Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of worship for the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and chaplain for the International Center, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 10:5-10. The text for this section of the sermon that is the letter of Hebrews is Psalm 40. The author of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, teaches us to understand this section as a conversation between Jesus and the Father. Jesus speaks in obedience to His Father’s will, acknowledging that the purpose of His in...
Dec 17, 2021•56 min
Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 16:25-27. St. Paul concludes his epistle to the Romans with a glorious doxology of praise to God. He ties together his themes from the entire epistle, centering them all in the Gospel. He glorifies God as the One who strengthens the people He has called to Himself by the Gospel, the good news of what He has done in Christ that is preached...
Dec 16, 2021•55 min
Rev. Shawn Linnell, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blair, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 1:1-7. As St. Paul begins his epistle to the Romans, he defines his calling and theirs. St. Paul has been called as a slave and apostle of Christ Jesus; the Lord is his master who has sent him to proclaim the Gospel. The Romans have been called to belong to Jesus Christ as saints who have been declared holy by what He has done for them. St. Paul has God’s authority to write, and the ...
Dec 15, 2021•55 min
Rev. Dr. Jeff Dukeman, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Gulfport, MS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Corinthians 4:1-5. The city of Corinth was well-known for its problems, and the same could be said for the church in Corinth. Yet St. Paul writes to them as Christians. As he addresses their divisions over which teacher they follow, he clearly elevates Christ as primary. He and Apollos are servants of the one Lord, Christ; they are stewards of what He has given them. He names th...
Dec 14, 2021•55 min
Rev. Dr. Rick Marrs, professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Philippians 4:4-7. St. Paul’s joy comes through loud and clear even from prison as he draws his epistle to the Philippians to a close. The joy of the Christian is more than inward happiness that fades with sadness. The joy of the Christian comes from the outside and is found in the Lord, so that even during times of suffering, grief, and complaint, Christian joy rem...
Dec 13, 2021•55 min
Rev. Sam Wirgau, pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Churches in Ossian, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24. St. Paul concludes his first epistle to the Christians in Thessalonica with short yet powerful imperatives. Christians rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances because God is accomplishing His will for them in Christ Jesus. The Spirit is at work among them through the Word, which they must not despise. Rather, they hold fast to th...
Dec 10, 2021•57 min
Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Churches in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study James 5:7-11. St. James begins and ends his epistle emphasizing patience. The Christian is to be patient for the Lord’s coming as the farmer is patient for the harvest. Just as the harvest will surely come, so will the Lord surely come. In fact, His coming is at hand even now. For this reason, Christians ought not grumble against each other, for the Judge over all is nearby. Instead, Chri...
Dec 09, 2021•57 min
Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Churches in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Philippians 1:2-11. Although St. Paul wrote this epistle from prison, he overflows with joy. He begins with the grace and peace that are given by God to the Christians in Philippi. His thanksgiving overflows in all things for this congregation that has partnered with him in the gospel. He knows that God will begin to completion the good work He began in them as they wait for Jesus Christ...
Dec 08, 2021•52 min
Rev. David Boisclair, pastor at Bethesda and Faith Lutheran Churches in north St. Louis County, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Peter 3:8-14. In the face of those who doubted Christ’s return because of His apparent delay, St. Peter confidently declares that the Lord is not bound by our conception of time. We should not count the days until Christ’s return as His slowness, but rather recognize His desire to bring more sinners to repentance. The salvation of all in Christ Jesus is His...
Dec 07, 2021•54 min
Rev. Tim Koch, pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 15:4-13. God has provided Scripture for our instruction. Through His written Word, He gives the endurance, encouragement, and hope that can come only from Him. This unites the strong and the weak, the Jew and the Gentile, to live together in Christ. St. Paul establishes this truth from the Scripture given for our encouragement. He cites four different authors who show that God has kept ...
