Scripture First
Three millennials sit down with Lutheran theologians to understand how Scripture is working in our lives. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, sin, faith, forgiveness, Luther, and more are on the table as Mason Van Essen, Kiri Haugen, and Adam Guthmiller discuss each week's upcoming lectionary Bible passage with Luther House of Study's theologians to hear the context in and around Scripture before it's preached in church.
Episodes
338 episodes
I Thought I Was Already Free… | John 8:31-36 with Lars Olson & Dr. Chris Croghan
Reformation Sunday. Jesus says the truth will set you free, but most people will hear this and try to turn it into a to-do list to earn their freedom. Lars Olson and Dr. Chris Croghan flipped this text by saying the truth is the tru...
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22:29
God, Your Avenger | Luke 18:1-8 with Sarah Stenson
Jesus tells his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. We ask Sarah Stenson: Is it possible to pray without ceasing? Can you decide not to lose heart? ...
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29:02
You Can’t, You Won’t, You Don’t | Luke 17:11-19 with Dr. Chris Croghan
Ten lepers approach Jesus, calling out to him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Dr. Chris Croghan explains how one of them, a Samaritan, is a Lutheran: He hears a word from Jesus and believes it. He ...
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26:21
I Am Doing What Was Given to Me | Luke 17:5-10 with Lars Olson
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Lars Olson teaches us how many Christians today view faith the same way the apostles did: as a power that you can increase. But Jesus’ response, “If you had faith the ...
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21:05
Stuck in Death? | Luke 16:19-31 with Sarah Stenson & Dr. Chris Croghan
Covered with sores, a poor man named Lazarus lay at the gate of a rich man who dressed in fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day. The roles are reversed in death with Lazarus on one side of the chasm with Abraham and the rich ...
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24:54
Dishonest Wealth | Luke 16:1-13 with Sarah Stenson
The Parable of the Dishonest Manager.You will hear Kiri and my confusion: a rich man is considering firing his manager only for the manager to go to those he was working with to slash the amount owed to the rich man. He’s commended for t...
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30:31
Why Do You Grumble? | Luke 14:25-33 with Lars Olson
The sinners flock to listen to Jesus. Why do the Pharisees grumble about this? Dr. Chris Croghan teaches us that what they hold important is the law, and it isn’t working the way they want it to work. You grumble because you’re not ...
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18:49
Hate My Family? | Luke 14:25-33 with Lars Olson
Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Kiri and I discuss with Lars Olson, if hating your own life is somethi...
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22:58
The Law Creates Conundrums | Luke 14:1, 7-14 with Lars Olson & Dr. Chris Croghan
Jesus is at the Pharisees house where he tells them a parable about the seats of honor at a wedding banquet. Lars Olson and Dr. Chris Croghan teaches us how nearly everyone will hear Jesus’ words as the law in order to avoid being i...
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24:19
The Sickness and the Sinner | Luke 13:10-17 with Sarah Stenson
Jesus heals a woman on the sabbath who had been suffering for 18 years.The leader of the synagogue ignores her praising God and rebukes Jesus for breaking the law by healing on the sabbath. Sarah Stenson teaches us how Jesus ...
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26:31
Division | Luke 12:49-56 with Dr. Chris Croghan
The scribes and Pharisees think they’re going to make the world a better place through the law.Jesus tells them, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” What is the di...
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21:29
What Do You Treasure in Your Heart? | Luke 12:32-40 with Lars Olson
Jesus says to sell your possessions. Keep your treasure where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Kiri and Mason hear this as something we need to do in order to recei...
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23:21
Are Possessions Bad? | Luke 12:13-21 with Dr. Chris Croghan
Inheritance. Budgeting. Investing. Someone asks Jesus to tell their brother to divide the family inheritance with them, and Jesus says to be on guard against all kinds of greed. We ask Dr. Chris Croghan:Do ex...
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22:13
What Happens When You Say the Lord’s Prayer | Luke 11:1-13 with Sarah Stenson
Just like the disciples, we ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.”And Jesus does just that in this text. As Sarah Stenson teaches us, the first half of this text is both how we pray and what we pray. The second half is why we p...
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31:38
Tell Her to Help Me | Luke 10:38-42 with Lars Olson
We hear this familiar Mary and Martha text as a prescription to welcome others because we want to hear it as a prescription. We want credit for our work!But Lars Olson teaches us, hospitality is not the Gospel. It doesn’t give you life.&...
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25:26
No One Sees Themselves as the Robber | Luke 10:25-37 with Sarah Stenson & Lars Olson
"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" A lawyer brings this question to Jesus and Jesus draws out the answer as it’s written in the law: Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and your neighbor as yourself. ...
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27:08
It’s Not About Church Attendance | Luke 10:1-11,16-20 with Dr. Chris Croghan
Jesus sends 70 disciples ahead of him saying, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” We ask Dr. Chris Croghan, “Why are the laborers few?”&n...
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31:12
We Are All “Yes, Buts” | Luke 9:51-62 with Sarah Stenson
Jesus says, “follow me,” and we, just like the people in this text, respond with, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But. Let me go and bury my father. Let me first say farewell to those at my home. My kid has another ...
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28:03
Pigs & the Abyss | Luke 8:26-39 with Lars Olson
Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man who was exiled from society. Now the townspeople are no longer afraid of the formerly possessed man, they’re terrified of Jesus. We ask Lars Olson: Why do the demons ask J...
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25:56
You Cannot Divide Them | John 16:12-15 with Dr. Chris Croghan & Lars Olson
It’s Trinity Sunday, and Jesus is saying you cannot separate him from the Father or the Spirit. We ask Dr. Chris Croghan and Lars Olson, “Why do so many preachers try to do that very thing and divide God into Father, Son, and Holy S...
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23:56
Tongues of Fire | Acts 2:1-21 with Dr. Chris Croghan
What is Pentecost? When did this happen in relation to the crucifixion and resurrection? What is the significance of the tongues of fire? Dr. Croghan turns to Martin Luther’s Small Catechism: "I believe that I cannot by my own reaso...
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25:41
He Opened Their Minds | Luke 24:44-53 with Sarah Stenson
Ascension Day: the end of Jesus’ ministry on Earth where Jesus no longer is with us in the flesh, but, as you’ll hear Sarah Stenson teach, he is very much still active in creation. We discuss what it means for Jesus to have opened t...
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30:04
Love Is Not a Feeling | John 14:23-29 with Lars Olson
“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them.” Jesus gives us a command: keep my word. It can easily be read as an if / then statement: if you keep my word, then the Father will love you. But Lars Olson flips t...
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36:05
Accusation, Not Affirmation | John 13:31-35 with Dr. Chris Croghan & Sarah Stenson
What does it mean for Jesus to be glorified? This week’s lectionary text opens with, “When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified.” You’ll hear Dr. Chris Croghan and Sarah Stenson explain Jesus said this...
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31:31
Care of Souls: Addiction - Identifying an Addict [1/5]
In Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life’s challenging ...
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30:01