Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

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...

We talk about the resurrection of Christ all the time, and we celebrate this every Sunday. But on Easter Sunday, we pull out all the stops and celebrate this critical event in our salvation story. What do we really confess when we talk about Christ's resurrection, and where do we find these beliefs in our Lutheran Confessions? Why is this resurrection so important for us? Find the print by artist...

It's not just hard to understand that Jesus Christ is, at the same time, God and man.  Jesus is both perfect God and perfect man, and it's difficult for sinners to understand a perfect man - but that's exactly who Jesus Christ is, and He's perfect God as well!  Our reason and logic can't contain God, but we read the Scriptures to say as much as Scripture reveals about God as we can. Rev. David Obe...

You probably don't have the Athanasian Creed memorized.  It's long and very, very specific, saying certain things about God but being careful not to go beyond what God says to us in Scripture.  Our faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity as we repeat the truths that God has shown us about His Triune being. Rev. Dr. Geoff Boyle of Grace and Trinity Lutheran Churches i...

"God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, of the same substance as the Father."  Those big words mean something very specific about our Lord Jesus, the Son of God.  But they aren't just big words to impress.  Those words confess that it is God Himself who saves us.  Our salvation and our forgiveness isn't the work of a mere man, but God in the flesh.  The Holy Spirit, also God, delivers t...

In the first several hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Christians were being challenged for their faith and were even being put to death for believing in Jesus Christ and not in any other gods or saying that the Roman Caesar was divine.  Centuries later, this creed still matters, confessing our Triune God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who entered time in His incarnation and lef...

What do we mean when we talk about Catechesis, and what does the Bible say about it? Is the Bible "just enough" to teach the faith? What role do our Confessions play in teaching the faith honestly and in line with the historic church? Why do Lutherans care so much about Catechesis? Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, Pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, Minnesota joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss ho...

Does a deep love of our Lutheran confessions help or hinder our love for our neighbors? How does engaging with the Book of Concord help us better engage with our neighbor? What do our Confessions teach us about who our neighbors are and how we can love them in Christ? Rev. David Wiist, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Evansville, Indiana, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss why concord mat...

What does it mean to live a baptized life? We know this doctrine very well as Lutherans, but what does it look like to live this daily? How does someone use the Catechism in daily life? Rev. Mark Bestul, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss how concord matters for our baptismal lives.

Why should children be involved in the church, and how can parents and church workers help children understand what's going on in the Divine Service? Where do we learn about training up children in the Divine Service in our Lutheran Confessions? Find the resources talked about in this episode at lcms.org/worship/kids-in-the-divine-service. Rev. Christopher Thoma, Senior Pastor at Our Savior Evange...

How does Lutheran education serve as an extension of catechesis and a faithful Christian home? Where do our Lutheran confessions speak to education and the role parents play in this education? What did formal education look like during Luther's time, and how is it similar and different to how Christian education looks today in our American context? Rev. Robert Paul, Associate Pastor and Headmaster...

What do we mean when we talk about Catechesis, and what does the Bible say about it? Is the Bible "just enough" to teach the faith? What role do our Confessions play in teaching the faith honestly and in line with the historic church? Why do Lutherans care so much about Catechesis? Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, Pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, Minnesota joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss ho...

What does Scripture and our Confessions say about marriage, family, and the household estate? What does it mean to be a "confessional family," and what is the purpose of a Lutheran Christian family in the world? Rev. John Hill, President of the LCMS Wyoming District, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss how we understand the family in Scripture and our Lutheran Confessions.