The Lutheran Witness Podcast

Rev. Dr. Stephen Pietsch, lecturer in pastoral theology at Australian Lutheran College in North Adelaide, Australia, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about acedia and how to respond to it, including what acedia is, the symptoms of this in our lives, how to keep praying through acedia, talking back to Satan (antirrhesis), and more ways to fight acedia. Read his article "Fighting Acedia: Tips for the Struggle Against Sloth" in the March issue of The Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org/2022/fighting-acedia.The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the March 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled "By Grace You Have Been Saved" on Ephesians 2:1-10. This year, "Searching the Scriptures" will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.Ephesians 2:1-10By Grace Through Faith2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Read full chapterFootnotesEphesians 2:3 Greek fleshEphesians 2:3 Greek like the restEphesians 2:4 Or AndEnglish Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.orgThe Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the February 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Unceasing Prayer” on Ephesians 1:15–23. This year, “Searching the Scriptures” will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.Ephesians 1:15–23Thanksgiving and Prayer15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[a] toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.Read full chapterFootnotesEphesians 1:15 Some manuscripts omit your loveEnglish Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.orgThe Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

Rev. Roy Askins, Managing Editor of The Lutheran Witness, joins Andy to talk about the “Searching the Scriptures” feature in the January 2022 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Ephesians: God’s eternal work marks the way we walk” on Ephesians 1:1-14. This year, “Searching the Scriptures” will study the book of Ephesians, so stay tuned each month for the next Bible study. Follow along and search the Scriptures with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

The church celebrates a number of rather somber festivals in the days following Christmas. We remember St. Stephen, St. John and the Holy Innocents who died at Herod’s behest. Rebekah Curtis offers some perspective for Christians on why we celebrate these days following Christmas.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

Have you ever wondered how to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas? And why? If we just finished Christmas, why celebrate another 12 days? Joy Pullmann, executive editor of the Federalist shares how and why her family celebrates the 12 days of Christmas.Read the article here.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

Rachel Bomberger is the wife of a navy chaplain. This means she is frequently moving and frequently church shopping. In today’s podcast, she talks about church shopping during the holiday season and how we who aren’t church shopping might welcome those who are.Read the article here.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

In America, our great wealth makes almost every day seem like a feast. The rhythms of the church year that give us fast and feasting help break us out of this mentality. Join Anna Mussmann as she writes about her family traditions of fasting before feasting.Read the article.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

In this article, the Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer explores our identity as children of God, as beings with body and soul. In our increasingly digitized world, it’s easy to obsess over our screens and forget that we are body and soul, made in the image of God, and renewed in the image of Christ, who redeemed us in body and soul.Read the article on the LW website.

In this article, Katie Schuermann talks about a family tradition, started by her parents, that kept her focused on Christ on Christmas Day. She wasn’t interested in opening presents; she wanted to gather in worship on Sunday morning. How did her parents do it? Listen to learn more.Read the article here.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.