Dec 06, 2021•55 min
Rev. Tim Eden, pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bryan, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13. St. Paul’s time in Thessalonica had been cut abruptly short due to persecution, leading to his concern for the faith of the fledgling congregation. That’s why his thanksgiving and joy overflow upon the good report he receives from Timothy. St. Paul’s prayers had been answered; the congregation had remained faithful. Now he continues to pray for an opportunity to be with th...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 24 min
Rev. Philip Hoppe, pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Finlayson, MN and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bruno, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. St. Paul sets the tone for his first letter to the Christian church at Corinth by centering them in the Lord Jesus Christ. He blesses them with the grace and peace that come from God alone. Although this congregation has its problems, St. Paul gives thanks for all that the grace of God has accomplished there. By the preaching...
Dec 02, 2021•57 min
Rev. James Yonkers, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Danville, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 13:8-14. The season of Advent is a time of waiting, repentance, and faith. As we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ at Christmas, we also prepare to receive Him when He comes again in glory on the Last Day. St. Paul encourages us to do precisely that in the text from Romans 13. Having already expounded at length that sinners are saved by God’s grace alone, St. Paul i...
Dec 01, 2021•55 min
“Advent with the Apostles” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Epistle readings for the season of Advent. This holy season of repentance and joy focuses on the coming of Christ. As the apostles write to us concerning Christian doctrine and life in light of what Christ has done in His first coming in the flesh, they strengthen us to live and wait in hope for His second coming in glory on the Last Day. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scriptu...
Dec 01, 2021•2 min
Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor at Holy Cross and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Lidgerwood, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 48:1-35. Ezekiel’s vision comes to a grand conclusion. He hears the division of the land according to the tribes. Unlike the division of the land under Joshua, the LORD here divides the land equally, a picture of the equal share of grace God gives to all His people. The LORD also reunites His divided people as He brings them back together to dwell safely in...
Nov 30, 2021•56 min
Rev. Jason M. Kaspar, pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in La Grange, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 47:1-23. Ezekiel sees a river flow from the new temple. Although no tributaries join this river, it grows from a trickle into the mightiest of rivers. Because it flows from the presence of God, this river provides life all around. The saltiness of the Dead Sea is made fresh. Multitudes of fish find a home there. All kinds of trees bear all kinds of fruit for food, and thei...
Nov 29, 2021•56 min
Rev. Sam Wirgau, pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ossian, IN joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 17:11-19. Samaria was not a place where many Jews of Jesus’ day ventured, but that is exactly the route Jesus took to Jerusalem and His cross. There Jesus encountered ten lepers. These men not only suffered greatly physically from this terrible illness. Even more than that, they were separated from their community and worship life through the ceremonial uncleanness they endured. This se...
Nov 26, 2021•53 min
Rev. John Bussman, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, AL joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Philippians 4:6-20. The church at Philippi had seen the Apostle Paul go through highs and lows during his ministry. As he writes his letter to them from prison, he proclaims to them the joy that remains theirs in Christ regardless of their circumstances. Because the LORD’s return is near, Christians live differently in the world. We are freed from anxiousness and worry through the comfor...
Nov 25, 2021•53 min
Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 46:1-24. Ezekiel continues to see the worship life of the new temple. The prince bears an important responsibility in the regular services of the temple; he represents the people before the LORD. In this way, the prince prefigures the work of Jesus Christ, who is a mediator for us before the throne of God. The differences between Ezekiel’s vision and the regulations of the Torah ar...
Nov 24, 2021•55 min
Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 45:1-25. Ezekiel begins to see how the land will be divided and set apart. The LORD has an inheritance among His people in order that He might dwell among them and His holiness be accessed to His people’s blessing. The priests’ land is closest to the LORD; this foreshadows the way that God makes His Christians co-heirs with Christ. Ezekiel continues to see the role of the prince...
