Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Joshua 16: Land of Royal Ephraim, Gracious Reversal in Christ

February 06, 2020 21:50 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity-Sidney and St. John-Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 16. This short little chapter about Ephraim says so much about God. Joshua 16 says that after the tribe of Judah, the lot fell to the people of Joseph. By God’s providence, a seemingly random process unfolds according to His will, abundantly blessing Joseph as promised by his father Jacob. Also according to Jacob however is the reversal of Ephraim and Manasseh. God surprises...

Joshua 15: Gentile Jerusalem, Caleb as Apostle of Judah’s Easter

February 05, 2020 19:22 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Kevin Martin, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 15. Like the apostles who testified to the resurrection, Caleb & Joshua were God’s witnesses who testified to the conquest of Canaan: God was giving them the same land they saw 45 years ago. In chapter 15, the names of the borders and cities are like the nail marks and spear wound of the Lord Jesus. Zin was the extreme southern edge where Israel sojourned and where...

Joshua 14: Caleb’s Humble Confidence, Resurrection for the Earth

February 04, 2020 22:36 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 14. Did you know that Joshua and Caleb were old men during the wars of Canaan? Caleb was 85 years old after the northern campaign, and yet he says “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me.” In both confidence and humility, he asks for Joshua’s blessing to take possession of Judah’s inheritance by doing battle with the giant Anakim. Chap...

Psalm 24: God of Natural Law Brings Vindication to Mighty Gates

February 03, 2020 22:56 - 18 hours - 51.5 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 24. David was a celebrated warrior and commander. He was king over both Judah’s territory in the South and over the people of the northern tribes. But in Psalm 24, He gives all the glory to Yahweh, saying that the whole world and all people belong to Him, and that He is the true warrior and king. Yet David especially celebrates the people of Ja...

Joshua 13: So Much Land & Too Little Time, Inheritance Guaranteed

January 31, 2020 21:43 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Lucas Witt, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 13. Chapter 13 begins with a problem: the land is still full of enemies to defeat, but Joshua is old—really old. What’s God’s solution? “I myself with drive them out from before the people of Israel.” Does that mean that Joshua’s work is done here? It may seem odd to us, but God says the most important thing left for Joshua to do is to ratify each tribe’s inheritance. We b...

Joshua 12: Yahweh’s 31+ Victories from East to West, Israel’s Land

January 30, 2020 21:05 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Marcus Zill, Chancellor of LCMS U (lcms.org/lcmsu), joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 12. After conquering the bulk of Canaan, Israel takes a moment to recount the faithfulness of God. God has blessed them with a massive amount of land, so much that chapter 12 breaks it down into two: the land to the east of the Jordan river, conquered by Moses, and the land to its west, conquered by Joshua. The fact that both leaders are mentioned this way points back to the continuity betwe...

Joshua 11: North Canaan Unites, God Tells Jesus “No” to Bless Us

January 29, 2020 22:47 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 11. Joshua’s worst fear has been realized: the northern Canaanites have entered into a powerful alliance, and they muster a force of chariots and mounted warriors to confront Israel at Merom. God had spared them thus far, but now He finally answers their prayer with a “No” in order to grow their faith. This fits the pattern of Moses & Pharaoh, our Lord Jesus...

Joshua 10: Joshua Strikes, Hangs, and Entombs the Five Kings

January 28, 2020 23:30 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 10. “Thus the LORD will do to all your enemies!” With that, Joshua executed the five kings that had conspired against Israel. Joshua 10 seems like a brutal chapter of the Old Testament, but it’s important to understand that violence is not at the center of God’s purpose here. God wants there to be peace in the land, but that will only come through “devotion” to Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ devoted Himself to ...

Joshua 9: Jesus Mercifully Curses the Gibeonites, Cunning as Faith

January 27, 2020 21:28 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 9. Has the total destruction of Ai backfired? In chapter 9, the Canaanites unite in their refusal to make peace with Israel. That is, except for the Gibeonites. They dress up like poor foreigners from a distant land, and they fool Joshua into making a treaty with them so that they won’t get wiped out. We sympathize with the Gibeonites, who mad...

Joshua 8: Penitent Destruction of Ai Sends God's Merciful Message

January 24, 2020 19:27 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Chris Matthis, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 8. This time in chapter 8, Yahweh of Armies speaks the battle plan. Although the total destruction of Ai and Bethel seems ruthless, the plan shows signs of God’s mercy as He takes their sin and weakness into account. He protects His people from a hostile alliance and defends His holy name for the sake of the world. The whole of Israel’s army is involved in the fightin...

Joshua 7: Collective Crime & Punishment, Jesus Forgives Achon

January 23, 2020 22:02 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Ingo Dutzmann, LCEF Ambassador in Boston, Massachusetts, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 7. After six chapters of obedience to Yahweh, chapter seven begins, “But the people of Israel broke faith.” When his troops lose a battle they should have easily won, Joshua knows that there is a problem between them and God. In faith, he turns to God for the solution, acting as a priestly intercessor like Moses. When they discover that a man named Achon has lied and stolen from God, he...

Joshua 6: Jericho’s Walls Tumble for the Church’s Sabbath Rest

January 22, 2020 22:08 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Mark Jasa, pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Pasadena, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 6. “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, and the walls come a-tumbling down.” This folk song speaks to the popularity of this story from chapter 6. Although everyone remembers the horns blasting, the people shouting, and—yes—the walls tumbling down, the story isn’t really about terrorizing Jericho. This chapter continues Joshua’s encounter with Yahweh, who appeared in the ...

Joshua 5: Urgent Circumcision & Passover, the Two Joshuas Meet

January 22, 2020 16:39 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 5. The situation was urgent. Israel had crossed into the land inhabited by the Amorites and Canaanites. But the problem wasn’t Israel’s enemies in Joshua chapter 5; the problem was the threat of sin and disobedience. God has them make flint knives and circumcise the new generation immediately. They celebrate the Passover even though they’re in the middle of nowhere. The...

Psalm 33: We Hope in Yahweh Above All Names

January 22, 2020 16:39 - 18 hours - 51.5 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 33. Psalm 33 has no title in Hebrew, no superscription saying who wrote it or what kind of psalm it is. While this a little uncommon by itself, it really stands out because Psalm 33 occurs in the middle of several “of David” psalms. And not only does Psalm 33 lack names like “David,” but it lacks names like “Israel,” “Judah,” “Moses”… In fact, t...

Joshua 4: Jesus Calls the Twelve & Builds a Memorial in the Jordan

January 17, 2020 22:22 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 4. Chapter 4 concludes the crossing of the Jordan River. Everything fits together still in the same theme of continuity: before the priests leave the river, Joshua calls the twelve representatives back into the Jordan to pick up twelve stones as a memorial, that their children would know what happened there that day. And it turns out that Joshua, before he had crossed...

Joshua 3: As One People, Baptized While Crossing the Jordan

January 16, 2020 23:09 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 3. In the most important moment of the whole book, God miraculously stops the Jordan River and leads Joshua & the people through on dry ground, a second Exodus. The event is all about continuity. The priests are from the same family of Levi, they have the same Ark of the Covenant, and God is with Joshua just like He was with Moses. The land, however, is new! They are “baptized” into the Prom...

Joshua 2: A Scarlet Covenant, Jesus’s Spies Save Faithful Rahab

January 15, 2020 22:09 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity-Sidney & St. John-Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 2. The story of Rahab is famous. The drama makes it a great story: the soldiers searching for the spies, Rahab hiding them and lying to the soldiers, and finally Rahab helping them escape through a window in the city wall. Underneath the drama though, we see a story of Rahab’s faith and Joshua’s blessing. Rahab of Jericho wasn’t a prostitute anymore, even if it had become like...

Joshua 2: Rahab Hides the Spies

January 15, 2020 22:09 - 51.5 MB

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity-Sidney & St. John-Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 2.

Joshua 1: Reuben Trusts Yahweh will be with Joshua like Moses

January 14, 2020 22:31 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired pastor in Southern Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Joshua 1. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” This verse from Joshua 1 is one of the most popular in the Bible, but what exactly is God promising? God does not promise to bless our every endeavor. He will be where He promises to be, and in the case of Joshua, that meant His aid in the battle for Canaan. It wasn...

3 John: Sharing Meals Like Gaius, Churches as Mission Outposts

January 13, 2020 22:36 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Jaime Nava, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Maplewood, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 3 John. It seems like someone took the advice from 2 John and went too far. In his previous letter, John warned not to host false teachers. In 3 John, the apostle criticizes Diotrephes for refusing to host practically anybody, answering to no other Christian authority but himself. On the other hand, John commends Gaius for his generosity. The truth of Christ’s gospel makes us in...

