What do we believe about confession and why should we want to go to confession? What are the two kinds of confession? How is confession and absolution balm to weary souls?

Rev. Mark Barz, pastor of Crown of Life Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Martin Luther's "A Brief Exhortation to Go to Confession."

The old saying goes, "if we do not learn from history we will have to repeat history's mistakes." On this episode we will dig in to the history and background of the Formula of Concord, including how it came into being and succeeded in healing the young strife-torn Lutheran Church. We learn wisdom from it that, God-willing, creates the setting for us to approach controversies that threaten our unity in the Church today.

Rev. Jaime Nava, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Maplewood, Missouri, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the history, background, and setting for the Formula of Concord. (This is a rebroadcast from November 26, 2019.)

Who are the Schwenkfeldians and how are they related to the Reformation? What is the proper understanding of Christ's incarnation? How do our beliefs about the sacraments differ from those opposed to our Lutheran Confessions? How does everything boil down to the proper distinction between Law and Gospel?

Rev. Paul Cain, senior pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church and headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School in Sheridan, Wyoming, and Secretary and Webmaster on the board for the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE), joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XII: Other Factions ‹Heresies› and Sects that Never Embrace the Augsburg Confession (Erroneous Articles of the Schwenkfeldians - Paragraphs 20-27).

What are the three estates that Christians are a part of? How are government, church, and family different vocational spheres, and how do our beliefs about these estates shape our daily lives as Christians? How do we partake in each of these estates as faithful Christians?

Rev. Matt Richard, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, North Dakota, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XII: Other Factions ‹Heresies› and Sects that Never Embrace the Augsburg Confession (Articles that cannot be tolerated in the Government & Domestic Life - Paragraphs 12-19).

Why is it important to also confess what we reject? What are the teachings that we do reject? How are these teachings connected to ancient heresies, and how does our Lutheran doctrine teach against these things?

Rev. Matt Richard, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minot, North Dakota, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XII: Other Factions ‹Heresies› and Sects that Never Embrace the Augsburg Confession (Erroneous Articles of the Anabaptists - Paragraph 2-11).

What do "heresy," "orthodox," and "heterodox" mean, especially in the context of our Lutheran confessions? How does the history of our Lutheran confessions compare to other denominations? How do we use our confessions to compare what we believe to what others believe? How is Christ in the center of our Lutheran confessions?

Rev. Jaime Nava, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Maplewood, Missouri, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XII: Other Factions ‹Heresies› and Sects that Never Embrace the Augsburg Confession (History/Setting/Background - Paragraph 1).

How is Election a comforting thing? How does discussion on Election always come back to Jesus? What are some false views of predestination that Lutherans do not agree with?

Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, Minnesota, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XI: God's Eternal Foreknowledge and Election (Negative Statements).

Why are some saved and not others? If we cannot climb into the mind of God, how can we be assured of our election? How is predestination all about the comfort of the Gospel?

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Amston, CT, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XI: God’s Eternal Foreknowledge and Election (Affirmative Statements).

How do we understand the doctrine of predestination and election, or God's eternal foreknowledge? How does human understanding and reason cloud how we understand this doctrine? What is the divine logic in this doctrine? Where do we read about this doctrine in Scripture?

Find the free (public domain) audio Book of Concord at bookofconcord.org/audio.php, archive.org/details/LibrivoxBookOfConcord, and librivox.org/group/376.

Rev. Jonathan Lange, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Kemmerer and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Evanston, Wyoming, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article XI: God's Eternal Foreknowledge and Election (Status of the Controversy).

What is the historical context behind this article on Church Practices? What are some examples of how Lutheran Church Practices differ from other denominations? What do these practices or ceremonies communicate or teach about our faith?

Rev. Charles Henrickson, pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bonne Terre, Missouri, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss The Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article X: Church Practices (Negative Statements para. 8-12).