Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Rev. Jacob Heine, Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Topeka, KS, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 1 John 5:13-21. John ends his letter with a purpose statement, “That you may know that you have eternal life.” We live in a world that is obsessed with confidence. Confidence in our strengths, finances, personality, and station in life can easily lead to narcissism or depression. Confidence in Christ is faith that He hears you, He forgives you, and His Word is true! The call of the Christian is to repent. Repent for your lack of faith and know that “Christ is enough!” “O Holy Spirit, open our eyes, ears, and hearts to know and have confidence in the truth and new life in Christ. Help to realize that we will never be enough, but Christ is enough. Lord have mercy. Amen”

Rev. Jason Bredeson, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sacramento, CA joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 5:1-12. John is very clear: To believe in Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension is to be born again in Him. Through faith in Him, we overcome this evil world by His work and grace. He has overcome evil and our hope is not in vain. Hold fast to the water claimed in water and the Word. Hold fast to the body and blood that we are able to eat and drink. Hold fast to the Spirit that opens our hearts to believe in Christ and HIs Word. “Lord Jesus Christ, Your testimony is true, send Your Holy Spirit that we may have life in You. In Your name, Amen”

Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, SD joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 4:7-21. Love is from God. Love is referenced over 20x which fills us with an unconditional love that we fully see with the cross and empty tomb. God’s love is in spite of us. This love given to us is not an opportunity to justify something that we desire, but a love that realizes that when we go against His will, His hand of mercy still extends to us. We see God’s love actively at work through the Church as she serves their community through food pantries, homeless shelters, homes for pregnant women, and services for all in need. “My song is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me, Love to the loveless shown, That they might lovely be. Oh, who am I? That for my sake, My Lord should take Frail flesh and die?" (Lutheran Service Book 430, "My Song is Love Unknown").

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study 1 John 4:1-6. Our itching ears can be led away from Christ by attractive words. It can be difficult to distinguish what is from God or from some other spirit, but it is clear that only the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel and keeps us with Christ. John proclaims the truth of the Holy Spirit but confesses who is NOT the Holy Spirit. Any time a person confesses that salvation or forgiveness is NOT from Jesus, true God or true man. To confess that there is salvation in someone else is not a small issue, but that of the anti-Christ. “O Holy Spirit, call, gather, enlighten, sanctify us and the whole church on earth to stay in the true faith and keep us with Christ. Amen”

Rev. Doug Griebenaw, Mission Advocate for KFUO Radio in St. Louis, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 3:11-24. Our culture often equates love with a nice feeling in our heart. One does not need to live very long to realize that our hearts can lead us astray. John knows that the darkness in this world is REAL, therefore we need light & love. God’s power, love, forgiveness, and healing is greater than our feelings. The focus of our love begins with God in Christ and therefore we steadfastly depend on Him to love others. We stand as both saints and sinners and cling to His promises as we love as He first loved us. “O Holy Spirit, give us Jesus as I have not loved in word or talk, but have thoughts of self more than others. Give us the fully sufficient active love in Christ that our works may be perfected by Your love. Lord have mercy, Amen”

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 3:1-10. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. God’s love in Christ is something to see. This love, by His cross, He calls us His children now and by His blood we are purified of all our sins. In response to this love we move forward to not be deceived, make a practice of sinning, or to keep on sinning. Repent, O sinners. You are a child of God. Repent, O child of God, love your brother. Repent, O loved one, Christ was not deceived by the devil and is your Advocate. “Lord God, Heavenly Father, Your love in Christ provides our identity that will last forever. Grant us repentance, renewed faith, and love for others in Your righteousness. Lord have mercy. Amen”

