Wrestling with Theology

The first card of Pro Wrestling America from the Target Center in Minneapolis! Tournaments for the World Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles! What will happen? Listen to find out.

Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12) Set an Example Paul reminds Timothy that as a pastor he is an example to his congregation and to the community around him. This is one of the crosses that every pastor must bear. The example to everyone no matter whether the person is a member of the congregation or not. And it's not just the ide...

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. (1 Timothy 4:12) Because You Are Young Youth is often seen as a great benefit. Vitality. Energizing. Vibrant. Youth can also be seen as a great detriment. Inexperienced. Immature. Unfit. Many people hearing this devotion this morning are likely older than their pastor. This was the case with Timothy in Ephesus as well. He was a young punk pa...

We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:10) Savior of All Men Salvation's invitation is universal. Jesus died for everyone. He is everyone's Savior. But not everyone will be saved by Him. Not that He wants anyone to be condemned. He wants everyone to be saved. Only those who believe in His sacrifice will be saved. Jesu...

The blood of the covenant is splashed upon the people in Exodus 24 as they promise to do all that the LORD has said. Exodus 25 begins the preparations for the Tabernacle. Quick question ... what would you do if the offering plate came in on a Sunday with over $64 million in it? That was the equivalent offering of the gold, silver and bronze given by the Israelites to construct the Tabernacle at th...

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God. (1 Timothy 4:9-10) Our Hope in the Living God Why is the Christian's hope in the living God? Because the living God has made us His children. Paul and Timothy labored and strove to make sure that everyone would accept and understand the greatness of our hope....

Original Broadcast: October 2011 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8) Both This Life and the Next A group of country music legends came together in the late 1990's to form the group "Old Dogs". One of their songs was entitled "Still Gonna Die". The song goes through everything...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:7) Train Yourself to be Godly Mythology and old wives' tales tend to give us a mixed message of how the world works. There are a great number of times that they contradict each other to further confuse the true meaning. But that's not what it means to be god...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:6) A Good Minister What makes a good minister? Powerful voice? Good looks? Very personable personality? All of these help, but St. Paul says a good minister is one who preache...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 Because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:5) Consecrated by the Word of God and Prayer Why are we commanded to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving in the Lord's Prayer? Because it has been consecrated by God's Word and prayer. We say grace before meals that God may bless the food. We pray that God will cause it to nourish our bodie...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received in thanksgiving. (1 Timothy 4:4) Nothing to be Rejected What would happen on Christmas or your wedding anniversary if the person you gave a gift to wasn't thankful for the gift? What if they rejected it? Wouldn't you be devastated? How do you think God feels every time you aren't th...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:3) Received with Thanksgiving Martin Luther once used this verse to proclaim against the Anabaptists his love of beer. He used this verse to show that everything that goes into making a pi...

Pro Wrestling America (PWA) is a fantasy wrestling league designed to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the promoting and booking of a wrestling federation. In this episode, I go through the history that lead to the development of the PWA as well as the starting roster that will be highlighted on the PWA episodes.

Original Broadcast: October 2011 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:2) Seared with a Hot Iron Those who promote the demonic teachings about which St. Paul warns Timothy have been seared in their conscience. They are permanently set in their ways. They have abandoned and forsaken the Christian faith to the point that t...

Original Broadcast: October 2011 Monthly Theme: 1 Timothy The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Timothy 4:1) Abandon the Faith St. Paul warns Timothy this morning that there will be a time when people will abandon the Christian faith. They will follow deceiving spirits. They will believe things taught by...

He ... was taken up to Heaven. (1 Timothy 3:16) Taken Up In the Bible, three people were taken up into Heaven: Enoch, Elijah and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit took the first two men so that God's mysterious purposes might be fulfilled. But when Jesus was taken up, there was no mystery to it. He ascended into Heaven in the sight of His eleven Apostles from the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1...

Liturgical Date: Fourth Sunday after Trinity Location: Good Shepherd, Marshall, MN Order of Service:  Service of Prayer and Preaching Hymns:  #696, "O God, My Faithful God" #895, "Now Thank We All Our God" Sermon Theme: Live Peaceably Sermon Text: Romans 12:14-21 14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those...

He was preached among the nations. (1 Timothy 3:16) "Preached among the Nations" One of the days in the Church Year that many pastors and lay readers dread the readings is the Feast of Pentecost. Whenever Pentecost rolls around, we have the reading from Acts that lists all the places that were represented by the people in the Temple on that Day of Pentecost (2:5-11). These were people who had come...

He ... was believed in throughout the world. (1 Timothy 3:16) Believed Throughout the World Not only was Jesus taught throughout the world, he was believed throughout the world within a year of His resurrection and ascension. The Holy Spirit worked through the preaching of God's Word by those three thousand baptized souls from the first Christian Pentecost. When they came home, they preached Jesus...

He ... was seen by angels. (1 Timothy 3:16) "Seen by Angels" The two most important times in Jesus' life were witnessed by the angels: His birth and His ressurection. At His birth, the angels sang to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased" (Luke 2:14). After His resurrection, an angel sat on the stone he had rolled away from Jesus' t...

The Roman theologians wrote a Confutation of the Augsburg Confession so that they could refute every false teaching that the Lutheran princes had announced at the Diet. Of the twenty-eight articles in the Confession, the Roman theologians accept eight with no problem. Another ten articles were accepted with qualifications. The other ten are outright rejected.  This month, we look at the artic...

He ... was shown to be right by the Spirit. (1 Timothy 3:16) "Right by the Spirit" How was Jesus "shown to be right by the Spirit"? We look back to His Baptism: "While He was praying, Heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from Heaven, 'You are My own dear Son. I am pleased with You'" (Luke 3:21-22). The dove coming down and lighting...

He appeared in human form. (1 Timothy 3:16) "Appeared in Human Form" The fifteenth century hymn "O Love, How Deep" has some great words for us to meditate upon this morning (LSB #549.2): God sent no angel to our race Of higher or of lower place, But wore the robe of human frame And into this lost world God came. To redeem the lost world from man's sin, God had to become man. God in human flesh had...

No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion. (1 Timothy 3:16) "Secret of Our Religion" What is the secret of our religion? The Man Jesus Christ. As St. Paul describes through the rest of this verse, and we'll cover throughout this month, the humanity of Jesus is the secret of our religion. Many say that they have no problem with Jesus' humanity, but we are much more willing to accept H...

No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion. (1 Timothy 3:16) "No One Can Deny" St. Paul writes to his young protege Timothy that the Christian faith cannot be denied. Jesus Himself said it to His disciples, "If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to Me, I will do the same for him before My Father in Heaven. But if anyone rejects Me publicly, I will reject him before My Father in...