On The Line

Join us at Concordia University Wisconsin as we enter a conversation that refuses to leave Christ as a vague center-point, but insists on Him as the very logic of theology, worship, and the Church itself. From liturgy to sacrament, from ontology to imagination, Dr. John Bombaro calls us to see Christ not as an idea, but as the living One who gives Himself wholly to His bride.About Today’s GuestDr. John Bombaro is a Lutheran pastor, naval officer, and theologian whose teaching and writing explore the intersection of Christology, liturgy, and culture. He has contributed widely to Lutheran thought, including with 1517, and currently serves as pastor of Saint James Lutheran Church in Lafayette. Known for his clarity and depth, Dr. Bombaro presses the Church to recover the sacramental imagination of her confessions—where all theology is Christology and all worship is grounded in Christ’s self-giving presence.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us in Moscow, Idaho, as we confront the shifting ground of culture and politics, consider what it means for Christ to be Lord over nations, and ask how households, churches, and schools can stand firm against the forces unraveling our common life.About Today’s GuestPastor Doug Wilson has served Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, for over four decades and is a leading voice in classical Christian education, cultural commentary, and Reformed theology. A prolific author of more than one hundred books, including Future Men and A Serrated Edge, he is also a founder of New Saint Andrews College and Canon Press. Known for his unapologetic wit and sharp cultural critique, Pastor Wilson speaks with conviction about the lordship of Christ over every sphere of life.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we trace the story of education from the Reformation to today, uncover how classical models form character and cultivate virtue, and ask what it means to recover wisdom, truth, and beauty in a modern age of confusion.About Today’s GuestDr. Susan Mobley is a professor of history at Concordia University Wisconsin, where she has taught since 1998. A historian of education and the Reformation, her research explores how Lutheran and Catholic schools shaped faith and culture in sixteenth-century Germany. She is a frequent speaker on classical education and its relevance today, helping students and teachers recover an approach that unites faith, learning, and character formation.🔗 Stay Connected with Us📷 Instagram: @otl_podcast_📘 Facebook: facebook.com/onthelinepod𝕏 Twitter/X: @otl_podcast_Send us a text

Join us at the long table as we open our debate series with a pressing question for the Church: What does it mean to speak of “Christian nationalism,” and how should Lutherans think about Christendom, the state, and our public witness in a fractured world?About Today’s GuestsDr. Joel Biermann has served for over two decades as professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where his teaching and writing focus on Christian ethics, vocation, and the two realms. A prolific author and respected voice in Lutheran theology, he brings deep pastoral and academic experience to questions of church and state.Rev. David Ramirez is a parish pastor, founder of the Bugenhagen Conference, and scholar of Martin Luther’s teaching on religious liberty. With years of experience teaching, preaching, and leading in the LCMS, he has been an active voice in current discussions on political theology and the Christian’s vocation in public life.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing confessional Lutheranism today, from sustaining faithful congregations in rural America to building institutions that serve future generations of the Church.About Today’s GuestRev. John Hill is president of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a longtime parish pastor. With decades of pastoral experience and a heart for strengthening Lutheran identity, he has served congregations across the Mountain West while providing leadership to the wider church. Rev. Hill brings a steady pastoral voice and confessional clarity to the pressing questions of Lutheran life and witness in our time.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we explore the Lutheran confessional revival of the nineteenth century, uncover the lives and thought of its key theologians, and consider what their witness offers the Church today in an age of doctrinal confusion and historical amnesiaAbout Today’s Guest:Dr. James Ambrose Lee II is a church historian and theologian specializing in the nineteenth-century confessional revival, Lutheran worship, and German theology. He teaches courses on church history, religion in America, and Martin Luther, and is the author of Confessional Lutheranism and German Theological Wissenschaft (De Gruyter, 2022), along with numerous articles in leading theological journals. Holding degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School, and Saint Louis University, Dr. Lee brings scholarly depth and pastoral insight to his work in teaching, writing, and the study of Lutheran identity.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we take an unflinching look at the numbers shaping the future of Lutheranism—and consider how honesty, clarity, and confessional faithfulness can guide the Church through challenge and change.About Today’s GuestRev. Tim Wood is a pastor and data analyst serving the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with a rare blend of theological conviction and statistical insight. With a sharp eye for demographic trends and a heart for the Church’s future, he helps Lutheran institutions read the signs of the times—faithfully and fearlessly. Whether interpreting numbers or proclaiming the Word, Rev. Wood brings clarity, candor, and care to the work of Christ’s Church.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we question the official story, explore the rise of conspiracy thinking, and ask how Christians can remain anchored in truth and humility while navigating a world of collapsing narratives and contested realities.About Today’s GuestRev. Willie Grills is an LCMS pastor and co-host of A Brief History of Power, where he brings historical insight and pastoral clarity to bear on the crises of modern life. Known for his deep knowledge of church history, American folklore, and the strange undercurrents of our cultural moment, he helps listeners connect the dots between the past and the present.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we recover the moral imagination, rediscover the wisdom of the ancients, and explore how story—rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness—forms the heart and mind for Christian living in an age of fragmentation.About Today’s GuestDr. Louis Markos is a professor of English and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University, where he teaches classical literature, Christian thought, and C.S. Lewis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and is a prolific author and speaker, known for making ancient wisdom and Christian truth come alive for modern audiences. His books include From Achilles to Christ, The Myth Made Fact, and On the Shoulders of Hobbits. A passionate advocate for classical education and cultural renewal, Dr. Markos brings the voice of the ancients into dialogue with the Church today.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/📧 Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text

Join us at the long table as we explore how stories shape the Christian imagination, from the parables of Christ to the poetry of Tolkien, where beauty, suffering, virtue, and vocation meet in the narrative of redemption.About Today’s GuestRev. Jacob Benson is director of admissions and assistant professor of humanities at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming. Ordained in 2019, he previously served parishes in Connecticut and Wyoming, and holds degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and the University of Wyoming. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in English at Trinity College Dublin, where his research explores how fiction and hagiography shape virtue. Known for his love of classical education and his deep pastoral care, Rev. Benson brings theological clarity and a joyful sense of vocation to both church and academy. He and his wife, Mary, have one son.Check Out Our New Website: https://ontheline.net/Support the Launch of LIT: https://institute.ontheline.net/donation/📧 Contact Bryan: bryan.stecker@ontheline.netSend us a text