Rev. Kevin Yoakum, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Riverview, FL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 2:18-29. Definitions are important. To say that someone is an antiChrist is not a small statement. John is warning the Church that those deny Christ’s full salvation by the cross is an antiChrist. Our goal is not to run around to find out who this antiChrist is, but to stay steadfast with Christ’s salvation. His promise of eternal life by Christ’s cross is for you so abide in Him through the Word, His forgiveness, and His grace. “Lord God, You have anointed us by the Holy Spirit in Baptism. Keep us steadfast in the true faith that we, who can easily be deceived, will abide in You to practice righteousness in our daily vocations. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Jeremy Klaustermeier, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Warrenton, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 2:7-17. Love your neighbor. It is a command going back to Leviticus 19:18 that is now written with a forgiveness pen with bloody ink (I John 1:8-9). Darkness surrounds the world, but darkness can not share time with Light. Darkness has a timetable but Light is eternal. Love your neighbor, little children as You are forgiven in Christ. Love your neighbor fathers and young men because You know the Father’s love. Love your neighbor children as you know Your Father in heaven. We love because He first loved us. “Lord God, help us to love our neighbor as You first loved us. As you incorporated all people to Yourself, unite us together in the name of Christ that Your love is not only in our hearts, but extended to others. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Curtis Deterding pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 2:1-6. We all need an advocate who will stand up for us when we are unable to stand up for ourselves.  It is the righteous Christ who took on our sins, made the payment for our salvation, and has done all of this for the whole world.  In this payment, we joyfully follow His commandments, repenting as we fall, but comforted that the Savior of the world is there as our Helper.  Help to confess Jesus as LORD, help to follow His commands, and help to serve others.  “O Holy Spirit, as You are our Advocate, help us to believe and follow the Lord’s commands.  O Jesus Christ, as You are our Advocate, thank You for making our payment and fill us with Your promises to help us in everything.  In Your name, Amen”

Rev. David Boisclair of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Church in Pine Lawn, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 1:5-10. John heard, saw, & touched the good news of Christ and now he proclaims it to others: God is light, His cleansing, and His forgiveness by His blood. He warns us to re-think how we speak about sin as our Old Adam can say, “I’m not that bad of a sinner” but if that was true, why did Jesus die on the cross? If we aren’t that bad, then we deny what God tells us about sin. As we confess our sins, our loving Father has given the final sacrifice of His Son that we have full forgiveness. Don’t make God a liar about sin, but walk in the Light and know that He is a forgiver! “In Him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike. The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus" (Lutheran Service Book 411, "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light").

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’Shalom in St. Louis, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study I John 1:1-4. John preaches to the saints who were struggling in faith. This epistle is for us as we struggle in faith. From the beginning, Christ was the word of life that would be the one to unite us with the Triune God. We can knit-pick many details, but it comes down to the Truth of Christ’s life giving blood for you. This fellowship with the LORD extends to the joy we have with one another as the body of Christ. He has brought us together in joy for our joy is complete in Christ. “Lord Jesus Christ, as You are the vine and we are the branches, keep us connected to You and fill us with the joy that only comes through Your joy of saving us. Send Your Holy Spirit that others may believe in Your forgiveness and that our joy may be complete. In Your name, Amen”

Rev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to start off our study of John’s three epistles. John writes these epistles that you “believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life (I John 5:13).” He writes these epistles toward the end of his life and is ardent with the desire for people not to believe the false messages going around the church. The Word written by John are vital as people continuously ask questions of Jesus, we are able to boldly confess He is Love, Light, & Forgiveness by His cross. “Lord Jesus Christ, in You there is no darkness at all. As You are the light of the city of God, shine in my heart to walk as a child of the Light. Amen” Thy 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

Rev. Andrew Lehenbauer, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Concordia, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 26. It appears that David was being falsely accused from others that led him to ask the LORD to do something we would fear ever to do: “LORD, judge me!” He knows that he was indeed a sinner (Psalm 51) AND knew that the Lord’s promises of steadfast love and faithfulness are real. Our conversations with God may not always sound perfect, but indeed our LORD wants to hear from us. David understands the love of God, how he wanted to be in God’s presence, and that the LORD would keep him from evil. “Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens. Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory. Judge me by Your mercy and steadfast love. Amen.

