Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

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.

Is civil government a blessing — a gift of God, to be participated in, supported and sustained? Or is government evil and a tool of the devil? Is the world itself — our family, job, and communities — evil to be avoided? Or are the things of the world for Christians too, to be used in god-pleasing ways? Hear about the purpose of government and the Christian's relationship to it, the attitude of the Reformers toward service in civil government, if a Christian can be part of a government that is corrupt, and how every Christian shows Christian love and genuine good works.Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology and Director of Field Education at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Civil Government in Article XVI 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.

As Lutherans we love our hymnody, but what makes hymns particularly Lutheran? How do hymns point us even more to Scripture, and how can we use them devotionally? And, on the creative side, how does a Lutheran hymnwriter create a hymn that is both beautiful poetry and also doctrinally rich?Rev. Stephen Starke, Lutheran Hymn Writer of over 200 hymns (including 32 in the Lutheran Service book) and retired LCMS pastor, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss our heritage of Lutheran hymnody and what makes it unique.This is a rebroadcast from May 8, 2021.

We sing hymns every Sunday, and hopefully throughout our daily lives. But, what actually is a hymn? Is it just a fancy word for song? Hear this delightful conversation about the purpose of hymnody, where we find scriptural basis for singing hymns in worship services, how we use hymns in the life of the congregation, how music and text work together in hymnody, and what makes our Lutheran hymnody so unique and wonderful.Rev. Dr. Jon Vieker joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss why concord matters for Lutheran hymnody.This is a rebroadcast from May 1, 2021.

What are human ceremonies in the Church? What good is there in practicing human ceremonies in the Church if they are not commanded by God? When the Augsburg Confession says "ceremonies ought to be observed that may be observed without sin", learn what that would include and exclude, how we best confess Christ and His Gospel by our ceremony in the Church, and why it may be even more necessary today or keep or recover traditional orders and ceremonies in our churches.Rev. Anthony Dodgers, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Charlotte, Iowa, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Church Ceremonies 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.

Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession is very short, and yet remains a point of contention. What is the benefit of having a properly Called pastor in the Church, and how do we understand the role of pastors in the Church? How has the church formed, Called, and Ordained pastors throughout the centuries?Rev. Kyle Mietzner, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss order in the Church in Article XIV 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.

In Article XIII, the Lutheran confessors are concerned about the Roman Catholic understanding that the Sacraments are beneficial just by doing them. So, how do Lutherans speak of the proper use of the the Sacraments? What do the Lutheran confessors mean when they say that the Sacraments were instituted to awaken and confirm faith in those who use them? Is the improper use of the Sacraments harmful? How does our confession of this article affect our practice and use of the Sacraments in our churches still today?Rev. Tim Sims, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church & School in Chester, IL, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the use of Sacraments in Article XIII 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.

What is “true repentance”? Learn about what follows repentance, what it means to be sorrowful over sin, and why this article speaks of good works as “the fruit of repentance”. Also, hear about the (false) teachings that once you’re baptized you cannot sin anymore (“once saved always saved”) and if you sin after baptism you cannot be forgiven, and why these teachings are so destructive to the Gospel teaching of repentance. Lastly, learn whether the errors the confessors addressed in the teaching of repentance are still around today.Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church and School in Terra Bella, California, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss repentance in Article XII 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.

We turn to Article XI on Confession. The Lutheran confessors condemn what the Roman Catholic practice of confession had become, yet why do the confessors urge the private confession and absolution should be retained in the churches? Also hear discussion on the reactions most people have when urged to go to confession, misconceptions about the practice, and why it's important for God's people. What benefits of private confession and absolution should encourage us to make this a practice in our Christian life? Should the Lutheran church return to the practice of private confession?Rev. Mark Birkholz, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Naperville, IL, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss confession in Article XI 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.