Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Exodus 22 - Thou Shalt Not Objectify, ☧ for the Vulnerable

July 07, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Delwyn Campbell, domestic missionary and pastor of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church & Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gary, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 22. Learn more about Pastor Campbell and how to support his work at lcms.org/campbell. “It is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” God protects the most vulnerable through His good laws in Exodus 22. There is no oppression of the ...

Psalm 74: ☧'s Easter Ruins, Leviathan to the 2nd Slaying

July 06, 2020 16:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v'Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 74. “You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams.” O God, you slew one sea dragon. Now please slay the other! Psalm 74 looks out with confidence amidst the ruins, connecting the destruction of the Temple back to the Exodus and to creation itself. As we p...

Exodus 21: ☧ Curbs Callousness, Family Goes Out

July 03, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Lucas Witt, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 21. “He shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.” Exodus 21 by no means endorses slavery. God rather patiently approaches us where we are at, and His law restrains and curbs the callousness of the human heart. Throughout the chapter...

Exodus 20: ☧ Mediates 10 Words on Heaven's Mount

July 02, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 74.9 MB

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 20. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Exodus 20 shows that the “Ten Commandments” are all about relationship and God’s grace. They are not simply law, but also gospel, as this very first of the “Ten Words” shows. There is certainly fear, but it’s a healthy fear that includes reverence, trust, and obedience. Wi...

Exodus 19: Prepared to Rest in ☧'s Divine Service at Sinai

July 01, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 19. “On the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around.” Israel finally arrives at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19. After months of wandering, why does God make them wait longer before receiving the Ten Commandments? And why even when the people are consecrated as a “kingdom of pri...

Exodus 18: King & Family, ☧ in Jethro Saves from Arrogance

June 30, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 18. “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.” Exodus 18 is more than just leadership advice; God saves Moses here through his family. Free from Pharaoh, Moses tetered dangerously on the edge of becoming a new Pharaoh, arrogantly self-sufficient and self-glorifying. As M...

Exodus 17: Uplifted Hands & Staff of ☧ Wins and Waters

June 29, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 17. “Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out.” Another water plague is reversed in Exodus 17, demonstrating both God’s supreme power and as well as His infinite mercy, leading His Israelite flock like a shepherd. When Israel goes out to ...

Psalm 78 (Part 2): Ephraim's Twisted Bow, Again ☧'s Fruitful Bough

June 26, 2020 17:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MB

Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, South Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study the second half of Psalm 78. “The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. [...] They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them.” Wealth, power, land—the tribes of Joseph had it all. Ephraim in particular was shown so much grace, but Psalm 78 shows how Ephraim, blessed as firstborn in Egypt, tragically fell away as he forgot God’s Exodus...

Psalm 78 (Part 1): Tune In, Do Not Forget ☧'s Crossing and Cross

June 25, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study the first half of Psalm 78. “He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave their crops to the destroying locust.” The opposite of forgetting is hearing, according to Psalm 78. The reason why we fail to obey God is because we do not have His salvation before our eyes and ears. Many Israelites were lik...

Exodus 16: Quail & Honey-Dew, ☧'s Sabbath Foretaste

June 24, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB

“In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.” Ravenous locusts and destructive hail were still fresh memories in Exodus 16, so the message was loud and clear when God worked these two anti-plagues to provide meat and bread for his people. God also used the dew-like and honey-flavored bread to patiently teach His children about the Sabbath, even before He instituted it. He gave them a foretaste of the feast to come in the “land flowing with mi...

Exodus 15: Israel Joins ☧'s Easter Song at Sabbath Waters

June 23, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Rev. Benjamin Ball, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 15. “At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.” The people see the glory of Yahweh and immediately burst into song in Exodus 15. They sing as one voice, God’s firstborn rescued from Egypt. Yet the language signals something bigger here, the very defeat of universal evil and primordial chaos....

