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As the loneliness epidemic continues to spread, a new trend of AI powered friendships, familial relationships, and even romantic affairs is sweeping the globe. Sounds like a sci-fi novel gone wrong, doesn't it?
The truth is, artificially generated images, text, voice (and soon video) present major challenges for distinguishing what is real from what is false. AND...as more and more of the essential activities of all human relationships are conducted through the disembodiment of a screen, the difference between a genuine human interaction and its artificial replacement becomes harder and harder to distinguish.
Join us as we chat with Rev. James Neuendorf about the not-so-impossible world of AI relationships and hot to respond to the reality from a Christian perspective in this episode of the Youth4Life Podcast.
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Originally from Michigan and a graduate of both Concordia University Ann Arbor and the Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, the Rev. James Neuendorf is a missionary and church planting pastor in Puerto Rico serving with the LCMS Office of International Mission. He lives in Ponce on the south of the island together with his wife Christel who serves alongside him as a deaconess. The Neuendorfs have worked in Latin America as LCMS missionaries for more than 15 years.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Technology is just a tool, they say. We should make good use of tools, and almost all tools have a good use, they say. But, what about artificial intelligence? Is artificial intelligence just a tool, or is there something more we should consider?
You are made in the image of God. You are one for whom Christ died. All else flows from this, including our use of technology, but especially our use of artificial intelligence. If you do a concordance search for “artificial intelligence,” you won’t find those words in your Bible, but God actually has much to say about this ever-changing technology. Mrs. Jocelyn Benson joins us to teach us about the theology of technology this week on the Youth4Life Podcast.
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Jocelyn Benson grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, attending Lutheran school through 8th grade. She has a B.A. in English-teaching and an M.A. in Educational Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa. She also completed three and a half years of doctoral work in Educational Psychology with emphases in Technology and Education and History/Foundations of Education at the University of Iowa. She loved teaching English and coaching many sports at the high school level before returning to school full time. Jocelyn lives in Chatfield, MN, with her husband, Justin, and their four children—Asher, Malachi, Ephraim, and Miriam.
In her free time, Mrs. Benson enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching sports (especially college football), and spending time outside.
Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Social media was created to connect us, to make communication easier. But one quick glance at X, Instagram, or Tik Tok, and we see how easily social media divides us. What are some best practices for engaging in life-affirming ways on social media? How can you be a Gospel-motivated voice for life? How can you be a witness of God’s grace and goodness as you interact with others? Join us as we talk with Rev. Trevor Sutton, an expert author on the intersection between social media and Christianity, to discover some of the best ways you can uphold life in public and on-line forums.
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Rev. A. Trevor Sutton is Senior Pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church, a multi-campus congregation with locations in downtown Lansing and Meridian Township, Michigan. Sutton began his path toward ministry with a soccer scholarship to play at CUAA. At CUAA, Sutton earned an English degree (2008), served as captain of the soccer team, and was a proud resident of Hannah dorm. Sutton went on to earn an M.Div. degree from Concordia Seminary (2012), an MA degree (Digital Rhetoric and Professional Writing, 2017) from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. (Doctrinal Theology, 2023) from Concordia Seminary.Rev. Sutton has written several books including Redeeming Technology (co-authored with Dr. Brian Smith, MD, 2021), Clearly Christian (2018), Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World (co-authored with Dr. Gene Veith, 2017), and Being Lutheran (2016). Sutton’s writing has appeared in Houghton-Mifflin’s Best American Essays Anthology, the Washington Post, Relief Journal, Christian Century, Concordia Journal, Religion and Liberty - The Acton Institute, Faith and Leadership - Duke Divinity, and Religion New Service.
In addition to serving as pastor and writer, Sutton also occasionally teaches courses at Concordia University – Ann Arbor, Concordia Seminary, and Lutheran Theological Seminary in Twshwane (Pretoria, South Africa) and is a frequent speaker at conferences.
Rev. Sutton is married to Elizabeth Sutton and they have two daughters, Grace and Hannah. The Sutton family enjoys fly-fishing, hiking, literature, and dance parties in their living room. You can connect with Rev. Sutton through his website, www.atrevorsutton.com.
Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Recorded live at the 2024 Y4Life in Washington, D.C. conference. The panel discussion titled “Just As…I Am as Male or Female” featured panelists Katy Faust, Rev. Brian Barlow, Rev. Jonathan Petzold, and Christa Petzold. The four address questions and discuss the life issue of identity, focusing on gender and sexuality, from a biblical perspective.
