Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

What's the deal with the distinction of meats? What happens to the grace of Christ when human traditions dominate instead of the Gospel? How do the traditional Lutheran emphases on "Grace Alone" and "Faith Alone" provide a proper Christian focus to this article?Rev. Mark Squire, pastor of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, Iowa, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Distinction of Meats in Article XXVI of the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Why a second article on confession? Learn about the relationship of private confession and absolution to the general or public confession and absolution of the Divine Service, whether we need private confession and absolution when we have the general confession and absolution in Church, how confession and absolution provides the cure of souls more than just the care of souls that you might get from counseling services, and what psychological benefits might come to a person who confesses and receives forgiveness. Also, hear why the Reformers make a big deal of stating that not only is confession retained, but that examination for the Lord's Supper is also retained, and why we ought to encourage and make use of examination.Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Confession in Article XXV in the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

How did the Lutheran Reformers answer the charge that they had abandoned the Mass? Have we, at times, been guilty of abandoning the Mass today? Also hear about why we would want to retain the Mass, its benefit to Christians and to the Church, why the Lutheran confessors specifically include talk of observing the Mass with the highest reverence and celebrating every Sunday communion. A chief concern in Article XXIV has to do with the medieval practice of "private masses." Why is this so offensive to the Gospel?Rev. Larry Beane, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna, LA, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Mass in Article XXIV in the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Is there a religious life style more valued to God than that of marriage and family? Hear discussion on whether clergy should be married or celibate, why the matter of marriage of clergy matters to laity, and how the argument of the Confessors here in regards to the Marriage of Priests based on what God has established in creation and through His Word.Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the marriage of priests in Augsburg Confession Article XXIII.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Even though this article begins a shift towards addressing the specific abuses in the Roman Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation (and thus this lines up nicely with the 492 Anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession today, June 25), how is the Lutheran approach to addressing these abuses still very much relevant for our consideration of matters within the Church still today?The specific abuse addressed in Article 22 — both kinds in the sacrament — isn't really much of an issue today, but what are some places that we might still see similar errors in the celebration of the Lord's Supper and should still apply the same confession and consider what Christ has instituted and given to His Church?Rev. Timothy Appel, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Smithville, TX, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss both kinds in the Sacrament in Article XXII of the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Do Lutherans have regard for the saints? Do saints pray for us? Learn about the role that saints have in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Lutheran Church, and in other Reformed churches. Also, hear about ways in our modern Lutheranism in which we may fall into either the cult of saints or no regard at all for saints, and how we can honor the saints according to Scripture.Rev. Tim Sims, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church & School in Chester, IL joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss worship of the saints in Augsburg Confession Article XXI.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

We confess that good works are not necessary for salvation, but in what sense *are* they necessary? Hear also why some people accuse Lutherans of "forbidding good works," how this article on Good Works is really more about faith than about works, whether there is a wrong motivation for doing good works, what good works truly are, and whether there is a time that doing good works would actually be an insult to the work of Christ.Rev. Andy Wright joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss good works in Article XX in the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Sin is often excused because we claim that God "set us up" or that "the devil made me do it. But, what is the truth about sin and the cause of all sin in our world? Hear about the nature of our will after the Fall and why our reluctance to acknowledge the reality of our sin actually keeps us from the comfort of the Gospel.Rev. Mark Bestul, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Cause of Sin in Article XIX of the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

Do Christians have a free will? Hear discussion on what good people are able and unable to accomplish, and whether people have the ability to overcome evil by their own will-power. Also, consider how we think about charitable unbelievers and if God really hates their "good deeds." Finally, plug the Word and Sacraments into the conversation to think about how the nature of our will emphasizes our need to receive Christ and His Word.Rev. Matt Wurm, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings, South Dakota, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Free Will in Article XVIII of the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.

How do we to understand the Biblical teaching on the future and Jesus' return for Judgment? Learn about how we we confess this teaching in our Christian life by the way that we pray, our liturgy, our hymns, and even how we view our everyday lives in this world. Also hear about what the final judgment hold for believers and unbelievers, how that influences how people react to the Last Day, and in what ways people hold false opinions on the kingdom of Christ and His return.Rev. Mark Bestul, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Christ's return for judgment in Article XVII of the Augsburg Confession.Find your copy of The Augsburg Confession - Concordia Reader's Edition at cph.org or read online at bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession.