to celebrate the occasion than to delve deeper into the story of the Reformation with A Man Named Martin, a F-R-E-E video-based Bible study series from Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM).

 

Experience The Story Of The Reformation Anew With Free Video Series From LHM 

“In this Bible study, Luther’s life and times are examined through the lens of history, religion and theology,” notes promotional material for the series. “Expanding on commentary from Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour, numerous scholars add their expertise and perspective to render an illuminating portrait of the life of this extraordinary human being… A Man named Martin is a fresh and explorative look at an individual who, down through the centuries, has increased in importance and vitality to the Christian church.” 

There are three segments in the video series: Part 1: The Man, Part 2: The Moment, and Part 3: The Movement. Part 1: The Man introduces viewers to the person of Martin Luther, a 15th century religious reformer from Germany who broke ranks with the Catholic Church. Part 2: The Moment examines the errant teachings and wayward traditions of the late medieval Church which sparked the Protestant Reformation, a theological overhaul set in motion by the publication of Luther’s 95 Theses. Part 3: The Movement traces how the Reformation transformed European society and eventually left a profound impression around the globe. 

The three Parts are subsequently broken down into smaller sessions, providing enough video material for several weeks of group study in each Part. Alternately, viewers can enjoy each of the three Parts as a self-contained film. 

You can watch the entire study of A Man Named Martin online for free on LHM’s website. See Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. The website includes additional resources and links to complement each session. 

You can also buy the series on DVD through the Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada. Each DVD comes with a discussion guide to help groups gain even more from these well-received documentary studies. Congregations looking for ways to share the story of the Reformation with the community around them can also purchase the LHM booklet A Treasure Revealed: Martin Luther and the Events of the Reformation (in English, French, and Spanish) as well as the booklet What Lutherans Believe (in English, French, and Chinese).

What can viewers expect and look forward to?

Viewers encounter a 15th-century religious reformer from Germany who broke ranks with the Catholic Church. This Bible study is the first of a three-part series devoted to Martin Luther -- a monk whose Spirit-inspired grasp of God's justification of sinners through faith in the Savior was the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation. 

In this five-session Bible study, Luther's life and times are examined through the lens of history, religion and theology. Expanding on commentary from Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour, numerous scholars add their expertise and perspective to render an illuminating portrait of the life of this extraordinary human being. 

The influence and impact of Luther's life is the stuff of serious study. As a forlorn sinner feeling lost and desperate before a stern and exacting Judge, Luther desponded of all hope for eternity. But as one who came to cling to the Spirit-delivered truths of justification by faith and the liberty believers experience by God's grace, he rebounded to become a triumphant ambassador for the Gospel. 

The details of Luther's life -- his childhood with his parents Hans and Margaret, his university pursuits, his decision to become a monk, his protestation of Catholic practices, his voluminous and erudite scholastic output, his life in hiding, and his roles as husband and father -- are all considered in this study. A Man Named Martin is a fresh and explorative look at an individual who, down through the centuries, has increased in importance and vitality to the Christian church. 

To this day, Luther's staunch faith and the extent of his outreach, remain a standard for Christ-centered living to believers in the 21st-century.

Personally, I'm excited to start this series myself this week.

Luther's life and times have always fascinated me, but I've never really made the time to commit to an actual study of both since becoming a Confessional Lutheran a few years ago.

Here are some quick promo videos and links for you...

A Man Named Martin - Part 1: The Man 

In A Man Named Martin - Part 1: The Man viewers encounter a 15th-century religious reformer from Germany who broke ranks with the Catholic Church. This Bible study is the first of a three-part series devoted to Martin Luther -- a monk whose Spirit-inspired grasp of God's justification of sinners through faith in the Savior was the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation.

A Man Named Martin - Part 2: The Moment 

A Man Named Martin-Part 2: The Moment examines the errant teachings and wayward traditions of the Late Medieval Church that eventually sparked the Protestant Reformation, a theological overhaul set in motion most notably by Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg.