2 John: Don’t Greet the Antichrist, Host Christ in Truth & Love

January 10, 2020 20:34 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 John. “That’s not very loving.” Lots of people talk about love today, but Christian love isn’t about being “nice people”—as Lewis put it, it’s about being “new men.” In 2 John, the apostle applauds a Christian congregation for going against the grain as they live by Christian love. He also sends a word of warning: do not host prophets who belong to the false church. In ...

Isaiah 66: Zion’s Sons Consoled, Their Mocking Brothers Judged

January 09, 2020 22:59 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Dr. Martin Noland, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Mateo, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 66. God isn’t fooled by appearances. There were those in Judah who publicly offered sacrifices to Yahweh while also participating in other religious rites and sinful behavior on the side. These even mocked the faithful for hoping for the Temple to be restored. These divisions have been there in every age since the fall. God promises punishment for these hypocrites an...

Isaiah 65: The God of Amen Faithfully Distinguishes and Recreates

January 08, 2020 22:10 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 65. “I will not keep silent, but I will repay.” God answers Isaiah’s prayer in chapter 65, promising to distinguish between His chosen ones and those “who forsake the LORD.” The language here is very similar to that of Isaiah 57, but also to that of chapter 1, bracketing the entire book and setting up the final chapter. His people have been in this mess before, with thei...

Isaiah 64: Come Down and Show Your Face, Undeserved Initiative

January 08, 2020 22:09 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Gaven Mize, pastor of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, North Carolina, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 64. “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!” Isaiah continues his plea on behalf of the people into chapter 64. He invokes God as a warrior, that “the nations might tremble” before His face. As He makes this request, He acknowledges that there is nothing good in Judah that should prompt God to do so. He boldly asks that God would take gracious an...

Isaiah 63: A Blood-Red Warrior to Rescue Abraham’s Disowned -- 2019/12/23

December 24, 2019 00:18 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 63. After what seemed like a good ending for the whole book in the previous chapter, chapter 63 unexpectedly picks up with an oracle of judgment against Bozrah. Why talk about the Edomites when the Babylonians are the big problem? The poetry weaves together imagery of red blood and red wine, trampling grapes and trampling enemies. Ultimately t...

Isaiah 62: Give No Rest to the Groom Who Rebuilds and Renames -- 2019/12/20

December 20, 2019 23:29 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Stewart Crown, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Palo Alto, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 62. In chapter 62 Isaiah says “I will not be quiet until her righteousness goes forth.” And he tells the watchmen, “You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest.” Keep asking God again and again, keep praying, until He delivers on His promise. This is the boldness of faith. We hang on to God’s promises until we’re given a new name like Jacob....

Isaiah 61: Prophet Anointed Like a Priest & King, Build & Sprout Up -- 2019/12/19

December 19, 2019 22:10 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 61. What does it mean to say “the LORD has anointed me” as in Isaiah chapter 61? Typically only kings and priests were anointed by God in Israel. Yet after the Babylonian invasion of Judah, there was no king or high priest left remaining in the land. In even greater audacity, when our Lord Jesus read these words and said that He was fulfilling them, there were a king and a high priest—Herod an...

Isaiah 60: Rise & Shine to Rebuild, the Jerusalem of Christ’s Light -- 2019/12/18

December 18, 2019 22:38 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Jim Kress, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Englewood, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 60. Often mothers greet their children who are still in bed with “Rise and shine!” It’s a phrase that signals the beginning of work and the promise of a new day. The phrase comes from Isaiah 60, where it signals the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the most amazing of reversals. The exiles will return with treasure, and their former Babylonian oppressors will help them carry the ...

Isaiah 59: God Dons His Armor to Save Despite Our Dark Prayers -- 2019/12/17

December 17, 2019 22:53 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 59. Don’t try to tell God what He should and shouldn’t care about. In chapter 59, Isaiah says that the Judeans who survived the Babylonian conquest are fooling themselves if they think they can impress God with their hypocritical prayers and piety. It’s not that He’s blind to our plight or to our religious behavior; it’s that He can see what we...

Isaiah 58: Delusional Delight in God, Light to See & to Serve -- 2019/12/16

December 16, 2019 21:46 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 58. The Judean survivors think they’re doing well by God. They call on His name and they fast, yet God shows no regard for their piety. What’s going on? According to Isaiah 58, the people only think they’re sincere because they’ve deluded themselves. They lack the light of God’s Word, so their religious fasting is accompanied by mistreating their neighbors. Too often tod...