Exodus 14: ☧ Turns, Egypt & Israel "Sea" and Believe

June 22, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 14. “See the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.” With the drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the sea, Exodus 14 ties together all the major themes of the book: Yahweh judges the Egyptian gods so that Egypt would know Him, and Yahweh saves His people so that Israel...

Exodus 13: Feast in the Wilderness, ☧ for Us Light or Dark

June 19, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. David Andrus, pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in St. Louis and Not-Alone.net Ministries, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 13. “When in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.’” Exodus 13 seems like no time for theology class, in the middle of the wilderness with Pharaoh about to pursue in the next chapter. Yet here God’s people are doing just as Moses originally asked: They are h...

Exodus 12: Easter Plague of God's Firstborn ☧

June 18, 2020 17:00 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MB

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired LCMS pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 12. "There was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead." The human death that began in the hailstorm has reached its climax in Exodus 12, striking the head of the Egyptian pantheon. All was encoded onto the details of the ritual of Passover, whose name also means Christmas and Easter. Christ was the ultimate Passover lamb, whose blood protects the house ...

Exodus 11: Plagues of Law & Gospel, Faith in ☧ the Lamb

June 17, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 11. “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here.” Exodus 11 leaves us with a dramatic cliffhanger: Moses announces the most severe plague yet—the death of the firstborn—and storms out of Pharaoh’s palace in anger. But didn’t Pharaoh forbid Moses from coming back to the palace? What’s the point of this annou...

Exodus 10: Darkness Won't Let Go of Death, ☧ Still Leaves

June 16, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. David Fleming, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 10. “Tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land.” The plagues of Exodus 10 ominously resemble the end of a decreation countdown. Yet even when the locusts are driven “into the Red Sea” with foreboding, Pharaoh grows more defiant. As sin’s clutches refuse to let go, they destroy God’s go...

Psalm 110: David as Priest, His Lord as ☧ Over Death

June 15, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 110. “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Was King David also a priest? Psalm 110 seems to speak about David, describing how he anticipated the re-unification of prophet, priest, and king under God. God spoke to the angels about His plans for David before humanity was even created. Yet on another level, this psalm—the most quoted in the New Testament...

Exodus 9: Every Livestock Dies, ☧ Makes Enemy Heavy

June 12, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MB

Rev. Chris Matthis, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 9. “All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.” An epidemic strikes in Exodus 9. As the plagues intensify, the first deaths come. But if all the livestock died in the epidemic, why are they later described in the plagues of boils and hail? This misunderstanding disappears under close reading. God gradually intens...

Exodus 8: Egypt Ruined, Israel Spared in Goshen and in ☧

June 11, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB

Rev. Christopher Maronde, pastor of St. John Bingen/Decatur, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 8. “I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.” Frogs, gnats, and flies! The transition in Exodus 8 however shows that there are different sets of plagues, each with different meanings. In this second set, the focus is on the ruination of Egypt as opposed t...

Exodus 7: Blood & Snakes, ☧ Creates, Judges, and Saves

June 10, 2020 17:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MB

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 7. “The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel.” Aaron’s staff becomes a snake, and when his staff strikes the Nile, it turns to blood. The true confrontation begins in Exodus 7, as God provokes Pharaoh’s proud anger. God’s purpose is twofold: to break Pharaoh’s will and secure the release of His peop...

Exodus 6: Uncircumcised Lips, Included in ☧ Who "Will Be"

June 09, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 6. “I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” When Moses doubts himself, Exodus 6 responds with a genealogy. While Moses might not have been the best speaker, it was never about his ability; it’s about God’s promise. The genealogy shows the divine plan going from Levi to Moses & Aaron and then down to Phinehas, who helped capture Canaan...

Exodus 5: Optics Beyond Politics, ☧ in Moses' Evil Odor

June 08, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Dr. David Adams, Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 5. “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?” Moses despairs in Exodus 5 because the Israelites went from believing in him to wishing he’d never shown up. This is exactly why Pharaoh increased the Israelites’ workload, to turn them against a potential rebel leader. All this however plays into God’s larger plan to save H...

