Burden & Blessing

In this week’s CPR episode, Pastors Mark Tiefel and Neal Radichel discuss a topic that has been on the hearts and minds of many in our nation – the topic of school shootings and violence. With yet another school shooting recently, this has become a hot topic in the political sphere with comments mostly focusing on the issue of gun rights and whether or not there should be stricter gun control. Sadly, what is almost completely overlooked in this discussion are the spiritual issues that are at the heart of this topic. Our discussion will focus on how the spiritual decline of our nation is really at the center of the violence we see. We also will discuss how we, as Christians, can respond to these issues with the Word of God. We pray that our discussion will be beneficial as we wrestle with this important issue.

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes us through a study of Jesus’ Humiliation and Exaltation. These two words really encompass the life of Jesus from His conception through His resurrection and ascension, and they look forward to that day when Jesus will come again. Philippians 2:5-11 gives a really nice summary of what Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation are all about: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” In our study, we will consider other Scripture passages that describe what Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation are all about, and we will talk about the comfort we find in all that Jesus has done for us. May the Lord bless our study!

In our Word of the Week today Pastor Nathanael Mayhew defines and describes the word “Covenant” and shows how it is THE theme of Scripture. The word Covenant is used often throughout the Old and New Testaments. It means an agreement usually between two parties that is not to be broken. It describes human agreements like those between individuals or nations, but most often is used to describe the relationship between God and human beings. God makes a covenant with Abram and later the people of Israel. These were two-sided agreements in which God promised something and Abram and the people of Israel promised something. God was faithful, but human beings were not. Israel constantly broke the covenant they had made and worshipped false gods. So God also made a one-sided covenant – a promise which did not depend on human beings. He promised to send a Savior who would deliver sinners from death and the Devil through faith. This unbreakable promise of God to sinners was fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the Mediator of the new covenant which He secured with His death on Calvary. Through His blood we have redemption! Thanks be to God for His unbreakable Covenant in Christ!

In today’s CPR episode, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew, Mark Tiefel, Neal Radichel, and Rob Sauers join together for a roundtable discussion on the impact of social media on the divine call. This is a follow-up to our recent podcast where we asked whether or not podcasting hurts preaching. Here, we are asking whether or not podcasting and other forms of social media that we may use to proclaim God’s Word interfere with a pastor’s divine call to his congregation. We will discuss some of the concerns of those who believe that social media does interfere with a pastor’s call and talk about the importance of communication between fellow pastors and the members we serve to address some of these concerns. We will also discuss some of the ways in which social media can be beneficial to both pastors and the members we serve. We pray that the Lord will bless our study!

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes us through a study of the three omnis that we commonly use to describe certain attributes of God. Those words are omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Our study will consider just a few of the many Scripture passages that establish the fact that our God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present. We will also consider why these attributes of God might terrify us as well as why they are a comfort to us.

In today’s podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Rob Sauers review the Lenten hymn, “Christ, the Life of All the Living.” This is one of the more familiar of the Lenten hymns, and it appears in hymnals across denominations. This hymn really focuses not only on what Christ did through His life and death but what that means for us. As we study through the seven stanzas that make up this hymn, we will focus on what Christ suffered and what benefits we receive as a result. We pray that this review will help to prepare your hearts and minds for another Lenten journey.

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of the word “transfiguration.” Most of our churches celebrate this event in Jesus’ ministry each year on the last Sunday before the beginning of the Lenten season. The significance of this event is often forgotten about among us, but as we’ll see in this study, the transfiguration was a pivotal event in Jesus’ ministry. This event demonstrates in a dramatic way who Jesus is, and it also had a lasting effect on the disciples. We pray that this study will help you better to understand and appreciate the significance of this very important event in the Jesus’ ministry.

In today’s podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Neal Radichel discuss the topic of the Divine Call. In one sense, all Christians have a divine call from the Lord as described in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” But typically when we talk about the Divine Call, we are talking about a call to the Public Ministry – when a congregation or a church body calls a pastor or teacher to serve them. In many denominations, the calling of a pastor or teacher is very similar to the process of applying for any other job. In the Lutheran church, we take a much different approach when it comes to issuing a call. Our discussion will define the Divine Call, discuss how we typically go about issuing a call, and how a pastor or teacher go about deciding what to do when they receive a call. We pray that this study will be informative and beneficial to you!

In today’s podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew, Mark Tiefel, Neal Radichel, and Rob Sauers all gather together for a roundtable discussion on podcasting. Our discussion is in response to a recent article published in Christianity Today entitled “How Podcasting Hurts Preaching” which you can read by clicking here. As the title of the article suggests, the author argues that podcasting takes away from the value of the Sunday sermon, even causing some not to see the value in going to church at all. In our discussion, we will highlight the importance of gathering together for worship regularly while also pointing out how podcasts like ours and sermons you may listen to online can be beneficial to you in your daily Christian walk.

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes up a study of the word conception. This week marks the 45th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed women to abort their unborn children in our country. Related to this decision is the debate as to when human life begins. Does it begin at conception or sometime later? We, of course, have laws in our country against taking another person’s life. But isn’t that what we’re doing in an abortion? To try to relieve this tension, those who support abortion say that human life does not begin at conception, but rather, either when the fetus could survive outside of the womb or when the child is born.
Does God’s Word have anything to say about this? It most certainly does! Our study will look at those key Scripture passages that deal with this topic, and we will see that God’s Word clearly indicates that life begins at conception.