The Coffee Hour from KFUO Radio

We head to southern Minnesota for today’s conversation! The Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford (President, Minnesota 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 early years and schooling, the path that led to his seminary education, how he served after seminary and what he's learned over the years serving in congregations, what makes the Minnesota South District unique, and what he loves about being an LCMS pastor today. 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.

What do we know about Hermann Sasse’s life as a pastor, theologian, and author? The Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison (President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins us for Part Two of a three-part series on the life and work of pastor, theologian, and author Hermann Sasse to talk about how Sasse’s time in the United States shaped his theology, why he was described as a Confessional Ecumenist and what that means, and how his experiences in the 20s and 30s influenced his theological writing. 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.

What does the Concordia University System Board of Directors do? The Rev. Mark Braden (Chairman, Concordia University System Board of Directors) joins Andy and Sarah to talk about his experience prior to serving on the CUS Board of Directors, how that experience helps him lead this group, why the Board of Directors is important and how they serve the Concordia University System, how the campus visitation process works and the Lutheran Identity Mission Outcome Standards, and updates on the CUS Scholarships, Direct Admit, and other current CUS news. Learn more about the Concordia University System at CUS.edu. 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.

You know him as a host of KFUO's Thy Strong Word. But did you know he was a private investigator before becoming a pastor? The Rev. Dr. Phil Booe (pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio) and his wife Becky Booe join Andy and Sarah to talk about their journeys into the Lutheran Church, what life was like for them prior to seminary, the discerning process leading to seminary life, their transitions through seminary and into pastoral ministry, and the wisdom they've gained from their experiences that they share with others considering their vocations. 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.

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.

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.

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.

How are districts of the LCMS reaching potential new Lutheran teachers? Josh Swartz (Education Executive for the Missouri District of the LCMS) and Bob Ziegler (Education Executive for the Nebraska District of the LCMS) join Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve Series to talk about how each of them serves as Education Executive for their districts, how Lutheran education became important to them, the landscape of schools in their respective districts and how they support those schools, the ad campaign each district ran for new teachers and the success of this campaign, and what they learned about the value of Lutheran education from the ad campaign feedback. 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.