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 experiences count as the possessions Jesus is warning about? Should you or should you not invest your money? What does it mean to be rich toward God? CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTION In Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come tog...
Jul 28, 2025•22 min
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 pray. Jesus gives you the words. The Holy Spirit keeps you in faith. The Father gives you His name and His mercy in your baptism. Now God has you where He wants you: you’re sending your prayer to the right address. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTION In Care of Souls, a special mini-s...
Jul 21, 2025•32 min
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. Martha thinks she’s loving the Lord by doing her tasks, yet Mary is captured by Jesus’ words. Can you earn, deserve, or request God’s favor by doing your tasks? Your freedom doesn’t come when your tasks are finished. Your freedom comes when Jesus takes away your...
Jul 14, 2025•25 min
"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. Sarah Stenson and Lars Olson teach us how by asking the very question reveals where the lawyer’s heart and your heart truly are. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTION In Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come toge...
Jul 07, 2025•27 min
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?” He shows us what’s necessary to have a harvest in the first place: seeds that were planted earlier, and teaches us how the Holy Spirit is both doing the planting of Jesus’ word and the harvesting of faith. He reveals it’s not our work to cause our church’s flourishing....
Jun 30, 2025•31 min
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 tournament this Sunday. I can’t afford to give to the church this month. I can’t bring up religion to my family, I wouldn’t know what to say. We all say we follow Jesus, but we have a lot of “buts.” Sarah Stenson is here to teach us that this text is holding the mirror up to our ...
Jun 23, 2025•28 min
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 Jesus for permission to enter the pigs? Why does Jesus grant the demons’ request? And why are the people so afraid of Jesus? Lars teaches us that God wants us to fear Him above all else. Why? Because what we fear has all of our attention. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTION In Care of Souls, a s...
Jun 16, 2025•26 min
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 Spirit? They teach us that it’s not about what they are or how they’re related to one another, it’s about what they’re doing for you. The Father created you. The Son died for you. The Spirit convicts you of your sin and delivers the Gospel promise to you. When Jesus sa...
Jun 09, 2025•24 min
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 reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel." This is the Holy Spirit’s work, to deliver the Gospel to you. The Holy Spirit comes to convict you of your sin. The conviction comes when you say, “Your s...
Jun 02, 2025•26 min
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 the minds of his disciples to understand the scriptures. This very moment is crucial for the Christian faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, we talk about what it means that Jesus was carried up into heaven. Many assume Jesus is apart from us in heaven, but Sa...
May 26, 2025•30 min
“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 this text: when you have God’s Word, you have God’s love. How do we know God’s love? Through his word. Through his Son. Sin gets named. Sin gets forgiven. And Jesus won’t stop even though you do your best to get rid of him. You betray him. Deny him. Kill him. But he co...
May 19, 2025•36 min
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 as Judas left the Last Supper to betray him. That is what God’s glory is: Jesus’ betrayal, death, and, ultimately, resurrection. Then we shift to discuss Jesus giving us a new commandment: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” They teach us th...
May 12, 2025•32 min
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 situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders. Acros...
May 11, 2025•30 min
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?” Jesus responds, “I have told you, but you don’t believe,” which spurs a good conversation with Dr. Chris Croghan about how faith comes from hearing and how the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin. Then we discuss what it means to be one of Jesus’ sheep. Without the shep...
May 05, 2025•26 min
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 exchange, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Sarah Stenson teaches us the depth of Jesus and Peter’s back and forth, including the brutal honesty and vulnerability of being confronted by your Savior who knows the depth of your betrayal. Jesus’ call to follow hi...
Apr 28, 2025•34 min
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 delivers is having no fear, worry, or anxiety about what is to come in the future. It is knowing that your past no longer determines what comes next for you. Jesus gives his authority to forgive sin. To deliver peace. See how that plays out with Thomas, and us today. EASTER...
