Talks with Dad Rod

Ted asks about struggling with feeling like a fraud in the Christian life and faith. Rod talks about what is common, what is 'normal', what it means to feel 'in need' or 'self condemning', and how he views living 'victoriously' and 'winning', referencing the Pharisee and the publican, or tax collector. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support 1517 - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.151...

Ted asks about striving for the narrow door when "no one seeks after God" and how to get from here to there. Rod talks about the Reformers using the passive voice about 'being repented', describes the sinner's condition, our temptation to synergism in our sin, and how the faith comes to us, with a focus on the Object of our faith outside of us. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support 1517 -...

Ted asks about whether the Bethlehem star pointing to Jesus' birth is proof that Astrology is legitimate. Rod talks about Romans 1, the idea of reading the stars correctly to know that a king had been born, and what the early church did when defending the truthfulness of the Gospel. Merry Christmas! Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: "Sensible Christianity" by Dr. Montgomery - https://shop.1517...

Ted asks about the importance of Jesus' birth in our present day. Rod talks about what religious leaders expected from their Christ, and contrasts that with what has been promised to us, and what the central message of the New Testament message is. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support 1517 - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517.org/videos-playlist/talks-with-dad-rod Explore more 1...

Ted asks about the value of Martin Luther insisting on the "for you" part of the Good News, with an eye toward Luke 2:10 (NASB). Rod talks about why Jesus came, what it means that His arrival is "for me" and for my good. ** NOTE: The Greek dative case can mean either "to" or "for." Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: "Sensible Christianity" by Dr. Montgomery - https://shop.1517.org/products/sens...

Ted asks about what our medium is now in the days of the New Testament. Rod talks about the traditional Christian liturgy in the church, and also the difference between what was prophesied in the Old Testament versus what we receive in the person of Jesus Christ, and the claims He made about Himself. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support 1517 - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517....

Ted asks about what the Lutheran Two Kingdom theory is, reading from John 18:36. Rod talks about how Lutherans understand Jesus' words about His kingdom, or realm, versus the earthly kingdom, and what it means that Jesus considers them separately, particularly for believing sinners in this 'kingdom of the left' who struggle under many effects of sin and cry out for relief and help. Produced by: Ri...

Ted asks about the timing of our prayers when we're conscious of some of our sins. Rod talks about the truth of our state of sin any time we pray, what we sinners struggle to believe about Jesus' death and resurrection, and why Christians should "be of good cheer". Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support 1517 - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517.org/videos/talks-with-dad-rod Explor...

Ted asks about who will actually inherit the kingdom of God, in light of Scripture. After Ted reads from 1 Corinthians 6:9, and Rod reads Romans 4:5, Rod talks about the law and the Gospel, what Scripture says is righteousness for the believer, how the Gospel is not inherently in us as the law is, and in any 'contest' between the two, which one wins, for the sake of Jesus Christ for sinners. Produ...

Ted asks about the struggle we can have when people we love are in mental decline and not clear about God's grace. Rod talks about the promises we receive in Scripture, Jesus Christ's sufficiency to save sinners, and what comfort we believers can have when our loved ones are not mentally able to engage with us as they once were. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: "Sensible Christianity" by Dr....

Ted asks about what was so critical that Luther rediscovered in Scripture. Rod talks about the idea of justification, what it means to be 'declared as if just', what this discovery meant with regard to Rome, what it meant for Luther personally in his desperation, and how when Jesus said, "It is finished.", it means exactly that. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www....

Ted asks about why Martin Luther's translation of Scripture into German was so important. Rod talks about how Luther came up with the German language he ended up using in his translation, for whom it was intended, its effect on the German culture at large, and most importantly how it affected the Christian laity. SHOW NOTES: https://www.1517.org/articles/luthers-german-bible Support the show - htt...

