Talks with Dad Rod

Ted asks about where Lutherans are in relationship to Roman Catholicism and other denominations. Rod talks about a number of different denominations, particularly in relation to Roman Catholicism, and what makes Lutherans unique among the set.

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Ted asks about the idea that God communicates directly with us in these days after Jesus came to us. Rod mentions a verse in Jude, "contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints", and talks about that idea vs. "the yearning of God to talk to me", which is our yearning for direct revelation from God separately from His word in Scripture.

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Ted asks about 'failing' in the Christian faith and seeming to sometimes get worse. Rod talks about American pragmatism and how we tend to measure our faith and the status of our salvation by measuring how close we're getting to achieving perfection, and contrasts that with the Christian life focused on Jesus Christ instead of ourselves.

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Ted asks about the concept of 'blind faith', having faith in something with little to no evidence to support it. Rod talks about how the idea is alien to the Christian faith, and why it's important that the Biblical understanding of Christianity makes it possible to argue for it being true, making Christianity stand out among other religions.

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Ted asks about how the state of my faith, and particularly struggling with doubt, affects God's willingness to forgive me, a sinner. Rod talks about God's promises connected to the Lord's Supper and baptism, and how He grants His forgiveness even while we're doubting, which is our natural (fallen) condition.

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Ted asks about the possibility of deriving spiritual help from the things we touch, smell and taste. Rod talks about the idea that Christians are betting their salvation on the death of a particular Man at a particular place and time and the actual blood that flowed from His body, and the assurance and consolation we can receive from that Object of our faith, outside of ourselves.

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Ted asks about struggling with sin in the Christian faith and what it could mean, even eventually. Rod talks about St. Paul and what he says about the Christian life in Romans, and what the reality is regarding 'progress' or 'growth' in one's faith, out of the Reformation, in spite of what our fears tempt us to believe.

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Ted asks about struggling with feelings of our faith in Jesus Christ getting weaker. Rod talks about how easy it is to get mired in feelings which don't reflect the unchanging nature of the Object of that faith, and the factual truth of it, and what we can look to for assurance to remind us that the Author of our faith is not ourselves.

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Ted asks about the cynical question posed by Pontius Pilate prior to Jesus' crucifixion. Rod talks about how Christianity is unique in a number of ways, one critical one being what the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ reveals about God to us physically, that He made Himself knowable, and the proof of His amazing claims takes place at Jesus' resurrection, witnessed by hundreds.

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Ted asks about what it means that Jesus' disciples did as Jesus foretold and scattered, coming to the idea of 'backsliding' in our present day. Rod talks about whether the believer is hearing the Gospel preached to them FOR them, and was baptized, and is going to receive the Lord's Supper, which is where we are absolved and receive Christ's forgiveness. Christ rescues you at your worst.

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