Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Carl Roth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 8:1-3. After Amos’ confrontation with the apostate priest Amaziah, the prophet’s fourth vision continues to spell out the end of Israel. The LORD shows Amos a basket of summer fruit to convey the truth that the time is ripe for their judgment. God’s Word is full of positive imagery concerning...

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 7:10-17. Amos intended to bring Israel back to true faith in the LORD by his preaching, and the first to listen should have been one called a priest. Amaziah, however, proves himself unrepentant. Instead of returning to the LORD as the true king, Amaziah appeals to Jeroboam, claiming th...

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grassy Butte, ND and St. Peter Lutheran Church in Belfield, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 7:7-9. Amos’ visions take a turn with the third one. In the vision of the plumb line, the LORD begins to make clear that His patience has reached its end. Although the Hebrew word often translated “plumb line” provides difficulty, the...

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 7:4-6. The LORD invites Amos into the heavenly council a second time to reveal to the prophet what is about to happen. The fire that was missing from the judgment against Israel in chapter 2 finally arrives. This fire is all-consuming and cosmic in sc...

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Hebron, CT, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 7:1-3. This text starts the final third of the book of Amos. He has preached, “Repent!” but the people have refused to respond and return to the LORD. The series of visions the LORD shows to Amos beginning with this text proclaim the LORD’s judgment against His people Israel. The first v...

Rev. David Vandercook, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in North Little Rock, AR and Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle, AR, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 6:8-14. The economic and political prosperity that Israel enjoyed in the first half of the 8th century BC had filled them with pride. They believed that they had attained to such heights on their own, apart from the LOR...

Rev. Dan Speckhard, pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 6:1-7. The LORD gives authority in various vocations in order to serve those under that authority. God’s people in Amos’ day had turned that truth upside down. Those with authority had become complacent toward the LORD’s Word, despising those for whom they should have cared. Amos declare...

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:21-27. Amos’ shocking preaching turns once again to the worship life of Israel. The LORD declares that He hates what His people offer as worship, refusing to accept it or take any delight in it at all. The reason is twofold. First, their worship has deviated from t...

Rev. Joel Heckmann, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Okarche, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:18-20. Amos was sent to Israel to preach during a time of military peace. The people expected that the day of the LORD would come as an increase of that peace, when the LORD would fight and win for them as He had in the days of the Exodus. Amos shocks them out of such illusions. B...

Rev. Clint Poppe, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:10-17. The courtroom scene of Amos 3-4 has shifted to a funeral dirge in Amos 5. The LORD tells His people that they have died and the reason why. They have been faithless in their legal transactions at the city gates, fleecing the poor for a profit. They have loved lies rather t...

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:4-9. The worship life of Israel comes into focus with this text. The LORD desires His people to seek Him. He alone is the source of life as both Creator and Redeemer. If His people desire life, they will only find it where they find Him. That is why the LORD commands His peo...

Rev. Sean Daenzer, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend, ND and Peace, Barney, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 5:1-3. When a funeral dirge is sung, our ears perk up to learn who has died. The surprise of Amos 5 is that death has come to God’s own people, Israel. Though physically alive, they are spiritually dead. They have not heeded the LORD’s call to repentance through...

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Milstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 4:6-13. As Amos continues to preach to Israel, he draws on previous Old Testament texts. As the LORD sent plagues against Egypt in order to bring them to repentance and faith in Him as the only true God, so He has sent plagues against His own people Israel with the same goal in mind. He h...

Rev. Ned Moerbe, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blackwell, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 4:1-5. Amos’ satire and sarcasm are biting. He holds back no punches. Though every detail may not be easily identified, the overall clarity of Scripture remains in order to drive us to repentance and faith in Christ alone. First, Amos attacks the women of Samaria, shockingly calling the...

Rev. Dr. Ryan Tinetti, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Arcadia, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 3:9-15. The prophet Amos pictures a courtroom scene in these verses. The LORD summons Israel’s archenemies, Philistia and Egypt, to serve as witnesses against Samaria in the northern kingdom. The LORD brings forward the evidence against Israel. In their storing of wealth as the sour...

Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and Crown Christian School in St. Francis, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 3:3-8. As Amos finished preaching the LORD’s judgment against Israel, they must have asked, “What gives this sheepherder from Tekoa the right to speak to us?” Amos answers that question through a series of rhetorical questions. Each one presents a situation to...

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 3:1-2. After his eight oracles against both foreign nations and God’s people, Judah and Israel, Amos continues to preach against the people of Israel. The LORD is angry with His people, and with good reason. They have engaged in idolatrous worship and shown forth their lack of love acc...

Rev. Philip Hoppe, pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Finlayson, MN and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bruno, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 2:6-16. Amos has finished his prelude; now he begins the main content of his prophecy. The LORD has sent Amos to preach to and against Israel herself. The wording of this oracle is similar to the preceding seven, for Israel has behaved and bel...

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grassy Butte, ND and St. Peter Lutheran Church in Belfield, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 2:4-5. The first six oracles of judgment in Amos are against pagan nations surrounding Judah and Israel. Now the prophet turns the corner to address the LORD’s own people, starting with the southern kingdom, Judah. During the period of...

Rev. Tim Koch, pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 2:1-3. The Moabites trace their lineage to the incestuous relationship between Lot and his oldest daughter. Related to Israel, the Moabites were sometimes friends and sometimes foes of God’s people. Perhaps best known among the Moabites is Ruth, who married into the Israelite family and ende...

Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 1:13-15. The Ammonites trace their lineage to the incestuous relationship between Lot and his youngest daughter. Due to this familial connection to Abraham through his nephew, the LORD gave Ammon land as an inheritance that Israel was not allowed to take. Yet their worship of Milcom, the...

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at the Northeast Kansas Lutheran Partnership joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 1:11-12. Amos’ first three oracles against nations are spoken to people and cities farther removed from Israel. With the oracle against Edom, Amos begins to preach to people who are both geographically closer and related to God’s people. The nation of Edom includes the descendants of Es...

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 1:9-10. The city of Tyre was located northwest of Israel. This island city was a center of commerce and wealth. Ships from every country carrying every commodity came to harbor at Tyre. Even the people of Israel had favorable dealings with Tyre, as King Hiram had provided materials and...

Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lidgerwood, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 1:6-8. The LORD has the right to speak to foreign nations because He is their Creator. This is the foundation laid in Genesis 1-2. For that reason, Amos now turns to the Philistines. The tension between the LORD’s people and the Philistines goes ba...

Rev. Gaven Mize, pastor at Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Amos 1:3-5. The first two chapters of Amos are comprised of a series of oracles against eight nations, both foreign nations and the LORD’s own people, Judah and Israel. Similar phrases in each of these oracles helps us understand them. The words, “Thus says the LORD,” remind us t...