Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Standing on the barracks steps with an angry crowd below him, Paul does something disarming: he tells his story. He was once the most zealous opponent the church had, holding coats while Stephen died, certain he was doing God's work, and the man now preaching grace had to be knocked flat on a road before he understood it. Personal testimony still carries a weight that argument alone cannot, because no one can dispute what Christ has actually done in a life. This episode invites the listener to consider what their own before-and-after looks like.  The Rev. Mitchell Gowen, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Aiea, HI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 21:37-22:29. To learn more about Our Savior in Aiea, visit oursaviorhawaii.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Friends weep; a prophet ties his own hands with Paul's belt to warn him of an upcoming arrest; and even Luke and others urge the Apostle to not go, and yet Paul still sets his face toward Jerusalem despite the possibility of chains waiting for him there. He was ready to be bound and even to die for the name of Jesus. Was Paul being hardheaded or faithful by ignoring the pleas of his fellow Christians? We discuss both possibilities while acknowledging that, at the end of the day, God used Paul to proclaim the Gospel in any and every circumstance.  The Rev. Dr. John Rickert, pastor emeritus in South Carolina, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 21:1-36.  The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Gathered with the believers on the first day of the week, and leaving the next morning, Paul preaches late into the night. A young man named Eutychus, sitting in a third-story window, sinks into a deep sleep and falls to the ground below, and is picked up dead. Paul goes down, takes him in his arms, and life returns to him. Then Paul climbs back up, breaks bread, and talks until daybreak. The weight of the chapter comes later, at Miletus, where Paul says goodbye to the Ephesian elders he served for three years, warns them of wolves coming after he leaves, and tells them they will not see his face again.  The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church (AALC) in Pocahontas, MO joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 20:1-38.  The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Money sets off the riot in Ephesus, when a silversmith realizes the gospel is bad for the idol business. He dresses up his profit motive in religious language, the crowd picks up the chant, and soon the whole city is roaring for two hours without most of them knowing why they came. Underneath the noise sits a real claim: the message about Jesus was actually changing how people lived and spent, and the gospel still disturbs the arrangements we have built our security on. This episode looks at what happens when the truth touches someone's bottom line.  The Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Oakmont, PA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 19:21-41.  To learn more about Redeemer Lutheran in Oakmont, visit redeemer-oakmont.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

New believers in Ephesus do something striking: they haul their expensive books of magic into the open and burn them, torching a small fortune in front of everyone. These were people who had spent years trying to control their lives through spells and secret names, and meeting the real power of God in Christ made the counterfeit worthless to them. Most of us carry our own quiet superstitions and backup plans, the things we trust when we are not sure God is enough. This chapter asks what you would be willing to put on the fire.  The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 19:1-20.   To learn more about Our Redeemer, visit ourredeemerstl.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Paul arrives in Corinth tired and apparently discouraged, and God meets him through ordinary friends and ordinary work sewing tents before any vision comes. We also meet Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who quietly pull a gifted preacher aside and fill in what his theology was missing. Not everyone in the kingdom stands on a stage; much of the work that matters happens at a kitchen table. This chapter is good news for anyone who has wondered whether their behind-the-scenes service counts.  The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 18:1-28. To learn more about Trinity in Edwardsville, visit trinitylutheranministries.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Paul walks into Athens, a city stuffed with idols and clever talkers, and instead of being impressed he is grieved. Rather than condemn the crowd, he starts with an altar they had built to an unknown god and tells them he has come to make that god known, even quoting their own poets on the way to the resurrection. Together with the Bereans, who checked everything Paul said against Scripture, these scenes model how to speak the gospel into a skeptical culture without watering it down. This is a chapter for Christians who feel surrounded by unbelief and are unsure how to begin.  The Rev. Dr. Matthew Tassey, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Shawnee, OK, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 17:1-34.  To learn more about Redeemer Lutheran, visit redeemershawnee.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Paul and Silas get beaten and thrown in the deepest cell for the crime of freeing a girl from the spirit that made her owners rich. At midnight, backs raw and feet in stocks, they are singing hymns loud enough for the other prisoners to hear, when an earthquake opens the doors and Paul stays to keep the jailer from taking his own life. By morning the man who locked them up is washing their wounds and bringing his whole household to baptism. It is hard to read this chapter and keep believing that any situation is past hope.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 16:16-40.  To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Two great missionaries get into an argument sharp enough to end their partnership, and the subject is whether to give a young man named Mark a second chance. Out of that painful split, two mission teams go out instead of one, and the work spreads further than it would have. God keeps building his church through imperfect people and even through their disagreements. This episode is honest medicine for anyone who has watched a falling-out in the family of faith.  The Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Madison, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 15:36-16:15.  To learn more about Mount Olive Lutheran, visit molc.us. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The first major fight in the church came down to a single question: is grace really enough? Some insisted that new Gentile believers had to take on the old law to truly belong, but the apostles land squarely on the gospel: we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are. Every generation finds new ways to add requirements to the finished work of Christ, and this chapter keeps pulling us back. It is a study for anyone who has ever quietly feared they have not done enough to be accepted by God.  The Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor of Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Lidgerwood, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 15:1-35.  To learn more about Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, visit hcilc.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

