Is play really that important? The Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann, Waldemar A. and June Schuette Professor of Systematic Theology and author of Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play from Concordia Publishing House, joins Andy and Sarah for a series on what Sabbath means for us. In this episode on chapter 6, they discuss how we distinguish between work and play, whether work counts as work if we really enjoy it, why play is actually very important (even for adults!), whether worship is play, how sleep forces us to understand our humanity and the nature of God, and the theological connection between sleep and death.

Find Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play at cph.org/day-7-for-work-rest-or-play.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

What if exciting fiction could teach readers the heart of Lutheran doctrine? Katie Schuermann (author of The Big Father and His Little Boy, The Creed: Book 1 and The Beloved Son and His Brother, The Creed: Book 2), Christine Elliott Rivers (author of Above All Things: The Tale of the King, The Commandments: Book 1), and Jesse Cordes (Illustrator of The Creed and The Commandments series from Kloria Publishing) join Andy and Sarah to talk about highlights from their careers in writing and illustrating, where the idea for a fiction catechesis series began, how they use fiction to teach the truth of God’s Word as it is summed up in the Catechism, a sneak peek at each of the books, Jesse's process for illustrating books, and what they love most about this project. Find these books and more from Kloria at kloria.com/collections/fiction-for-children.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

Do we still need the law? What were the controversies concerning the Lord’s Supper? The Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District and host of KFUO Radio’s Concord Matters, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the Formula of Concord reading plan he created for 2025, including the questions concerning the Third Use of the Law and The Lord's Supper that are addressed in June and July's readings. What is the Third Use of the Law? What were the controversies of those days surrounding the Third Use? Do we still need the law? What do we believe concerning the Lord's Supper according to the Word of God? Are the controversies concerning the Lord’s Supper still prevalent? Why is it important for us to be very clear on the Scriptural Truth of the Lord's Supper?

Find the full reading plan from The Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org/2024/reading-plan, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord.

June | Third Use of the Law

Week 1:

Ep VI 1 (p. 485–486)

SC Table of Duties (p. 346–348)

Week 2:

Ep VI 2–7 (p. 486–487)

Gal. 5:1–26

Week 3:

SD VI (p. 557–561)

Week 4:

Ep VI 8 (p. 487)

July | The Lord's Supper

Week 1:

Ep VII 1–5 (p. 487–488)

AC X (p. 35)

AC XXII (p. 45–46)

Week 2:

Ep VII 6–20 (p. 488–489)

Ap X (p. 153–155)

Ap XXII (p. 208–210)

Week 3:

SD VII 91–128 (p. 576–581)

Week 4:

Ep VII 21–42 (p. 489–491)

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

How do a Pastor and DCE work together as a ministry team in a congregation? The Rev. Dr. Phil Booe (Pastor, St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, MN) and DCE Jessica Blocker (Director of Christian Education, St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne, MN) join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about how their education and formation as church workers prepared (or didn't prepare) them for team ministry, what they've learned about working as a team since they began serving together five years ago, how they handle logistics while working on a small team, how they make the best use of each other's strengths and interests, and what matters to them in how they present themselves as a team to the congregation and others. Learn more about St. John Lutheran Church at stjohnluverne.org.

Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers.

Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations.

Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS:

1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers.

2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers.

3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation.

To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

Why is sabbatical valuable for church workers? The Rev. Dr. Greg Walton (Grace Place Wellness, LCEF) and Rehema Kavugha (Director of Synod Relations, LCEF) join Andy and Sarah to talk about why a Sabbatical Scholarship Program is important for the church and LCEF's mission, why sabbaticals are so critical for church workers, what kinds of things church workers do on sabbatical, how a scholarship can help, what a church might do to plan for sabbatical, and the application process for the Sabbatical Scholarship Program. Learn more and apply at lcef.org/sabbaticalscholarship.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

How can we know our purpose and understand life's meaning? The Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann, Waldemar A. and June Schuette Professor of Systematic Theology and author of Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play from Concordia Publishing House, joins Andy and Sarah for a series on what Sabbath means for us. In this episode on chapter 5, they discuss the current state of Western culture, how a focus on the individual has shaped our culture, what happens when we remove meaning from the world, how we can know our purpose and life's meaning, what it means to have a receptive life, and how we can use the receptive life to live outside ourselves and serve our neighbor.

Find Day 7: For Work, Rest, or Play at cph.org/day-7-for-work-rest-or-play.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

Lutheran Federal Credit Union is celebrating 10 years! The Rev. Tom Schlund (Synod Relations & Marketing Coordinator, Lutheran Federal Credit Union) and Amanda Walker (CEO, Lutheran Federal Credit Union) join Andy and Sarah to talk about why a credit union was created for the LCMS, Rev. Schlund's new role and the need to build up relationships across the Synod, what has been accomplished in 10 years of Lutheran Federal Credit Union, and the many services available today. Find a special offer for KFUO Radio listeners to celebrate Lutheran Federal Credit Union's 10th Anniversary at LutheranFCU.org/kfuo.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

It's time for the annual Carillon Concert Series at Concordia Seminary! John Klinger, Chief Information Officer and Carillonneur at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what a carillon is, what's unique about Concordia’s carillon, the history and tradition of carillon concerts at Concordia Seminary, and the lineup of concerts and carillonneurs this year. Learn more about these concerts happening each Tuesday in June (that KFUO Radio will be broadcasting, weather-permitting!) at csl.edu/2025/05/summer-2025-carillon-concert-series-announced-for-tuesdays-in-june.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

How do KFUO Radio Interns help us share the Gospel AND learn valuable skills for future vocations? John Fiene (current KFUO Radio Intern), Aubrey Blank (current Digital Media Associate and former KFUO intern), and Jordan Harms (Media Operations Manager for KFUO) join Andy and Sarah to talk about why John applied to be an intern with KFUO, what he's learning this semester and how he expects to use these skills, where Aubrey's interest in becoming a KFUO intern began and how her internship prepared her for a full-time position with KFUO, and how Jordan uses these internship experiences to build up future radio talent. Learn about KFUO internship opportunities at lcms.org/careers.

This episode originally aired on October 17, 2024.

As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you’d like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].

How does Crean Lutheran High School raise up young Lutherans for future vocations? Conni Schramm, Learning Success Teacher at Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, California, joins Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about what she gets to do every day at Crean Lutheran, how she became a teacher and her many years of service in Lutheran education, why providing Lutheran education is important to her, what is unique about Crean Lutheran High School, and how Crean Lutheran is raising up the next generation of church workers. Learn more about Crean Lutheran at creanlutheran.org.

Christ’s church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers.

Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations.

Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS:

1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers.

2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers.

3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation.

To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve.

Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: [email protected].