Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

Begin studying the Sacrament of the Altar, including what it is, what we learn from the Words of Institution, the importance of the word “true” body and blood, how these words challenge the Protestant teaching that bread and wine are symbols, explanation of "consubstantiation," and how the benefits which were obtained by Christ on the cross are now delivered to us in the Sacrament. Rev. Mark Bestu...

Learn about the Office of the Keys, including why we even call it that, why we have pastors if the whole Church possesses the Office of the Keys, the biblical qualifications for the pastoral office, and the comfort we have knowing that the pastor is God’s appointed minister to us. Rev. Mark Bestul, Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Offi...

We dig deeper into the Confession of Sins, including discussion about what sins we should confess, if we confess directly to God or to a pastor (or both), and the distinction between general confession in a worship service and private confession. Learn more about the blessing of private confession and absolution, why it's important to confess the "little sins" as much as the "big sins," and how we...

We continue discussion on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and living a Baptized life. Hear about what baptizing with water indicates, what this washing with water means for one's daily life, what happens to the old Adam in Baptism, and how the baptismal life is a continual return to Baptism. Also learn why it's appropriate to talk about Confession simply as our Baptized life, why Luther accents Abso...

We dive deeper into the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Study what benefits baptism gives, why it's important to talk about forgiveness as something actually happening before God, how the language and image of adoption helps us understand the benefits of baptism, how baptizing with water does such great things, how faith is connected to Baptism, and how the imagery of birth fits with Baptism. Rev. Mark...

In discussing the Chief Parts, we now discuss the Means of Grace and Sacraments in particular. Hear what we believe is a Sacrament in our Lutheran doctrine and how this is different from Roman Catholics, Protestants, and American Evangelicals. Then, start learning about Baptism specifically, including what Baptism is and what the benefits are. Rev. Mark Bestul, Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in...

We now move into the next part of the Small Catechism on Baptism, Confession & Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper. Learn how the first three chief parts (10 Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and Lord’s Prayer) relate and transition into the final three chief parts (Baptism, Confession & Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper). Also consider what we mean when we say the word “faith,” what our Lutheran under...

We complete the Lord's Prayer in this episode. Regarding the 6th Petition, consider sources of temptation and God's promises in the face of temptation. In the 7th Petition, learn how it is a prayer against Satan and where our help against evil comes from. In the Conclusion, hear whether the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer is original, if it is faithful and appropriate for Christians to pray this d...

We move into the 5th Petition of the Lord's Prayer and learn how Christ teaches us in this petition that our one great need is the forgiveness of sins. Consider also what distinction should be made between the prayer for the forgiveness of sins and the reception of the forgiveness of sins (as with the Sacraments). Does this petition mean that God forgives conditionally? Should we forgive everyone,...

We continue in our discussion of the Lord's Prayer in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Petitions. Finishing out the 2nd Petition, consider how rejoicing in God’s kingdom is simply being the beneficiary of it. In the 3rd Petition, hear about the importance of the two tones Luther takes between the Small and Large Catechisms on this petition, what “God’s Kingdom care” for His Church and His people looks like,...

We've gone over the overview of The Lord's Prayer, so now we begin studying the text and meaning of the prayer. In the Introduction, consider how the Lord’s prayer remind us of the First Commandment and shows us that the God of the First Commandment (and 1st Article of the Creed) is one we can not only “fear,” but also “love and trust”. In the First Petition, hear about the importance of the term...

We begin studying the Lord's Prayer in our series on The Catechized Life. In this introduction and overview of the Lord's Prayer, we consider how the Lord’s Prayer fits in with and builds on the first two chief parts, the 10 Commandments & Creed. Also, we discuss what prayer is, why we should be careful talking about prayers as a “conversation” with God, and how we rightly understand prayer. Rev....

We've studied the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed to learn about the nature and work of Jesus Christ, and now we study the First and Third Articles. Regarding the First Article, consider the significance of the words “believe” and “in” and what they confess about our faith in the Triune God and why the First Article is the “forgotten article” of the 20th century in the Western World. Regardi...