In a single chapter the crowds try to worship Paul as a god and then turn around and stone him nearly to death, which tells you everything about the fickleness of human approval. When the people of Lystra want to offer sacrifices to him, Paul is horrified and points them away from himself to the living God. Ministry that chases applause will be destroyed by the same crowd that gave it, yet Paul gets up from the stoning and walks right back into the city. This episode is a clear-eyed look at why we cannot build our faith on what people think of us.  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 Acts 14:1-28. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Few things expose what is really in a person's heart like good news they did not expect. Paul preaches a sermon tracing the whole story of Israel straight to the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, and the town splits down the middle, the Gentiles overjoyed and others filled with jealousy. Rejection in one place simply pushed the gospel on to the next, and the messengers shook the dust off their feet and left full of joy rather than bitterness. This chapter speaks to anyone whose witness has been met with a closed door.  The Rev. Gem Gabriel, pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Norwalk, CT joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 13:26-52.  To learn more about St. Peter Lutheran, visit stpeternorwalk.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The church at Antioch is worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit says, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul." They pray, lay hands on the two men, and send them off to proclaim the faith. From there the word runs into a sorcerer on Cyprus and into a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preaches the God who kept His promise and brought Israel a Savior from David's line.  The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 13:1-25. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

An angel wakes Peter the night before his execution and walks him out of a locked prison past the guards. When he shows up at the door where the believers are gathered, a servant girl named Rhoda is so glad to hear his voice that she runs off and leaves him standing outside knocking. The praying believers within the home can’t believe it and say, “it’s his angel.” This chapter is full of drama and humor but also gives us tough questions to wrestle with.   The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 12:1-25.  To learn more about Trinity in Toledo, visit trinitylutheran.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

When Peter comes back from baptizing a Roman household, the first thing he gets is criticism for eating with the wrong people, and he answers by simply telling what God did until the objections fall silent. It was here, at Antioch, that believers were first called Christians, a name probably meant as an insult but stuck as a badge of honor. The gospel keeps crossing the lines we are sure should not be crossed. This episode is for anyone who has ever decided certain people were beyond the reach of grace.  The Rev. Nathan Scheck, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, NE, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 11:1-30. To learn more about St. John in Seward, visit stjohnseward.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Peter crosses a threshold no faithful Jew of his day would cross: he walks into a Gentile's house and opens with a confession, that God has shown him he must not call any person unclean. Then he preaches Jesus, crucified and raised and appointed judge of the living and the dead, and as that word goes out the Holy Spirit falls on the whole household, before Peter can even finish. It is Christ preached who opens the door to the nations, and the Spirit who seals it, poured out on Gentiles the same as on the Jews at Pentecost.  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 Acts 10:24-48. To learn more about Our Savior and Agnus Dei Lutheran Churches, visit facebook.com/oursaviorunioncity and agnusdeimarshall.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The word "rise" rings through these chapters like a bell. A paralyzed man rises from a mat he hadn't left in eight years. A dead woman named Tabitha rises and takes Peter's hand. And Peter himself sees a vision that shakes off a lifetime of assumptions about who's in and who's out in the kingdom of God when a sheet full of unclean animals drops from heaven and a voice says, "Rise, Peter. Kill and eat!" Little resurrections, one after another, each one showing the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom in this world.  The Rev. Ben Maton, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Charlottesville, VA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 9:32-10:23. To learn more about Immanuel in Charlottesville, visit immanuelcharlottesville.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

