Wrestling with Theology

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel [Gideon said:] "Look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor." (Judges 6:37) Gideon's Fleece We pick up where we left off last time. Gideon still isn't sure that God wants him to deliver Israel. One final set of proofs that Gideon needs to see that this is truly God's way and not one of Satan's tricks. He still wasn't qui...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? ... The LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." (Judges 6:13) Gideon's Doubts Gideon asked the question that's on everyone's mind. Yes, someone actually asked God about the reason for evil in the world. Especially evil to God's ch...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. (Judges 4:17) Sisera Sisera was the commander-in-chief of Jabin's forces. When Deborah and Barak pressed the battle, he fled in fear. He found a tent amo...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. (Judges 4:4) Deborah and Barak Deborah. The only female judge of Israel. The only prophet among the judges. Why is she numbered among all the men? The man who was supposed to be the commander of Israel's army, Barak. He refused to go into battle without h...

Original Broadcast: July 2009 Monthly Theme: The Judges of Israel Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. ... But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. (Judges 2:18-19) The Judges Af...

What is the Common Ground between Lutherans and Catholics regarding the question, "What is the Church?" Find out the answer to that question and several others as we go through the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its confession of what it means to be "Church."

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer YHWH will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:8) Going Out and Coming In As we look this morning at the petition, "But deliver us from evil," we take the one thing that's constant throughout life: God is with us all the time. This blessing is given many times at confirmations and ordin...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer [Jesus said:] "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38) Temptation Temptation is all around us. For many, temptation lurks around every corner. We pray that God will "lead us not into temptation." We understand Jesus' words to the disciples in the Garden of...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13) Confess and Forsake Hiding our sins doesn't work. We cannot hide them from God. Everything is seen by Him. As David reminds us, "Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence?" (P...

riginal Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15-16) "The Eyes of All Look to You" Everyone and everything looks to God for everything we need. As this petition shows us, "God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers...

Submission and humility are on the minds of the Roman presbyters as they write chapters 14-19 of their epistle to the Corinthians.

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer [Jesus said:] "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day." (John 6:40) "Thy Will Be Done" The Third Petition of the Lord's Prayer requests "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Luther's explanation of this petition...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer [Jesus said:] "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:15) "Thy Kingdom Come" The first recorded words of Jesus in St. Mark's Gospel show the Second Petition in all its clarity. Jesus is bringing about the Father's kingdom by His preaching in the world. In the Heidelberg Catechis...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer [Jesus said:] "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 5:16) "Let Your Light Shine" Jesus wants your good works to shine. After all, the works you do in Jesus' name are meant for others. The works you do are done to show the Easte...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1) "Our Father" "Our Father who art in Heaven. ... With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all confidence we may ask Him as dear child...

Original Broadcast: May 2009 Monthly Theme: The Lord's Prayer Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O YHWH, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Meditations of the Heart In April 2000, a mysterious little prayer became the sensation of American Evangelicalism. This prayer, spoken by a man named Jabez, is found in the midst of the genealogies in 1 C...

This week we begin our look into the event of the Exodus itself with the institution of the Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:1-28. You can subscribe to Wrestling with Theology on any of the major podcasting platforms: Google Podcasts - https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82ZmViOWM4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple....

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts [Jesus said:] "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3) Life Everlasting The last line of the Creed talks about the life everlasting. But what is "life everlasting"? Jesus defines it as knowing God and Him. And knowing God means believing and trusting in Him...

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-27) My Redeemer Lives This is one of the most requested readings for the funeral of one who d...

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts In [Christ] we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. (Ephesians 1:7) Forgiven Richly St. Paul reminds the Ephesians that the forgiveness of sins comes from the hand of God. It is out of His "fatherly, divine goodness and mercy" that He gives us all things. We're re...

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25) Communion of Saints The one holy Christian and apostolic Church, called the communion of saints in the Cre...

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts [You are] built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) Apostolic Church The Nicene Creed has the line we've spent a lot of time dealing with this month as reading: "I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church." We've explored the rest of the...

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts [Jesus said:] "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) The Church Catholic We continue our look through the Thi...

This week we wrestle with the Veneration of the Saints (AC XXI) and receiving both kinds (body and blood) in the Lord's Supper (AC XXII).

Original Broadcast: Easter 2009 Monthly Theme: Third Article Gifts Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27) The Holy Church Jesus' Church is a holy Church. It is holy beca...