Isaiah 57: Peace for Contrite Survivors and Those They Persecuted -- 2019/12/13

December 13, 2019 21:44 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Ben Ball, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 57. Judah has become a mess in the wake of the Babylonian devastation. Their religion has devolved into sexual immorality and sacrificing children to idols. In chapter 57 Isaiah says that the people are sorceresses and adulterers by their very nature. Isaiah speaks this way to offer repentance and forgiveness. There is still a way out! Those who repent will find healing and rebu...

Isaiah 56: Sabbath Even for Eunuchs, Pastors to Bark at Idolatry -- 2019/12/12

December 12, 2019 23:28 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 56. God will make His barren people fruitful! That’s been the message of the last two chapters, but now in Isaiah 56, the foreigners and eunuchs are wondering about their place in the people of God, since bearing children with a good Hebrew name is a sensitive topic for them. God is not fooled by outward religious practices, but He sees the faith behind them. It ...

Isaiah 55: Christ the Word as Rain, Fruit, and Heaven for us Exiles -- 2019/12/11

December 11, 2019 21:33 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 55. Yahweh’s word came down like rain. It gave the exiles water and bread in the wilderness of exile—it gave them what they had hungered and thirsted for. In Isaiah 55, the idea of being “fruitful” ties together powerful words about what God does for us. Only His Word gives us true identity, purpose, hope, and salvation. We’re not going to get these things from the people...

Isaiah 54: Barren & Widowed in Exile No More, God’s Loyalty -- 2019/12/10

December 10, 2019 22:26 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. William Foy, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 53. “Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” These are the words from Isaiah 53 that we hear read at Good Friday every year. When the Ethiopian eunuch asked about this passage, Philip used these words to tell him “the good news about Jesus.” Jesus Christ was crucified to forgive the sins of the whole world, including...

Isaiah 53: Christ Exiled & Resurrected for the Wayward Survivors -- 2019/12/09

December 09, 2019 23:52 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. William Foy, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 53. “Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” These are the words from Isaiah 53 that we hear read at Good Friday every year. When the Ethiopian eunuch asked about this passage, Philip used these words to tell him “the good news about Jesus.” Jesus Christ was crucified to forgive the sins of the whole world, including...

Psalm 32: A Maskil of Confession and Absolution -- 2019/12/06

December 06, 2019 18:54 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Chris Biernacki, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Florence, Alabama, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 32. This psalm is called a “maskil.” David wanted us to use it in worship, and he also wanted to teach us from his life experience: if you try to bury your sins and forget about them, they’ll eat you from the inside. We’re lying to ourselves if we think we can deal with them on our own. The only real solution is to confess and ask for God’s forgiveness. And at the end...

Isaiah 52: Exiles Lifted up from Babylon like the Magi on Christmas -- 2019/12/05

December 05, 2019 22:11 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 52. It’s Christmas and Good Friday at the same time—this remarkable chapter has both of the yearly readings, right next to each other: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news” right before “his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance.” The long winter’s night of exile finally was ending, and the exiles received the greatest Chr...

Isaiah 51: Babylon’s World up in Smoke, Pass the Cup of Wrath -- 2019/12/04

December 04, 2019 22:05 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Doug Nicely, pastor of Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 51. “The heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment.” What is this scary-sounding end-of-the-world prediction doing in Isaiah 51? Reading in context, the Babylonian empire must have felt like it was never going to end. They had re-shaped a vast region; it was their world. Isaiah’s message is that their world was coming to an end: the Persians wer...

Isaiah 50: Flint Struck, Christ’s Light Awakens Morning by Morning -- 2019/12/03

December 03, 2019 21:33 - 18 hours - 51.5 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 Isaiah 50. “Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.” Isaiah 50 proclaims that God has not divorced His people Israel. He is faithful even when we are faithless, and the remnant of Judah will not be forgotten. Judah has been disciplined through Assyria and Babylon, and he now willingly accepts the blows and the sh...

Isaiah 49: “Forgotten” Israel Gathers Forgetful Israel -- 2019/12/02

December 03, 2019 00:07 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 49. You haven’t been forgotten; can a mother forget her children? Isaiah 49 uses tender and compassionate language to describe God’s love for us. Even though the exiles felt like they had been cast aside, it turns out they were only hidden like an arrow in God’s quiver or a sword “in the shadow of his hand.” Now the time had come to depart from exile and strike with God...

Psalm 106: Remember God by Giving Thanks in the Darkness -- 2019/11/29

November 27, 2019 19:19 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Lane Burgland, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Churubusco, Indiana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 106. “Gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name.” Christians are not thankful in an abstract sense; rather they concretely say “thank you” to God for His acts of mercy and faithfulness, even in dark times. Even in the midst of exile, God’s people give Him thanks. We are consoled that God has always been faithful in the past, even in our wor...