A Man Named Martin - Part 3: The Movement 

From Luther's 95 Theses in 1517 to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, God was at work in the Reformation. Fierce debates over Scripture, church doctrine, and late medieval church practice led to theological positions articulating salvation as God's grace in action, with man being left to add nothing to his own salvation. In A Man Named Martin - Part 3: The Movement, viewers will see how the Reformation transformed European society and, eventually, left a profound impression around the globe.

Set aside your preconceive notions of Martin Luther, The Reformation, and Lutherans and make some time to sit down to watch this exceptionally produced documentary.

Better yet, take this journey through history to learn how we rediscovered the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

In a Lutheran layman's terms, A Man Named Martin will give you a new appreciation for how God used one mere man to call Christ's Church to repentance and faithfulness.



NOTE: Please understand that I'm not a called and ordained minister of God's Word and Sacraments. I'm a layman or just your average everyday Christian, Corporate Recruiter, Husband, Father, Friend who lives in the "City of Good Neighbors" here on the East Coast. As another Christian Blogger once wrote, "Please do not see this blog as me attempting to 'publicly teach' the faith, but view it as an informal Public Journal of sorts about my own experiences and journey, and if any of my notes here help you in any way at all, then I say, 'Praise the Lord!' but please do double check them against the Word of God and with your own Pastor." To be more specific, and relevant to the point I want to make with this disclaimer/note, please understand that I'm a relatively new convert to "Confessional Lutheranism" and one who recently escaped an American-Evangelical-Non-Denominational mindset a little more than 4 years ago now despite being a Christian my whole life. That being said, please contact me ASAP if you believe that any of my "old beliefs" seem to have crept their way back into any of the material you see published here, and especially if any of the content is inconsistent with the Bible, our Confessions, and Lutheran doctrine in general (in other words, if it's not consistent with God's Word, which our Confessions merely summarize and repeatedly point us back to over and over again) so that I can not only correct those errors immediately and not lead any of His little ones astray (James 3:1), but repent of my sin and learn the whole truth myself. With that in mind, please be aware that you might also discover that some of the earlier/older pieces I wrote for this blog back in 2013 definitely fall into that "Old Evangelical Adam" category (and they don't have a disclaimer like this) since I was a "Lutheran-In-Name-Only" at the time and was completely oblivious to the fact that a Christian "Book of Concord" even existed (Small/Large Catechism? What's that!?!). This knowledge of the Lutheran basics was completely foreign to me even though I was baptized, confirmed, and married in an LCMS church! So, there are some entries that are a little "out there" so-to-speak since the subject matter was also heavily influenced by those old beliefs of mine. I know that now and I'm still learning. Anyway, I decided to leave those published posts up on this website and in cyberspace only because they are not blasphemous/heretical, because I now have this disclaimer, and only to demonstrate the continuing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 1:6). Most importantly, please know that any time I engage in commenting on and/or interpreting a specific portion of the holy Scriptures, it will always closely follow the verse-by-verse footnotes from my Lutheran Study Bible and/or include references to the Book of Concord unless otherwise noted. Typically, I will defer to what other Lutheran Pastors both past and present have already preached and taught about such passages since they are the called and ordained under-shepherds of our souls here on earth. Finally, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the length of most entries (this disclaimer/note is a perfect example of what I mean! haha). I'm well aware that blogs should be short, sweet, and to the point, but I've never been one to follow the rules when it comes to writing. Besides, this website is more like a "Christian Dude's Diary" in the sense that everything I write about and share publicly isn't always what's "popular" or "#trending" at the time, but is instead all the things that I'm studying myself at the moment. For better or for worse, these posts tend to be much longer than most blog entries you'll find elsewhere only because I try to pack as much info as possible into a single piece so that I can refer to it again and again over time if I need to (and so that it can be a valuable resource for others -- if possible, a "One-Stop-Shop" of sorts). Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for your time, help, and understanding. Feel free to comment/email me at any time. Grace and peace to you and yours!