We begin studying the Apostles' Creed by starting with the Second Article. Why do we start studying our beliefs about our Trinitarian God in the Second Article instead of the First Article? What do Jesus' titles teach us about Him and His nature? Where do we find defense of Christ's divine nature in the Scriptures? What do we confess about the work of Christ for our salvation, and why do we have t...

We are transitioning from the 10 Commandments to the Apostles' Creed in the Small Catechism. The 10 Commandments teach us God’s good and holy will, and thereby “always accuse us” because we see our sin is ever before us and ever preventing us from being the solution to the Separation Syndrome. So, where does help come from? The protoevangelium (“the first Gospel”) from Genesis 3:15 leads us to fin...

Complete the catechism lesson on the 10 Commandments today. Regarding the 7th Commandment, consider how this commandment teaches us how God feels about personal private property and how we reconcile our understanding of the 7th Commandment and different socioeconomic theories. Regarding the 8th Commandment, think about how much does reputation matter in our lives, how this commandment instructs us...

We have arrived to the middle of the commandments, studying the 5th and 6th on this episode. Regarding the 5th commandment, hear what the 5th Commandment teaches us about our bodies on this earth and our nature as created beings, how the commandment still convicts us even if we haven't intentionally physically harmed our neighbor, where we see examples of the 5th Commandment being broken and uphel...

The 3rd and 4th Commandments transition us from the 1st Table to the 2nd Table of the Law. What does it mean to rest in the Lord, and how is everything made holy by the Word of God? How does the 4th Commandment relate to the 3rd and transition to the 2nd Table? Where does authority come from, and what are the various estates of authority according to the 4th Commandment? Rev. Mark Bestul, Pastor o...

How does understanding the Separation Syndrome help one's initial response to the opening of the Ten Commandments? The First Commandment teaches us to have no other gods.  Do we generate false gods or idols for ourselves? What is the joy of the First Commandment? What does the Second Commandment teach us about our God?  Rev. Mark Bestul, Pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, joins...

If we believe that God's Word is true history and that God created everything "according to its kind" and is "good" in His eyes, how did we get the mess we live in today? How does the Fall, as recorded in Genesis 3, result in separations in multiple domains such as theological, psychological, sociological, ecological, and physiological? How are these separations addressed? How is the depth of sin...

As Lutherans, we confess the truths we find in our Catechism, but we also live in a world that has a hard time accepting the notion of objective truth. Why are Jesus’ claims of “Truth” an important fundamental principle for Christian defense of the Scripture — and thus our entry into the Catechism? What do we learn from the true story of creation in Genesis 1 & 2 that help us understand the Catech...

As Lutherans we love our hymnody, but what makes hymns particularly Lutheran? How do hymns point us even more to Scripture, and  how can we use them devotionally? And, on the creative side, how does a Lutheran hymnwriter create a hymn that is both beautiful poetry and also doctrinally rich? Rev. Stephen Starke, Lutheran Hymn Writer of over 200 hymns (including 32 in the Lutheran Service book) and...

We sing hymns every Sunday, and hopefully throughout our daily lives. But, what actually is a hymn? Is it just a fancy word for song? Hear this delightful conversation about the purpose of hymnody, where we find scriptural basis for singing hymns in worship services, how we use hymns in the life of the congregation, how music and text work together in hymnody, and what makes our Lutheran hymnody s...

This entire show is about the Lutheran Confessions, and we encourage you to study and learn them. Today we ask, why and how? Why are these Lutheran Confessions so important to us? How can we incorporate them into our daily lives, and what are the benefits of taking these Confessions to heart? Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; Rev. Mark Bestul, Pastor of Ca...

The role of a pastor in a congregation is of utmost importance: forgiving sins in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. Where do we find this function of a pastor in our confessions, and how do our confessions give us certainty in this forgiveness? And, what about the priesthood of all believers? Why does concord matter for the function of the pastoral office, that authorized forg...