Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Revelation 1:9-20. St. John is a brother and partner with all Christians in the suffering of the Church. While he was suffering under exile on the island of Patmos, he was with the Church on a Sunday. In the Spirit, John heard the voice of Jesus behind him commanding him to write to seven con...

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Revelation 1:4-8. As St. John writes to seven specific churches in Asia Minor, he writes to the whole Christian Church. He greets them with the grace and peace that come from the Triune God: the Father who is and was and is to come, the Holy Spirit who is fully present with the full Church,...

Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Professor of Theology and Ministry, Director of the Pre-Seminary Program, and Director of the Center for Biblicla Studies at Concordia Univeristy in St. Paul, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Revelation 1:1-3. The book of Revelation was given to St. John the Apostle as a vision while he was exiled on the island of Patmos. The Christian Church was under persecution...

“Come Lord Jesus!” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Revelation given to St. John. Although some look at Revelation with fear, it is a book of supreme hope in our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. The book of Revelation gives a heavenly perspective on our earthly circumstances so that the Church in every generation is challenged, comforted, and assured of final victory through J...

Rev. David Boisclair, interim pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 3 John 1-15. St. John writes to beloved Gaius, praying both for his phyiscal and spiritual health. He rejoices to hear that Gaius is walking in the truth and has received those who had come in that truth as brothers, though they had been strangers before. St. John encourages...

Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 John 1-13. St. John writes to the church as the elder, the pastor who has cared for Christians throughout his long apostolic ministry. He loves the Christians as his children in the the truth. They have been walking in this truth according to the commandment they have had from the beginning: love o...

Rev. Philip Hoppe, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Colby, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 5:13-21. As St. John concludes his epistle, he tells us that his writing gives us certainty of eternal life in Christ. This certainty is not found within us, but in the sure promise of God. That is the confidence that we have as we approach Him in prayer; we know He wants to give us all...

Rev. Dr. Jacob Corzine, associate professor of theology and Interim Dean of the College of Theology, Arts, and Humanities at Concordia University, Chicago, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 5:1-12. St. John continues to weave together the strands of his first epistle to present the full tapestry of the Christian faith. True faith in Jesus as the Son of God goes together with love for e...

Rev. Tim Eden, pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bryan, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 4:13-21. St. John continues to emphasize that love starts with God. He has given us His Spirit, and now we testify to the truth that Jesus truly is the Son of God, sent by the Father to be the Savior. In this love of God, we abide. In this love of God, He casts out our fear of punishment on...

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for a special Sharathon episode to study the book of Colossians. St. Paul writes to the Colossians to strengthen their faith, love, and hope in Christ. By Him, all things were created. In Him, all the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. He has reconciled us to Himself by His death and resurrection,...

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for a special Sharathon episode to study the book of Jonah. When the LORD commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah went the other way. The LORD worked through His reluctant prophet even during Jonah’s disobedience. The LORD rescued Jonah from the sea by appointing a fish to swallow Jonah. From the fis...

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 1 John 4:7-12. St. John teaches us the shape of love, which cannot be disconnected from true doctrine. If we come with our own definition of love, we will always end up with a distortion of the truth. Instead, we m...

Rev. Andrew Belt, pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Marshfield, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 4:1-6. St. John exhorts us to test the spirits, so that we would know which are from God and which are from the antichrist. The diagnostic is this: does this spirit teach that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh? Those spirits that do not teach this truth are not from God; we must tak...

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 3:11-24. St. John reminds us that there are two families in this life. The family of the devil is characterized by murder and hatred for righteousness. The family of God is characterized by the love that Christ showed us in His death and love that we now show eac...

Rev. Rick Jones, Chaplain and Vice-President of Spiritual Life at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Minot, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 2:28-3:10. St. John encourages confidence in the children of God as the Lord’s appearing draws closer. We need not shrink from His coming, but rather, we can look forward to receiving Him as the Righteous One for us. The Father’s love has mad...

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 2:18-27. St. John warns the children of God to be on guard against the false teaching of the antichrists. As it is now the last time before the Lord’s return, these false teachers deny that Jesus is the Christ and go out from the true Church. Those who know the truth must continue to abide...

Rev. Lucas Witt, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Baltimore, MD, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 2:12-17. St. John tells us why he is writing. He desires all Christians to have confidence that their sins are forgiven by the Father for Christ’s sake. He desires older Christians to remain grounded in the truth they have been taught from the beginning. He desires younger Christians...

Rev. Jason Schockman, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 2:3-11. How do we know that we know God? St. John assures us through the Word of God. As Christians, we keep God’s Word. This is far more than obedience; this is cherishing and guarding all that God has spoken to us, both His commandments and His promises. Through this Word,...

Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger, president of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 1:5-2:2. St. John proclaims the truth that God is light. Because this is the case, we cannot claim to have fellowship with Him while walking in the darkness of sin. We can only have fellowship with God when we walk in the light of His Word, cleansed by the blood of Jesus His Son....

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, president of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 John 1:1-4. St. John plows right into everything he wants his hearers to know and believe concerning the love of God in Jesus. He proclaims Jesus as the true eternal God who has taken on true humanity. John, the other apostles, and many other eyewitnesses truly saw, touch...

“The Love of God” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the three epistles written by St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. As St. John rejoiced to be the disciple loved by Jesus, so he writes his epistles to give us the same joy when we know that we are the beloved of God. God’s love for us in Jesus shapes our lives as Christians in all that we believe, say, and do. Sharper Iron, hosted by...

Rev. Matt Ulmer, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bishop, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 21:15-25. After breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus speaks to Peter personally. As Peter had denied three times, so Jesus three times restores Peter with confession, forgiveness, and commission. Each time Peter affirms his love for Jesus, the Lord sends Peter to care for H...

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 21:1-14. St. John continues his account to record another time Jesus came to His disciples after His resurrection. When seven of Jesus’ disciples were at the Sea of Galilee, they went fishing at Peter’s prompting. When they caught nothing all night long, Jesus stood on the shore and as...

Rev. Joel Heckmann, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Okarche, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 20:19-31. Though Jesus’ disciples had locked themselves away for fear of the Jews, the risen Savior Jesus came and stood in their midst the evening of Easter. He delivered His peace to them by His Word, and He sent them with His peace and the Holy Spirit to forgive and retain sins w...

Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 20:1-18. Mary Magdalene comes to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week to find the stone taken away. She runs to tell Peter and John to announce that they cannot find where the Lord has been taken. These two disciples run to the tomb and find it in a state...