A Word Fitly Spoken Podcast

As we close the first season of WFS, we talk about something near and dear to our hearts. Carrying out Christ's mission in the United States is urgent for the American church. We talk about what our mission field is, why America needs the gospel, and what part we have in Jesus’ harvest work. As mentioned in the third part, visit badlandslutheran.org to learn more about mission work in western North Dakota. Join us again soon for a new season of WFS! Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 42 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

This one's packed, as we discuss conscience and hardness of heart. What is the human conscience? How does it work? And what does it have to do with hardening? What about Biblical examples like Pharaoh and King Saul? How does hardening of conscience work out in our day and age? We're only just scratching the surface of some major topics this week on WFS. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 41 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Through Christ death has lost its sting, but how does a Christian face that final enemy? We discuss caring for the dying, funerals, cemeteries, and burials. As we bring the series on Walther's pastoral theology to an end, it's fitting to end with end things. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 40 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

The End Times continue to fascinate Christians. Since the beginning of the Church, the faithful have awaited the return of the Savior. However, there are many different understandings of how this will come to pass. How can a Christian discern between so many different viewpoints? Join us as we discuss a few of these competing theories and talk about how one should understand eschatology. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 39 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Ulrik Vilhem Koren listened to God's call to serve the Norwegian immigrants settling on the American plains despite great personal cost. Leaving behind a comfortable life, Koren led the fledgling Norwegian Synod through many difficulties and controversies, leaving behind a legacy that deserves to be remembered. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux talks about the history and background of Koren, Norwegian Lutheranism, and the challenges of the American scene. For Koren's important work "An Accounting," please visit our website. Photo courtesy of ELS Ottesen Museum. Host: Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux, Professor of Religious Studies, Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN Episode: 38 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

God's Word is healing for every soul, and God's men apply its healing power to congregations and to individual Christians in all kinds of situations. We discuss pastoral visits, sickness, legal difficulties, and demonic possession in an episode packed with everything you love about WFS. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 37 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

The prophets of old were mouthpieces of the Lord. Besides their words, their lives were also caught up in that calling, even when the Lord commanded them to do some unusual things. What would compel a man to marry a prostitute, to walk about naked for 3 years, to wear stocks around his own neck, and to eat bread baked over dung? What do any of these things have to do with the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ? And do these rather odd examples apply to the life of the Church? Join us for all this and more on this week's episode. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 36 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

The unity of the Church: easy to affirm, but difficult to see. How are Christians united with each other? What is the difference between an imaginary unity and a real one? Join us as we discuss the doctrine of the Church’s unity, focusing on its Biblical basis, the role of the Lutheran confessions, and the nature of adiaphora. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 35 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Faith comes by hearing. Because preaching is the chief means of grace, not only is what we hear important, but also how we hear it. How can we best prepare to hear Gods Word when it is preached? What should our expectations be? How does that influence how we hear a sermon? How can we better hear the written Word? What about Bible class? Join us as we discuss hearing the Word in practical ways. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 34 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What is confirmation, and why do so many people care so much about it? We look at what Walther said about confirmation, youth ministry, and the wisdom of providing clear instruction for faith and life to young Christians. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 33 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

The first ecumenical council answered the challenges of Arianism, but failed to make it go away. With Arians gaining strength in every level of society, even with Arian emperors, how would the Church respond? Join us as we discuss the history of the second ecumenical council at Constantinople, the relationship between the church and the state, and why religious toleration isn't necessarily a good thing. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 32 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Just as breathing is necessary for life, prayer is essential to a living and active faith. How do the logistics of prayer— time, posture, and words—aid or detract from a prayer life? What is presumed when we pray? How can a pastor especially pray for his congregation? Join us as we discuss piety and its cultivation in the habit of prayer. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 31 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Marriage is a perpetual source of joy and frustration in and outside the church. Today we look at how C.F.W. Walther discussed what makes a marriage and what unmakes a marriage, who should marry whom, and who shouldn't be married at all. We delve into the relationship between marriage and the public good, especially how a minister's marriage affects everything else in his life and his church. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 30 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

