Advertise on podcast: Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

You own a Bible. You have probably started reading it more than once. And somewhere along the way, you wondered whether you were doing it right. On this Free-Text First Friday, we walk through the basic rules that help Christians read Scripture faithfully: why context matters, how Law and Gospel shape everything, why the whole book points to Christ, and how these tools belong to every Christian in the pew, not just the pastor in the study.  The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to discuss hermeneutics and reading the Bible. This episode originally aired on June 5, 2026. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

We know the names of the two towns where the king’s potters lived. Which king did they serve? The Chronicler never says. After tracing David’s royal line, he turns to the rest of Judah’s family. We meet a woman named Hazzelelponi alongside her three brothers, craftsmen whose trade gave a valley its name, and families who worked with linen. Along the way, the genealogy pauses for a prayer. Jabez, whose name reminded his mother of the pain of his birth, asks the God of Israel for a wider border and protection from harm. Why did God’s people, coming home from exile, need to hear this part of their family history?  The Rev. Roger Mullet, instructor of theology at Concordia University, Chicago in River Forest, Illinois, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 4:1–23.  When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

What becomes of a royal family when there is no kingdom left to inherit? David's descendants include familiar kings, disastrous rulers, and a captive carried into exile. But the genealogy keeps going. Children are born, names are recorded, and the family survives after the crown is lost. Why should that matter to people living among the wreckage of their national history? First Chronicles traces David's line through judgment and beyond it, pressing a question that Israel could not settle by looking at an empty throne: what has become of God's promise of an everlasting kingdom? We'll discuss how it all comes together in Christ Jesus. The Rev. Benjamin Meyer, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Caledonia, Michigan, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 3:1–24.  To learn more about St. Paul's in Caledonia, visit stpaulcaledonia.org. When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

A man has no sons to carry on his family line, so he gives his daughter in marriage to his Egyptian servant. Generations later, their descendants appear in Judah’s genealogy. What is that story doing among the ancestors and settlements of God’s people? Alongside families connected with Bethlehem, the tabernacle craftsman Bezalel, and communities of scribes, First Chronicles remembers people we might never have noticed. These names widen our view beyond the royal household to the lives surrounding it. What do these complicated family histories reveal about the people through whom God preserves His promises?  The Rev. Peter Burfeind, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Union City, Michigan, and Agnus Dei Lutheran Church in Marshall, Michigan, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 2:18–55. To learn more about Our Savior and Agnus Dei Lutheran Churches, visit facebook.com/oursaviorunioncity and agnusdeimarshall.com. When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Every family has stories it would rather leave out. Judah’s genealogy puts some of its darkest history right on the page: wickedness, judgment, and children born from a union with his daughter-in-law. Yet this is the family line that leads through Boaz and Jesse to David. As First Chronicles narrows its attention to Judah, the names challenge the idea that God’s chosen people earned their place through respectable ancestry. How does the Lord bring His promised King through a family whose history leaves so little room for boasting?  The Rev. Jim Neubauer of St. John Lutheran Church in Park Rapids, Minnesota joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 2:1–17. To learn more about St. John in Park Rapids, visit stjohnspr.org. When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Isaac and Ishmael are only the beginning. Abraham’s family tree branches into peoples and kingdoms that will shape Israel’s history, sometimes as bitter enemies. First Chronicles names sons, chiefs, and kings, including rulers who reigned in Edom before Israel ever had a king. If so many nations descend from Abraham, what makes Israel different? And if other kingdoms get a head start, has God’s promise fallen behind? These unfamiliar branches of a familiar family raise questions about election, earthly success, and the promise that comes by God’s grace rather than by the size or strength of a nation.  The Rev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 1:28–54. To learn more about Good Shepherd in Arnold, visit goodshepherdarnold.org. When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Unfamiliar names. Difficult pronunciations. Nobody doing anything. Is this where you start skimming until the Bible gets interesting again? First Chronicles opens with the sort of passage many readers hurry past, but these names have a story to tell. From Adam through Noah to Abraham, the family tree includes the ancestors of Israel and some of its fiercest enemies. Why begin here instead of getting straight to kings and battles? Behind these generations lies a question that reaches into our own lives: when sinners keep filling the family tree, how does God keep His promise of a Savior?  The Rev. Scot Kerns, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Easton, Pennsylvania, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Chronicles 1:1–27. To learn more about Faith in Easton, visit faithlcms.com. When everything familiar has fallen apart, where do you begin again? For God’s people returning from exile, that question reaches into their homes, their worship, and even their very identity. First Chronicles answers with generations of names and a history that reminds a battered people whose they are. This study will explore Israel’s family tree, Saul’s tragic fall, David’s reign, and preparations for the temple. Why does worship stand at the center of Israel’s life? How can a holy God dwell among sinful people? And how does God fulfill His promise to establish David’s throne forever? Through familiar accounts and often-overlooked details, 1 Chronicles bears witness to God’s faithfulness despite His people’s failures and points to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end and whose sacrifice brings sinners into God’s presence. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