Exodus 4: Moses Doesn't Cut It, Son's Blood Atones as ☧

June 05, 2020 17:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MB

Rev. William Cwirla, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 4. “Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, 'Let my son go that he may serve me.'” Fatherhood is central to Exodus 4, whose poetry prepares the way for Father, Son, and Spirit. As Israel’s Father, God lovingly repeats His name to Moses, “I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.” When Moses however fails to circumcise his own son, only the ...

Exodus 3: Yahweh, He Will Be with Us in ☧ for All to See

June 04, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 3. Christ quotes Exodus 3 to prove the resurrection: even if we die, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is still our God. Moses is afraid of what he has seen, but God has seen Israel’s suffering and He “will be” with them. Yahweh means “He will be.” His name is pure love, grace, and promise, ultimately revealed in Christ who helps even the Gentiles to see the Triune God...

Exodus 2: ☧ Drawn from Watery Sojourn for All to See

June 03, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Shawn Kumm, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cody, Wyoming, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 2. “His sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.” Miriam takes center stage in Exodus 2 as the forerunner of Moses, serving God with faith and wisdom like their mother and the midwives. Most importantly, they see and serve as witnesses, like John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene after them. God will draw His sojourning people out of the water so that Egy...

Exodus 1: Fruitful & Multiplied in Egypt by ☧ the Word

June 02, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in North Prairie, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Exodus 1. “The people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly.” Exodus 1 flows seamlessly out of Genesis while also foreshadowing the confrontation with Pharaoh. Israel fulfills God’s commandment to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” even while serving the King of Egypt. Yet Pharaoh prefers “wisdom” over life, which will lead to disaster as in Genesis 3. B...

Psalm 109: David's City Wrapped in Graveclothes of Risen ☧

June 01, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v'Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 109. “May his days be few; may another take his office!” Psalm 109 only seems harsh or unforgiving when taken out of context. Although King David curses his betrayer, he does so not for his own benefit, but so that his betrayer’s reign of terror and oppression over Israel would come to an end. Similarly, Christ had no grudge against Judas, but the curse of the Cross was ...

Mark 16: From Fear to Phase 2, Emboldened by Risen ☧'s Word

May 29, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Anaheim, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 16. “They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them.” Mark 16 shows that miracles don’t produce faith—only the Word does. Every last one of Jesus ☧’s disciples ran away in fear, but God sends His Word to transform their faulty ideas and incomplete actions into an abundance, like the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Mark’s account of...

Mark 15: All React, Centaurion Sees How ☧ Dies as Son of God

May 28, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MB

Rev. Duncan McLellan, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Iowa, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 15. “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Of all the various responses to Jesus ☧ in Mark 15, it seems only the centaurion has the right reaction. Pilate is dumbfounded. The crowd has no pity. The soldiers and passersby mock. The women stand at a distance. The centaurion however focuses on “this way he breathed his last.” Mark leaves out the dialogs to focus our eyes on the Cr...

Mark 14: Different Approaches to ☧, Strong in Spirit for Passover

May 27, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Doug Nicely, pastor of Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 14. “One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” Mark 14 slows down the pace and narrates the Passion of Jesus ☧ in detail. On the one hand, there are various contradictory goals and reactions swirling about ☧ as the disciples scatter in fear. On the other hand, everything unfolds according to ☧’s plan, as God secures a new Exodus for His people through the La...

Mark 13: World of Caesar & Annas Passes Away, ☧'s Word Won't

May 26, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 13. “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones!” Jesus ☧ however tells His disciples to “Look out!” He shifts their attention away from appearances and onto His Word. The Temple will soon pass away, “but my words will not pass away,” He says. Like the disciples, we are often preoccupied with the material logistics, afraid that the church’s mission will fail without big donations and powerful allies. ☧ however teach...