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Katy Faust is Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global movement defending children's right to their mother and father. She publishes, speaks and testifies widely on why marriage and family are matters of justice for children. Her articles have appeared in Newsweek, USA Today, The Federalist, Public Discourse, WORLD Magazine, The Daily Signal, the Washington, Examiner, the American Mind, and the American Conservative. She is on the advisory board for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Katy helped design the teen edition of CanaVox which studies sex, marriage, and relationships from a natural law perspective. She detailed her philosophy of worldview transmission in her book, Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City. She and her pastor husband are raising their four children in Seattle.
With over 20 plus years ministering to the sexually and relationally broken, Rev. Brian Barlow addresses the necessity of keeping a clear gospel when walking along side individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who desire freedom in Christ. His personal journey out of a disfigured life is a testimony to Ephesians 3:20. God in His mercy continues to do more than Brian and the world could imagine. He married his bride Nichole in 2012 and together they are raising their four sons ages 10, 8, 4, and 1. In addition to pastoring, Rev. Barlow serves with many local and national ministries, including Lutherans For Life, Y4Life, and LINC-LA. Pastor Barlow is invited often to share his story and give hope to both large and small venues across the U.S.
Rev. Jonathan Petzold holds an MDiv from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He serves as the sole pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Antioch, Illinois. Christa Petzold holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and Lutheran secondary education from Concordia University Wisconsin, an MA in theology from Concordia University Irvine, and is currently pursuing a PhD in church history through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. She works as a stay-at-home mother, homeschooling their four children. Jonathan and Christa have been married since 2010 and enjoy learning and teaching God's Word together. They also love coffee, Star Wars, traveling, and quiet evenings at home.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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The sinner divides his neighbors into groups and factions and classes that keep "those" people over there and "these" people over here. While the sinner can and does divide people based on many things, one of the most egregious ways in which it is done is based upon what society would call "race." But to know someone only by their race is to no longer see him or her as an individual but as a caricature; and our Lord would not have this of us because our Lord knows nothing of race except the human race, of which He has made Himself one in nature. Join Y4Life Director Michelle and Rev. Eli Lietzau as they have a conversation about the evils of racism, hatred, bigotry, and the ways in which Christ has overcome this by His human nature and delivers the victory through His Body, the Church.
Check out the resources mentioned by Michelle and Pastor Lietzau:
Y4Life Lesson Plan 4 Life: Racism Part 1 (Part 2 coming soon!)
The Graff Theses on Marriage - Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller & Rev. Warren Graff (specifically interracial marriage)Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Young adults are identifying as "spiritual" rather than "religious." Why is that? Have new age influences started to creep into Christianity? How important is it to be together as the Body of Christ? Y4Life Director Michelle and Y4Life Media Resource Assistant Diana chat this week about new age idols and how we as Gospel-motivated voices 4 Life should respond.
Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Humans are part of creation. God created not just our atoms but also our reason and all our senses. We use these senses to perceive the Word and Sacraments and also to understand the created world. But can our senses be trusted? Can we use science to understand God and His creation? What are the commonalities between God, humans, and the rest of creation? How can an infinite God communicate with us as finite beings? Learn how to use your reason and senses as Godly Gifts, serving our neighbors and being stewards of creation with Dr. Michael Young.
Follow along with Dr. Young's slides here.
LCMS CTCR Report "Together With All Creatures"
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Dr. Michael Young is a faculty member at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Where do intrusive thoughts come from? Are intrusive thoughts connected to life issues? How should we as 4 life Christians go about navigating intrusive thoughts? Join Y4Life Director Michelle and Y4Life Media Resource Assistant Diana this week as they chat about intrusive thoughts and how to respond as Gospel-motivated voices 4 life.
Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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The world will tell you that there is no order or purpose in life and that your life has no real meaning. This is simply not true. God created the world with order and design, and every part of creation serves a purpose. You also were created for a purpose, and your life has real meaning and an eternal goal. Rev. Thompson guides us through Psalm 104 in this episode, discussing the revealed purpose of God in creation and what it means for us as Gospel-motivated voices 4 Life.
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Pastor Matt Thompson was born and raised in Romeo, Michigan and has earned degrees at Hope College, Holland, Michigan; Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia; and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. Pastor Thompson served for seven years as the Associate Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Park Rapids, Minnesota and for two years as a church planter for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in Bismarck, North Dakota, founding Holy Cross Lutheran Church in 2010. Pastor Thompson now serves the Dual Parish of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Bismarck, North Dakota, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, McClusky, North Dakota.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Youth4Life Podcast Favorite - Surrogacy with Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer
Guest Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer returns to talk about where surrogacy came from, the different ways surrogacy is used in our culture, and the practical and ethical issues with this practice.
