Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio
1,271 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 73 ratingsThy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.
Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.
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Episodes
Job 1: Law Does Not Command God | Job, ☧ on Trial
November 23, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Job 1. “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” Heaven’s courtroom hears the arguments of the Prosecutor General in Job 1. When he puts Job on trial, the most righteous man on earth, all of humanity is examined with him: Isn’t it the reward that motivates us? If God always...
2 Samuel 24: Unity in ☧'s Altar on Zion, Not by Power of Pride
November 20, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBRev. Dennis McFadden, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 24. “Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them.” David was losing his grip on the North, and he wanted to remind them who was in charge. In chapter 24 God uses David’s sinful power play to bring His proud messiah and the whole nation to repentance. Whereas David tries to unite through power, God offers unity through gra...
2 Samuel 23: Broken Heroes Established for the Dawn of ☧
November 19, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBRev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 23. “He dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.” So is it cloudless, or are there rainclouds? David’s oracle frames the paradox of the entire 23rd chapter: David’s reign was a fading glory, but it was also a pale image of what was to come. He seemed noble in his re...
2 Samuel 22: Swan Song of ☧, Spectre of Saul Banished
November 18, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 22. “Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed.” Instead of a lawyer, imagine going to a minstrel for your last will and testament! This is no victory chant; chapter 22 is David’s swan song looking back on how God has saved his life time and time again. The point is not that David was a superior or more deserving man. Rather, des...
Psalm 47: Korah Reminds David, God is King of Kings, ☧ Ascends
November 16, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 47. You might say the Korahites had a legacy of objecting to monarchical power: “You have gone too far!” Korah accused Moses & Aaron. “Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” In collective repentance, the Korahite composer of Psalm 47 does not rebel like his ancestor, but gently reminds the newly-ascended king of Judah that “the LORD, the Most High” is ...
2 Samuel 20: ☧ to Fire Him, but Joab Still Here | Lady Wisdom
November 13, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 20. David tries to fire him, but Joab just won’t leave. His ruthlessness and cold calculation are on full display when he murders Amasa his replacement. But Joab isn’t one-dimensional, showing restraint with the wise woman of Abel, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!” Ultimately we see a reflection of our own mercurial selfishness, ...
2 Samuel 19: Equal Shares of Mercy, ☧ David Returns
November 12, 2020 18:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBRev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 19. “You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you.” Joab’s not wrong. Although David’s grief reflects his unconditional love and forgiveness towards his children, in chapter 19 he goes too far the other way, failing to show gratitude for the men who have bled and died fo...
2 Samuel 18: ☧ Takes Absalom's Place to Rescue from Joab
November 11, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 18. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” David would’ve gladly given his life even for his son who tried to kill him. Chapter 18 is full of heart-wrenching irony: Ultimately, Jesus Christ became a second Absalom, accused of insurrection, hanged on a tree, and pierced with a spear. Likewise his death was ...
2 Samuel 17: Ahithophel's Perfect Plan vs. ☧ Not Godproof
November 10, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 17. “The LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.” There was no way out for David—the strategy of his treacherous former advisor was perfect. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” Chapter 17 shows how no amount of wealth, power, or intelligence can thwart God’s purposes. God is constantly at work in the little deta...
2 Samuel 16: Shrewd Players | Meek ☧, Takes Shimei's Curse
November 09, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Benjamin Maton, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 16. “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.” Israel was playing a life-and-death poker game, polarized between pro-David and pro-Saul/Absalom factions. In our own age of polarization, we are quick to defend our team no matter the criticism, but David humbly accep...
2 Samuel 15: Absalom's Kiss of Betrayal, ☧ Patient in Injustice
November 06, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Brian Thieme, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 15. “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place.” Absalom repays his father’s kiss of peace with a kiss of betrayal, buying his way into the hearts of Israel. His actions are ungrateful and underhanded, but in 2 Samuel 15 King David does not respond in kind. Like Jes...
2 Samuel 14: Bold Faith Disguises, Starts Fire, Mediator of ☧
November 05, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBRev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 14. “Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. [...] So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.” What kind of persuasive technique is that?! Chapter 14 shows the boldness of relationship. Whether it’s Absolom starting a fire in Joab’s field or Joab disguising someone as a wi...
2 Samuel 13: David Fails Amnon, Hated Tamar Loves as ☧
November 04, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Doug Minton in Blaine, Minnesota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 13. Are we in love with a person, or an idea? When King David’s son Amnon falls in love with his half-sister Tamar, it’s not self-giving unconditional love, but infatuation with an “impossible” forbidden fruit. Jonadab, “a very crafty” snake of a man, merely stirs the pot—like the serpent of Eden. Guilt rests squarely on man, not God or anything else. David set a poor example for his sons with his power-craz...