Nov 23, 2021•54 min
Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 44:1-31. For the first time in his vision of the new temple, Ezekiel hears of the role of the prince. He is granted special access to sit and eat before the LORD. Even though the prince has a royal title, his main responsibilities revolve around the worship of God’s people. His duties point forward to Jesus, in whom the offices of King and Priest are combined and fulfilled. Ezeki...
Nov 22, 2021•55 min
Rev. Ned Moerbe, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blackwell, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 43:1-27. Ezekiel reaches a key moment in his vision of the new temple. Previously, Ezekiel had seen the glory of the LORD leave the temple in Jerusalem, but now he sees the glory of the LORD fill the new temple. This hearkened back to the LORD’s presence in the cloud that filled the tabernacle and temple; it also points forward to the way God’s presence came to dwell among us in th...
Nov 19, 2021•55 min
Rev. Hans Fiene, pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crestwood, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 42:1-20. Ezekiel’s vision of the new temple continues into other rooms and chambers of the temple complex. Although the measurements given were never intended to be used to construct this temple, the fact that the LORD provides them shows the reality of the LORD’s promise and the deliberateness of His intention to fulfill His Word. The clear distinction between the holy and...
Nov 18, 2021•56 min
Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 41:1-26. Ezekiel’s vision of the new temple continues into the temple itself, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Though some of the details can be difficult to ascertain, the main promise is certain. To exiles living in Babylon, the LORD gives His assurance that He can get to where His people are. The descriptions of cherubim and palm trees adorning this ...
Nov 17, 2021•56 min
Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 40:28-49. Ezekiel’s vision of the new temple continues into the inner court of the temple. The measurements are again given in precise detail; the repeated use of the numbers 25, 50, and 100 may be a reference to the freedom from slavery given in year of Jubilee. The entrances from the outer court to the inner court are a reminder that the LORD must be the One t...
Nov 16, 2021•55 min
Rev. Matt Wietfeldt, Director of Admissions and the Christ Academy program at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 40:1-27. Ezekiel’s book comes to a grand climax and conclusion with the vision he receives of the new temple. In the first part of Ezekiel’s ministry, the LORD condemned His people’s idolatry, prompting Him to leave His temple. Yet after the temple was destroyed, the LORD brought Ezekiel into the second part of his ministry,...
Nov 15, 2021•52 min
Rev. Daniel Golden, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Parkersburg, WV, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 39:1-29. The LORD continues His description of His defeat of the enemies of His Church. Even though a great host attacked the LORD’s people, the LORD’s victory over His enemies is full and complete. All their weapons will be burned in the fire, and all their bodies will be buried. There will be no remnant of the enemy to threaten the remnant of the LORD’s people, and there wi...
Nov 12, 2021•55 min
Rev. William Terjesen, pastor at the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Peekskill, NY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 38:1-23. The LORD has been comforting His people through Ezekiel by giving them promises concerning the Messianic age. Will these promises stand even when the enemies of the LORD and His people attack? The answer is loud and clear: “Yes!” Clues from the text itself and the rest of Holy Scripture lead us to read the account of Gog and Magog as describing the attack...
Nov 11, 2021•55 min
Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bishop, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 37:15-28. Although the second half of Ezekiel 37 is likely less familiar than the first, the Gospel promise is just as sweet. The LORD gives Ezekiel the action prophecy of joining two sticks in his hand. This is a picture of how the LORD will unite His divided people once more. The LORD has done this through the tree of the cross, reconciling sinners to Himself and uniting Jews an...
Nov 10, 2021•56 min
Rev. Matt Ulmer, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bishop, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 37:1-14. In perhaps the most memorable text from Ezekiel, the LORD shows the prophet a valley full of dry bones. The scene is one of utter death. Though the answer to the LORD’s question seems obvious, Ezekiel puts the ball back in the LORD’s court, showing faith that the LORD can bring life from death. Through the prophetic word spoken by Ezekiel, the LORD does cause the dry bones t...
Nov 09, 2021•54 min
