Armed Lutheran Radio

Two events in the final week of the life of Christ are most often used on either side of the gun debate.  Jesus tells his disciples in the Upper Room to sell their cloaks and buy swords, and later tells Simon Peter that all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.  What's the proper context of these verses and what should we be focusing on as we read through these passages during the Holy Week of Easter?  Pastor Evan Goeglein of Faith Lutheran Church in Rogue River, Oregon joins us again to discuss it.  Plus tips from Sgt. Bill, Aaron Israel of Fundamental Defense, and Mia Anstine.  Mia's Motivations with Mia Anstine - Mia shares her thoughts as a mother, as an instructor, about the tragic death of 13-year-old Malachi Hemphill in Philadelphia. Ballistic Minute with Sergeant Bill - Sgt. Bill talks about what you need to be ready to shoot your first IDPA match. Aaron Israel of Fundamental Defense - Aaron Israel shares his thoughts on the fallibility of memory immediately after a dynamic critical inciden

This week on Armed Lutheran Radio Lloyd and Pastor Bennett dissect a sermon from 2012 by a Presbyterian pastor who based her sermon title on a bogus quote from Saint Augustine of Hippo and suggests that we are all sinners if we don't vote for politicians who support gun control.  Aaron Israel responds to an question from a member of the Reformation Gun Club, and Sgt. Bill talks about preparing for a sanctioned IDPA match.   Ballistic Minute with Sergeant Bill As Sgt. Bill heads to the Razorback Shootout in Perryville, Arkansas this weekend, he shares his thoughts on how to prepare for a major IDPA match. Aaron Israel of Fundamental Defense Reformation Gun Club member Dave Hegenauer asks about training when there's nowhere nearby to train.  Clinging to God and Guns “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are courage and anger; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.” That bogus quote is widely attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) and serv

When we make the decision to carry a firearm or to purchase a firearm for home defense, there are a certain set of scenarios that we all envision and prepare for.  How many of us prepare to intervene in a violent assault on a stranger? How many of us prepare for that scenario when our loved ones are with us?  Aaron Kreag decided to save a woman who was being violently assaulted in 2014 but nothing prepared him for what he faced -- a non-compliant perpetrator, aggressive and poorly trained cops, constant trial delays, invasive media, potential employers who wanted nothing to do with him, and a victim who ultimately turned on him in court.  If you carry a gun, you need to hear this interview.  Plus tips from Sgt. Bill, Aaron Israel and Mia Anstine. Ballistic Minute with Sergeant Bill - Looking to shake up your dry-fire routine? Sgt. Bill shares ideas for ways to make your dry for more fun and more challenging. Aaron Israel of Fundamental Defense - Aaron Israel uses a terrible accident involving two 3-year-old

This week on Armed Lutheran Radio Lloyd and Pastor Bennett fisk a video from the Faith and Firearms Project, an interview with an ELCA pastor who thinks people own guns because it's the American thing to do and thinks that those who own guns ascribe to a "theology of scarcity." Plus an uplifting message from Mia, a self-defense tip from Aaron, and a follow-up to a story from episode 52. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel talks about the practice of keeping a gun on your night stand and why that's a bad idea. Mia's Motivations - Mia shares thoughts on joint suicide prevention efforts by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the NSSF and the affect that negative media has on suicide rates. Clinging to God & Guns - Lloyd and Pastor Bennett review an interview with an ELCA pastor who doesn't seem to know much about guns, or his congregation, and thinks the questions of gun ownership comes down to a theology of abundance or a theology of scarcity. Prayer of the Week - Almighty God, our heaven

This week on Armed Lutheran Radio we take on the illogical ramblings of a late Methodist Bishop who is chanelling his inner Joe Biden by suggesting that passing meaningless "gun safety" laws will save some lives.  Plus tips from Sgt. Bill and Mia Anstine, and a lesson from the Book of Jonah. Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill talks about the differences between the top competitive shooters and average joes. Mia's Motivations - Mia is back from a hog hunt with Remington Arms with a story about those eeevil black rifles. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel is on vacation and will be back again next week. Clinging to God & Guns - Lloyd and Pastor Bennett look at a blog post from the United Methodist Church following the failure of gun control laws to pass  back in 2013. The Book of Jonah - A lesson on loving our neighbor and the sinful desire to see the wicked suffer. Prayer of the Week - We implore You, almighty and merciful Father, to look upon the hearty desires of Your humble servants and stretch forth the

Jesus protects his own.  True followers of Christ do not need guns to defend themselves.  So says a South African YouTuber finalcall07.  Lloyd and Pastor Bennett dissect these claims and explain why Jesus never intended for you to lay down your life needlessly or to stand by and allow your neighbor to be harmed.  Plus a lesson on the Eighth Commandment, tips from Sgt. Bill, Mia Anstine, and Aaron Israel. Catechetical Lesson: The Eighth Commandment - Applying the eighth commandment to stories and editorials suggesting that the GOP and President Trump want the violently mentally ill to be able to buy guns. Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill shares his thoughts after evaluating the RAE Gear magazine carrier for the past few months. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel shares thoughts on how to use your neighborhood social media network as a personal defense tool. Mia's Motivations - Mia Anstine shares tips for travelling safely. Clinging to God & Guns - This week Lloyd and Pastor Bennett dissect our first vid