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Reverend Doctor Scott Stiegemeyer teaches theology and ethics at Concordia University, Irvine, California. Scott is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan (B.A.); Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (M.Div.); Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois (M.A.); and Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois (D.Bioethics). Prior to coming to Concordia University, he served as a pastor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Director of Admission at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, and as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, Illinois. In addition to teaching at Concordia, Scott serves the students at his university in a variety of capacities, writes, and speaks regularly across the Church.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Youth4Life Podcast Favorite - Beginning of Life Bioethical Issues with Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer
Talking about in-vitro fertilization and other assistive reproductive technologies can be confusing. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, Associate Professor of Theology and Bioethics at Concordia Irvine, breaks down some of the big ethical concerns in the conversation about IVF, egg donation, etc. and explains why for-life Christians should care.
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Reverend Doctor Scott Stiegemeyer teaches theology and ethics at Concordia University, Irvine, California. Scott is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan (B.A.); Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (M.Div.); Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois (M.A.); and Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois (D.Bioethics). Prior to coming to Concordia University, he served as a pastor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Director of Admission at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, and as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, Illinois. In addition to teaching at Concordia, Scott serves the students at his university in a variety of capacities, writes, and speaks regularly across the Church.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Youth4Life Podcast Favorite - Godly Womanhood with Deac. Rose Adle
Deaconess Rose Adle is on the podcast this week to teach us about what godly womanhood looks like. She starts in Genesis with Eve, who she was created to be, and how the fall into sin altered her relationship with Adam and with God. She also talks to us about how first and foremost, a woman finds her identity as a daughter of God, and that doesn’t change even if her roles in life do. Rose wraps up by talking about how women can support each other as sisters in Christ and as friends. Whether you are a woman or you know a woman, this is an episode that is important for everyone to listen to and understand God’s role for women in the world.
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Deaconess Rose Adle began her deployed work as an online instructor for Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, in 2010. She serves as assistant director of Deaconess Studies, working primarily with the distance program. She graduated from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso in 2003 with a BA in Spanish. She earned an MA (2006) in Deaconess Studies and Systematic Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. She and her husband, Rev. Scott Adle of Zion Lutheran in Imperial, NE, have six children.
Find the booklet Deaconess Adle wrote for Lutherans For Life here.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Youth4Life Podcast Favorite - Biblical Manhood with Rev. Jeff Hemmer
Pastor Jeff Hemmer, author of the book Man Up!, joins us on the podcast this week to teach us about Biblical manhood. He presents his definition of masculinity, then takes us to Scripture to dive into what it says about masculinity and manhood.
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Jeffrey Hemmer is the husband of (in his opinion) the most wonderful woman in the world, the father to the five most delightful children he's ever met, the pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois, a wannabe farmer, maker of some things, fixer of some other things, grower of beards, and general curmudgeon. His big truck is probably a sign of his insecurity.
You can find Pastor Hemmer's book Man Up! at Concordia Publishing House.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Youth4Life Podcast Favorite - Addressing Gender Brokenness with Rev. Brian Barlow
Pastor Brian Barlow (vicar at the time of recording) discusses gender identity, homosexuality, and what role the Gospel has in addressing the brokenness of sexual confusion. He shares his testimony with us and gives us the hope that can be found in the Gospel.
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Rev. Brian Barlow offers a clear voice of hope and perspective to pastoral care having been called out of a life disordered by homosexuality. With over 20 plus years ministering to the sexually and relationally broken, Rev. Barlow addresses the necessity of keeping a clear Gospel when walking alongside individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who desire freedom in Christ. He and his wife have four boys ages 11, 9, 5 and 8 months. Brian is the Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Banning, CA. In addition to pastoring, Rev. Barlow serves with many local and national ministries including Lutherans For Life, Y4Life, and LINC-LA.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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It’s time for an update! Where do states stand on the abortion issue? Which laws are being challenged and which challenges have been overturned? And have there been any other major victories since the Dobbs case? And our questions don’t end there! What about medication abortion? What is the current status of this pill? What is the argument for its restriction, and will those restrictions be upheld? We have lots of questions, and our guest speaker Carol Tobias has the answers!
