Preaching The Text

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson take up some of the topics that appear during the Season of Pentecost in Year A's selections from Matthew's gospel. Specifically, they discuss the preaching office and the calling of the disciples to proclaim the gospel to the world. Though Matthew's gospel has been misunderstood in this regard, a proper view of the preaching offi...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the Gospel of Matthew, the main focus of Year A in the three year lectionary. They take up some of the popular misconceptions about this gospel, and how they can distort its proper use in the pulpit. Especially central is the place of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and how that should shape our understanding of the re...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson pull out some stories of preaching to illustrate an important point: what is a sermon? There are many bad ideas about what constitutes good preaching, and they are all too influential. This episode uses some amusing moments from Paulson's career as a preacher to show how a sermon must give the two words of God, law and gospel, in...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss how to preach the Catechism during the season of Lent. This traditional practice for Lutherans is an excellent way to find God's two words, law and gospel, first in the Commandments (what God commands us to do) and then in the Creed (what God has done for us). These two words anchor our preaching and teaching of God's word...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss preaching on Ash Wednesday. The normal temptation with preaching Ash Wednesday is to focus on penitence as a habit of the mind rather than something God brings to us through the law. Nor should preachers forget that the best preparation for Easter isn't simply to preach judgment, but also to give the good news of Christ's...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson take up Christ the King Sunday texts. Here, they try to speak of Christ's true kingship as the sovereign of a new kingdom ruled by God's grace instead of the law. For those oppressed by accusation and judgment, this is surely good news. Paulson and Hoyum also provide an update on the future of the show. Show Notes: Support 1517 Po...

On this episode, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson talk about the end of times according to Jesus in the gospel of Luke. Much of the problem with the end times revolves around the issue of preparation, which the legalist assumes means preparation of the self through holiness which will be vindicated in the end times. But Christ warns against this, since he alone as giver of grace and forgiveness stands...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the question of marriage and the resurrection. The Saduccees are skeptics of the resurrection, but Jesus teaches the resurrection from the books of Moses. However, we see that the resurrection is not a matter of the law and obedience but of the gospel and faith. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 o...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson suggest taking the readings for the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost to preach All Saints. They go through the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector who goes out to see Jesus. In return, Zacchaeus finds out that Christ was coming out to find him and bring salvation to his house. This is how Christ makes saints: by justifying the...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the texts for Reformation Sunday. Specifically, they focus on Christ's words about freedom from John 8, where Jesus is disputing with the Jews in the temple. Here we find that freedom in the gospel is freedom from sin and the law's power to accuse.  Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 151...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the nature of prayer in connection to the parable of the unjust judge. Here we see what it means to pray in faith that God will grant what we ask, since we ask on the basis of what he has already promised. The lesson of the parable isn't the insistence of prayer or the reluctance of God, but rather speed and generosity of...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Luke's account of Christ's healing of the ten lepers. Jesus directs the ten to go and show themselves to the priests in accord with the prescriptions of the law. But only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks to God. It is through this one that we see the working of healing outside the law and in the word of the gospel...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the parable of the unworthy servants. Given this text's place in the history of theology and in the Lutheran understanding of law and gospel, they go into some detail on the fact that the law is a system of merit, debt, and duty. Under its rule, all things are owed. Under the gospel, there is no system of merit and duty, a...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the difference between heaven and hell. To our common imagination, heaven is a good place for good people, and hell a bad place for bad people. Christ's teaching disrupts this common conception, showing that works and righteousness count for nothing in the end, but only the promise of Christ for sinners. Show Notes: Suppor...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke's gospel, which they rename it as the parable of the "wiley pastor." The commendable manager uses the absolution – the forgiveness of debt – as generously as he can, in order to gain friends for himself. Likewise, preachers ought to give the absolution as frequently as possible,...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Luke's parable of the Lost Sheep. With the shepherd who seeks out the one lost sheep, leaving the other ninety-nine, we see the scandal of God's grace and the recklessness of Christ who seeks out the sinner. We also see that repentance is not something we do, but something that is properly done to us by Christ with his wor...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss taking up one's cross, hating father and mother, and being a disciple of Christ. What we find in Christ's preaching of the law is that the law will eventually bring sinners to the point of hating parents, hating self, and hating God himself. Once the law has worked this despair of all works and their righteousness, only th...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the way of humility, and the false theories about how to become humble. Though we often are tempted to humble ourselves before God in order to gain his approval, true righteousness and justification comes from God. There we can see that humility is something God lays upon us – not something we take up ourselves. Show Notes...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss divine election. From this text – where Jesus gets a question about the number of people who will be saved – we see that sinners approach God's choice in terms of the law, the only thing they know. But those who come to God with no works or law-keeping to offer know in faith that God chooses by giving a promise to those wh...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Christ's teaching that he comes to bring judgment, not peace. Jesus arrives with both law and gospel, and in this text, he proclaims the judgment of God against human sin and the division between people that arises because of it. This is the baptism of judgment he undergoes at the cross, making way for the baptism of death...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson take up Christ's teaching on anxiety. Jesus tells the disciples, first of all, not to be afraid about their life day by day. This doesn't take away the anxiety, but intensifies it. But it's his concluding, direct statement which casts out all anxiety: fear not, little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kin...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson take up an inquiry of the crowd with Jesus in which a man asks him to divide his inheritance between himself and his brother. In the course of their conversation, Jesus tells a parable to teach about the danger of coveteousness, and the problem of placing faith in earthly goods. Such goods are gifts of God alone whom faith trusts....

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Luke's account of Christ's teaching of the Lord's Prayer. With each of these petitions, we see how Christ teaches us to pray for all the good gifts that God promises. In this way, we can see how true holiness in prayer is not according to law and merit but gospel and grace. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Pod...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss the story of Mary and Martha. One of the important things Jesus emphasizes here in his discussion with Martha is the value of the passive life: true life in God is found not in the activity of service, or life under the law, but in the passivity of hearing. To have the better portion is to be a listener of God's gracious w...

On this episode of Preaching the Text, John Hoyum and Steve Paulson discuss Luke's account of Christ's conversation with the lawyer and the parable of the Good Samaritan. Though we normally think of this parable as an example to us in serving the neighbor, we see that Jesus is in fact indicting this man for his sin and his own failure before the law's judgment. Then we can see that Christ is the t...