Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Doug Griebenaw, mission advocate for KFUO Radio in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 10:17-33. While Peter remains perplexed about his heavenly vision, the messengers from Cornelius arrive. The Spirit leaves no doubt that Peter should go with these men, taking away any hesitation Peter might still have about associating with Gentiles. When Peter arrives at Cornelius’...

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 Acts 10:1-16. St. Luke introduces into the narrative Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Though Cornelius has faith in the God of Israel, he is nonetheless an uncircumcised Gentile. The Lord sends His angel to Cornelius i...

Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:32-43. Having related Saul’s conversion to Christianity, St. Luke now turns our attention once again to the Lord’s work through Peter, particularly as He prepares His apostle for what is about to happen in the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter goes about the apostolic mini...

Rev. Dr. Jeff Dukeman, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Gulfport, MS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:20-31. Saul’s conversion has immediate effect. The one who had come to Damascus breathing threats against Jesus’ disciples now begins to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. Those who hear him are understandably confused, yet Saul continues to increase in wisdom as he prove...

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:1-19. Saul’s hatred for Christians had only grown since Stephen’s death. He was on his way to Damascus with official authority to imprison more Christians when the Lord Jesus Himself stopped Saul in his tracks. Jesus revealed Himself in blinding light to Saul as the One whom Saul had...

Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 8:26-40. The Lord continues to direct the growth of His Word as He sends His angel to instruct Philip to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. There Philip sees an Ethiopian eunuch; he was a Gentile who had been brought to faith in the God of Israel through Judean refugees. As a rich o...

Rev. Dr. Christopher Jackson, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Algoma, WI and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 8:4-25. The Lord uses the persecution of His Church in order to cause His Word to spread farther from Jerusalem. St. Luke follows the growth of the Word as it is proclaimed by Philip the deacon. He goes to Samaria; despite...

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:44-8:3. Stephen concludes his sermon before the Sanhedrin by reminding them of God’s history of dwelling among His people. Long before the temple, the LORD dwelled in the tabernacle. God’s promise to dwell among His people is what counted; apart from the LORD’s promise, the people fell int...

Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Director of Admissions and the Christ Academy program at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:17-43. Stephen continues his proclamation before the Sanhedrin by focusing on God’s grace shown through Moses. Though Pharaoh intended evil against the LORD and His people, the LORD worked it for good and used Pharaoh’s own dau...

Rev. Sam Beltz, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Oskaloosa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 7:1-16. Stephen has been accused by the Sanhedrin of blaspheming God and Moses, so he begins his proclamation with Abraham in order to set Moses in the proper place. God’s promises to Abraham are primary over the Law given to Moses. Stephen recounts the grace of God shown to Abraham in...

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 6:1-15. As the Word of God continued to increase, the task of distributing to widows in the Church caused a complaint to arise: the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected. The apostles quickly recognize the validity of this complaint, but also the necessity that...

Rev. Tim Storck, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Chesterfield Township, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 5:21b-42. The Lord frustrates the plans of His enemies and laughs at their attempts to stop the proclamation of His Word. The Sanhedrin and their officers are dumbfounded to find the prison locked but the apostles gone. While the Sanhedrin and their officers fear men a...

Rev. Sam Wirgau, pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ossian, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 5:1-21a. The attacks against the Christian Church come from without and within. Ananias and Sapphira conspire with each other and Satan to lie to the Holy Spirit in the matter of their gift. Such a sin against God is no small matter, and the punishment He brings against this husband and...

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 4:23-37. In response to their persecution, Peter and John gather with the Church to pray. They address God as the Creator of all things who has revealed Himself in the Scriptures and in His Son, Jesus. They pray from Psalm 2, recognizing that God has fulfilled His promise to reign by the...

Rev. AJ Espinosa, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 4:1-22. When the Sanhedrin finds out about the preaching of Peter and John in the temple, they have the two apostles arrested. The Sadducees, having great power and influence, are particularly disturbed not only by the preaching of the resurrection, but particularly by the preaching th...

Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, and 3rd Vice President of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 3:1-26. The lame man in Acts 3 had a prime spot for begging for alms, yet on the day recorded by St. Luke, Peter and John had a far better gift for the man. In the name of Jesus, they gave this man the gift of healing; t...

Rev. Isaac Schuller, Pastor at First Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:37-47. The Word of God preached by Peter cuts the hearers to the heart, and they ask the apostle directly: “What then shall we do?” Peter’s answer is all Gospel, that which God does for sinners. Both repentance and baptism are God’s gifts to sinners. Peter’s words clearly re...

Rev. Bernie Schey, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Old Dime Box, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:14-36. Peter is quick to address the confusion of the crowd on Pentecost. The disciples are not drunk; rather, the Holy Spirit has been given in fulfillment of Joel 2. The people must understand that this means the last days have come in Jesus; today is the day to call upon His n...

Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 2:1-13. The day of Pentecost finds its Old Testament background in the Feast of Weeks, which happens fifty days after the Passover. When that day arrives, Jesus’ disciples are all together in Jerusalem, waiting for Jesus to fulfill His promise by sending the Holy Spirit. Jesus keeps that promise...

Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 1:12-26. After Jesus’ ascension, His disciples return to Jerusalem, according to His command. They gather together as the Church, including the faithful women and Jesus’ mother and brothers, in order to devote themselves to prayer. As they wait for Jesus to send the Spirit, they go about...

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald, professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 1:1-11. In his Gospel, St. Luke told what Jesus began to do and teach. Now, in Acts, St. Luke tells what Jesus continues to do and teach through His Word proclaimed in the Church. Acts was written to Theophilus in order to show how the Word of the Lord con...

“To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord’s Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God’s grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us. Sharper Iron, h...

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study the Easter hymn, “O Sons and Daughters of the King.” This joyful Easter hymn tells the account of what happened on the day of Jesus’ resurrection and one week later. The faithful women went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week; there they were me...

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study Martin Luther’s Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands.” This marvelous Easter hymn helps us to rejoice that Christ is the Savior who has done what we could not do. Our sin left us powerless in the prison of death, but Jesus has come to conquer this greates...

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 Luke 24:36-53. As all the disciples discuss the news from the two Emmaus travelers, Jesus Himself stands among them to give them His peace. He shows His hands and feet, not only as proof of His bodily resurrection, but also...