Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

The Rev. Nick Koschmann, pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Forest Grove, Oregon, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 6:1-13. Haman goes to the King’s palace early, eager to convince him to authorize the execution of Mordecai. Providentially, he arrives just as King Ahasuerus is seeking someone to advise him on how to best reward Mordecai for previously foiling an assassination plot against him. He asks Haman how to honor a worthy, but unnamed man. Ironically, Haman, thinking the King wants to honor him, has very specific ideas of how to reward and celebrate this mysterious man. The King then orders Haman to carry out everything he suggested—for Mordecai—and this is just the beginning of Haman’s very bad day. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her

The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Churubusco, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 5. Queen Esther invites King Ahasuerus and Haman to a luxurious banquet, with the intention of addressing his edict against the Jews. However, she delays mentioning anything until the next day. Haman leaves the feast feeling proud of his high rank and the many privileges he has been given. However, his pride takes a hit when Mordecai refuses to show him the respect he feels he deserves. Haman's wife and friends suggest he take action against Mordecai, and Haman eagerly decides to have him executed. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Althou

The Rev. Dr. Vernon Wendt, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, KY and Missionary-at-Large in Richmond, KY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 4. Mordecai reacts to Haman’s deadly plan to destroy all Jews. He turns to Queen Esther, and begs her to use her status to plead for her people before the king. But with a strict law forbidding anyone, including the queen, from approaching the king without being summoned, Esther is faced with a daunting decision. Esther sends word to Mordecai for all the Jews to fast as she contemplates her next move. Mordecai encourages her, “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a pl

The Rev. Doug Minton, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Milford, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 3. Esther is Queen, but King Ahasuerus has elevated one of his officials, Hamann, to prime minister and given him authority to rule over all the other officials. One of those officials, Mordecai, a Jew, and a cousin and father figure to Esther, refuses to bow down to Hamann as instructed. Hamann responds in anger and devises a plan to destroy all the Jews. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 2. Things took a dramatic turn in the previous chapter when the King deposed Queen Vashti when she refused to be paraded around for the entertainment of his guests. Now, the search for a new queen begins and Esther, a young Jewish woman, is chosen to be queen. But Esther must keep her Jewish heritage a secret to avoid any potential persecution in the Persian court. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Esther 1. The Book of Esther is the second of the only two books in the Bible named for women. It tells the story of a young Jewish woman named Esther who becomes the queen of Persia and uses her position to save her people from extermination. Notably, nowhere in the book is God mentioned, and yet we see his handiwork behind the scenes shaping history and working good for his people. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.

The Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study the Ruth 4. The book of Ruth closes with a shift from the unusual nature of Ruth’s proposal to Boaz to a more traditional approach to the matter. Boaz meets with the other eligible redeemer in the presence of ten elders, who serve as witnesses, to publicly settle who will redeem Elimelech’s land and marry Ruth. The chapter ends with a marriage and a short genealogy that shows Ruth the Moabite to be the mother of Obed, the grandfather of King David. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.

The Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, MN and host of the program goes solo for this study of Ruth 3. After Ruth’s encounter with Boaz, in this chapter Naomi, feeling the weight of her loss and her daughter-in-law's widowhood, devises a plan to secure a future for Ruth. She tells her to sneak into the threshing floor where the wealthy landowner Boaz is working late at night. Ruth obeys. While Boaz is sleeping, the text says she “uncovers his feet” which startles Boaz. The next thing you know, they’re talking about marriage. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.

The Rev. James Stefanic, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Marshall, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Ruth 2. Ruth followed her mother-in-law Naomi, into Israel. As a Moabite woman, one might question Ruth’s loyalty, but she proved that she is faithful not only to Naomi, but to YHWH—the one true God. In this chapter, we see Ruth gleaning grain from the crops left over to feed the poor, as was God’s command from of old. Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz, who takes an interest in her. Her encounter with Boaz, who would become for her a kinsman-redeemer, would change everything. But what is a kinsman-redeemer? The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the g

The Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in Pine Lawn, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Ruth 1. The events told in the book of Ruth are simple and beautiful, but they are made even more striking because of the chaotic and dangerous times in which they take place. In the opening chapter, we are introduced to Naomi who had lost her husband and two sons in a short time, which left her stranded in Moab, a foreign land, accompanied by her two Moabite daughters-in-law. What follows is just the beginning of a story of bravery and faithfulness to God. The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.

The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David. The book of Esther recalls how a Jewish woman marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and becomes queen. At the urging of her cousin, Mordecai, Esther uses her influence to foil a plot to exterminate the Hebrew people. Although God is not mentioned in the book, his power is at work behind the scenes.   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 Scriptu

The Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in San Antonio, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 40. We’ve arrived at the last chapter of Exodus. The Tabernacle, its furnishings, and all the accoutrements required for worship have been constructed. Now, God directs Moses to set it all up according to his divinely revealed pattern. As the chapter ends, the glory of God fills the Tabernacle, signifying that it is holy ground where he dwells among his people. The completion of this special worship place signifies a major milestone in the Israelites' journey. Their God now travels with them, and they have a place to meet him. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. Ryan Fehrmann, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Wausau, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 39. Now comes the creation and adornment of the vestments to be worn by the priests of Israel when serving in the Tabernacle. This penultimate chapter begins with the crafting of the ephod worn by the high priest, which was made of fine linen and gold thread. It also describes the making of the breastplate, a decorative piece worn by the high priest and adorned with precious stones. Finally, the chapter ends with the completion of all the vestments, which were worn as a sign of the priests’ consecration to God's service. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 38. The courtyard around the Tabernacle was as much a place of worship as the holy of holies. In this sacred space was the altar, where burnt offerings and sacrifices were made to God. Chapter 38 describes the creation of the altar and the copper basin, a large vessel used for ritual washing. With the courtyard’s completion, it was almost time for it all to come together for YHWH to inhabit this holy place to dwell among the Israelites. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 37. Construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, as ordained by God on Mt. Sinai, is underway! Bezalel and Oholiab, esteemed master craftsmen, are leading the charge and ensuring that every detail is meticulously followed. This section delves into the creation of the holiest of items within the Tabernacle: the Ark of the Covenant, the radiant lampstand, and the fragrant altar of incense. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. Amadeus Gandy, U.S. Air Force Chaplain at Eielson AFB, Alaska, and pastor of St. Martin of Tours Mission to the Armed Forces Lutheran Parish, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study the Wisdom of Solomon in the Liturgy. Most people know that our beloved liturgy is really nothing more than hearing God speak to us through his word, while we respond in prayer and praise—also through his word! The Lutheran Service Book does a good job of showing from where in the Bible each part of our liturgy comes. But did you know that some parts you recite on Sunday come from the Apocrypha? Which parts? Why? What is the Apocrypha? These questions and more will be answered on this special “Free-Text Friday” episode of Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 36. It's been a long time coming, but the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here - the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings has begun! And who better to lead this holy endeavor than the esteemed master craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab? These skilled laborers, blessed by God with a desire and ability to build, are now hard at work erecting the Israelites' portable worship space. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. Dr. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 35. After a brief emphasis on the importance of the Sabbath, God calls upon those with generous hearts to gather materials for the construction of the Tabernacle. The time to construct this special place of worship was near. They were to provide gold, silver, bronze, and various types of cloth and yarns, as well as wood and animal skins for the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Every household had an opportunity to take part in collecting what was needed to build the place where God would dwell among them. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong Word.

The Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Exodus 34. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. Having broken the previous tablets upon which God wrote the Ten Commandments, Moses now receives them for a second time. When he returns from Sinai, Moses' face was radiant with the glory of God, which frightened the people. From that point forward, Moses would wear a veil over his face whenever he spoke with the people after consulting with God. Here also, God reaffirms his covenant with the Israelites and again promises he will drive out the nations living in the Promised Land. It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus, but it’s also the story of us all. How through Christ, God has liberated us from sin, death, and the Devil. Don’t miss this chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Exodus on Thy Strong

The Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the Minnesota North District and host of Concord Matters on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe in this special 100th episode to study Exodus 33. Find Concord Matters at kfuo.org/concordmatters. YHWH describes the Israelites as a "stiff-necked" people, referring to their stubbornness and disobedience, in the wake of their worship of the golden calf. In response, God says he will no longer travel with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land, lest they anger him and he destroy them. However, despite his understandable frustration, God does not abandon the Israelites completely. He sends an angel ahead of them to guide and protect them, as he had previously promised. Yet, the Israelites mourn over God's judgement, so Moses intercedes on their behalf, pleading with God to show mercy. Does God relent? It’s the true story of God reaching down into history and, through an unlikely prophet, redeeming his chosen people from slavery. It’s the story of Exodus,