This week on Armed Lutheran Radio, on the eve of the Battle on the Bayou, the Louisiana State IDPA Championship, Team Armed Lutheran sat down to talk about the upcoming match.  Lloyd sits down with teammates (and ALR contribs) Aaron Israel and Bill Silvia, plus our newest team member, Sgt. Kat Silvia (AKA "Sgt. Mrs. Sgt. Bill") to talk IDPA rules, milking your grip, goals for the upcoming match, Sgt. Kat's colorful match language, a whole lot more. Prayer for the Week - O Lord, mercifully hear our prayer and stretch forth the right hand of Your majesty to defend us from those who rise up against us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen www.ArmedLutheran.us/alr-episode-60/ http://www.bayoubattle2017.com/        

On this week's episode we go back to the mailbag to answer some listener feedback, Sgt. Bill talks about his first IDPA match under the new rulebook, Aaron shares some important lessons we can learn from a recent incident in Weatherford, Texas, and Mia has an important self-defense tip for parents of teenagers.  And we follow-up on episode 45 in Clinging to God & Guns as we discuss guns in church. Mia's Motivations - Teach your teenagers to physically defend themselves when you are no longer there to protect them.  Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron shares some important lessons for gun owners from a recent incident in Weatherford, Texas where a man defending his property with an AR-15. Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill shares his thoughts on his first IDPA match under the new 2017 rulebook. Clinging to God & Guns - Back in episode 45, Pastor Ralph Abernethy joined us to discuss gun free zones and the 4th Commandment. What we didn't discuss was the idea of bringing guns to church. Lloyd and Pastor Bennett dis

This week on Armed Lutheran Radio we take a look at maybe the goofiest interpretation of Scripture to date. A California Quaker who suggests that Christ's call for His disciples to buy swords in Luke 22 was so that he could fulfill the prophesy to be numbered with the lawless because, we all know what lawless do. They carry swords! Plus tips for Mia, Aaron, and Sgt. Bill. Ballistic Minute with Sergeant Bill Dummy rounds are a useful addition to your dry-fire practice gear. There are lots of different styles and options to choose from. Sgt. Bill breaks down the pros and cons and shares his favorites. Aaron Israel of Fundamental Defense Establishing rally points will help you coordinate with family members during a critical incident, should you get separated and technology fails. Mia's Motivations with Mia Anstine Mia expands on Aaron's vehicle preparedness tip from Episode 57 with a story of her own about why you should not only have tools in your vehicle, but know how to use them. And the importance of teach

Fouke, Arkansas is best known for the stories of the Fouke Monster, a bigfoot-like creature that locals claim attacks livestock and which inspired the 1972 movie The Legend of Boggy Creek.  On February 2, a different kind of monster came to Fouke, bringing with it the first violent crime in a generation.

Liberal Christians like the Presbyterian Church want congress to pass more restrictive gun control because all life is precious and killing is antithetical to the will of God.  But like Jesus's call to take the log out of your eye before pointing out the speck in your neighbors, they fail to recognize that their argument for life when it comes to guns directly contradicts their position on other forms of life.  Ballistic Minute - With all the divisions and classifications in IDPA it can be confusing for a beginning. Sgt. Bill gives us a rundown on choosing a gun, a division, and gear for IDPA. Fundementals of Defense - Aaron Israel committed an act of truck-on-deer violence in remote west Texas last week and he shares some lessons learned from his efforts to improvise a repair to get back to civilization. Mia's Motivations - Mia Anstine shares more information about the gear she found at SHOT Show, specifically carry bags from Galco Gun Leather. Clinging to God & Guns - Pastor Bennett could not be with u

In this week's episode we dissect an article from the Huffington Post by a philosophy professor who mixes a dash of bad theology and a heaping helping of awful logic to suggest that Christians should support more restrictive gun control.  Plus tips from Mia, Sgt. Bill, and Aaron Israel. Clinging to God & Guns - Lloyd and Pr. Bennett go through an article that purports to undermine the traditional American combining of God and Guns by  using bogus gun violence stats, horrible logic, and even more horrible interpretations of Scripture. Mia's Motivations - As promised, Mia is sharing info about gear she saw at SHOT Show.  This week it's everything you need to know about suppressors. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel departs from the firearms instructor role to suggest that a more important threat to your future is financial issues. You may never have to use your gun to save your life, but everyone will experience financial troubles at one time or another. Being prepared for them is as important as train

