Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church & School in Edwardsville, IL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 16. Sarai and Abram had waited 10 years for a child and she was anxious. In our anxiety while we are waiting on the LORD leads us all to listen to other voices instead of His Word. The chaos of following the ways of the world is clearly seen in this text. In this complex relationship, we see jealousy, anger, infidelity, immorality, and conflict. Yet, the LORD is merciful and promises to Hagar were plentiful. He sees her struggles and would provide all that she needs. “Lord God, help us to wait on Your promises. Help us to stay steadfast in Your Word. In His name, Amen”

Rev. Martin Mably, pastor of Lord of Glory Lutheran Church in Elk River, MN joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 15. Abraham’s descendants would be as many as the stars in the sky. The Lord’s promises were very clear, but the timing might not be what Abram planned. Yet, the LORD patiently filled him with the promise again. The LORD gave a visual of how much He would bless him with a great name, the promised land, and a Savior—Stars. It is unfathomable to try to count the stars, which reminds us that God’s promises in Christ are beyond our comprehension. The future for Abraham’s family would not be a smooth road, but He would patiently love and care for His people. We see the patience of our LORD as He unjustly was sent to the cross without saying a word. All of this He did for our sake and our salvation. Thanks be to God! “Lord God, thank you for counting us righteous on account of Jesus. Help us to live righteous and holy lives to Your glory and in love toward others. In His name, Amen”

Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN studies Genesis 14. Wars, rumors of wars, famine and pestilence are not only before the end of the age, but have been occurring since the fall. As kings were fighting kings, Lot was taken and Abram rescued him by God’s help. Out of nowhere priest and king Melchizedek blessed Abram and in faith, he gave 10% of everything to the LORD. Melchizedek is a unique figure in Scripture as he not only blessed Abram, but points us to Christ (Hebrews 7). This priest and king who was not from kingly and priestly lineage was brought to bless His people, yet, Melchizedek was simply a man and Jesus is the greater covenant, greater king, and greater priest. “Lord God, as You are the great High Priest, You have generously given all things, we look to You to help us to be generous to You and others. In His name, Amen”

Rev. Matthew Gunia, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Ironwood, MI joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 13. Abram and Lot had come to a head. They both had great possessions which in itself is not the issue, but coveting and conflict led them to separate. Abram’s faith and love toward Lot allowed his nephew to choose where he wanted to go. Abram’s goal was for the sake of unity and seeking the LORD’s help, yet Lot had a goal of living in bountiful land for his benefit. We all fall into this temptation as we seek which direction to take in this life. It is easy to seek the instant benefits while forgetting the temptations and trials one decision can cause. The LORD provided for both Abram and Lot and we know by faith, that He will provide for us in Christ. “Lord God, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we walk through this life. Protect us from the temptations of the evil one and direct in the ways You have set before us. Forgive us our sins and provide for all our needs. Lord in your mercy. Amen”

Rev. Dave Hinz, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sauk Rapids, MN joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 12. Abram was given a “great commission” to leave his home to travel 700+ miles with many blessings to be a blessing to the world. Abram leaves his home and through him the Lord’s name will be great. To have such a calling had to be taxing, but everything was done to the LORD. Although Abram was a faithful man, temptation was real for him as he entered Egypt. Instead of trusting the Lord’s providence, he predicted the Egyptian reactions and lied. In faith, may we cling to His promises and live holy lives through temptation. “Lord God, as You called Abram, You have called us to serve in Your kingdom. Keep us steadfast in trusting in Your promises to keep from temptation to love You and love others. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Joshua Knippa, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Nederland, TX joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 11:10-32. Shem’s descendants bring hope. In Genesis 9, the Lord promised to bless Shem and his descendants as he was faithful to the Lord (9:25-28). His lineage leads us to understand that the LORD, for whatever reason, works through all sorts of fallen people. Abram’s family was from the ungodly country of Ur, but God chose him to follow. This is a reminder our gracious God chooses the least of these and qualifies the chosen. “Lord Jesus Christ, as You have chosen us, like Abram, to be Your people, help us to find rest in grace and bless future generations in the comfort and hope of Your salvation. Amen”

