Lutheran Reflections

In this special episode, we take a look at the current landscape of moral philosophy in the American Lutheran church. Is there such a thing as a "Lutheran Ethic?" If so, what does it look like, and how can Martin Luther and the other reformers help guide us in this area? All this and more in tonight's episode.

In this episode, we look at the Gospel reading for the 17th Sunday after Trinity, which is Luke 14:1-11. Here, Jesus is asked by the Pharisees if it is lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath. How is Jesus's answer to this question commonly misunderstood? What does it mean for us to keep the Sabbath day holy? Answers to these questions and more on tonight's episode.

In honor of the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we dispel some common misconceptions about angels, discuss their role in creation, and look at several Scripture verses that help us understand how we are to think about them.

In this episode, we discuss the Gospel reading for Trinity 15, which is Matthew 6:24-34. How does a love of money relate to being anxious? What is mammon, and how can it become our master? To answer these questions, we turn to excerpts from one of Martin Luther's sermons on this text.

In this episode, we discuss the origins of the Feast of the Holy Cross and read the Scriptures appointed for the day. We then discuss "The Theology of the Cross" vs. "The Theology of Glory" as explained by Gene Edward Veith.

In this episode, we discuss the Parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:23-37. Is this a teaching of Law, or Gospel? Who is our neighbor? We answer these questions and more as we talk through this popular parable.

In this episode, we celebrate the commemoration of St. Augustine of Hippo, discussing his life, legacy, and perhaps one of his most famous quotes: "our heart is restless until it rests in You."

This week, we look at the Gospel reading for the 11th Sunday after Trinity, which is Luke 18:9-14 (the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector). Why was the Tax Collector justified and not the Pharisee? Is humility a good work? We answer these questions and more as we discuss this text.

In honor of the August 15th celebration of the Feast of Mary, Mother of Our Lord, we discuss the some of the many ways that Lutherans talk about Mary, and how the Lutheran approach differs from other Christian traditions.

What is the difference between a heterodox belief and a heresy? How to heresies from the early church manifest themselves today? We answer these questions and more in this week's continued discussion about false prophets.

We returned to our live broadcast format this week after a 3 week hiatus. You can watch us live on our YouTube channel every Wednesday at 7:00pm ET.  Please visit LutheranReflections.org for more information.

In this final episode of the Sharing the Faith series, we conclude with a few more practical tips for sharing your faith with others, using Scripture as our guide. We discuss the importance of speaking truth lovingly, and offer a few resources that can help point others toward Christ.

In the penultimate episode of our Sharing the Faith series, we look at some practical ways of talking about our faith with others that are rooted in Scripture. We discuss how understanding a few key verses gives us a framework for effectively sharing our faith without gimmicks or scripts.

In this installment of our Sharing the Faith series, we discuss the distinction between Law and Gospel, and how this distinction informs the way we share our faith with others.

In this episode, we continue our Sharing the Faith series by discussing the different ways God has revealed himself to his people, and how we can use these different kinds of revelations as we share our faith.

To Everything a Season can be watched live on our YouTube channel every Wednesday at 7:00pm ET. Feel free to ask questions during our live broadcast, or send an email to lutheranreflections@gmail.com  Links Website: LutheranReflections.org YouTube: Click here to access our YouTube channel.  

In this second installment of our Sharing the Faith series, we discuss why we sometimes find it difficult to share our faith with others. We address some of the challenges and opportunities that arise when evangelizing, and lay out different approaches to talking to others about Christianity.

There were some technical issues with this week's live broadcast that caused Will's connection to periodically drop out. We did our best to minimize the disruption, but we thank our listeners for bearing with us through the audio glitches this week!

For our Trinity Sunday episode, we look at the Athanasian Creed, paying special attention to sections that might cause confusion. Will Christians be judged for their deeds? Is it true that those who "have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire"? What one must believe to be saved? All this and more on this week's episode.

In this Pentecost episode, we take a look at Acts 2:1-21 and discuss what happened when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus's disciples.

In this Ascension Day episode, we discuss some of the Christological implications of Jesus's ascension into heaven using one of St. Augustine's sermons appointed for the day.

We continue our Easter devotions looking at John 16:23-33. We discuss what Jesus means when he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you."

Our reading for this episode is John 16:16-24, where Jesus tells his disciples "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." We discuss what Jesus is communicating here, as well as its broader application for all Christians.

This week, we look at John 20:19-31 while discussing the role that visible signs play in the Christian life. Should we look for miracles to validate our faith? Is it right to demand evidence from God in order to believe as Thomas did?

In this episode, we discuss some of the misconceptions associated with Jesus's descent into Hell. Why and when did Jesus descend into Hell? What was he doing there? We answer these questions and more as we look at what Scripture has to say on this important topic.