The Lutheran Witness Podcast

Rev. Matthew Wood, serving the Lord in Indonesia working with the Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (GKLI), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the November issue of the Lutheran Witness, all about receiving the physical body and blood of Christ Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us! Read about Pastor Wood an...

Rev. Paul Becker, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Kingsport, Tennessee, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his article “Singing at the Supper: Teaching, Praising and Praying in the Lord’s Supper” in the November issue of the Lutheran Witness, including what we confess when we sing during the Supper, how these hymns teach us about the faith, and a few examples of beautiful texts. Find online...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the themes in the November issue of LW, why it's important to have these hard conversations about the Lord's Supper, and what we can learn about doctrine and practice through this issue. Read this article at witness.lcms.org/2020/fellowship-at-the-table-for-you. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witne...

Talking to friends and family about closed Communion practices can be a daunting task. In this issue of The Lutheran Witness podcast, the Rev. Dr. Mark Buchhop helps us understand how to focus this conversation on Christ and how He gives His gifts.  Read this article at witness.lcms.org/2020/the-closed-communion-conversation. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the maga...

The November issue of The Lutheran Witness is out, and even though it’s not the “State of the Synod” issue, it’s still all about our shared fellowship. It’s all about Christ’s Supper. Read this article at witness.lcms.org/2020/fellowship-at-the-table-for-you. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zaps...

On November 11, we remember St. Martin of Tours, namesake of Luther and inspiration for military chaplains. In today’s episode, the Chaplain Todd tells the story of St. Martin and helps us see the great need for military chaplains.  For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and co-host of The Word Fitly Spoken podcast, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what kind of giving our Lord commands of His beloved followers, the condition of our hearts, the state of our habit of excuses, and how we give with our whole heart. Read his article on the LW Onlin...

Rev. A. Trevor Sutton, pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Lansing, Michigan, and author of several books from Concordia Publishing House including Why Should I Trust the Bible?, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why we are often consumed with pursuing autonomy, how we encounter the philosophy of deism, and where we learn about God's relationship with His creation. Read his article in the LW On...

Rev. Matthew Wood, serving the Lord in Indonesia working with the Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (GKLI), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the October issue of the Lutheran Witness, all about the promises we have in Christ. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us! Read about Pastor Wood and how to support his work at lcms.org/wood. Find onlin...

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of the Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the theme of the October issue of the Lutheran Witness, the chief messages to the Galatians in this letter, how learning the context of the letter is helpful is understanding its text, and the importance of this letter for Martin Luther and the Reformation. Learn more about this issue at witness.lcms.org/2...

Rachel Bomberger—writer, editor, home-educator, mom, wife to US Navy Chaplain, and co-host of The Lutheran Ladies Lounge podcast—joins Andy and Sarah to talk about her experiences entering into the traditions and culture of military life, her encounter with the tradition of Morning and Evening Colors, and how this tradition has become part of her own life. Read her article in the online Lutheran W...

Rev. Matthew Wood, serving the Lord in Indonesia working with the Indonesian Christian Lutheran Church (GKLI), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the September issue of the Lutheran Witness, all about our certainty in Christ Jesus in life and death. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us! Read about Pastor Wood and how to support his work at lcms.o...

Rev. Michael Schuermann, pastor of University Lutheran Church, campus ministry at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why we should consider our mortality even if we are presumably in the prime of life, how or beliefs about death and resurrection color our vocations, and what scripture teaches us about death. Read his answer to the question...

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, Illinois, joins Andy to talk about how to know all our sins are forgiven, how we know that our pastors have authority to forgive sins, and where we read about this in scripture and our confessions.  Read his answer to the question about Haunting Sins in the September issue of the Lutheran Witness. Read and listen to LW online at witne...

Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann, Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the root of the American ideology of voting, if God cares whether we vote a certain way, how we can determine how God would want us to vote, and how we love our neighbors in the voting booth. Read his article Beyond the Booth in the August 2020 issue of the Lutheran W...

While all the parts of Luther’s Small Catechism find a place at some point in the church’s liturgy, the Ten Commandments seem to have been forgotten. In this episode, the Rev. William Weedon encourages you to find the Ten Commandment’s place in the “Confessional Mirror,” a tool for preparing to receive the Lord’s Supper.   Read the entire article on The Lutheran Witness website.  

Renting a house without seeing the property has its hazards. It might look perfect, but something else lurks around the corner. If our hearts are built on bad real estate, if they have only sand for a foundation, we will quickly find our spiritual lives in the same place. Rachel Bomberger takes us on a journey of real estate and repentance in this issue of The Lutheran Witness podcast.    Read the...

What began as tearing down confederate statues quickly expanded to all monuments. Even Christian monuments did not avoid destruction. Across the country, statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and various saints — not on public land but on church property — have been defaced by graffiti, torn down or decapitated. This increasing persecution of Christianity, however, has roots before our current politic...

Dr. Gene Edward Veith discusses two recent decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court. One keeps ensures the right of churches and church schools to make employment decisions; the other allows exemptions from government mandates for the sake of individual religious convictions.   Read the article on The Lutheran Witness website.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the maga...

Rev. Weslie Odom, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the August issue of the Lutheran Witness, all about civility and conviction. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/...

In the third article in his series “Our Problems; God’s Answers,” the Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz discusses how Christ addresses the fragmentation we feel in our modern lives. We do not find ourselves, but Christ finds us and keeps us whole in the waters of Baptism and through His church.   Read the article on The Lutheran Witness website.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to...

Couples who want to children no longer want to get married; but, they do not want to co-habit either. Rather than endure marriage and divorce, they are deciding to “co-parent.” Dr. Gene Edward Veith discusses this evasion of God’s gift of marriage in this issue of The Lutheran Witness podcast. You can read the entire issue on the website.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscr...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, churches in Great Britain saw a spike in attendance. While the jury is still out on church attendance and a “Coronavirus Awakening” in America, Christians in America should be aware of opportunities to witness as COVID-19 has waken some secularists out of their complacency.   Read the entire article on The Lutheran Witness website.  

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and cohost of A Word Fitly Spoken podcast, joins Andy to talk about his post on The Lutheran Witness about worry, including why adults worry more than children, how being like a child in this instance can be a good thing, and what our Lord says to the worried or weary. Read his...

As the key to keeping a weed-free garden has to do with mulch, so the key in the struggle against the weeds of our sinful flesh is a healthy dose of the mulch of God’s Word. Rachel Bomberger reads her article on summer gardening and the Christian faith in this issue of The Lutheran Witness podcast.   For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness...