Two big topics for this episode of Cross Defense: Have you heard the quote from Martin Luther that the Bible is the manger that brings us Jesus? Does that mean the Bible is imperfect, in the way a manger is imperfect? How does this play into Gospel Reductionism? What’s the context of the Nunc Dimittis, or the Song of Simeon? What does it have to do with Christmas? What does it teach us about preparing to die? Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran...
Feb 03, 2020•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller for the entire episode to continue their discussion on suffering and affliction. How does suffering attack us? Pastor Flamme and Pastor Wolfmueller dig into the seven theses of divine justice from Elihu in the book of Job. They are: 1. God is not the cause of evil. Job 34:10 2. God deals, not capriciously, but justly with men and all creation. Job 34:11 3. If God punished according to justice, all life would end. Job 34:14-15 4. God knows all of...
Jan 27, 2020•18 hr
In today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about the life and martyrdom of St. Agatha (one of Martin Luther’s favorite saints) and why this matters for us, answers a listener question about the image of God, and talks about what it means to see the world through spiritual eyes. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the ima...
Jan 22, 2020•18 hr
What is Martin Luther’s understanding of looking at the world through Spiritual Eyes? Where do we find the Trinity in baptism? What does the Holy Spirit give us in baptism? Hear about these things and the Baptism of Jesus on this episode of Cross Defense. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and...
Jan 13, 2020•18 hr
Blessed Feast of the Epiphany! Walk through the incredible story of the revealing of the Christ Child to the Wise Men. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel. Tweet your questions to @bwolfmueller, or send questions and fi...
Jan 08, 2020•18 hr
Step into the Christmas story in Luke 2 and hear about the fear of angels, the town of Bethlehem, how Jesus was born among sacrificial slaughters, connection to Hebrews 10, and how this is all for you. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in ...
Dec 24, 2019•18 hr
What is the background of Isaiah 7:14-16, the foretelling of the virgin birth, and how do these verses relate to Jesus? How do we receive forgiveness in Confession & Absolution? What is the promise of the armor of God in the midst of spiritual warfare? Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, an...
Dec 16, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller tackles three questions on this episode: How is Advent a penitential season? What does it mean to pray for the Holy Spirit? (Do Lutherans even talk about the Holy Spirit?) Why do we make a big deal about the Incarnation? How does Hebrews 10, Pastor’s favorite Christmas text, fit into this? Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about c...
Dec 09, 2019•18 hr
This episode tackles two big questions: What does the bible teach about Angels? How can we possibly be Lutheran, because didn’t Luther teach that Jesus was an adulterer? Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel. Tweet your q...
Dec 03, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller for the entire episode to continue their discussion on suffering and affliction. How does suffering attack us? Pastor Flamme and Pastor Wolfmueller dig into the seven theses of divine justice from Elihu in the book of Job. They are: 1. God is not the cause of evil. Job 34:10 2. God deals, not capriciously, but justly with men and all creation. Job 34:11 3. If God punished according to justice, all life would end. Job 34:14-15 4. God knows all of...
Nov 25, 2019•18 hr
Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller reflects on martyrs, lepers, thankfulness, and baptism with a little bit of meaningful wandering. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel. Tweet your questions to @bwolfmueller, or send questions and ...
Nov 20, 2019•18 hr
Can soldiers be saved? Can Christians be soldiers? Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about war, soldiers, and the two kingdoms in the realm of Martin Luther's "Whether Soldiers, Too, Can Be Saved." Find a downloadable copy of Luther's writing at wolfmueller.co/whether-soldiers-can-saved. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imag...
Nov 11, 2019•18 hr
Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about death and what it means to be a saint. Then, he presents what the Bible says about blood and sacrifice and why those things are important. Finally, hear about the perfection awaiting the faithfully departed. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the ...
Nov 04, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller to talk about everything you need to know and be in order to be ready for the apologetics task. They discuss how you have everything you need if you have the 10 Commandments and the Creed, and they also talk about the spiritual aspects of the apologetic argument. Guest Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, New Mexico, joins host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church ...
Oct 28, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller to talk about creation and evolution, especially that evolution is an ancient idea, whether it can be compatible with Christianity, the results of evolution, and how the Bible offers something truer and better. Guest Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, New Mexico, joins host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American...
Oct 21, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller to continue their discussion about objections to Christianity. In this episode Pastor Flamme and Pastor Wolfmueller talk about the question or assertion that God and religion are the source of evil in this world. Guest Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, New Mexico, joins host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has Americ...
Oct 14, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller for the entire episode to continue their discussion on apologetics. In today’s episode they dig into theories of truth. Guest Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, New Mexico, joins host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, to talk about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mi...