On this week's episode of Armed Lutheran Radio, Lloyd and Pastor Bennett dissect an interview with Rev. John Piper about whether Christian men should own guns to protect their families.  Plus another Ballistic Minute with Sgt. Bill, Mia's Motivations, and a self-defense tip from Aaron Israel. Commentary - What if women had the same rights as guns?  Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill answers a listener's questions about dry fire. Mia's Motivations - Mia is back from SHOT Show with her family to tell us about all the cool stuff she saw. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel shares lessons learned from a tragic road rage incident. Clinging to God & Guns - Is it necessary for a Christian man in his vocation as protector of his family to own a gun. The simple answer is no, but Rev. John Piper goes a step further and suggests that because he is short tempered, nobody should own a gun.  www.ArmedLutheran.us/alr-episode-55/ www.CooksHolsters.com www.LeeArmory.us www.RAEGearUSA.com www.USReloadingSupply.com 

On this week’s episode of Armed Lutheran Radio we look at a little blasphemy from our side of the Gun Rights debate. We dig into the mail bag and and answer some listener emails. Sgt. Bill shares lessons learned from a Rob Leatham pistol class. Aaron has advice for avoiding bad holster ideas and Mia looks talks about SHOT Show. Listener Email A long-overdue dive into the stack of listener emails, including an explanation of the Martin Luther quote that I have used for years on the About/Media Kit page. Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill got to attend a law-enforcement only pistol class taught by the Great One, Rob Leatham. Bill shares some of the lessons he learned about sight picture and shooting fast. Fundamental Defense - There are lots of bad holster ideas floating around on the interwebs. Aaron talks about how to spot them and avoid them, and what to look for in a good holster design. Mia's Motivations - Mia and her family are on the road to SHOT Show in Las Vegas and today she talks about the show, why its s

In this week's episode we're talking women and guns with Mrs. Armed Lutheran. She shares her road from growing up with no guns in the house to threats from deranged patients, to becoming a gun gal in Texas.  Plus tips from Sgt. Bill, Aaron Israel, and Mia Anstine. Special Guest - Lloyd's wife of 23 years is a school counselor in Texas whose first exposure to guns was at 21 taking a criminal justice class in college.  Now she's comfortable with guns in the house, loves to shoot, just got her own gun, and is working towards getting her carry permit. Ballistic Minute - Sgt. Bill shares tips for shooting faster. Defensive Fundamentals - Aaron Israel talks about why how a gun makes you feel doesn't matter when it comes to self-defense. Mia's Motivations - Mia shares a memory of an frightening encounter and how she handled it and about the need for training and being mentally prepared for self-defense scenarios. www.ArmedLutheran.us/elr-episode-53/ www.CooksHolsters.com  

In this week's episode we're back at full strength and ready to roll for our second season.  Sgt. Bill has tips for how to make the best of the off-season, Aaron talks about the ramifications of making cosmetic modifications to your carry gun, Mia is talking cold weather concealed carry tactics, and then Lloyd and Pastor Bennett take on a Franciscan friar who shaking in his cassock at the idea that a fellow Franciscan friar likes guns.   Ballistic Minute - The shooting off-season is here. Sgt. Bill has tips for making the most of it. Fundamentals of Defense - Aaron Israel discusses why you should think twice before putting a provocative slogan or logo on your carry gun. Mia's Motivations - It's cold outside...unless you live in Arizona or Florida. And that means you'd better be training and practicing in those extra layers. Clinging to God & Guns - A young, snarky Franciscan Friar who spends all his time writing books and articles is concerned that another Franciscan Friar (and avid outdoorsman) carrie

In this first episode of 2017 we're continuing our look back at the guests, the segments, the interviews and the fun that we had in 2016. It's the final leg of our trip down memory lane as we discuss sin, the three estates, Black Lives Matter, the fourth commandment, the election, gun free zones, and IDPA.   Interviews with Pastors Bryan Wolfmueller, Evan Goeglein, Ralph Abernethy, and our own John Bennett. Special interviews with Brandon Warr of Warr Zone Radio, author Greg Hopkins, and Paul Lathrop of the Polite Society Podcast. Our round table discussions on gun violence, the election, and shooting IDPA.  www.ArmedLutheran.us/alr-episode-51/ www.CooksHolsters.com/  

In this final episode of 2016 we're going back to the groove yard of forgotten favorites to look back at the guests, the segments, the interviews and the fun that we've had in the past year.  It's a trip down memory lane as we replay the very first segments from each of our contributors, bits from our favorite guests, never-before released audio from our favorite interviews.   www.ArmedLutheran.us/alr-episode-50/ www.CooksHolsters.com "Meatball Parade" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

This week's episode is a special Christmas episode.  Lloyd and our contributors share their wish list ideas, and we talk to the husband-and-wife team behind Guns4Gals.com and the founder and president of Cook's Holsters, Bob Cook. www.ArmedLutheran.us/alr-episode-49/ www.cooksholsters.com/

The power of imagination is an amazing gift. If you've ever marveled at your kids as they engage in make-believe or set aside toys to play in the boxes the toys came in, you know what I mean.  Maybe you think that kind of imagination is child's-play.  It's not. Put the power of imagination to use to visualize dynamic critical events and enhance your self-defense training.