Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Strong Christians know their freedom in Christ. Weak Christians are careful not to violate their consciences. The tension between them is real, but Paul insists that neither group belongs to itself. Both belong to the Lord who died and rose again for them. Rather than judging or despising one another, Christians are called to bear with each other in love, just as Christ bore with them. As Paul brings this section of Romans to a close, he reveals how the Gospel creates unity among Jews and Gentiles alike and gives a glimpse into his own mission to carry Christ's name where He has not yet been preached. Rev. Jim Daub, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Havelock, NC, joins guest host DCE Andy Bates to study Romans 15. To learn more about St. Paul Lutheran, visit stpaulhavelock.com. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never vi

Romans 14 focuses on Christian liberty, love, and unity within the church, and faith, love, and conscience shape our actions and relationships as believers. Christ's death and resurrection establish His Lordship over all, and love and conscience should guide our actions toward others. While we avoid passing judgment and causing others to stumble, our actions should reflect faith and gratitude to God. Our faith is personal but should be expressed in love. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Unity in Christ requires patience and understanding, and avoiding unnecessary disputes preserves church unity. The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins guest host the Rev. Sean Daenzer to study Romans 14:1-23. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the str

Every election cycle, Christians argue about what they owe the government and where that obligation ends. Paul wrote the original version of that argument. The governing authority is God's servant, he says, and you owe it taxes, respect, and honor. That was written under Nero, which means Paul is not talking about a government that deserves your admiration. He is talking about an office God established for your good. Then he turns to the Christian's own life: put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. How you live under authority and how you live before God are both answered. The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 13:1–14. To learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church, visit trinitylutheran.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he ha

After eleven chapters of what God has done for you, Paul says “therefore” and gets specific about what it looks like to live in God’s grace. He tells us: Present your bodies as living sacrifices. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Love without hypocrisy. Think soberly about your gifts. Feed your enemy when he is hungry. This is where Paul connects doctrine to daily life, and every instruction here grows out of the mercy God has already given you in Christ. The Rev. Dr. Stephen Krenz, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 12:1–21. To learn more about St. Paul's Lutheran Church, visit stpauls-lcms.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the

If you are a Gentile Christian, you are a wild branch grafted into someone else's tree. But what of the original covenant? God has not abandoned His people. Though many have fallen away, he kept a remnant by grace, and Paul himself is the proof. But what does Paul mean when he says, "all Israel will be saved"? This is one of the most debated passages in the letter, and getting it wrong has real consequences.   The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 11:1–36.  Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal pr

People often talk about faith like it is something you find inside yourself if you look hard enough. Paul reveals just the opposite. Faith comes from outside you––from the Word of Christ spoken into your ears by someone God sent to speak it. That is how it reached you, and that is how it has reached every Christian who has ever lived. Paul traces the chain all the way back from the believer to the preacher to the one who sent the preacher, and it changes how you think about every sermon you have ever heard. The Rev. James Helms, Jr., pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Greenbelt, MD, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 10:1–21. To learn more about Holy Cross Lutheran Church, visit myholycross.com. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand:

You own a Bible. You have probably started reading it more than once. And somewhere along the way, you wondered whether you were doing it right. On this Free-Text First Friday, we walk through the basic rules that help Christians read Scripture faithfully: why context matters, how Law and Gospel shape everything, why the whole book points to Christ, and how these tools belong to every Christian in the pew, not just the pastor in the study.  The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to discuss hermeneutics and reading the Bible. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, 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 Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questi

Paul opens this chapter with a dramatic expression of grief, like Moses before him, saying he would forfeit his own salvation if it meant his fellow Israelites would be saved. That alone should tell you how personal this gets. God chose Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, and showed mercy to whom He would show mercy. The potter has authority over the clay, and that offends us because we want God to explain Himself. Yet, God demonstrates time and again that he is not only sovereign, but compassionate and merciful toward all people—Jew and Gentile.  The Rev. Doug Griebenaw, pastor and mission advocate at KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 9:1–33.  Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin,

Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword. St. Paul lists them all in this section of his letter because he has faced most of them personally and he knows the Christians to whom he writes are facing the same and losing hope. He tells them plainly: none of it can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christians have been holding on to these verses through every kind of suffering for two thousand years because the promise is that Christ does not let go, even when everything else does.  The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 8:31-39. To learn more about Prince of Peace, visit princeofpeacebuffalo.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Chris

You have had moments where you needed to pray and could not find the words. Paul knows. He says the whole creation is groaning like a woman in labor, and we groan with it, waiting for what God has promised. The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, praying on our behalf when we cannot do it ourselves. And God works all things together for the good of those He has called. The comfort here is not that suffering makes sense, but that God is at work inside it.  The Rev. Peter Burfeind, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Union City, MI and Agnus Dei Lutheran Church in Marshall, MI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 8:18–30.  To learn more about Our Savior and Agnus Dei Lutheran Churches, visit facebook.com/oursaviorunioncity and agnusdeimarshall.com. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never vis

If you have ever laid awake wondering whether God is angry with you, Romans 8 is where Paul answers. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. After seven chapters proving that sin and death have a grip on every human being alive, Paul announces that God has done what the law could not do. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, and that makes you a child of God and an heir with Christ.   The Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 8:1–17.  To learn more about Redeemer Lutheran, visit Redeemer-Lawrence.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ.

Every Christian knows the sin you confess, mean it, and find yourself back in anyway: “I do the very thing I hate. The good I want to do, I don't do! Why?!” Paul clears the Law of any blame: it is holy, righteous, and good, even as it exposes how deeply sin runs in us. So, what’s the issue? Our sinful natures battling to regain control. The Apostle describes the Christian life from the inside as a war that ends with a cry for rescue—who will rescue me from this body of death? The good news is that St. Paul is eager to tell us just who has rescued us from sin, death, and Satan!  The Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt, editor-in-chief of Gottesdienst, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 7.  Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the

Every Christian knows the sin you confess, mean it, and find yourself back in anyway: “I do the very thing I hate. The good I want to do, I don't do! Why?!” Paul clears the Law of any blame: it is holy, righteous, and good, even as it exposes how deeply sin runs in us. So, what’s the issue? Our sinful natures battling to regain control. The Apostle describes the Christian life from the inside as a war that ends with a cry for rescue—who will rescue me from this body of death? The good news is that St. Paul is eager to tell us just who has rescued us from sin, death, and Satan!  The Rev. Dr. Burnell Eckardt, editor-in-chief of Gottesdienst, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 7.  Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the

Should we keep sinning since Christ already died and atoned for all of our sins? Paul’s answer to whether we should simply sin in the face of abounding grace is clear: absolutely not! In baptism you were buried with Christ and raised to walk in a new life. Grace does abound over and against sin, but sin is no longer your master because you have a new one—Jesus—and this master gives life. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   The Rev. Kale Hanson, senior pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 6:1–23.  To learn more about Zion Lutheran, visit zionbethalto.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of s

Adam sinned, and death spread to every human being who ever lived. Paul states that plainly and does not soften it. But the free gift is not like the trespass. Where sin increased, grace increased all the more. One man’s disobedience made the many sinners; one Man’s obedience makes the many righteous. Paul draws the contrast as starkly as possible, and the math always favors grace because Christ’s obedience outweighs Adam’s fall.  The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 5:12–21.  To learn more about Our Redeemer in Overland, visit ourredeemerstl.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of wha

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is where Paul plants his feet before he says something strange: we boast in our sufferings. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. This is not a self-help sequence. It works because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is the love driving the whole chain.  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 5:1–11.  To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the s

Abraham is Paul’s test case. Was he justified by works? No. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Paul makes sure you notice the timeline: the faith came before circumcision, not after. Circumcision was a seal of a righteousness Abraham already had by faith. That matters because it means the promise belongs to everyone who shares Abraham’s faith, Jew and Gentile alike. God justifies the ungodly.   The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Ashland, OR, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 4:1–25.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracelutheranashland.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ.

Paul has spent two and a half chapters proving that every mouth is stopped and the whole world is guilty before God. Then he writes two words: but now. The righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law, through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe. There is no distinction. All have sinned. All are justified freely by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is the heart of Romans and the article on which the Church stands or falls.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 3:21–31.  To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of si

Paul is building a courtroom and nobody gets acquitted because no one has obeyed the law. The Jews have the law and break it. The Gentiles have conscience and ignore it. By works of the law no human being will be justified in God's sight, because the law's job is to show you what sin is. It does not fix it. Paul needs you to hear how total the diagnosis is before he gives you the cure in the next passage. The cure only makes sense when you know how sick you are. The Rev. Neil Wehmas, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove, IA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 3:1-20. To learn more about St. Paul Lutheran, visit stpaulig.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of

If you read Romans 1 and felt good about yourself because Paul was talking about other people’s sins, chapter 2 is for you. You who pass judgment have no excuse, because you do the same things. Paul strips the moral high ground out from under the religious person who assumes the rules only apply to everyone else. God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. It is not confirmation that you are better than your neighbor.  The Rev. Keith Lingsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Naples, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 2.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit graceofnaples.com. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers