Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Jeremy Swem, pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 10:19-25. The blood of Jesus gives us confidence to enter the holy places. His flesh is the new and living way by which we draw near to God. In Holy Baptism, Christ has cleansed our consciences from sin so that we approach God in full assurance of His favor. In that confidence...

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 10:1-18. The sacrifices commanded in the law were a shadow of the fulfillment Christ has brought. Their constant repetition was a regular reminder of sins; the blood of bulls and goats were powerless on their own to forgive sins. That's why Christ came, in fulfillment of Psalm 40,...

Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of worship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and chaplain at the International Center in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 9:15-28. By His death, Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant that gives us the promised eternal inheritance. His death has put His last will and testament into effect, so that we receive the forgiveness of sins t...

Rev. Kyle Mietzner, battalion chaplain with the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army at Fort Drum, NY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 9:1-14. The author of Hebrews details both the sanctuary and the services of the old covenant. He takes us on a tour of the tabernacle, working his way toward the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. There the high priest would go only...

Rev. Sam Beltz, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Oskaloosa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 8:1-13. The author of Hebrews makes his point plainly: Christ is the high priest who serves as our minister in the holy places, seated at God’s right hand. The tabernacle given to Moses was intended to provide an earthly image of this heavenly reality. Because Jesus has obtained this...

Rev. David Boisclair, interim pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 7:20-28. The author of Hebrews emphasizes the oath that God made in establishing Jesus as priest. This gives us absolute certainty that what God has guaranteed in Jesus, He will accomplish for us. Jesus excels beyond the priests in the line of Levi because He is rise...

Rev. Joel Heckmann, pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Okarche, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 7:11-19. The author of Hebrews proclaims that what the Levitical priesthood could not do, Jesus as a priest in the order of Melchizedek has done. If the Levitical priesthood had been capable of delivering us from sin and death, there would have been no need of another priest. Yet...

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 7:1-10. The author of Hebrews begins to expound more fully upon the importance that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is mentioned in the Biblical narrative in Genesis 14 as both king and priest, though neither his genealogy nor his death...

Rev. Sam Wirgau, pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ossian, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 6:13-20. The author of Hebrews brings up Abraham particularly as one to imitate in faith and patience. Yet this example focuses less on Abraham’s actions and more on God’s promises. Not only did God make a promise to Abraham after He provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac, but God eve...

Rev. Matt Ulmer, pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church—Friedheim, just outside Decatur, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 6:4-12. This text is a difficult one from the book of Hebrews. The author speaks about those who have received the fullness of God’s gifts in His Church, yet reject those gifts in apostasy. Because there is no other path to repentance, those who reject thi...

Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School in Terra Bella, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 5:11-6:3. Before he expounds more fully on Jesus as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek, the author of Hebrews pauses to warn his hearers against dull hearing. He has continued to give them only the basics of faith, although he desires to build on that foundation and...

Rev. Jeremiah Johnson, pastor at Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 5:1-10. The author of Hebrews continues to help us rejoice that Jesus is our great high priest. In the Old Testament, the high priests were chosen from men for the sake of men. In their own weakness, they dealt gently with sinners, yet none of them chose the office for t...

Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor at Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, both in Lidgerwood, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 4:14-16. The author of Hebrews exhorts us to hold fast the confession of the Christian faith because Jesus is our great high priest. He has been tempted like us in every way, yet without sin, so that He sympathizes with us in our weakness. We approach H...

Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 4:1-13. The author of Hebrews continues to preach on Psalm 95 in this part of his sermon. He calls his congregation to a right fear of God, lest any fail to reach God’s promised rest. The rest that Joshua gave to Israel when they entered the Promised Land was incomplete. We enter into...

Rev. Jeff Hemmer, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL, and assistant to the president of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 3:7-19. The author of Hebrews reminds his congregation what the Holy Spirit says to them in Psalm 95. As they come into God’s presence in the Divine Service, they dare not do so lightly. As unbelief attacke...

Rev. Carl Roth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 3:1-6. The author of Hebrews calls upon the congregation as his holy brothers to slow down and consider Jesus. He is the One sent by God to be their high priest. As God had appointed Moses to be faithful at His tabernacle where He lived among Israel, even more has the Father appointed Jesus...

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 2:5-18. Although it cannot always be seen that everything is in subjection to Jesus, the author of Hebrews assures the congregation that Jesus does, in fact, reign over all things as our ascended Brother. In our suffering, we see Jesus, th...

Rev. Shawn Linnell, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blair, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 2:1-4. Having laid out the superiority of Jesus over the angels, the author of Hebrews now speaks of the necessity for his congregation and for himself of paying closer attention to the voice of God speaking to them. There is the danger of drifting away from God’s message of great sal...

Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, teacher for Wittenberg Academy, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 1:5-14. The author of Hebrews quotes from seven Old Testament passages to teach his congregation that Jesus, the Son of God, is superior to the angels. He quotes these texts as the living voice of God spoken to the congregation. As they hear the Father’s voice speaking to the Son, they are be...

Rev. Dr. John Kleinig, professor emeritus of Australian Lutheran Collge in Adelaide, South Australia, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 1:1-4. The anonymity of the author of Hebrews ends up reinforcing one of the primary points of the book. Understanding Hebrews more as a sermon for the Divine Service rather than as a letter, we see that the pastor doesn’t desire the congregation to h...

Rev. Ned Moerbe, pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church and School in Houston, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 27:1-34. Leviticus 27 may seem out of place, yet here the LORD teaches His people an appropriate response to the covenant that He is making with them. Their voluntary offerings will serve to support the work of God’s sanctuary, the place where He dwells among them so that...

Rev. Joel Haak, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church and School in Fraser, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 26:1-46. The LORD brings the book of Leviticus to a climax as He addresses Israel personally to teach them how He deals with them both in grace and wrath. The entire chapter is founded on the reality of the 1st Commandment: the LORD is Israel’s God, and Israel is His people...

Rev. Martin Dressler, pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Blackjack, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 25:1-55. As the LORD provides Sabbath rest for His people, so He provides Sabbath rest for His land. Every seventh year, the Israelites were to leave their land fallow, and the LORD promised that He would provide for them even more abundantly. The Year of Jubilee was the ultimat...

Rev. Jeffrey Ries, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 24:1-23. The LORD speaks to Moses concerning two furnishings in the tabernacle: the golden lampstand and the table for the bread of the presence. These proclaimed Christ as the light of the world and the bread of life. When a man who was a son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man...

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 23:1-44. As the LORD orders holy places for His people, so He orders holy times for His people. The Sabbath was the LORD’s gift of weekly rest for His people, so that they would trust that He is their Creator and Redeemer. The Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfr...