Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

If you’ve ever tried to trace your family tree, you know how complicated it can get. There are names you don’t recognize, distant relatives you’ve never met, stories half-remembered. Now imagine tracing not just your family, but tracing back to the beginning of the human race. That’s what Genesis 10 gives us. Often called the “Table of Nations,” it’s a record of how the descendants of Noah’s three sons spread across the earth after the flood. But more than a list of names, it’s a map of God’s faithfulness, setting the stage for every nation, every language, and ultimately, for the story of salvation that will unfold.  The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 10.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy S

The flood has passed. Noah and his family walk into a world washed clean. In Genesis 9, God speaks with grace and authority. He blesses Noah, reaffirms his first command for fruitfulness, and establishes a covenant with every living creature. The rainbow becomes a lasting sign of God’s promise never to destroy the earth by flood again. Yet even in this new beginning, sin is not far away. Today we hear of God’s mercy, human weakness, and a covenant that points forward to a greater promise still to come.  The Rev. Steven Theiss, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 9.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, exploring how God reveals Himself as Creato

Water covered everything. The storms and bursting springs had done their work. God had unleashed upon the world a catastrophic flood against which all future watery disasters would be judged. And when the rain stopped, there was nothing left but silence. Then, Genesis 8 begins with one of the most powerful phrases in Scripture: ‘God remembered Noah.’ Not that He ever forgot, but that He now acts on his promises. The same God who judged the world in righteousness now moves in mercy.  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 Genesis 8.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, exploring how

Look around at society today and it’s easy to see the corruption of sin. Each day it feels like the world is going further and further off the rails. Violence is rising, truth is ignored, and faith seems like a relic. But what if I told you this was nothing new? When you see faithlessness and violence rising and believers experiencing mockery and increasing persecution, know that none of this is surprising to God. In Genesis 7 we continue the account of Noah and the flood. God promised a flood in judgment—and now it’s raining. This isn’t just ancient history. It’s a wake-up call that sin and disobedience rightly draw God’s wrath, but even amid judgement God shows grace.  The Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 7.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are ete

Things fall apart—our sin has corrupted God’s creation. That’s the sense you get as you open Genesis 6. The world God once called ‘very good’ is now soaked in violence, corrupted to its core. The sons of God blur the boundaries, the mighty ones take what they want, and the Lord looks and grieves. But all is not lost. One man still walks with God. This man God calls to builds an Ark while everyone else is building their lives on sand. For the next four chapters, we step into the days of Noah—a time of chaos, judgment, and surprising grace.  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 6.   Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, explo

Things fall apart—our sin has corrupted God’s creation. That’s the sense you get as you open Genesis 6. The world God once called ‘very good’ is now soaked in violence, corrupted to its core. The sons of God blur the boundaries, the mighty ones take what they want, and the Lord looks and grieves. But all is not lost. One man still walks with God. This man God calls to builds an Ark while everyone else is building their lives on sand. For the next four chapters, we step into the days of Noah—a time of chaos, judgment, and surprising grace.  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 6.   Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, explo

Some say it’s a rookie mistake to try and read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Why? The “begats.” There are plenty of places in the Bible where we get lists of genealogies, inventories, and other detailed records. It’s easy to get stuck in these places or skip over them. Genesis 5 is like those, but it is more than a record of who begat whom, it’s a slow drumbeat of mortality following the fall: “and he died… and he died…” The curse marches on. And yet, tucked in the middle of this graveyard of names is a flicker of something different. One man didn’t die. He walked with God and then he was not. What does that mean? Listen in as we uncover the gospel hidden in the genealogy and why this chapter still points us to Jesus.  The Rev. Dr. Keith Haney, Assistant to the President for Missions, Human Care, and Stewardship in the Iowa West District--LCMS, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 5.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment,

The fall didn’t end at the garden gate. Sin followed humanity into the next generation, and its consequences turned deadly. In Genesis 4, we meet two brothers. One offers his best to the Lord in faith. The other offers his sacrifice unworthily. One is received. The other is warned to do good and seek to please God. And when that warning is ignored, the first human blood is spilled in anger. But this isn’t just a story about jealousy or murder, it’s about worship, faith, repentance, and the mercy of a God who still speaks to sinners. Even in judgment, He marks Cain. Not to punish, but to preserve (at least for a time).  The Rev. Chris Matthis, pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, CO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 4.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Stron

Adam and Eve lived in a world untouched by pain, guilt, or fear. They walked with God. They knew only the good of God’s creation and His will for them. But in Genesis 3, a voice enters the garden. We are introduced to one who would be our Accuser, the enemy of God and God’s people. The woman considers the serpent’s question, “Did God actually say..?” And for the first time ever she seeks to fulfill her own desires rather than God’s will. She eats. Her husband who stood by and did nothing, does something worse: he also eats. And with that one act, we learn the answer to the questions, “Why do bad things happen? Why is there sin and death in the world?”  The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 3.   Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal.

