Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

Studying the Lutheran Confessions means listening, learning, and living God’s grace in Christ.  We are not only taught how to confess, but we are grounded in our identity in Christ to live as new creations. The Concordians were determined that faithful doctrine would bring salvation to those who heard the Word, enabling them to fully know the Truth of God, including original sin, salvation, the sa...

What does it mean to confess the faith? Put simply, it means that God speaks and we speak back what He says! To confess the faith is to speak the Truth of the whole Bible, fight against anything counter to that Truth, and by so doing, become a source of comfort for fellow believers (Heb. 10:23). Lutherans around the world walk together with a common confession because it is in accordance with Scri...

The Treatise confesses that the Church has been instituted by Christ. This confession gives us a basic understanding of how the Church will operate: not according to our own interests, but according to the LORD’s desires as revealed in His Word. We believe, teach, and confess that Christ is the head of the Church, not a man. Each pastor is given the divine right to preach the Gospel, administer th...

The subscribers of the Treatise publicly confessed that the Lord had given the Church to call, elect, and ordain qualified ministers for the office of the Ministry.  The subscribers affirmed that the Pope had no divine right to universal supremacy over the Church as Christ and Christ alone is head. Thanks be to God that the confession of the subscribers of the 16th century is still our confession...

The Office of the Keys, the power to forgive and retain sins, has been given to the Church. This is why the Church has the right to elect and ordain qualified ministers. When one decides that the Church no longer has this authority, no matter their position, they are outside of the Lord’s calling and are not to be followed. The Reformers began to elect and ordain their own ministers to assure that...

The authority of ministers consists in preaching the Gospel, forgiving sins, administering the sacraments, and excommunicating persons guilty of public sins. The Church, as she possesses the office of the keys, has the right to call and ordain qualified pastors. Bishops have traditionally overseen the ordination of ministers, but they cannot deprive congregations a pastor due to unbiblical additio...

Your public confession matters. Melancthon warns that the public confession in the Roman Catholic Church is filled with abuses of the papacy, indulgences, invocation of saints, and celibacy of the priests. He explains that these abuses hide Christ’s glory and rob consciences of firm consolation. As the Church battles through the questions of the day, she calls out sin and lack of faith as the LORD...

The Gospel appears to be foolishness to the world. After all, we follow a Savior who wore a crown of thorns and was ridiculed in royal purple. Our old Adam desires to garner power and authority. Yet the Word is clear that Christian righteousness is not belonging to an outward form. The LORD changes our hearts to faith in Christ’s righteousness no matter the outward manifestation. The declarations...

Every congregation possesses the office of the keys, that is, the power to retain and forgive sins. This authority was not provided for the sake of power as the world sees it, but as a spiritual power to provide the full gifts of Christ to repentant sinners. We believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, when they forgive and retain sins, it is as certain a...

In this crossover episode for Sharathon 2026, the saints of the Lutheran Ladies Lounge join us to joyfully reflect on the peace we have in Christ, the clarity of the Gospel, and of course, dig into a few hymns. Lutheran Ladies Lounge members Sarah Gulseth, Erin Alter, and Rachel Bomberger join Rev. Brady Finnern for a special Sharathon edition of Concord Matters. Find your copy of the Book of Conc...

The testimony of Scripture and the early Church do not support the Roman Bishop’s sole authority over the universal Church. Not only would it be impossible for one man to oversee every church, ordination, and doctrinal issue, but Scripture shows us that hope for the Church is founded in Christ’s oversight. When interpreting Matthew 16:18, “upon this rock”, the emphasis was not on Peter, but on the...

The papacy claims that one man is above all other pastors, his authority is in both Church and state, and everyone must acknowledge his authority in the Church in order to receive salvation.  Melancthon carefully addresses each of these claims according to Scripture while acknowledging the inconsistencies found in the Church’s history.  It is written by the LORD that each pastor is on equal footin...

In 1537, Philip Melancthon addressed the erroneous belief that the Papacy was required for salvation.  The Gospel is not dependent on a certain human bureaucracy but only on the merits of Christ. The Pope is famously referred to as the Anti-Christ, which is difficult for our modern ears to hear; however, as we believe in the Truth of God’s Word, we confess to our hope being dependent on the cross...

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...