As the nation marks its 250th birthday, we take up the word at the heart of the celebration: freedom. Civil freedom is a genuine, God-given good, worth our gratitude and our protection. But the freedom Christ won for us is a profoundly different thing, and confusing the two can obscure the Gospel. This episode explores the distinction between civil freedom and Christian freedom through the lens of the Lutheran two-kingdoms/realms teaching.   The Rev. Graham Glover, pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Gainesville, Fl, Army Reserve Chaplain serving the Chief of Chaplain’s Office at the Pentagon in the policy and government affairs section, and Senior Chaplain Fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington, D.C., joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study civil and spiritual freedom. 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: [email protected].

A man bent on wiping out the church was on the road to arrest more Christians when a light knocked him to the ground and a voice asked why he was persecuting Jesus himself. Grace ambushed Saul and turned him inside out before he could say a word. Then the Lord asks a frightened disciple named Ananias to go welcome the very man he has every reason to fear, so that two miracles happen at once: the conversion of a persecutor and the obedience of the believer sent to embrace him. This chapter is hope for the people we have written off and a call for the rest of us to go where God sends us.  The Rev. Paul Cain, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sheridan, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 9:1-31. To learn more about Immanuel in Sheridan, visit immanuelsheridan.blogspot.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

An important official from a faraway court is riding home, reading a scroll he cannot understand, when God sends Philip to run alongside the chariot. The man is honest about his confusion: how can I understand unless someone guides me? Philip starts right where he is reading and shows him Jesus on the page, and before long there is water and a baptism and a stranger going home rejoicing. This episode reminds us that the Spirit is often already at work in the people we are nervous to approach.  The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 8:26-40.  To learn more about Prince of Peace, visit princeofpeacebuffalo.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Persecution breaks out, the believers scatter, and what looks like the worst thing that could happen to the church becomes the means by which the gospel spreads. The people who fled kept preaching wherever they landed, and Philip ends up in Samaria, of all places, bringing the message to people the Jews had long despised. We also meet Simon, who wants to buy the Spirit's power, showing how quickly faith can curdle into a hunger for status. This chapter speaks to anyone whose life got blown off course and who wonders what God could possibly do with the pieces.  The Rev. David Bass, pastor of St. Michael Lutheran Church and School in Ft. Myers, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 8:1-25.  To learn more about St. Michael Lutheran, visit smlcftmyers.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

It is hard to imagine praying for the people actively trying to kill you. Stephen does exactly that, asking God to forgive the very men stoning him while a young man named Saul watches at the edge of the crowd, holding the coats. The first Christian martyr dies praying for his murderers, and one of those murderers becomes the missionary who later carries the gospel across the empire. This chapter shows what it looks like to die the way Christ taught us to live.  The Rev. Mark Loder, pastor of St. James Lutheran Church & School in Howard Lake, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 7:23-60. To learn more about St. James Lutheran, visit stjameshl.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The early church hits a snag in its efforts to take care of the vulnerable among them: some widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food, and people are upset. Rather than ignore it, the apostles appoint seven trustworthy men to handle the work so the preaching can continue, honoring both practical care and the ministry of the word. One of those seven, Stephen, turns out to be so full of grace and power that he is hauled before the council on false charges. This episode shows a church learning to serve tables and proclaim Christ at the same time.  The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church (AALC) in Pocahontas, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 6:1-7:22. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The apostles are arrested, freed by an angel during the night, and found the next morning right back in the temple, preaching, which is the last thing their jailers expected. As the authorities scramble, a respected teacher named Gamaliel cools the room with a shrewd warning: if this movement is merely human, it will collapse on its own, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop it, and you may find yourselves fighting against God. The apostles are flogged and released, and they leave rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name. This chapter puts a hard question to all of us: are we willing and worthy to suffer for the faith?  The Rev. Dr. William Knippa, pastor emeritus in Austin, Texas, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 5:12-42. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