2 Samuel 12: David Destroys His Own, ☧ Guides & Spares
November 03, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Mark Jasa, pastor of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Pasadena, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 12. “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan’s story touches a nerve with David in chapter 12—the poor shepherd boy from Bethlehem lashes out at the pitiless Nabals and Sauls of his life. God mercifully uses this story of law to guide David to repe...
Psalm 143: David's Spirit Fails His Son, But God Won't in ☧
November 02, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v'Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 143. “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.” Our children’s failures are a painful reflection of our own faults. Prince Absolom sought to put his own father to death, but David acknowledges in Psalm 143 that he had no one to blame but himself. Heartbroken but unwilling to hurt his own son, David’s faint spirit is dying in t...
2 Samuel 11: David Betrays Uriah, Bathsheba Blessed for ☧
October 30, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 11. “And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’ So David sent word to Joab, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite.’” This one sin is the action around which the rest of 2 Samuel revolves; and it doesn’t remain one sin for long, evolving into murder and the abuse of God’s name. Chapter 11 gives a sobering warning about how sin can come seemingly out o...
2 Samuel 10: ☧ Meets the Shamed, Keeps Faith w/ Rebels
October 29, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBRev. Jacob Heine, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 10. “When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, ‘Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.’” David might’ve said, “Grow thicker skin!” or “Shake those haters off!” and sent them back to Jerusalem, but instead the king himself goes out of his way to help these men deal with their shame quietly so that t...
2 Samuel 9: ☧ Contends for Us, Keeps Faith w/ Merib-baal
October 28, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Duncan McLellan, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 9. “And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.’” David’s mercy towards Mephibosheth is a beautiful image of God’s mercy to us in Christ. 2 Samuel 9 says that David wants to show him the “kindness [ˈħɛsɛð] of God.” Jus...
2 Samuel 8: David's Mercy & Victories, God's Promises in ☧
October 27, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 8. “Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared.” David has blood on his hands—a lot of it. Perhaps together with his excessive celebration in chapter 6, the violence of chapter 9 and others shows why God would want a man of wisdom rather than a man of violence to build His temple. Yet the narrator connects David’s actions to God’s promises, God giving “victory to David whereve...
Psalm 132: ☧'s Sure Place, Raised Up with Food & Clothing
October 26, 2020 18:15 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBRev. Charles Henrickson, pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bonne Terre, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 132. “I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” The Ark of the Covenant had been captured by enemies, had brought plagues against the proud, and had bounced from place to place in fear. Psalm 132 reflects David’s promise and desire to find a permanent “place” for t...
2 Samuel 7: David's Plan | No, *I* Will Build a *House* in ☧
October 26, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 7. “But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?’” David was thinking too small, perhaps even making himself a little too big. In his confrontation with Michal, he had asserted his divine right. But now in chapter 7 God reverses this: the f...
2 Samuel 6: David's Wild Party, Uzzah & Michal, Mercy for ☧
October 23, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Lucas Witt, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 6. “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” David fetches the Ark of the Covenant for a big dedication in Jerusalem in chapter 6. At first glance, it looks like God judges Uzzah and Michal somewhat harshly for harmless picadillos. In...
2 Samuel 5: ☧ David Anointed ☧, 40-Year Reign Forever
October 22, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, Minnesota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 5. “King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.” Third time’s the charm? David’s first two anointments were disappointing: after the first he became an exile, and after the second, he found out that Ish-bosheth had already been installed as king over the North. This time in chapter 5 however, the circle widens...
2 Samuel 4: ☧ David's Vow to Treat Enemies as Innocents
October 21, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. David Fleming, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Executive Director for Spiritual Care with DOXOLOGY, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 4. Learn more about spiritual care and mental health resources from DOXOLOGY at doxology.us. “How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” David learns of the death of an enemy for the t...
2 Samuel 3: Noble Abner Repents, Dies as ☧ for King David
October 20, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Paul Cain, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sheridan, Wyoming, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 3. “God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD has sworn to him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David.” Abner again proves himself to be a good man on the wrong side in chapter 3, but he finally realizes his mistake. In sincere repentance, he hands David the keys to the kingdom, but David’s genera...
2 Samuel 2: David & Abner Jockey for Power, God's Will in ☧
October 19, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Doug Nicely, pastor of Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 2. “And Joab said, ‘As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.’” Even though the North had pledged its allegiance to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and the South had anointed David, it’s not all black and white. In chapter 2, Ish-bosheth’s general Abner shows three times that he wisely seeks to...