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 11:1-9. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. God’s people were to be dispersed and be fruitful in His name, but instead they wanted to make a name for themselves. It is easy for all of us to attempt to uphold an ideal situation like one language, same words, and build a huge tower. Yet, what gets lost is the LORD! If we stay in the ideals of life, we can easily forget God and His glory. The Lord’s dispersion of God’s people to curtail pride and evil is a sign of love to assure that He would stay with Him. We celebrate Pentecost knowing what was dispersed has now been united in Christ by the Holy Spirit. “Lord Jesus, as we are united together by Your blood through the Holy Spirit, keep us humble, steadfast in faith, that Your name be known around the world. O Holy Spirit, enter in. Amen”

Rev. James Price, pastor of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Wamego, KS joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 10. The LORD provides. When the earth only had 8 people left, the Lord caused His people to be fruitful and multiply in the dignity of being a child of God. We are all descended from Noah’s family which reminds us to treat each other with dignity, especially as we know it is Christ who has shed His blood for all nations. God’s people extended throughout the world and through Abraham all nations will be blessed through faith in the LORD. This connects to us as Christians, that by His grace, this Gospel goes to all nations (Matthew 28:19). “O LORD, as You provide for Your people, help us to give dignity to all people, by Your Holy Spirit bring all nations to Christ and His forgiving grace. Lord have mercy. Amen”

Rev. Curtis Deterding of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 9. Noah and his family are living in the new creation. He gives them the gift of life, food, and the promise to no longer have a worldwide flood. Yet, this new creation was still filled with temptation and shame. Noah was tempted to use the Lord’s gift to his detriment which led to more sin. By the promise of our LORD we know we have sinned which causes other sins which leads to issues beyond ourselves. By the grace of God, we repent of the shame of sin and by the blood of Christ that gives life, we live as new creations. “Lord God, as Noah needed a Savior, thank you for giving us that same Savior. Grant us the gift of repentance and put your name of redemption on us to trust and love in Your name. In HIs name we pray, Amen”

Rev. David Boisclair of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Church in Pine Lawn, MO joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 8. The destruction of the world was completed. The waters subsided and God was bringing humanity back to a new creation. In faith, Noah builds an altar and worships the LORD while the LORD makes a promise to never do this again. He will sustain all of this new creation: seedtime & harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night. As we are a new creation, He will sustain us by remembering His mercy and love for His people through Christ, we trust that He will continue to sustain us and continually make things new by His grace. “O Holy Spirit, make us a new creation. Thank you for making us a new creation through Christ in Baptism. We ask that You would sustain us as Your people that we may worship You as did Noah. In His name, Amen”

Rev. Jonathan Buescher, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Mount Pulaski, IL, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 7. In faith, Noah built the ark and now it was getting real. The door was shut, the rain came, and all flesh on the earth died. Noah knew all of the destruction to come, but by God’s grace still did all that the LORD had commanded him. As the LORD saved Noah and his family through the ark, we are reminded that He has saved us by Christ through Baptism (I Peter 3:21). The wrath placed on the world has now been placed on Christ. “Lord Jesus Christ, as the Father’s wrath was placed on Your shoulders, we give You thanks for the freedom from sin and help us to live like Noah in doing Your will. In Your name, Amen”

Rev. Dr. Robert Gehrke, pastor of South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, MN joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 6. The corruption of the world was out of control. The LORD grieved the reality of His creation and planned to blot out all living creatures. Sin was, and still is, so great that every intention was only evil continually. In this darkness enters Noah who had found favor in the eyes of the LORD. By His grace, the LORD brought hope through some wood through one man to save the human race. That same grace is extended to us, as the ark saved humanity, He saved us in Christ through Baptism (I Peter 3:21). The same God who found favor with Noah, on account of Christ, He finds favor in us. By faith Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him and we ask that we may do the same. “Lord God, bring repentance into our hearts, so that we may be kept from corruption. By grace, keep us in Your favor that we may follow Your commands. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Doug Minton, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Milford, IL joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 5. In Chapter 4, we hear of how God’s people were calling on His name. God reminds us how He is faithful to all generations and gives us examples of how we can walk with Jesus. The birth of Seth already points us to Christ as his name means “Substitute.” Christ is our substitute to take the wrath of God upon Himself. We hear of Enoch who walked with God and we pray that we would walk the walk of faith. “Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow his example pure, flee the world which would deceive us and to sin our souls allure. Ever in his footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father’s bidding. Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead; I follow thee.” (Lutheran Service Book 685)

