Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

The Large Catechism was written like a sermon for the instruction of pastors and the laity. Almost 500 years later, the Church continues to be blessed by the simple, yet robust teaching as it preserves the Truth for generations to come. God’s Word forms the foundation of each part of the Catechism so that every person who reads, marks, and inwardly digests these riches always asks, “Is that being...

The Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of your Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. In this holy Sacrament, Christ graciously delivers to believers all the treasures of heaven: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. He invites weary sinners to come and find rest in Him. This gift is holy, divine, and given for you. We need not fe...

“Do this in remembrance of me” is a gracious invitation for the New Adam. As disciples of Christ, we joyfully receive this gift for forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. In faith, we receive the Lord’s Supper often, not making excuses, but clinging to the promises of Christ. Following His command to receive this gift, we examine our hearts and consciences and seek to be right with God. He give...

The body and blood of Christ is food for the soul that nourishes and strengthens the new man. As the baptized endure through their battle with the old Adam and the devil, the Sacrament provides daily sustenance and strength. The fruit of the Sacrament of the Altar is the Gospel for the Christian so that we may grow in faith, love, and holiness. In faith, we receive peace with God through His forgi...

We receive in the Sacrament exactly what Jesus tells us: the body and blood of Christ for our forgiveness. Martin Luther wanted to ensure that all who received the Sacrament understood and valued the gifts of Christ as they partook. He asked three important questions: What is the Lord’s Supper? What are the benefits? Who is to receive it? These questions are answered in a simple, thorough manner,...

The Christian life is nothing other than a daily Baptism. Baptism does not just happen to us; by it, the Lord transforms us by death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). We walk in our Baptism each day by living in repentance and the gracious forgiveness found in Christ. The Lord enables our faith to flourish as we mortify the flesh (Romans 8:13), turning to Him and trusting that His forgiveness in Ch...

We believe that Baptism is for all ages. Since Baptism is commanded for all nations (Matthew 28:19) and gives us the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39), we trust in the power of the Word as opposed to ourselves. The Word has power whether a person is 99 years or one day old. The Word does not become inconsistent or incompatible due to our response. We baptize for the sake of following Christ’s command and...

The power, work, profit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is this—to save (Colossians 1:13-14; John 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21). The water is not mere water, but a life-giving fount for those who believe. Our identity is not as one who was baptized, but as one who is baptized into Christ and saved in body and soul. Although “new spirits” will desire to question the validity and efficacy of our Baptism, we cli...

To understand Baptism is to keep the simple words of Scripture. Jesus commands Baptism (Matthew 28:19), Baptism is divine by water and the Word (Titus 3:5-8), Baptism brings salvation (Mark 16:6), and Jesus works through Baptism (Romans 6:1-4). In Baptism, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ. Through the most powerful Triune name of the Lord, we have the assurance that His grace...

The devil is actively working in this world against the Word of God. He wants nothing more than for us to ignore the Word, hold onto a guilty conscience over our sins, and to question the full sufficiency of Christ’s cross. “Your will be done and not the devil’s!” is our prayer without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). The Lord gives us prayer as a gift to be able to say with confidence, “Amen”,...

Temptations are always before us. Temptation comes through the world, the flesh, and the devil. Although Christians will be tempted until Christ returns or calls us home, Christ does not leave us defenseless. He provides us with the armor and weapons to fight and gives us the victory (Ephesians 6:10-18). While temptations face each one of us, the temptations themselves will vary for each person. I...

As it states in Genesis 6:5, the intentions and “thoughts of [our] heart[s] [are] only evil continually.” Without Christ’s forgiveness, we are sorely lost, thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. As those who are redeemed, we cling to the promise of His mercy and go joyfully to Him in prayer with nothing but the certain knowledge of the forgiveness of sins. We receive this forgiv...

“Our daily bread” encompasses everything we need for our lives here on earth. We give thanks to the Lord for all He gives to sustain this life, and we seek His grace for continued provision. In this petition, Luther especially highlights the need for good government for the sake of peace and protection. The Lord provides for all people, even those outside the Christian faith, and we pray that the...

