Episode 28: Should Christians Be Certain of Their Salvation?
Article IV of the Augsburg Confession states:
Episode 27: Rewards for Good Works
Question: Is everyone equal in heaven? Are there rewards in heaven in addition to justification and eternal life? Does God reward people for good works? If you were to do a poll among Lutherans, many of them would say, “No. We are all equal in heaven. God does not reward us for our good…
On the Evidence of Two or Three Witnesses
A Commentary on the 8th Commandment and Its Relevance for the State, Church and Home. James Preus The accusation of attempted rape brought against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh six years ago, which was followed by other accusations of sexual misconduct from his teenage years over three decades ago brought the topic of…
The Christmas Cross
Holy Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)…
Abiogenesis Christmas
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [a]comprehend it….
Treasuring and Pondering in the Heart
Christmas Eve| Luke 2:19| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| December 24, 2024 “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” The Virgin Mary is a great example to us of sincere faith. So, we should follow her example in treasuring the message of Christmas and pondering it in our…
Reducing John, Not Jesus
Advent 4| John 1:19-28 (29)| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| December 22, 2024 John the Baptist refused to speak of himself when asked by the priests and Levites who he was. He wanted only to tell them that He was a voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of…
Episode 26: Two Kinds of Sacrifice
Apology XXIV (XII) The Mass. Beginning at paragraph 19. Page 222 of Concordia, Readers Edition. Distinction between a Sacrament and a Sacrifice “A Sacrament is a ceremony or work in which God presents to us what the promise of the ceremony offers. Baptism is not a work that we offer to God. It is…
The Office of John the Baptist
Advent 3 (Gaudete)| 1 Corinthians 4:1-5| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| December 15, 2024 Jesus tells us that John is more than a prophet; he is the messenger God sent to prepare the way for Christ. John indeed was a tremendous preacher, who led many people to Christ. However, John has not preached…
Justification and Rome
By Rev. Dr. Robert Preus Read by Rev. James Preus Part 1 Part 2 Justification and Rome: An Evaluation of Recent Dialogues by Robert Preus © 1997 Concordia Publishing House. Used with permission under license number 24:8-1. All rights reserved. This publication is availableas an eBook from CPH at www.cph.org. Permission was granted to publish…