Oct 08, 2019•18 hr
In the first part of today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about Isaiah 55 and how *efficacious and creative God’s word is, and how even though it feels like we have a million off-ramps from the Christian faith, we only have three enemies: the devil, the world, and the flesh. Then, Rev. Brian Flamme joins in to talk about the Word and the devil, how the very thing the devil attacks is the thing that destroys him. He then goes on to talk about apologetics, the natural knowledge of God ver...
Sep 30, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller for the entire episode to continue their discussion on suffering and affliction. How does suffering attack us? Pastor Flamme and Pastor Wolfmueller dig into the seven theses of divine justice from Elihu in the book of Job. They are: God is not the cause of evil. Job 34:10 God deals, not capriciously, but justly with men and all creation. Job 34:11 If God punished according to justice, all life would end. Job 34:14-15 God knows all of men’s actio...
Sep 23, 2019•18 hr
Pastor Brian Flamme joins Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller for the entire episode to continue their discussion on common objections to the Christian faith. This episode focuses on the problem of evil in the world, how we face it as Christians, and how we think about it as Christians with the trouble in our own lives. Pastor Flamme presents three ways to break down the problem of evil: Logical problem Evidential problem Problem of God's hiddenness Guest Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Chur...
Sep 17, 2019•18 hr
n today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller answers questions about Confession and Absolution. The Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM joins the conversation to address the topic of religious plurality in light of religious thinkers of the Enlightenment. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the im...
Sep 10, 2019•18 hr
In the first part of today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about atheism and evolution, including the gaps in evolutionary theory: nothing to something death to life one cell to two cells asexual to sexual reproduction unconsciousness to consciousness Then, Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer joins in to talk about transhumanism, which is the theory that technology is the path to human salvation. He talks about the implications of this theory on our theology, the Christian framework (creation, incarn...
Sep 03, 2019•18 hr
For this episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about the faith of the martyrs, including answering crowd-sourced questions about his new book “A Martyr’s Faith for a Faithless World.” Find it on Pastor Wolfmueller’s website, wolfmueller.co/a-martyrs-faith-for-a-faithless-world-2 and books.cph.org/martyrs-faith. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curi...
Aug 26, 2019•18 hr
In the first part of today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about the Seven Rules of the Cross and what suffering means for us in this life. Read about it on Pastor Wolfmueller’s site wolfmueller.co/the-seven-rules-of-the-cross. 1. The Cross is Planned 2. It is the Lord’s Will 3. It is a Schoolhouse 4. A Sign of Love 5. The Greater the Distress the Closer God 6. It is for Good 7. It is Never Too Severe Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran...
Aug 19, 2019•18 hr
In the first part of today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about Isaiah 55 and how *efficacious and creative God’s word is, and how even though it feels like we have a million off-ramps from the Christian faith, we only have three enemies: the devil, the world, and the flesh. Then, Rev. Brian Flamme joins in to talk about the Word and the devil, how the very thing the devil attacks is the thing that destroys him. He then goes on to talk about apologetics, the natural knowledge of God ver...
Aug 12, 2019•18 hr
In today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about the life and martyrdom of St. Agatha (one of Martin Luther’s favorite saints) and why this matters for us, answers a listener question about the image of God, and talks about what it means to see the world through spiritual eyes. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the ima...
Aug 05, 2019•18 hr
Do you have a question you’d like Pastor Wolfmueller to answer? Were you aware you can contact him at wolfmueller.co with your questions? Did you know today’s episode is all about your questions? What are the 5 rules for understanding Revelation? What did the prophets know about what they were prophesying? How is the armor of God to be understood rightly? How can it be misunderstood? Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, ...
Jul 29, 2019•18 hr
In the first part of today’s episode, Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about the fear of the Lord, whether it’s holy awe and respect, how fear shapes your life, and how the fear of God sets you free. Rev. Geoffrey Boyle joins in to talk about Christ in the Old Testament, how the Old Testament is more than a warm up to the New Testament, how the entire Bible centers on the cross of Christ, and how Christians can read the Old Testament. Guest Rev. Geoffrey Boyle, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and Tr...
Jul 22, 2019•18 hr
Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about how the devil attacks hope, how the Lord promises us, and how our hope is based on His promises. Find more show notes at wolfmueller.co/hope. Host Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of the world in the Law and Gospel. Tweet...
Jul 17, 2019•18 hr
It’s the Psalm 110 show! Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller talks about Psalm 110, how to read the Psalms, riddles that Psalm 110 answers, and why Psalm 110 and the ascension of Jesus matter for thinking, praying, and lives today. Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and author of the book Has American Christianity Failed?, talks about curious topics to excite the imagination, equip the mind, and comfort the soul with God’s ordering of t...
Jul 14, 2019•18 hr