Psalm 105: Give Thanks to Him Who Saves Through Feast & Famine -- 2019/11/28

November 27, 2019 19:18 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Chris Biernacki, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Florence, Alabama, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 105. The story of the Old Testament is our own story. When God looked at His people Israel, He saw you and me, so He acted to protect us even before we were born. Psalm 105 says that, even in the days of Abraham, God saw all His “anointed ones” and “prophets”—He saw the whole line of kings leading up to His own Son, Jesus of Nazareth. So when we praise God, we give t...

Isaiah 48: No Rest for the Wicked, So Get Out of Babylon -- 2019/11/27

November 27, 2019 19:18 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Matt Tooman, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wahpeton, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 48. Israel stands to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. God has opened the way home to Judah through Cyrus of Persia, but the exiles have become comfortable in Babylon! In Isaiah 48, God criticizes His people for being Israelites in name only and for becoming as dense as the idols they’ve made for themselves. This is tough love: there is no rest for the wicked, an...

Isaiah 47: From Princess to Servant Girl, Babylon’s Hubris -- 2019/11/26

November 26, 2019 22:30 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. John Lukomski, retired pastor in Darmstadt, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 47. Babylon thought she was invincible. True, she was God’s weapon of justice against His own people, but she went too far. She forgot her place, she became merciless and oppressive, and she relied on her own charms and enchantments instead of giving glory to God. Like Cinderella, she went from a princess in a coach to a servant girl in a pumpkin just like that. God defeats even His people...

Isaiah 46: Carried Idols are Carried Away, God Carries Us Always -- 2019/11/25

November 25, 2019 23:02 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 46. “Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock.” No god is like Yahweh the true God, and in Isaiah 46 the prophet names the false gods of Babylon. All they do is weigh you down: you have to carry them around until someone else carries them away from you in your defeat. The Babyonian exilers have become the exiled. Go...

Isaiah 45: Cyrus, Stop Calling Me Marduk, Every Knee Will Bow -- 2019/11/22

November 22, 2019 22:17 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Joel Shaltanis, pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 45. After five chapters of preparation, the cat is out of the bag: Cyrus of Persia is God’s messiah, His chosen king sent to free the exiles. How can this be! Isaiah 45 lets this bomb drop amidst objections and misunderstandings. In the end, it’s not so different from Abraham and Moses. God has done this to reveal Himself to the nations, although He remains hidden apart f...

Isaiah 44: Gods of Fuel & Folly, or God of Cyrus His Shepherd -- 2019/11/21

November 21, 2019 20:50 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 44. When Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, the exiles from Judah didn’t know what to make of it. Isaiah speaks clearly in chapter 45: this is all God’s doing. This event only proves that the gods of Babylon are useless. Why would you cut down a tree and burn one half for fuel and worship the other half as a god? Idolatry is madness! We too waste so much time, effort, and resources on imitat...

Isaiah 43: God Says “I Love You” to His Wayward Exiles -- 2019/11/20

November 20, 2019 21:44 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Matthew Wurm, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings, South Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 43. God poured out His anger against Judah, and the Babylonians destroyed them. The exiles felt like God had abandoned them, like He was no longer their God—like He no longer loved them. Isaiah 43 presents us with the only instance in the whole Bible where God utters the Hebrew word for “I” followed by the Hebrew word for “love you” to refer to the whole of His ...

Isaiah 42: Blind & Deaf Servant, Guiding the Lost with Sympathy -- 2019/11/19

November 20, 2019 21:43 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Brian Davies, pastor of Lord of Glory Lutheran Church in Grayslake, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 42. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” Matthew quotes these words from Isaiah 42 to show their ultimate fulfillment in Christ: powerful but not self-seeking, just but not unforgiving, holy but not arrogant. The Judean exiles had been deaf and blind, receiving God’s punishment but...

Psalm 29: The Creator’s Thunderstorm Lullaby of Life & Peace -- 2019/11/18

November 20, 2019 21:43 - 18 hours - 51.5 MB

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 29. At first glance it may seem strange to praise God for floods, earthquakes, and thunderstorms, as David does in Psalm 29. As destructive as these things can be sometimes, more often they are God’s way of renewing and preserving His creation. When God strikes the trees, floods the rivers, and shakes the mountains, He preserves and enriches life on earth, like the peacef...

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