Psalm 108: ☧ David's Son Raised from the Cave, Conquering Edom

May 25, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Jeremy Loesch, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Grandview, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 108. “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” Psalm 108 uniquely combines the latter half of two distinct psalms. Psalm 57 was from when David was hiding from King Saul in a cave among the Gentiles, and Psalm 60 was from a campaign of King David against Edom. Together they show that no matter the circumstances, God always protects His p...

Mark 12: Corrupt Temple Judged, Resurrected in David's Lord ☧

May 22, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MB

Rev. George Murdaugh, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Douglasville, Georgia, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 12. Jesus ☧ is both the new David and the new Temple—twin truths woven together in Mark 12. While the crowds gladly listened, the majority of the scribes, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees banded together in opposition. They try to win back the crowds because ☧’s talk of the Messiah and the resurrection was revolutionary. ☧ called them out on their corruption ...

Mark 11: ☧ Ascends to the Temple, Cursing Excuses, Saving Us

May 21, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MB

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired LCMS pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 11. Why does Jesus ☧ make such a scene coming into Jerusalem? Why does He get so angry at the fig tree? Mark 11 reveals that ☧’s actions were calculated and full of symbolism, revealing the true nature of the authority of the Messiah. His words about the fig tree are really about the Temple, destroyed not even forty years later. The ☧’s authority goes beyond external appearances, to the ver...

Mark 10: No Difficult Terms, Come to ☧ as Children & Bartimaeus

May 20, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. Dr. Martin Noland, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Mateo, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 10. “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!” Mark 10 seems to unusually focus on the teaching of Jesus ☧, but this chapter is as much about people’s reactions to ☧’s “difficult” sayings. The Pharisees ask Him about divorce to put Him in a difficult position with Herod, but ☧’s difficult response challenges the crowd and even the disciples. The rich ...

Mark 9: Suffering, Saved, and Vocal As Elijah, Childlike Faith in ☧

May 19, 2020 17:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MB

Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, South Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 9. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” Jesus ☧ shows in Mark 9 that His disciples cannot rely on themselves; they will have to look to “Jesus only,” as Mark says following the Transfiguration. Like Pastor Nour’s acronym, faith is a fantastic adventure trusting Him. The path of God’s kingdom is paved with persecution, and the disciples like Elijah must...

Mark 8: 5 Loaves for David's Men, 7 for Mixed Priests of ☧'s Body

May 18, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MB

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 8. “Do you not yet understand?” In Mark 8, Jesus ☧ presses His disciples to grasp the symbolism of His miraculous actions. What does it mean that He miraculously fed a second crowd of people, this time with seven loaves instead of five? Like the man who could not see until ☧ touched his eyes a second time, the disciples could not understand until ☧ revealed even more of H...

Mark 7: God's Heart or Good Appearances? Clean by ☧'s Word

May 15, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. David Speers, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Altamont, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 7. “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites!” Once again Jesus ☧ publicly clashes with the Pharisees and the Jerusalem scribes, this time in Mark 7 over the Fourth Commandment (in Mark 3 it was over the Third). Just when His opponents think they have Him for disrespecting “the Elders,” ☧ turns it around on them for disrespecting their own mothers and fathers. ☧ does not ...

Mark 6: Unlike Herod, ☧ the 12's King-Shepherd of Resurrection

May 14, 2020 17:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MB

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 6. “They did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6 continues the narrative of Jesus ☧’s gospel proclamation, a real-life story laden with symbolism. What is the connection between Herod’s execution of John, the Feeding of the Five Thousand, and ☧ walking on the water? Herod shows himself to be no shepherd of God’s people. Whenever...

Mark 5: Fear vs. Faith, ☧'s Word Stronger than Devils and Death

May 13, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 5. “Do not fear, only believe.” These words of Jesus ☧ summarize the theme of Mark 5. Although these are real-life events being narrated, this perspective on the story highlights the faith-vs-fear dynamic, showing how the Word-of-growth parables of chapter 4 play out in our hearts and minds. The Word remains central: the storm was calmed at ☧’s Word, the mighty legion of d...