Rev. Mark Jasa, pastor of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Pasadena, CA joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 4. The story of Cain and Abel shows us the reality of this broken world: denial of faith, murder, death, curses, and covering up of sin. We see the work of humankind trying to gain their salvation by their work, like Cain’s offering, and it was the type of Christ, Abel, who was the innocent sacrifice. The blood of Abel was crying from the ground which points to the innocent shedding of blood of our Savior. Lamech’s proclaims a vengeance that is seventy-sevenfold toward those who oppose him, but Jesus proclaims that forgiveness is seventy-sevenfold to others who have wronged him. The love of God in Christ is blatantly different than the world as He loved the world and his blood cries out His forgiveness. “O Holy Spirit, by Your Word You call us righteous. Fill us with this righteousness and love so that we may find rest for our souls and a clear conscience in Christ. Lord have mercy. Amen”

Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador, Executive Assistant for Mission and Mercy for the South Wisconsin District in Milwaukee, WI  joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 3. The fall into sin can also be seen as the first stewardship crisis. As David says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…(Psalm 24:1).” Adam and Eve were given responsibility as steward of God’s creation according to His will, yet, they abandoned that vocation. The serpent, Satan himself, craftily caused questions concerning God’s Word. The denial of their steward vocation has brought sin, brokenness, and death throughout the universe. God’s plan is greater than our falling and the promise is proclaimed right away, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15).” “Lord God, You give and we receive. Help us to receive Your Word and follow You by Your help. Fill us with eternal hope in Your promise of a Savior and in the joy

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study and pray Genesis 2. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics. We hear of the “crown jewel” of God’s creation—man and woman. Although everything was perfect, it was not good for man to be alone. By God’s grace & love, He united Adam and Eve as one flesh for the good of people. As the Triune God, He brings a complementary relationship to our earth to keep us from loneliness and understanding the joy of community as His people. “Lord God, we ask that You would uplift the gift of marriage of a husband and wife as one flesh and to Your glory. As we travel through this imperfect world, keep us in Christ to know that we are united with You and will one day be back in perfection like the Garden of Eden. In His name, Amen”

Rev. David Duke, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Newfane & St. John Lutheran Church in Youngstown, NY joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 1. “In the beginning” is not only the start of a new book, but connects everything together. The Lord of all creation is connected to everything in the world, in Scripture, and our salvation in Christ. As the Lord saw His creation as good, we are brought back to the love that the Lord pours into His salvation (John 3:16). He rules over everything and has given us our identity as a blood bought, new creation, in Him. And it is good—very good! “Heavenly Father, in love You created the world, created humanity in Your image, and made us a new creation in Christ. Grant us a renewed understanding of our identities as a new creation to live under Your kingdom and serve You in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Amen”

Rev. Joshua Knippa, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran in Nederland, TX, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study the Epistle of Jude. Jude tells us the Christians of the 1st century “to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.” The Christians in those days were surrounded by ungodly people who perverted the grace of our Lord Jesus. Sound familiar? Jude exhorts us to rely on the LORD alone while keeping ourselves in the love of God. He has called us beloved ones of the Father and promises that He will keep us with Him. “Lord God, keep us from stumbling, help us to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ who leads us to eternal life. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Dr. Michael Morehouse, pastor of Catalina Lutheran Church in Tuscon, Arizona joins Rev. Brady Finnern to study 3 John. Walking in the truth of Christ leads us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to humble service in all our vocations. By God’s wisdom, John shows an example of hospitality with Gaius and Demetrius. We pray that He would lead us to be generous as our Lord is generous toward us. John does call out the lack of generosity of Diotrephes. One of the greatest challenges in the church is to call out sin, but John handles this spiritual concern in light of Matthew 18, by calling out sin and doing so face to face. “Lord God, grant us a generous heart to love others, help us to be like Gaius & Demetrius, that by Your Holy Spirit, we may walk in Your truth that our joy may be complete in You. In Christ, Amen”

Rev. Bob Hiller, pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido and San Marcos, CA joins host Rev. Brady Finnern study 2 John. In John’s 2nd letter to the elect lady, the church and her members, he rejoices for those who are walking in the truth and staying from those who deceive away from faith. We are called to abide with Christ as His love has been given for you by His physical death and resurrection which still comes to us today in His body and blood. “O LORD, keep us from those who deceive and help us to abide in Your Word. Amen”