The Corinthians want proof that Christ speaks through Paul. Like Jesus, who chastised those who looked for signs, the Apostle turns the examination back on them: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” What are they supposed to look for, and how can that examination lead to something other than doubt? As Paul prepares to visit, his warnings are serious, but his desire is their restoration not their defeat. Paul closes this letter by placing this troubled congregation under the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.   The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 13:1–14.  To learn more about Our Redeemer, visit ourredeemerstl.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

The Apostle Paul could not secure relief from the thorn that tormented him. What was this thorn? We don’t really know. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it. The answer was a promise of sufficient grace. Paul’s account confronts the expectation that extraordinary faith should produce an extraordinary escape from weakness. It also reveals the strength by which he continues to spend himself for a congregation that questions his love. What can we say about the love and grace of God when suffering persists even for the faithful?  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 12:1–21. To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Forced to answer men who boast about their credentials, Paul presents a record of beatings, prison stays, shipwrecks, hunger, and sleepless nights. He even recounts escaping a city in a basket. Who would offer that as evidence of a ministry worth hearing? Beneath his sharp irony lies a pastor's daily anxiety for the churches and his grief when believers are led into sin. Paul's strange account of his qualifications challenges a congregation impressed by power and prestige. What should they have recognized in an apostle who boasts of his weakness? The Rev. Dr. Jedidiah Maschke of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Carson City, Nevada, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 11:16–33.  To learn more about Bethlehem in Carson City, visit blcs.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

A preacher speaks about Jesus, offers spiritual experiences, and claims to bring good news. Why would Paul warn the congregation against him? The Corinthians are tolerating teachers who proclaim another Jesus and a different gospel, and Paul fears they are being deceived as Eve was. The danger is harder to recognize because it comes dressed in righteousness. How can the Church distinguish faithful preaching from an attractive counterfeit?  The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church of The American Association of Lutheran Churches in Pocahontas, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 11:1–15. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Paul’s critics have a verdict: his letters sound strong, but in person he is unimpressive. Can someone so easily dismissed really speak with Christ’s authority? Paul answers with the meekness of Christ and the language of warfare, describing weapons powerful enough to demolish arguments raised against the knowledge of God. How do gentleness and such authority belong together? As his opponents measure themselves against one another, Paul challenges the standards by which the Church recognizes a faithful minister and asks whose commendation finally matters.  The Rev. Derek Waffel, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Huntsville, Alabama, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 10:1–18. To learn more about Ascension in Huntsville, visit ascensionhsv.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

The Corinthians’ eagerness to help had inspired other believers, but their promised gift still needed to be prepared. How can Paul urge them to follow through while insisting that they give willingly, without reluctance or compulsion? His appeal turns to the God who supplies seed for sowing and bread for food. God provides for His people so that they can abound in good works, and the harvest includes relief for needy saints, thanksgiving to God, and believers praying for one another. What does it mean to reap generously, and what frees a Christian to give cheerfully? Paul’s answer leads from the offering being gathered to God’s own inexpressible gift in Jesus Christ.  The Rev. Jonathan Krenz, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Moscow, Idaho, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 9:1–15. To learn more about Augustana Lutheran, visit moscowlutheran.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to:

The Macedonian Christians were suffering and deeply poor, yet they begged to take part in an offering for other believers. What could make giving feel like a privilege under those circumstances? As Paul urges the Corinthians to finish their own collection, he points to the grace of Jesus Christ, who became poor for our sake. His appeal raises questions that still touch every congregation: What moves Christians to give? What does generosity ask of those with limited means? And how should the Church handle the gifts entrusted to it?  The Rev. Dr. Peter Bender, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church and President of the Concordia Catechetical Academy, in Sussex, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 8:1-24. To learn more about Peace Lutheran in Sussex, visit peacesussex.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].

Sorrow over sin can lead in very different directions. Paul distinguishes godly grief, which produces repentance leading to salvation, from worldly grief, which produces death. What makes the difference? Paul takes no pleasure in the pain his letter caused the Corinthians. Yet Titus brings welcome news: their sorrow led to repentance, renewed affection, and an earnest response to correction. Through this report, God comforts His troubled apostle and fills him with joy. Beginning with God’s promises and the call to holiness, this chapter explores the difference between sorrow and repentance, the fruits of godly grief, and the comfort God gives His people through one another.  The Rev. Jacob Benson, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Admissions Coordinator at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 7:1–16. To learn more about Luther Classical College, visit lutherclassical.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen.  In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].