Psalm 44: God's Children in ☧ Yell Out in Faith, Hope after Temple
October 16, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBRev. Ben Maton, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 44. “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?” The Korahites were devastated when Babylon destroyed the Temple and carried off the holy things they were sworn to protect. Why would God let this happen? “We have not forgotten you!” It didn’t seem fair. As our true Father through Jesus ☧, God mercifully invites us to speak our hearts as in Psalm 44. Faith takes its complaints...
2 Samuel 1: Mighty Saul & Son Fallen, Risk Life & Give as ☧
October 15, 2020 17:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBRev. Steven Theiss, retired LCMS pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 1. “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!” David responds with the highest piety to the news of Saul’s death in 2 Samuel 1. He executes the Amalekite who served under Saul for letting his sword end the king’s life. He mourns Saul and Jonathan alike...
1 Samuel 31: Irreverent Philistine Gospel | Respect for ☧ Saul
October 14, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 31. “He was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.’” Riddled with arrows and barely able to move, Saul knows he doesn’t have much time left in chapter 31. His actions spare Israel further scandal at the hands of the Philistine...
1 Samuel 30: Restored 3rd Day, David ☧ Rises w/ Gifts
October 13, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 30. “David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him. [...] But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” Rejected by Saul, then by the Philistine lords, and now by some of the very people who had rallied around him, it would be easy for David to have doubts. Why did he insist on being loyal to Achish? His morality left an opening for the Amalekites to swoop in! Yet David doubles d...
1 Samuel 29: David ☧ Faithful to God, to God's Enemies Also
October 12, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBHost Rev. AJ Espinosa studies 1 Samuel 29. “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” How can David say this with a straight face? He’s been lying to Achish all along! Yet David speaks in chapter 29 with the same sincerity as he did back in chapter 26 with Saul. David demonstrates the paradoxical submissiveness of God’s people, showing love and loyalty to both ...
1 Samuel 28: Ironic Appar-ances, Asked-For ☧ Asks God
October 09, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Brian Kachelmeier, pastor of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Los Alamos, New Mexico, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 28. “Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’” The medium of En-dor performs a seance for Saul in chapter 28, and Saul receives a haunting echo of what Samuel told him years ago: “The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand.” Like Saul, we often ask God for answers that He’s already given us. But God isn’t a magic e...
1 Samuel 27: Humble Exile for Achish, David ☧ Quietly Saves
October 08, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBRev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 27. “When Achish asked, ‘Where have you made a raid today?’ David would say, ‘Against the Negeb of Judah,’ or, ‘Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites.’” Achish of Gath learns of the bad blood between David and Saul, and he seizes upon the opportunity to flip David to his side. Little does he know, David isn’t actually raiding his fellow Juda...
1 Samuel 26: ☧ Saves Saul Thrice, Takes Spear in Respect
October 07, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Lucas Witt, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 26. “As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.” Atop the hill across the valley, David shouts down to Abner like Goliath in chapter 17. Chapter 26 makes surprising connections as David again demonstrates his unwavering loyalty ...
1 Samuel 25: Abigail of ☧ Feeds 5 & 2, Saves David from Self
October 06, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MBRev. Kevin Martin, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 25. “Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” Even David needs saving in chapter 25, and it’s Abigail who saves him from himself. This woman “with whom the Father is well pleased” is both faithful to her house and hospitable to David, reminding him that he stands for som...
Psalm 142: With ☧ at Cave Bottom, Faint Spirit to Arise
October 05, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v'Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 142. “When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.” David didn’t always feel the Spirit powerfully guiding his every move; sometimes he felt alone and uncertain. Much darker than Psalm 57, Psalm 142 offers a lamentation from the bottom of David’s soul, providing a way for God’s people later to make sense of th...
1 Samuel 24: ☧ Submits in Mercy, Saul's Kingdom in Hand
October 02, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. Richard Mittwede, pastor of University Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 24. “And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, ‘You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.’” Saul shows true repentance in chapter 24, moved by David’s mercy. In turn, Saul extends mercy to David, sending his battalions home and even acknowledging that David is meant to be king. Neither man was an angel or ...
1 Samuel 23: ☧ Saves Keliah, Besieged Rock and Curse
October 01, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBRev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 23. “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand?” David had become a curse, even though he had just saved Keliah from the Philistines. In chapter 23, King Saul shows his willingness to starve a whole city just to draw David out of hiding....