As heirs of the Reformation, do we follow them because they speak the truth or because they are the Reformers? The Wauwatosa theologians called on the church of their day and also on our own to examine ourselves critically, to hold fast to the pattern of sound words, and to search the Scriptures. Rev. Peter M. Prange joins us to define the Wauwatosa theology and to discuss its historical background. For essays by Rev. Prange and others on the Wauwatosa Theology, please visit our website. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Peter M. Prange, Associate Pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, Kenosha, WI Episode: 29 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What we say and what we do go together in the Bible. But what happens when we become so focused on what we say that we forget that the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power? Maybe we end up explaining the Bible away. Join us as we discuss the dangers of slogans and the promise of letting the Bible speak for itself. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 28 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Few movements have had a greater impact on American Christianity than the Second Great Awakening. Whether in the way it changed the established churches or brought entirely new movements into existence, it extends into nearly every sphere of American religious life. Join our discussion of the lessons and cautions of this movement as we look at its history, some of the most important figures in it, and how it continues to have enormous influence today. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 27 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Amos, a shepherd called to speak against Israel even in the height of her power, speaks very vividly about the justice of God. What did injustice in Israel look like in Amos' day? How does that compare to modern concerns about "social justice"? What does Amos teach us about the church's and the individual Christian's role in pursuing God's justice? What do these prophecies of judgment teach us about the cross and the Last Day? Join us as we discuss Amos and how his message calls for us to prepare for the Day of the Lord. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 26 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

God's mandate matters. What did Jesus mean His Supper to be? How should His holy words and holy things be handled by pastors? All this and much else about the Supper C.F.W. Walther discusses in his Pastoral Theology. We dig into why Lutheranism is distinctive in its use of the Lord's Supper, why that's a good thing, and what makes the Sacrament what it is. Books for further reading: Pastoral Theology, and Suelflow's biography Servant of the Word. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 25 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Few events in the history of the world have had so profound an impact than the relatively short ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Constantine the Great seeks to preserve the fragile unity of his empire even as the Church threatens to be torn apart over the question of how God the Father and God the Son relate to one another. The First Council of Nicaea is not a political maneuver by wily politicians, the caricature which crops up especially today, but a bold and concise confession of the truth in the face of overwhelming odds. Join us as we discuss the historical background of this council and why this historical event shows that God continues to work in history to preserve His Church. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 24 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

In many people's minds, the story of Jonah is about a man being swallowed by a whale, but this is only a part of the story. When and where did Jonah prophesy? Why do some people say the book is an allegory? What does it mean that the Lord relents of the disaster he was going to send on Nineveh? How does Jonah's preaching inform our own? Join us as we discuss these and other questions about Jonah in our latest podcast. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 23 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

When your faith is under attack, how will you respond? Apologetics is not saying sorry for being a Christian, but giving an answer for the hope that is within you. Join us as we discuss the need of defending the faith, the major schools of thought within apologetics, and how Paul approaches this task in Acts 17. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 22 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What do the minor prophets, especially Habakkuk, have to say to us today? Understood in his historical context, Habakkuk speaks clearly to the Church today, especially when he asks the Lord about the nature of His justice. How does concern for the Lord's justice differ from the way justice is discussed in our day? How can a Christian find comfort when undergoing the Lord's discipline? The Lord answers him powerfully: the righteous shall live by faith. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 21 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Pure water is clear and simple. In this episode we talk about how important clarity is for Christians and how simple and powerful Scripture's teaching is on what baptism is, whom we should baptize, and how baptism should happen. Books for further reading: Pastoral Theology, and Suelflow's biography Servant of the Word. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 20 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Where shall wisdom be found? Despite outward similarities, Biblical wisdom stands as its own unique genre of literature. Join us as we talk about what makes the wisdom of God distinct from the world and within the Bible, why it seems neglected, and how it might be recovered in our own day. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Regular Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 19 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What did St. Luke intend when writing The Acts of the Apostles? What is the testimony of the early Church? Does Acts speak to the Church today? In an overview of Acts 1-10, we talk about some of the most famous events in church history and discuss why this historical book continues to guide the Church today. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 18 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

How should God's Word be preached? CFW Walther covers that question with characteristic clarity and force in his Pastoral Theology. Listen to learn what ought to be in a good sermon, what's important in a sermon, and why sanctification must be proclaimed clearly from the pulpit. Books for further reading: Pastoral Theology, Gospel Sermons Vol. 1, Gospel Sermons Vol. 2, and Suelflow's biography Servant of the Word. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 17 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Does God's Providence govern all things? Does the Lord simply know all possibilities or does the Lord's hand extend to all of creation? Should these concepts frighten or comfort the Christian? A true understanding of the doctrine of Divine Providence does not lead to a practical deism, rather to a living trust that all things work together for good for those who love God. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 16 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What is the hope towards which we press? How do we describe what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mortal mind has comprehended? Listen as we finish our series on the four-fold distinction of human nature with a discussion of man in the state of glory. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 15 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

