Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Rev. Ben Meyer, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Sunbury, OH, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 7. “I am filled with comfort.  In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy”, Paul lovingly tells the Corinthians with the good news from Titus that they had repented.  This joy does not end with repentance, for that would just lead to worldly grief, but it throws us into the arm...

Rev. Peter Schmidt, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Waukesha, WI, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 6. Paul shows the church that the work of the Christian is not always easy.  There will be afflictions, hardship, calamities, hardships, labors, sleepless nights, & hunger, but the LORD has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in the hope of Christ’s grace.  The...

Rev. David Juhl, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Momence, IL joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. In Christ, you are a new creation!  He died for all and that includes you.  Paul challenges us to no longer see others according to the “flesh” but as one whom Christ has died.  As ones now in the righteousness of God, you are an ambassador of Christ to reconcile other...

Rev. Dr. Steven Schave gives today's sermon based on Luke 2:41-52. Today we pray for Melinda Thews who serves the Lord in Taiwan. Read her story and how to support her work at lcms.org/thews. Find your opportunity to serve at servenow.lcms.org. >> The broadcast of chapel services is brought to you by LCMS International Mission and Ministry to Armed Forces. >> Learn more at international.lcms.org a...

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. “Be of good courage.”  In this life our bodies and world groan due to the brokenness of this world, but as we are in Christ we know that we have a heavenly dwelling that awaits us with Him.  As we walk, we do so with faith that we are declared, “good” o...

Rev. John Shank, pastor of  Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 4. Paul reminds us, “But we have a treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”  We are weak and fragile like a jar of clay. Yet, the treasure of God’s forgiveness on account of Christ, points people away from us and to Hi...

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 3. Paul encourages the Corinthian church as they are his “letter of recommendation” as he defends his ministry against naysayers.  He gives a clear proclamation, as a minister of the new covenant, of their need for the Law to bring death to the sinner and the joy of the Gospel to bring freedom in Christ.  “O L...

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 2:1-17. Paul writes to the Corinthians out of an “abundant love” that he has for each soul.  He exhorts the church to forgive a repentant sinner as the forgiveness in Christ we give is not only for the sinner but also a victory over the devil’s lies.  In this forgiven...

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, IL joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 1:12-24. Paul reminds the Corinthian church that he desires to visit  so that they would receive God’s grace and work together in God’s joy.  Paul’s arrival would not be a normal visit, but a time where he would proclaim the truth that in Christ, everything is yes for sal...

Rev. Dr. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Fort Myers, FL joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, writes his second letter by giving hope in the LORD, who is the source of all comfort.  The first few chapters contrast much of 1st Corinthians, where Paul needed to exhort the church in Corinth to holy living.  Paul clearly con...

Thy Strong Word gives the gift of God’s Word to you.  From January 7 until Holy Week we will receive this gift in Paul’s Epistles: 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, and I Thessalonians.  We will literally travel with Paul as he encourages, exhorts, proclaims, and points us to Christ and Him crucified for Your forgiveness.  Join us.  Live or on demand, anytime--anywhere.  God has gifts to give...

Host Rev. AJ Espinosa studies Acts 3 and 2:36-47. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So much of Acts seems confusing because we think in such individualistic terms. But Acts is about the Christian community living as a whole. Peter doesn’t mean that every individual’s baptism will...

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Matthew 28. “They gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, ‘Tell people, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’” We like to say that we make up our own minds, but the truth is that we take most things on authority: doctors, engineers, lawyers, researchers, wellness gurus—we...

Rev. Christopher Maronde, pastor of St. John - Bingen in Decatur, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Luke 8. “Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke gives us the keys to understanding chapter 8: the Parable of the Sower is not a cute object lesson about different reactions to our evangelism efforts. The st...

Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 102. “You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust.” Amidst the “smoke” and smoldering ashes of Jerusalem, the remnant of God’s people cry out as one. The “prayer of one...

Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Esther 7. “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.” Queen Esther prefigures Jesus Chr...

Rev. Doug Nicely, pastor of Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Nehemiah 6 and 2:1-6. “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” Nehemiah humbly risks his safety time and again to ensure the wall’s completion. Why were Jerusalem’s walls so important? Cyrus and Nehemiah were the...

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Chronicles 34 and 36:1-6. “[Zedekiah] also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God.” Ever since Ahaz, the kings of Judah were in a difficult position: they had sworn allegiance to foreign powers as vassals, but God had prohibit...

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Zephaniah 2. “Seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.” Like John the Baptist, Zephaniah prophesied that disaster was inevitable—God’s judgment was about to fall on Gentile and Judahite alike. Repentance can’t buy God off. And...

Rev. Shawn Kumm, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cody, Wyoming, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 101. “Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.” For a psalm about mercy, we expected something more like “Morning by morning new mercies I see”! But Psalm 101 actually complements the hymn “Great is Thy...

Host Rev. AJ Espinosa studies Habakkuk 1. “Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?” Habakkuk boldly pours forth his complaint to God, but who is he talking about? It turns out that Habakkuk and Jonah have a lot in common: Jonah didn’t want God to give the Assyrians time to repent, and Habakkuk wants the Chaldeans to come overthrow the Assyrians right away. B...

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Kings 16. “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel.” When Judah makes a deal with the devil, they sign up for everybody’s gods. In 2 Kings 16 we see how Judah becomes even worse than Israel, eff...

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Kings 17 and 16:29-34. “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” We don’t even know it, but we are constantly being commanded by God, we along with everything around us. God’s Word is the powerful glue that holds everything together. God norma...

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v'Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Chronicles 11. “David said, ‘Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.’ And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.” You can only see turning points in the rearview mirror—the ups and downs of markets, power, and human behavior make multi...

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 48. “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God.” Psalm 48 celebrates how God protected Jerusalem from foreign invaders, sending them i...