We seek God’s will, but the devil’s will is the exact opposite. The Lord desires us to have no other gods; the devil’s will is that we have MANY gods. We look to the Lord for the Gospel, faith, and the Holy Spirit as we realize that there is a battle raging. An unbeliever has no battle because the Word is not heard, but for the baptized there is a struggle. The struggle, however, is not more power...

We ask for God’s kingdom to come among us. Where you find the kingdom, there you find the King (Jesus). Where you find the King (Jesus), there you find the kingdom. We ask that He would give us His Holy Spirit to believe His Word. An earthly kingdom is found by the work of its people and by force. God’s kingdom is found by the work of God in Christ and by His grace. His kingdom is seen now by the...

God’s name is holy, and we are to proclaim His Word faithfully and live holy lives according to it. We not only watch our language but intentionally use our words to call upon God’s Name in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks. “Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven!” We ask the LORD to keep us from speaking unholy words that do not glorify Him. “Protect us from this, heavenly Father!”...

Prayer is filled with promise. The Lord hears and answers us according to His gracious will. He provides us with the gift of the Lord’s Prayer, that we may confidently come to Him, knowing He will give us what we need. Our shelter and protection rests in our prayers as a weapon against the devil and the sinful world, not because of the prayers themselves, but because of the power of the One who he...

The Lord invites us to believe that He is our True Father and that we may ask anything of Him as dear children. We pray to our gracious God, clinging to His promises of salvation. It is only by Him that we can receive or do anything good. In obedience to the Lord’s command, we come to Him in prayer with every need of ours and the needs of others. Thanks be to God that He not only hears our prayers...

The Holy Spirit daily administers forgiveness and will continue to do so until the end. He increases holiness within the Christian Church that is not finished until Christ returns. There will be a time when forgiveness will no longer be needed. Until then, we see what we are to do as the baptized children of the Triune God who paid our ransom while still working on us. God continues to give Himsel...

The Holy Spirit makes one holy by His Word. Sanctification is the understanding that the Holy Spirit makes us holy and leads us to live a holy life. The Spirit creates faith in Christ and then gathers His people into the Church. In this Church, He continues to bring salvation to sinners by the Word and still makes them holy. This holiness is brought by the clear proclamation of forgiveness in Chri...

Jesus Christ is Lord. To be Lord is to redeem sinners from the devil, death, and all evil. We commonly hear the question, “Is Jesus your Savior AND your Lord?” Luther makes sure that we do not distinguish between Jesus’ salvation and His lordship but helps us realize that He is the full meal deal of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Jesus is our Savior and our Lord. He has made us His own, and we...

God the Father created heaven and earth; nothing and no one else is equal to Him. He constantly preserves us in all that we need to support this body and life. We humbly receive all that He gives and remember that He protects us from evil out Fatherly goodness and mercy. “Lord God, open our eyes that, in faith, we may remember that all we possess is a gift from You and give thanks for your goodnes...

The Creed confesses the truth of who God is (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and what He does (creates, redeems, and sanctifies). We can know the Lord fully (Ephesians 3:19) through the Creed, which provides a foundation that unites all Christians in the truth of Scripture. We see how we will receive power to fulfill these commands—only by God’s grace. We assert what God has provided in Scripture an...

The 10 Commandments are a true guide for believers in living according to God’s will as people redeemed by Christ. Luther warns against “self-made” commandments and instead uplifts the holiness of ordinary vocations. To fear and love God means more than awe or dread—it is recognizing that He is God and we are not! The Lord is a jealous God—One who desires all of us to be with Him. He provides us w...

The LORD gets right to the heart of the issues of stealing, adultery, and a whole slew of sins: coveting. Human instinct is to ensure that no one will have as much or more than me. Luther exhorts us to not only repent of these covetous thoughts, but to assist our neighbor in protecting and caring for his possessions. We see this commandment most often broken during disputes over inheritances and p...