Genesis 1 gave us the wide-angle view of creation—majestic, ordered, cosmic. But Genesis 2 zooms in. Here, the Creator gets His hands dirty. He forms man from dust, breathes life into his lungs, and places him in a garden unlike any other. This chapter isn’t a second creation account—it’s a deeper one, more personal, more intimate. Meet the first man and the first woman, their first vocation, and the first commandment.  The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 2.  Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, exploring how God reveals Himself as Creator, Judge, and Redeemer. From the grandeur of the cosmos to the struggles of ordinary f

Before there was light, sky, sea, or land, and before time itself ticked its first second, there was only God. Not a god of myth or imagination, but the living Creator who speaks, and by His Word, worlds are born. In this opening chapter of Genesis, the foundations of everything—truth, order, purpose, even the Gospel—are laid bare. And it’s not just ancient history. It’s your story too. Join us as we step into the grandeur, the mystery, and the beauty of the creation account—and as we begin our journey through the book of Genesis, where the seeds of salvation history are planted in the very soil of Eden.  The Rev. President Terry Forke, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Harlowton, MT and St. Paul in Roundup, MT, and president of the Montana District—LCMS, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Genesis 1. Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but

Genesis isn’t just the start of the Bible; it’s the foundation of everything. Creation, sin, judgment, grace, covenant, and promise all take root in this remarkable book. The stories are ancient, but their truths are eternal. In this new series from Thy Strong Word, Pastor Phil Booe and his guests walk verse by verse through Genesis, exploring how God reveals Himself as Creator, Judge, and Redeemer. From the grandeur of the cosmos to the struggles of ordinary families, Genesis introduces us to a God who speaks, acts, and keeps His promises. So, whether you’ve read it a hundred times or are just now cracking it open for a serious look, this series will help you see Genesis with fresh eyes—and a deeper faith. 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, ve

As Hebrews comes to a close, we’re reminded again: Jesus is our altar, our sacrifice, our High Priest. We are called to bear His reproach, to live in obedience, and to trust in God’s work in us. This is no ordinary farewell—it’s a final charge to stand firm in grace. Let’s finish the race well. The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 13:9-25. For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Over the next several weeks, we’ll walk through Hebrews, uncovering its depth, its urgency, and its breathtaking vision of Jesus as the great High Priest, the perfect sacrifice, and the One who is greater than all

Holiness. Brotherly love. Contentment. Hebrews calls us to live as those who belong to an unshakable kingdom. The author sharpens his focus: ‘Pursue peace… see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God… offer worship that pleases Him.’ These verses are a call to live the faith we confess in community, in love, in steadfast trust in the Christ who never changes. Yet, the warning is clear: do not refuse Him who speaks.   The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 12:4-13:8.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Over the next several weeks, we’ll walk through Hebrews, u

What do a marathon runner, a seasoned coach, and a disciplined father all have in common? According to Hebrews 12, they each offer a glimpse into the Christian life—a race run with endurance, a life shaped by correction, and a goal always in sight. Today, we lace up our spiritual shoes and step into the challenge: what does it mean to run with perseverance, especially when the path is uphill and the training is tough? Let's find out.  The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus and co-Host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 12:1-13.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Over the next several weeks, we’ll w

Hebrews 11:23–40 continues the powerful “Hall of Faith,” highlighting men and women who trusted God in the face of danger, hardship, and uncertainty. From Moses’ parents defying Pharaoh to the prophets who endured persecution, this passage celebrates those who chose faith over fear, obedience over comfort, and eternal hope over temporary safety. Some saw great victories; others suffered and died without receiving what was promised—yet all were commended for their faith. Together, their stories point beyond themselves to the greater fulfillment found in Christ.  The Rev. Nathaniel Brown, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Correll, MN, Trinity Lutheran Church in Bellingham, MN, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Odessa, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 11:23-40.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the

Did you know the biblical authors used cultural references in their inspired writings? From Greek poets to Jewish folklore, the apostles Paul and Jude make some surprising references. Are they just using familiar stories to make a point? Or are they giving those stories some kind of authority? And what does it mean for how we use fiction, folklore, or pop culture in sermons and teaching today?  The Rev. Jacob Benson, pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lovell, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to discuss cultural references in 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 questions to: thystrongw

Hebrews 11 introduces the “Hall of Faith” by defining faith as the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. The Holy Spirit leads us through the lives of key figures from the Old Testament—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—who lived by faith in God’s promises, even when those promises seemed distant or impossible. Their stories reveal a pattern of trust, obedience, and hope rooted not in what they could see, but in the unseen future God had prepared for them.  The Rev. Doug Minton, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Milford, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 11:1-22.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all fi

Because of Christ’s finished work, we have confidence to enter the Holy Place—but we must not shrink back. Hebrews urges us to hold fast, to stir one another up, and to endure even in suffering. Some have abandoned the faith, and the warning is serious: the Lord will judge His people. Let’s press on in faith.  The Hon. Rev. Scot Kerns, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Easton, PA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 10:19-39.   For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Over the next several weeks, we’ll walk through Hebrews, uncovering its depth, its urgency, and its breathtaking vision of Jesus as the great High Priest, the perfect sacrifice,

The law was a shadow, not the substance. Hebrews 10:1–18 brings us to the heart of God's redemptive plan: the sacrificial system wasn’t a mistake—it was a mercy. But it could never cleanse the conscience. Now, in Christ’s once-for-all offering, we see the fulfillment of what those sacrifices pointed toward. The repetition ends. The guilt is taken away. And the Holy Spirit testifies: “I will remember their sins no more.” What does it mean to live forgiven—fully, finally, forever?  The Rev. Derek Waffel, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Huntsville, AL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 10:1-18.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn’t just another epistle—it’s the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Ov