Mark 4: Amidst Storms & Riddles, ☧'s Strong Word Gives Faith

May 12, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 4. “To the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” In Mark 4 Jesus ☧ speaks of the paradox of faith and understanding: in order for these to be given, they must have already been received. These parables were not meant as easy-to-understand sermon illustrations. Like the injunctions of silence w...

Psalm 107: Praise ☧ Who Redeems North, South, East, and West

May 11, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 107. “Hallelujah! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” With these words, Psalm 107 introduces the fifth and final collection of psalms from 107 to 150. No other section of psalms contains so many hallelujahs and exhortations to praise. North, south, east, and west: mountains, wilderness, sunrise, ...

Mark 3: Spirit's True Obedience, ☧ Confronts Dead-Set Enemies

May 08, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 3. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” In Mark 3, Jesus ☧ heals a man’s atrophied hand in the middle of the synagogue on the Sabbath, putting the Pharisees’ hypocritical non-answer on public display. He remains tight-lipped, though His twelve-man inner circle has kingly overtones. Only the unclean spirits have begun to utt...

Mark 2: ☧ Responds to Faith with Love, Curing Sin & Sickness

May 07, 2020 17:00 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MB

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 2. “The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” In Mark 2, Jesus ☧ uses the term “Son of Man” for the first time, confusing His opponents more than answering their questions—and they have a lot of them: Why does He presume to forgive sins? Why does He associate with sinners? Why doesn’t He make His disciples fast? Why does He do work on the Sabbath? As illustrated in the ...

Mark 1: ☧ Begins to Preach the Gospel, His Authority Saves Us

May 06, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Rev. Daniel Olson, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 1. “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Mark chapter 1 might strike us as a strange starting place, beginning with John baptizing the Lord in the Jordan and skipping over the little town of Bethlehem. But Mark leaves out these details deliberately so he can focus on Jesus ☧ as a preacher. When we think of “the gospel,”...

Revelation 22: River & Trees of Life, All Israel in the Holy of Holies of ☧

May 05, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity-Sidney & St. John-Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Revelation 22. “On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.” As the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22 takes us back to the beginning. By the tree of the Cross, Eden’s tree of life is restored in the heavenly Jerusalem. Yet the “river of the water of life” from Ezekiel’s vision also runs through the city streets....

Revelation 21: Jerusalem’s Walls Resurrected, Gems of ☧’s Wounds

May 04, 2020 17:00 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Revelation 21. “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Revelation 21 gives us the most vivid picture of “heaven” in the entire Bible. But what does it mean that the old heaven and earth will pass away? Like the...

Revelation 20: Satan Imprisoned as ☧ Frees the Seas, the Book of Life

May 01, 2020 20:02 - 17 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Waldemar Vinovskis, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Macungie, Pennsylvania, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Revelation 20. “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20 re-introduces “the bottomless pit” of the abyss. Unlike chapter 9 where the angel opened it up, this time the angel imprisons Satan there. Confined to the abyss, Satan is no longer free to roam about “the seas” of the Gentiles....

Revelation 19: ☧ on the White Horse Defeats Beast & False Prophet

April 30, 2020 22:02 - 17 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Chris Matthis, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Revelation 19. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.” In Revelation 19, the Lord Jesus descends upon the earth, defeats the beast and the false prophet, and slays His enemies with the sword of His mouth. But how does this logically follow the mixture of lamentation...

Revelation 18 : Leave & Fall with ☧, Profitable Jerusalem Thrown Down

April 29, 2020 23:50 - 17 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Peter Bender, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Sussex, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Revelation 18. “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins.” Revelation 18 takes a pastoral and catechetical focus on the idolatry of Babylon. “Babylon” does not refer to geography per se, but to the apostate element of Israel, particularly concentrated in Jerusalem. Even when things seem blessed and spiritual, they may be spiritually unclean and idolatrously aligned...

Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

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