Apr 21, 2025•30 min
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 Jesus’ dead body. It was not in the tomb. All signs point to the incredible, monumental proclamation: He is Risen, He is Risen indeed! EASTER SEASON GUIDE “Easter is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning. Not the conclusion to a tragic season, but the break...
Apr 14, 2025•29 min
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 Lars Olson do an incredible job calling out how everyone involved in Christ’s final moments sinned against Him. From the betrayal to the power dynamics to the self-preservation, every single person called for Jesus to be crucified. Why did Jesus have to die? Because eve...
Apr 11, 2025•32 min
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 disciples’ feet. He also commands us to love one another. Many will read this as a command in the Law, as an expectation of what they’re supposed to do. But what Jesus is depicting is what makes someone a disciple. A disciple is someone who betrays Christ. He’s not de...
Apr 10, 2025•34 min
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 on Easter Sunday. Jesus had been predicting his death and resurrection but no one believed him, now, he’s going to show that what he says, happens. The Jews had heard Zachariah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah for thousands of years. Now, it’s happening ri...
Apr 07, 2025•19 min
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 actions or what people will think of her. Judas, on the other hand, is acting under the devil’s influence. The law is his identity. In an otherwise straightforward Law and Gospel text, Jesus adds a seemingly controversial line, “You always have the poor with yo...
Mar 31, 2025•28 min
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 supposed to model your behavior after. When you hear the Parable of the Prodigal Son, listen for when the word of mercy hits both brothers. That is repentance. That is the season of Lent. The first son, after squandering everything, tries to explain to his father, but his...
Mar 24, 2025•38 min
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 mercy is unfair, but, in today’s conversation, we talk about how God’s wrath is unfair as well. Lastly, Jesus says unless you repeat, you will all perish. We ask, “Is repenting something we can do?” Spoiler: God is the one acting on you. HOLY WEEK GUIDE “The cross sta...
Mar 17, 2025•32 min
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 is in Jesus’ response: we think it’s our action that makes us right with God, but it’s not. It’s God’s action. God doesn’t desire sacrifice, he desires your heart. We want to avoid the consequence of our sin; God wants to deliver his forgiveness and mercy. HOLY WEEK G...
Mar 10, 2025•27 min
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 the devil? These are the questions we ask Sarah Stenson as we discuss Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness for 40 days. Sarah explains the devil’s only tool is doubt. His only tool is unbelief. Unbelief is sin. The consequence of sin is death. But d...
Mar 03, 2025•33 min
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 God have to say to the disciples, and to you, to listen to Jesus? Many view Lent as a time to overcome sin. As Lars Olson teaches us, that’s right, in a way, but it’s not OUR struggle to overcome sin, it’s Christ’s. Both in this text and during Lent, people expect Jesus...
Feb 24, 2025•33 min
“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, did your mind gravitate to, “This is how to be a ‘Good Person?” If so, you’re not alone. Lars Olson and Dr. Chris Croghan points us to the key to this text, and the lens with which we need to view everything Jesus says in this text, “Be merciful, just as your Father is mer...
Feb 17, 2025•28 min
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 mean to receive the kingdom of God? These are the questions we ask Dr. Chris Croghan as we break down the blessings and the woes in this week’s lectionary text on the Beatitudes. Dr. Croghan emphasizes how we are favored by God because he has given us his Word. This is...
Feb 10, 2025•32 min
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 display in this text as well as Simon Peter’s responses to Jesus: first, a confession of faith. Second, a plea for Jesus to get away from him. Lastly, Sarah teaches us what it means to truly be a “fisher of men.” CONFIRMATION Does your church have a confirmation class? ...
Feb 03, 2025•21 min
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 his words today: they take Jesus’ words and say they are for you, right now. This flies in the face of what the hearers expect: they think the law is for their righteousness and justification. But God isn’t waiting for us to get our act together. Jesus is seeki...
Jan 27, 2025•24 min