Ted asks about struggling with fear that, finally, my sins have become more than Jesus' forgiveness will cover. Rod talks about who Jesus spent time with consistently, what those people were like, and what message He had for them and what He promises to and for sinners—even sinners who continue to sin, even while believing in Jesus Christ, like St. Paul. Produced by: Rick Ritchie SHOW NOTES: Suppo...

Ted asks about the tussle between Paul and Barnabas at the end of Acts 15 regarding John Mark. Rod talks about these important struggles, mentioning what Acts 15 also had to say about Peter, and focuses on the struggles in the church that are important and why, and relates them to sinners trying to find a faithful church to attend. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https:/...

Ted asks about God's plan for me and what to do if I'm stuck in a vocation I don't like, referencing text from Mark 8:37. Rod talks about what we are promised in God's word, recognizing that, in our sin, we are tempted to seek certain specific instructions from God about how to live our lives, and how to handle the idea that God wants us to do particular jobs. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https:...

Ted asks about whether evangelical Christians are out-performing Lutherans in their pursuit of fellowship. Rod talks about promises of Christ, speaks about what Lutherans call 'the consolation of the brethren' and how such an idea rests in the Reformation, how it is that we encourage one another, and finding confessions so that we can absolve one another. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www...

Ted asks about what makes a good Lutheran hymn. Rod talks about the history of hymnody, pointing to Martin Luther's work, and references a Robert Preus quote about, "Good hymns help you to sing the faith into your own heart.", and references a number of favorite hymns from different sources. (See show notes for YouTube links.) SHOW NOTES: Salvation Unto Us Has Come https://hymnary.org/text/salvati...

Ted asks about whether God calls people to particular lines of work in their life. Rod talks about the promises of God, what He worked to gift to us, what God makes clear is most important for us in the church, what doing work in and for the church can do to us, and what believers do secularly every day to glorify Christ. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517....

Ted asks about what it means when we fail to trust Christ and His grace. Rod talks about how we sinners WILL be sinners to the end, and how Christ's forgiveness is ALWAYS greater, and how much he wishes certain people who are crushed by their sins could come to a place of understanding the sufficiency of Christ's grace and not suffer that way anymore. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.151...

Ted asks about how the church can sometimes mis-categorize a problem as though it was an outcropping of sin. Rod talks about what pastors are and are not trained in, and what a wise pastoral response might be, looking to sin as the origin of the problem only if absolutely necessary. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517.org/videos/talks-with-dad-rod Explore mo...

Ted asks about the value of preaching on 'taking dominion' with regard to electronic devices. Rod talks about confining preaching to the Biblical themes of law and Gospel, how Lutherans pull from all across the Old and New Testaments to do so, and puts particular subjects into those categories and what it means for us sinners. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www....

Ted asks about what it means that average and sinful men were the authors of Scripture. Rod talks about the nature and qualities of myth, how it is used positively in storytelling, where it is used negatively, how Scripture is different, and why apologetics is important and why we must avoid that which is silly and false in such regards. SHOW NOTES: "Sensible Christianity" by Dr. Montgomery Suppor...

Ted asks about whether a pastor's unusually bad sin negates his faithful preaching for sinners. Rod talks about St. Augustine's position regarding such a scandal, and whether a case of significant wickedness means that the Gospel such a pastor faithfully preached is no longer true. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517.org/videos/talks-with-dad-rod Explore mor...

Ted asks about Luther's history and his early temptation toward mysticism. Rod talks about Luther's origins, why we sinners are tempted to dabble in mysticism, what it really is, and how Jesus' good news in His Gospel is the real and sufficient solution. SHOW NOTES: "Here I Stand", by Roland Bainton "Mysticism", by Evelyn Underhill Explore more 1517 podcasts - https://www.1517.org/podcasts/ Subscr...

Ted asks about how bold does a believer need to be. Rod talks about what the earliest converts to Christianity were dealing with and their temptation to return to Judaism due to the dangers they were experiencing, and connects even Peter falling away under the slightest pressure from a girl, and what Christians need to hear, particularly when they're feeling not-entirely-bold.