Rev. John Hopkins, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hicksville, NY joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 25. “Remember when…” we will say while with old friends. David realizes his sin and asks the LORD not to remember his sins—which we all hope, but also to remember that He is mercy. This Psalm is a prayer of a faithful person who not only seeks forgiveness, but for the LORD to lead, teach, guard, and give them refuge. Our pleas for forgiveness are not only for us as individuals, but also for others. “Christ be my Leader by night as by day; Safe through the darkness, for He is the way. Gladly I follow, my future His care, Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there" (Lutheran Service Book 861, "Christ Be My Leader").

Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in North Prairie, WI joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 126. The LORD restores fortunes. This Psalm might have been written after the Israelites were restored back to their homeland. Although everything was not perfect, it was another opportunity for a time to give thanks, to dream of what might be, and to see once again how the LORD takes care of us. He restores us daily by forgiveness in Christ by taking all sins from us. He restored the fortune of God’s people from slavery and captivity which reminds us of the future restoration to the perfect fortune of the new heaven and new earth. “Lord God, restore our fortunes in body and soul, You have done great things for us, even when I sow in tears, bring joy now and when Your Son returns. In His name, Amen”

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 23. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. We are like lost sheep who need a Shepherd. David’s words remind us all that the LORD gives: daily needs, righteousness, peace, comfort, goodness, mercy, restoration, and all that we need to support this body and life. This psalm is a great comfort in all stages of life. He not only has compassion on us as sheep, BUT He treats us as royalty by preparing a place at the King’s table. Our LORD, the fullness of goodness and mercy, will be with us through everything with a steadfast, compassionate love that we fully see by His cross. Alleluia! "The King of Love my shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am His, and HE is mine forever" (Lutheran Service Book 709, "The King of Love My Shepherd Is").

Rev. Bryan Stecker, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church & School in Waconia MN, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 22. We hear the prayer of David and we see Christ on the cross. The connections to Christ are everywhere: mocking from others (v.7), bones are out of joint (v.16), piercing of my hands and feet (v.17), my tongue sticks to my jaws (v.15), and dividing the garments (v.18). The LORD worked through David to prove that this suffering Jesus was the King of Jews whose love goes beyond any love in this broken world. “Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning ; was there ever grief like His? Friends through fear His cause disowning, foes insulting His distress; Many hands were raised to wound Him, None would intervene to save; But the deepest stroke that pierced Him was the stroke that justice gave" (Lutheran Service Book 451, "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted").

Rev. Dr. Jon Furgeson, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 24. Seek the Lord. He is strong and mighty, the Lord of Glory, everything is His, and He is righteous. David expresses his trust that he was indeed unworthy to be in God’s presence. Our confidence is not in our clean hands, but in the LORD who makes us clean by His blood. Many questions in this world do not have an answer we can speak with confidence. However, in Christ, we confidently say that He is our King of Glory, the LORD of hosts, “Jesus is my confidence.” “Jesus lives! And now is death But the gate of life immortal; This shall calm my trembling breath; When I pass it gloomy portal. Faith shall cry, as fails each sense. Jesus is my confidence. (#490, Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won, LSB).

Rev. Steven Theiss, vacancy pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 127. “Unless the Lord builds it…” reminds us that everything is a gift from the LORD. Solomon understood that the LORD wanted the temple to be built and He was in control. This understanding extends to our families as we see the gift of children as a heritage of the LORD. In our culture we can get caught downplaying the gift of the family, but God fills us with the joy of children (our own or others) as a blessing to all of us. “Lord God, help us to rest in Your promises and to see every child as a blessing from You. Forgive us for trusting in ourselves and only seeing the burdens of others. Lord have mercy. Amen”

Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador, Executive Assistant for Mission and Mercy for the South Wisconsin District in Milwaukee, WI joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Psalm 128. To fear the Lord is to understand what we deserve (justice) in comparison to what we receive (forgiveness and love). The Psalmist proclaims the truth of the blessing of His love for us while seeking His strength and peace to live a holy life, especially within our families. This psalm is an important prayer for husbands & wives, extended family, and our churches to be reminded that we are blessed seeking His peace for all of us. “The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May You see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel. Amen”