1 Samuel 22: ☧ David Blows Cover to Shelter Hungry Souls
September 30, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Andrew Jagow, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 22. “Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” David’s covert wanderings continue in chapter 22, but his cover is quickly blown as people rally around him. Like Christ Jesus, he welcomes the burn-outs, the turned-downs, and the left-behinds in compassion. David acts to minimize the danger to those aro...
1 Samuel 21: Bold ☧, King's Son Takes Loaves, Called Crazy
September 29, 2020 17:00 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBRev. Ken Wagener, retired LCMS pastor in Mooresville, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 21. “So the priest gave [David] the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD.” Why is David being so ‘selective’ with the truth and so bold as to ask for the bread of the Presence? Chapter 21 shows how David at this time was a desperate man on the run—he was bold out of necessity. David, the son-in-law of King Saul, ...
1 Samuel 20: David Bows to Lord Jonathan, Both as ☧ for Us
September 28, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 20. “Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” David was Jonathan’s subordinate, and he comes to him in chapter 21 as a supplicant. Their “love” was like the love between God and Hi...
1 Samuel 19: ☧ David Slandered, Save Life to Honor Father
September 25, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. Robert Paul, pastor of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 19. “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.” Jonathan and Michal both prove their love for David in chapter 19 as they risk their own lives to save his. Even as they do so however, they do not dishonor their king and father. They continue to show him respect, and in fact, they hono...
1 Samuel 18: Yah-Nathan's Robe & Protection, Irony of Saul
September 24, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBRev. Waldemar Vinovskis, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Macungie, Pennsylvania, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 18. “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David.” Idol worship? Man crush? Not here. In chapter 18 Jonathan, prince of Israel, takes David under his wing and pledges his royal protection. Unlike mutual contracts of modern times, ancient covenants...
1 Samuel 17: The Philistine to See and Bow as ☧ David Does
September 23, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBRev. Dr. Martin Noland, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Mateo, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 17. “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.” Who doesn’t love the story of David and Goliath? So many children’s Bibles prominently feature this story from 1 Samuel 17, a little clean-shaven shepherd boy defeating the big bearded bully. The thing is, David was not a plucky little boy. He had se...
1 Samuel 16: Love's Silence, Mysterious Choice of ☧ David
September 22, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 16. “And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.’ And the LORD said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.” And invite Jesse to the sacrifice.’” Is God telling Samuel to lie? And does God send an evil spirit into Saul in the second half of chapter 16? It’s easy to misunderstand things amidst difficult times and power shifts. We are tempted to rationa...
Psalm 57: Saul Gives David to Lions, Loyal ☧ Gives Grace
September 21, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBRev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 57. “My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.” David had hoped he’d be safe in the cave from Saul, but his hideout became a lions’ den, a mouth ready to swallow him up. In Psalm 57 David asks that God would show him “grace” and “loyalty...
1 Samuel 15: God Regrets Our Sauls, Sends ☧, No Regrets
September 18, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBRev. George Murdaugh, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Douglasville, Georgia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 15. “Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Chapter 15 pulls no punches. Saul truly was a good king who was filled with God’s Spirit, obeying in piety and humility. But towards the end of his reign, Saul became increasingly insecure about his power and status, and he eventually “feared the people” more than ...
1 Samuel 14: Come What May, Saul to Glory, His Son to God
September 17, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBRev. Steven Theiss, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 14. “But he did not tell his father.” Unbeknownst to King Saul, his son Jonathan slips away to the Philistine garrison. But Jonathan, accompanied only by his armor bearer, has a different mindset than the rest of Israel in chapter 14: whether he is called to fight against long odds or to pass on a promising opportunity, he is submissive to YHWH’s will, come what may. Saul however shows how God’s people sti...
1 Samuel 13: Farmer Saul Charges Ahead, ☧ Waits & Submits
September 16, 2020 17:00 - 55 minutes - 76.5 MBRev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 13. “The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” This one act of disobedience in chapter 13 forever ends the line of Saul in favor of the House of David. Is this unfair to Saul? Like Adam & Eve in Eden, Moses at Meribah, or Nadab & Abih...
1 Samuel 12: Repent of "Sauling," ☧ Forgives, Blesses in Saul
September 15, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 30.7 MBRev. Darrin Sheek, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Anaheim, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Samuel 12. “You shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” Saul’s been anointed messiah, proclaimed king, and installed in a grand covenant renewal ceremony. There’s no taking it back, but Samuel in chapter 12 pleads with Israel to admit they were wrong to ask for a king. Why bother? ...