Study the Lutheran Confession of Faith found in the Book of Concord with lively discussions led by host Rev. Brady Finnern, President of the LCMS Minnesota North District, and guest LCMS pastors. Join us as these Christ-confessing Concordians read through and discuss our Lutheran doctrine in the Book of Concord in order to gain a deeper understanding of our Lutheran faith and practical application for our vocations.
Latest episodes
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56 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 4: Good Works (#1-10)
Good works are necessary for the Christian and follow true faith just as fruit grows on a good tree. Yet good works are completely separate from salvation and justification before…
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57 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 3: Righteousness of Faith Before God (#9-23)
Christ alone is our righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30). Theologians attempted, and still do, to make additional explanations of how one becomes righteous. However, to add anything…
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55 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 3: Righteousness of Faith Before God (Note-#8)
We believe “by grace you have been saved through faith”. However, is faith in Christ the cause of our righteousness or the instrument by which we receive Christ’s righteousness? Is…
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54 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 2: Free Will (#7-19)
There are only two causes for a person’s conversion:The Holy SpiritGod’s Word as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. Scripture assures us that we are purely passive in our conversio…
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54 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 2: Free Will (#1-6)
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, humankind is completely blind in spiritual matters and an enemy of God (1 Corinthians 2:14 & Genesis 8:21). Our only hope is for the Holy Spirit to…
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57 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 1: Original Sin (#14-25)
Original sin is not a minor blemish. We don’t possess even a spark of good. Even when sin is not public, the corruption of our nature remains. Like a terminal disease, original sin…
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58 min
Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 1: Original Sin (#5-13)
Jesus is NOT sin incarnate. God creates; Satan corrupts. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. When Christ took on our nature, He did so without sin. Although we are new creatio…
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56 min
The Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article 1: Original Sin (#1-4)
Original sin is the deep and thorough corruption of our human nature which requires God Himself to overcome for our salvation. The Concordians were careful to teach that original s…
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56 min
Timeline and Summary, Content, Rule, and Norm of the Formula of Concord
The sole source of doctrine and hope for the Church is Scripture—and Scripture alone. Yet the Church has also received written symbols, not equal to Scripture, but given for faithf…
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55 min
Controversies Leading Up to the Formula of Concord
The theological controversies leading up to the signing of the Formula were not solved at one congregational meeting. Some of the controversies (e.g. The Antinomian Controversy) la…
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54 min
Development of the Formula of Concord
The road to Concord was neither straight nor smooth. Although the Peace of Augsburg granted legal status to the faith confessed in the Augsburg Confession, doctrinal differences am…
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54 min
Introduction to the Formula of Concord
The story from 1546 until 1580 is one of courage and cowardice, weakness and strength. The LORD used that season to clarify how we as God’s people confess the Truth of the Word. Wh…
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55 min
Exhortation to Private Confession, Part 3
“When I urge you to go to Confession, I am doing nothing else than urging you to be Christian.” Individual confession and absolution shows us the depth of our sin and provides heal…
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55 min
Exhortation to Private Confession, Part 2
We are called to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). This is not only done publicly, but confidentially, assuring that confidence of the sins will only…
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55 min
Exhortation to Private Confession, Part 1
Lutherans promote and even exhort every Christian to make use of private confession and absolution. The Concordians opposed mandatory confession but urged every Christian, pastors…
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56 min
Is the Book of Concord Even Practical?
The Book of Concord gives us the guidelines for playing in the playground of God’s kingdom! What does the Bible tell me about sin? About God? How to pray? How does God come to me?…
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57 min
Do the Lutheran Confessions Form Us?
Studying the Lutheran Confessions means listening, learning, and living God’s grace in Christ. We are not only taught how to confess, but we are grounded in our identity in Christ…
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55 min
What are the Lutheran Confessions?
What does it mean to confess the faith? Put simply, it means that God speaks and we speak back what He says! To confess the faith is to speak the Truth of the whole Bible, fight ag…
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56 min
Power and Primacy of the Pope: Review
The Treatise confesses that the Church has been instituted by Christ. This confession gives us a basic understanding of how the Church will operate: not according to our own intere…
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53 min
Power and Primacy of the Pope, Part 9 (#79-82 – Subscribers of the Treatise)
The subscribers of the Treatise publicly confessed that the Lord had given the Church to call, elect, and ordain qualified ministers for the office of the Ministry. The subscribers…