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
320 episodes
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
Tell Us Plainly | John 10:22-30 with Dr. Chris Croghan
The Good Shepherd chapter. Jesus has been contrasting himself as the Good Shepherd with the religious leaders as the thieves and the wolves. Now, he goes directly into their house and they ask him plainly, “Are you the Messiah?” Jes...
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25:48
You Know That I Love You | John 21:1-19 with Sarah Stenson
Still reeling from the most mind bending experience in human history: the Son of God being killed and raised from the dead, the disciples are back to their daily vocations only to have Jesus appear to them a third time. In this exch...
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34:06
He Stood Among Them | John 20:19-31 with Lars Olson
Having betrayed Christ, the disciples lock themselves in a room out of fear of what their future holds. Jesus appears. Looking for revenge? No. He gives them the greatest gift: peace. Lars Olson explains that the peace Christ delive...
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29:37
They Did Not Find the Body | Luke 24:1-12 with Sarah Stenson & Lars Olson
The rolled stone. The lilies lining the sanctuary. Easter Sunday.In this Easter conversation, Sarah Stenson and Lars Olson encourage both pastors and laypeople to truly hear the shocking news in this text. Everyone anticipated finding Je...
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29:22
You Killed Jesus | John 18:1-19:42 with Dr. Chris Croghan & Lars Olson [Replay]
This episode is going to be a little different. No background music. No closing summary and calls to action. Why? Because we’re grappling with the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?” in this conversation. Dr. Chris Croghan and La...
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32:16
What Does Maundy Mean? | John 13:1-17,31b-35 with Lars Olson & Sarah Stenson [Replay]
In the first of two Holy Week bonus episodes, Lars Olson and Sarah Stenson break down what Jesus meant by giving us a new commandment to love one another in this Maundy Thursday text. Jesus demonstrates true humility by washing His ...
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34:20
They’ve Been Hearing This for Thousands of Years | Luke 19:28-40 with Dr. Chris Croghan
Palm Sunday. The Triumphal Entry. Dr. Chris Croghan explains how to preach this text ahead of Holy Week, especially when many people might hear this triumphant text, skip the cross on Good Friday, and the next thing they hear is Jesus is alive ...
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19:23
We Are All Judas | John 12:1-8 with Sarah Stenson
Mary uses a perfume worth a year’s salary to wash Jesus’ feet. Judas questions if that’s the best use of that money.Sarah Stenson teaches us in this episode that Mary’s acting out of faith. She’s not worried about the consequences of her...
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27:58
You’re My Son, Not a Slave | Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 with Lars Olson
The Parable of the Lost Sheep. The Parable of the Lost Coin. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Lars Olson reminds us parables are a depiction of what God is doing for you, not a, “choose your own adventure,” of characters you’re supp...
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37:59
I Am, You Are Not | Luke 13:1-9 with Dr. Chris Croghan
Dr. Chris Croghan and Sarah Stenson explain that this text is difficult to preach because people ask theodicy questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? What can I do to avoid God’s wrath? You’ve heard us discuss how God’s ...
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32:16
The Tension Between God’s Will and Yours | Luke 13:31-35 with Dr. Chris Croghan
This Lent text opens with some Pharisees warning Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”Kiri and I ask Dr. Chris Croghan what are the religious leaders’ motivation in warning him about a political threat?The key ...
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27:06
What Does It Mean to Defeat the Devil? | Luke 4:1-13 with Sarah Stenson
Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. That’s a line you hear fairly often on this podcast. But what does it actually mean that Jesus defeated the devil?What is the devil? Who is the devil? What should we think of when we talk about t...
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32:49
The Struggle to Overcome Sin | Luke 9:28-36 with Lars Olson
Jesus is Transfigured before Peter, John, and James. Moses and Elijah are on the mountaintop. God says to listen to his Son. Why is the Transfiguration significant? Why are Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop with Jesus? Why does Go...
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33:20
You Can’t Measure Mercy | Luke 6:27-38 with Lars Olson & Dr. Chris Croghan
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”“If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.”And the Big One itself, the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”When I read these lines,...
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27:30
The Blessings & the Woes | Luke 6:17-26 with Dr. Chris Croghan
What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?Why does Jesus heal diseases when he could do anything from creating a zebra, to causing the audience to grow six inches, to giving everyone a million dollars?What does it m...
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32:15
The Nets Begin to Break | Luke 5:1-11 with Sarah Stenson
Despite not being a commercial fisherman, Jesus tells Simon Peter to let down his nets despite Simon Peter having fished all night and caught nothing. Sarah Stenson joins the podcast to explain how God’s creative power is in full di...
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21:14
Hold On, I’m Not Quite Done with My Sermon | Luke 4:14-21 with Lars Olson
All who heard Jesus’ first sermon spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words…until they tried to hurl him off of a cliff!Lars Olson joins the podcast to explain that what Jesus was doing with Isaiah is what preachers do with...
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24:15
From Praise to Condemnation | Luke 4:14-21 with Dr. Chris Croghan & Sarah Stenson
After Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit drives him out into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days, Jesus returns to his hometown filled with the power of the Spirit. Dr. Chris Croghan and Sarah Stenson teach us what it means ...
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28:04