A community so generous that no one claimed anything as their own sounds like a dream until the next scene turns deadly serious. Ananias and Sapphira sell some property, keep part of the money, and lie about it to look more sacrificial than they were, and what condemned them was the pretending. The early church needed to learn that the God who fills his people with grace is not mocked by play-acting. This episode is a sober word for every Christian tempted to manage an image instead of living honestly before God.  The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 4:32-5:11. To learn more about Our Redeemer, visit ourredeemerstl.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth, and their reward is arrest. By the time the guards haul them in, the number of believers has grown to about five thousand, and the temple authorities have seen enough. The next day the two apostles stand before the same council that had condemned Jesus, with Annas and Caiaphas presiding. The order is blunt: stop speaking in this name. Peter and John refuse, because they cannot keep silent about what they have seen and heard.  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 4:1-31. To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Luke gives us a snapshot of the first church that still makes congregations homesick: devoted to the apostles' teaching, to the breaking of bread, to prayer, and to one another. Then a man lame from birth, who has begged at the temple gate his whole life, asks Peter for money and gets something he never imagined instead, walking and leaping in the name of Jesus. This chapter holds together the ordinary rhythms of church life and the extraordinary power that runs through them. It speaks to anyone who has settled for begging at the gate when God meant to bring them inside.  The Rev. James Hopkins, pastor of First Lutheran Church in Boston, MA and a chaplain in the U.S. Navy Reserve joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 2:42-3:26. To learn more about First Lutheran in Boston, visit flc-boston.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Weeks after denying he even knew Jesus, Peter stands before a crowd in Jerusalem and preaches that the man they crucified is Lord and Christ. When the words land and the people ask what they should do, Peter answers with repentance, baptism, and forgiveness rather than a load of guilt, and three thousand are baptized that day. The same Peter who crumbled before a servant girl now cannot be silenced, which tells you what the resurrection does to a coward. This episode is about the power of plain preaching and a promise that reaches as far as the Lord will call.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 2:22-41. To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Have you ever wished God would do something so plain that no one could explain it away? Pentecost is that kind of morning, when a sound like a violent wind fills the house, fire rests on each of them, and ordinary Galileans start speaking languages they never learned. The same Spirit who turned frightened followers into bold preachers is the one given to the church to turn the world's eyes toward Christ. This chapter is the birthday of the church and a study of what the Spirit was actually given to do.  The Rev. Benjamin Meyer, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Condit, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 2:1-21.  To learn more about Hope Lutheran Church, visit hopelutheransunbury.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Jesus has risen, the disciples have him back, and the first thing he tells them is to wait, which may be the hardest command in the book. Then he is taken up, and two angels gently ask why they are still staring at the sky. Most of the Christian life is lived in that in-between space, after the promise and before the fulfillment. This first episode sets the table for everything that follows and speaks to anyone weary of waiting on God.  The Rev. John David Duke, Jr., pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 1:1-26.  To learn more about Salem Lutheran, visit salembuffalo.com. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  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: [email protected].

Most people skip Romans 16 because it looks like a list of names they cannot pronounce. But every name here is a person who carried the Gospel to Rome before Paul ever arrived. Phoebe delivered this letter. Prisca and Aquila risked their necks for Paul's life. Andronicus and Junia were in prison with him. These are real Christians with real stories, and Paul knows them by name even though he has never visited their church. Romans ends the way the faith has always spread: through people who showed up for each other because Christ showed up for them.  The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 16:1–27.  To learn more about Trinity in Edwardsville, visit trinitylutheranministries.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. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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: 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 questions to: [email protected].

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, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 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 problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].

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 sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  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: [email protected].