Scripture First

We're discussing the very familiar lectionary text for Christmas Day in today's episode: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.  As you'll hear Adam, Kiri, and Mason ask Sarah Stenson, we can roll over the incredible...

The Gospel of Matthew opens with Joseph finding out that his fiancé is with child from the Holy Spirit and is planning to call off the engagement quietly. That is until an angel intervenes and appeared to Joseph in a dream.  Luther House of Study's Nick Hopman teaches Adam, Kiri and Mason about how the virgin birth isn't the most fundamental aspect in this passage, the significance of th...

After saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God" and having a front row seat to Jesus' baptism, John the Baptist is in prison and second guessing if Jesus is the Messiah. Sarah Stenson explains how this is a great preaching text because John the Baptist needs a preacher—and so do we.  Jesus says in this week's lectionary reading, "This is the one about whom it is written, 'See...

We meet a wild man in the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." We're joined by Luther House of Study's Lars Olson, who teaches us the definition of repentance and what it means that the kingdom of heaven *has already* come near.  Repentance happens to you. You are repented. Encountering God's kingdom completely changes your li...

It's the first Sunday of Advent and we hear a text about how no one knows what day when our Lord is coming, but we're supposed to keep awake and be ready.  Dr. Chris Croghan joins Adam Guthmiller, Kiri Haugen and Mason Van Essen to explain that Advent isn't a time of preparation like many of us mistake it to be. Instead, it's a celebration of what Jesus already did for us on th...

We welcome Luther House of Study's Nick Hopman back to Scripture First to discuss the text for Christ the King Sunday: Jesus on the cross between two criminals at His crucifixion.  The Messiah is supposed to be glorious. Yet, here Jesus is. Hanging on the cross. In fact, people all around Christ are tempting Him to be the glorious Messiah and save Himself.  But He doesn't. He takes on th...

Jesus tells his apostles that the temple—the opulent landmark of the day—is going to be destroyed and natural disasters, plagues and wars are coming their way. Oh, and they will be hated because of Jesus' name. Hearing this, it can be jarring hearing that this is the Gospel of our Lord.  Sarah Stenson joins Adam Guthmiller, Kiri Haugen, and Mason Van Essen to discuss how a text like this can...

It's All Saints Sunday, so we ask our guest this week—Lars Olson—what is All Saints Day, why do we celebrate it, and what actually is a saint? His answer helps us understand what Jesus is saying in this week's lectionary text: the Sermon on the Plain.  You are made a saint when the Holy Spirit gives you the promise from Christ that says you are forgiven. You are made holy in this promise...

Jesus says, in today's lectionary text, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  This caused Adam and Mason to ask questions like: How do you continue in Jesus' word? What actually is the truth?  Sarah Stenson and Dr. Chris Croghan teach us that abiding in Jesus' word is something that happens...

We're tackling the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in today's conversation as Jesus continues to illustrated what he meant in saying, "Whoever seeks to preserve their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life will keep it."  Two men go to the temple to pray, one who thinks they're excellent at the law and another who pleads to God to be merciful.  Sarah...

In today's lectionary text, Jesus tells us a parable about our need to pray always and not lose heart. We are commanded to pray always. In fact, prayer is a need, but we lose heart and become weary assuming it requires us to be in a constant meditative trace, head to a monastery, or always have our hands folded and our heads bowed. As Lars teaches Adam and I when we ask, "How do we pray...

Ten lepers approach Jesus and call out asking him to have mercy on them. Jesus makes them clean and one of the ten lepers turns back to thank and praise Jesus.  This spurred a great conversation with Luther House's Sarah Stenson as Adam, Kiri and Mason asked:  What is a leper? Is mercy something you seek? What does it mean for your faith to make you well? Spoiler alert: when Jesus healed the...

In this week's Gospel reading, we hear the disciples say to Jesus, "Lord, increase our faith!" only to have Jesus spout back, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed..." Kiri and I ask Dr. Chris Croghan, "Is faith something you can have more or less of?" Dr. Croghan teaches us in this week's conversation that faith is categorical. You either have it or...

Jesus tells a story about a rich man and poor man named Lazarus. They both die and Lazarus was taken up to Abraham and the rich man was sent to be tormented in Hades.  He begs for mercy, but Abraham informs him there is a great chasm between them that cannot be crossed. The rich man then begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, but Abraham replies they have Moses and the prophets.  There...

We welcome Lars Olson back to the podcast to discuss the Parable of the Dishonest Manager. A wealthy man's manager is squandering his property and is promptly fired. Before word gets out that he was fired, the manager goes to the wealthy man's business associates to transfer debts from his former employer to himself in exchange for favors.  In our conversation, we talk about how cutting...

In this week's text, Jesus tells tax collectors and sinners one of His most well-known parables: the Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Sarah Stenson teaches us that all parables are about election. What's a better demonstration of this than God seeking a lost sinner, putting us on His shoulder, and rejoicing at the lost sheep receiving grace.  We also break down verse seven that says, "7...

It's official: the Luther House of Study team has made its way through the entire lectionary as this week's text is the text we discussed on episode one three years ago.  Jesus uses strong language in this week's text when he said, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple....

Yet again, the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus in the law. What better place to trap him in the law then where societal rules and norms are most scrutinized: a dinner party.  Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees by telling them a parable about a wedding banquet that shines a spotlight on how their behavior—at the very dinner party they invited Jesus to—is firmly self-serving and ultimately s...

For the first time on Scripture First, we welcome Luther House of Study's newest professor, Nick Hopman, to the podcast to discuss a passage in Luke where Jesus heals a woman of a spirit that had crippled her for 18 years.  The leader of the synagogue takes issue with Jesus' actions because he healed her on the sabbath. Nick breaks down what is the law, how Jesus' Word brings a perm...

Jesus is called the Lamb of God, Mighty Counselor, and the Prince of Peace. How then do we understand the opening verse to this week's text where Jesus doesn't sound very peace giving in saying, "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" In this week's conversation, Sarah Stenson teaches us what it means that Jesus came to bring judgement...

When we hear parables and texts like this week's lectionary passage in Luke, we often hear them as imperatives or telling us what to do or how to live our lives.  When you hear the text in this week's podcast episode, pay attention to how you react to it.  Does your heart automatically think how to accomplish what's being asked?  Dr. Chris Croghan teaches us that God doesn't op...

Does planning for the future mean you don't trust that God will provide?  Spoiler alert: It's about where your heart is. Are you worshipping the created thing or the Creator? The abundance of your life comes from God, not from the treasure that you've stored up for yourself.  Inheritance, money and greed are all incredibly important topics in this week's podcast episode.  Adam,...

In this week's lectionary text, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus delivers. The result? The incredible Lord's Prayer. Adam, Kiri and Mason ask Lars: What is prayer, anyway?  Are we commanded to pray?  Do "muscle memory" prayers like the Lord's Prayer or Come, Lord Jesus function the same as original prayers? You'll hear Lars explain the purpose of p...

Are you a Martha or are you a Mary? In this week's lectionary text, Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet listening to His Word. Martha is doing the opposite: she's frantically busy with all of her other tasks.  Sarah Stenson and Dr. Chris Croghan explain how the depiction of Mary and Martha show us how the law and the gospel function on your conscience and what you should look for in your...

You may have heard of this week's famous parable: the parable of the Good Samaritan. A lawyer, in the most lawyerly way, asks Jesus the million dollar question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" It's the question we all want to know the answer to too. And as you'll hear in the lawyer's response, we hear what the law says we must do to inherit eternal life, and...