The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

KFUO Radio - LCMS
  • 4.8 (36)
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Updated Daily

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. The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

  1. 15h ago

    Meet the Council of Presidents: Rev. Paul Egger

    This time we go to the west side of Iowa to continue our conversation with the Council of Presidents! The Rev. Paul Egger (President, Iowa District West of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins Andy and Sarah to answer the now infamous Lightning Round of Favorites (which every COP member will be subjected to) and to talk about his upbringing in Iowa, his path through schooling and into pastoral ministry, the congregations he’s served along the way and how his experiences there shaped him into the pastor he is today, what makes Iowa District West a unique place, and why he loves being a pastor in the LCMS. Learn more about the LCMS President and Vice Presidents at lcms.org/about/leadership/president and the 35 LCMS Districts at lcms.org/districts. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    34 min

  2. 1d ago

    Learn Greek Online with Concordia Seminary!

    Have you ever considered learning New Testament Greek? Concordia Seminary has an opportunity for exactly this! The Rev. Dr. John Genter (Associate Professor of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his own experience learning New Testament (Koine) Greek, the difference learning Greek has made for him in studying God’s Word, the upcoming online Fall Greek language course at Concordia Seminary, how the class is structured, and who it's for. Learn more at csl.edu/2026/05/registration-opens-for-2026-fall-online-greek-course. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    13 min

  3. 1d ago

    Celebrating By The Way and KFUO

    We’re wrapping up Sharathon 2026 and also celebrating the work done through the By the Way program over the years! In this episode, we are highlighting this wonderful partnership. Joanie Harwell (former KFUO team member and member of the By the Way Board) and Jeanne Grone (member of the By the Way Board) join Sarah to talk about the work of By The Way, how they saw the work of the Rev. Dr. Paul Devantier positively impact the lives of listeners, how KFUO has been a partner to By The Way over the years, and the incredible ways By The Way is celebrating this partnership as their chapter closes. By the Way's website, bythewaytoday.org, will be available through September 1, 2026. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    14 min

  4. 2d ago

    Following the Formula, Article VI: The Third Use of God’s Law — LW Searching Scripture, June 2026

    God’s Word plainly teaches, “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). And so, we do not discard the Law, which is a holy gift from God. However, Lutherans have sometimes debated that Law’s applications. In the 16th century, Lutheran theologians debated the question, “How many uses of God’s Law are there?” While there is but one Law of God, He uses it in various ways, depending on the person to whom it is applied. Theologians attempted to catalogue these uses. Some disputes over numbering and terminology amounted to misunderstandings, but there were substantive disagreements as well, mainly involving the third use of the Law (the Law as a guide for Christian life). In response to these debates, the Formula identified three proper uses of God’s holy Law. This study will explore the biblical basis for these three uses. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the first “Searching Scripture” feature in the June/July 2026 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Article VI: The Third Use of God’s Law” on Article VI in the Formula of Concord. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Following the Formula” and will walk through the Formula of Concord in the Augsburg Confession. Follow along every month! This year, “Searching Scripture” is walking through the Formula of Concord (FC) from our Lutheran Confessions, exploring the biblical foundations for each topic. Before starting this study, it may be helpful to read FC Ep VI on the third use of the Law (p. 485–486) in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005). Or follow along with the full Formula of Concord monthly reading plan at witness.lcms.org/reading-plan. Listen to the Coffee Hour episode with Rev. Brady Finnern on Article V at kfuo.org/2025/06/02/coffee-hour-060225-third-use-of-the-law-the-lords-supper-in-the-formula-of-concord, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord. Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

    28 min

  5. 5d ago

    Set Apart to Serve: CTSFW Regents' Scholarship Award Winners

    We celebrate the two recipients of the merit-based Regents' Scholarship at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne! Recipient Robert Finch (2026 graduate of Concordia University, St. Paul) and recipient Evan Magness (2026 graduate of Concordia University, Chicago) join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about why they chose to study at their respective universities, their experiences at their universities and their formation into future church workers, how they feel their university educations prepared them for their next chapter at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, what kind of impact this scholarship makes for each of them, and what they're looking forward to at CTSFW this fall. Learn more about the Regents' Scholarship at ctsfw.edu/?scholarship=scholarship-mdiv-the-regents-scholarship. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    35 min

  6. 6d ago

    Making Physician Assisted Suicide Unthinkable

    How can congregations make physician assisted suicide an unthinkable option for those who are suffering? Benjamin Parviz (Philosopher and Bioethicist at St. Louis University and undergraduate instructor) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about why this topic is so important for him, what physician assisted suicide is and how it differs from removing someone from life support, how we got to where we are with physician assisted suicide in the United States, and the Christian response that makes physician assisted suicide "unthinkable" as we love our neighbors in our church communities. Read Benjamin's article at cbhd.org/intersections/making-physician-assisted-suicide-unthinkable. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    29 min

  7. May 27

    Meet the Council of Presidents: Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola

    We go Mid-South today to continue our conversation with the Council of Presidents! The Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola (President, Mid-South District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins Andy and Sarah to answer the now infamous Lightning Round of Favorites (which every COP member will be subjected to) and to talk about his interesting childhood and how that influenced his vocational path, his path to pastoral ministry, the congregations he’s served along the way and how his experiences there shaped him into the pastor he is today, where the Mid-South District is and the people in it, and why President Paavola loves being a pastor in the LCMS. Learn more about the LCMS President and Vice Presidents at lcms.org/about/leadership/president and the 35 LCMS Districts at lcms.org/districts. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    28 min

  8. May 26

    Retreat on Lutheran Political Theology, the Doctrine of Two Kingdoms, Vocation, and the Limits of Politics

    How does a retreat discussing Lutheran political theology, the doctrine of two kingdoms, vocation, and the limits of politics shape future church workers? Dr. Rachel Ferguson (Professor of Business Ethics & Assistant Dean of the College of Business/Director of the Free Enterprise Center, Concordia University Chicago), Jonah Witte (rising sophomore at Concordia University Chicago pursuing dual certification in secondary education–biology and Director of Christian Education), and Grace Levitt (rising junior at Concordia University Chicago in Lutheran Teacher Education, studying secondary education social sciences) join Andy and Sarah to talk about how Dr. Ferguson created the idea for this invitation-only retreat at the Kirk Center, what she hoped students would gain from the discussion-based format, how something like this is important for Lutheran church work students, what Jonah and Grace experienced along with six other CUC students, how their experiences will shape how they approach their future vocations, and how they were challenged to think more deeply about these topics. Learn more about the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University Chicago at cuchicago.edu/academics/centers-of-excellence/free-enterprise-center. 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: listener@kfuo.org.

    29 min
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4.8
out of 5
36 Ratings

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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. The Coffee Hour is underwritten by Concordia University Wisconsin. Live Uncommon. Learn more at cuw.edu.

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