What makes for an orthodox Lutheran pastor? What makes a congregation an orthodox Lutheran congregation? CFW Walther, founding father of the Missouri Synod, answered these questions and many more in his Pastoral Theology. Tune in for our first episode on Walther's great work, as we discuss what makes a theologian, what a divine call is, and what agreement a congregation and its pastor need to be fruitful in the Lord's work. Find a copy of the book here. You can also find a copy of Suelflow's unfinished biography of Walther here. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 14 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

Was Paul serious when he said that pastors should be 'above reproach'? What does it mean to lead God's people, and if the church is a family, does household have a head as the family does? Listen to find out how the Christian pastor is a steward of God's mysteries, the overseer of God's household, and a good father to his people. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 13 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.

On this episode we discuss the third of the four states of man: man in Christ. This condition is common to every Christian as we strive to put off the old man and put on the new. Join us to listen to how Christ manifests the true image of the Father and how we are conformed to His image. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 12 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, or your favorite podcasting app.

Jesus says that the fields are ripe for the harvest. How should we work in his harvest fields as good laborers? Join us as we discuss some difficulties in evangelism and how to overcome them in order to extend God's reign. Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 11 Find articles and other podcast episodes on our website: wordfitlyspoken.org Follow us on Twitter: @wordfitly Send us a message: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: RSS Feed, iTunes, or your favorite podcasting app.

Is evangelism an optional activity for Christians, or is it at the heart of serving Christ? We discuss why the gospel is urgent and how to spread this life-changing message. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 10 Visit our website for more information.

What does a pastor do? What should he leave undone? Listen to learn about preaching, visiting, and all the other work of a man of God. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 9 Visit our website for more information.

Though the Lord created Adam as righteous and innocent, Adam did not remain in that state, but fell into sin. Rev. David Appold joins Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide to talk about the fallen state of man, discussing original sin, Adam as head of all mankind, how the judgment of God affects the spheres of man and woman, and the significance of returning to dust. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 8 Visit our website for more information.

The Lutheran Pastor, the most important work of George Henry Gerberding, speaks to pastors laboring in the American context, giving important insights into bearing an effective proclamation even today. Rev. Adam Koontz joins Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide to discuss Gerberding and his book, discussing what sort of men God calls to be pastors and what sort of men pastors should be. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. Adam Koontz Episode: 7 Visit our website for more information.

The fourfold state of man distinguishes between the four different ways men relate to God: prior to the fall in innocency, after the fall in sin, regenerated by faith, and perfected in glory. Rev. David Appold joins Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide to talk about this distinction, focusing on why it's important to talk about anthropology, the will of man, and Adam before the fall. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 6 Visit our website for more information.

Jude warns the Church to beware false teachers, men whose judgment is from old and will not delay. Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide conclude their discussion of this important book, talking about the nature of false teachers, non-Biblical quotations in the Bible, the colorful metaphors of Jude, worldliness, and praying in the Holy Spirit. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 5 Visit our website for more information.

Jude is a small book with an important message for Christians. Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide begin a close study of the book of Jude, discussing the meaning of doctrines like the Lord's providence, the danger of false teaching, and the importance of avoiding the leaven of sin. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 4 Visit our website for more information.

What is the mission of the Church? What does it mean to be sent to proclaim the Gospel? Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide, both domestic missionaries, discuss the mission of the Church by looking at Matthew 28:16-20. While there is a difference between being a witness and being an evangelist, the Lord comforts His Church by reminding her that it is His work and the fruit of His gracious election. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 3 Visit our website for more information.

Rev. David Appold joins Rev. Grills and Rev. Heide to discuss the major themes and background of the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah, in his zeal for rebuilding Jerusalem, seeks to build up two walls: the physical walls of the city and the wall of the Law. This has important applications for Christians today, especially regarding hearing the Word, the observance of the Fourth Commandment, and marriage. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Guest: Rev. David Appold Episode: 2 Visit our website for more information.

In this, the first episode of the Word Fitly Spoken podcast, host Rev. Willie Grills and co-host Rev. Zelwyn Heide discuss one of the cornerstones of the website: the sufficiency of Holy Scripture. They define this important doctrine by looking at specific Biblical passages, like 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Willie and Zelwyn also defend the sufficiency of Scripture against those who would deny it, especially in Roman Catholicism and Charismatic movements. They offer encouragment as well as practical suggestions for delving into the Scriptures. ----more---- Hosts: Rev. Willie Grills and Rev. Zelwyn Heide Episode: 1 Visit our website for more information.