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Carol Tobias is the President of National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). A native of North Dakota, Carol Tobias has served on the NRLC board of directors since 1987. From 1983 to 1991, she was executive director of North Dakota Right to Life, and in 1991 was hired as National Right to Life’s political director, a position she held until 2005.During her tenure as political director, pro-life majorities were elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. In 2000 and 2004, she oversaw the efforts of National Right to Life’s political action committee on behalf of George W. Bush.
In 2014, she testified before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary in opposition to the so-called “Women’s Health Protection Act.”
Tobias has been seen on most major national news networks and several internationally. She is regularly quoted by various news outlets around the nation and across the world.
Learn more about National Right to Life and how you can be a voice for life at nrlc.org.
Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Life issues have a tendency to become controversial topics. Take, for example, the issues of abortion, co-habitation, promiscuity, pornography, and gender ideology - they’re probably not the first topics you’d broach at the lunch table. It’s easy to remain silent. If we do, there’s no accusation of hypocrisy or self-righteousness, no one implying we should mind our own business. And don’t we all struggle with sin anyway? Yet, no matter how easy it might be to remain silent, we know Christians are called to be light and salt in the world. Even more, the Gospel reminds us that God has showered us with such an abundance of love that it overflows onto others. We get to be Gospel-motivated voices for life! Join us as we talk with Dr. Gene Veith and explore whether or not a Christian is called to a confession, especially in the realm of life issues, and, if so, how he or she should carry out that calling.
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Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Jr., is a writer and a retired literature professor. He is Provost Emeritus at Patrick Henry College and the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He previously served as Culture Editor of WORLD MAGAZINE and Professor of English and Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Concordia University Wisconsin. He is the author of 28 books, including Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture, The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals, Classical Education, and God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life.Dr. Veith graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1973 and received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Kansas in 1979. He has honorary doctorates from Concordia Theological Seminary (2005), Concordia University California (2014), and Patrick Henry College (2016). He has taught at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and was a Visiting Professor at Wheaton College, Gordon College, and Regent College (Vancouver). He was also a Visiting Lecturer at the Estonian Institute of Humanities in Tallinn, Estonia. He and his wife Jackquelyn have three grown children and twelve grandchildren. They live in Blackwell, Oklahoma.
Read Dr. Vieth's article from Tabletalk magazine here.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Table Talks 4 Life are BACK! This week the Y4Life Team is joined by Lizzie Gatchell from CUC4Life to talk about what's been in the news recently. From the 'Dignitas Infinita' recently released by the Vatican to a 28 year old woman opting to end her life through euthanasia to what actor Aaron Taylor Johnson has to say about fatherhood, we'll discuss a wide variety of life issues from a Gospel-motivated perspective. Join us as we talk about what's on the table!
Michelle's news stories:
Vatican's 'Dignitas Infinita' Draws 'Clear Line' on Gender Theory, Receives Widespread Praise
Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity, 08.04.2024
Lizzie's news story:
Woman, 28, Opts for Euthanasia Rather Than Living with Mental Illness: 'I'm a Little Afraid of Dying'
Cori's news story:
Hollywood Actor's Fatherhood Reflection: 'It's Your Duty to Be Their Role Model'Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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What’s all the fuss with Alabama? Perhaps you’ve heard about a court decision in Alabama that’s just a little bit (okay, more than a little bit) controversial. Perhaps you’ve heard that the court’s decision declares embryos created through IVF are human beings. And perhaps you’re wondering, What exactly does that mean? Join us as we talk with Pastor Michael Salemink, Executive Director of Lutherans For Life, about the topic of IVF and what the Alabama court decision really means.
Pastor Salemink has served Lutherans For Life since 2015. His prior parish experience includes a decade at a large congregation with a vibrant day school and lots of catechism classes, chapel services, and Bible studies. A father of three boys, fan of sports and music, and avid runner, he writes regularly and speaks nationwide - including youth gatherings and teachers' conferences - equipping Lutherans and their neighbors to be Gospel-motivated voices For Life. Learn more about Lutherans For Life at lutheransforlife.org.
Find the resources referenced by Pastor Salemink below:
A Snowflake Named Hannah
Them Before Us
Check out our Y4Life resources about IVF below:
In Vitro Fertilization: The Basics
A 4Life View of IVFDiscover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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Homelessness. Visit any major city (and most smaller ones!) and you’ll find people struggling with housing insecurity. Perhaps it looks like a high school student floating from one couch to the next. Or maybe you see evidence of homelessness under an overpass or on a park bench. In some places, homelessness has become so prevalent that entire communities exist. How do we support those who are experiencing housing insecurity? Pastor Tyler Crokright joins us on the podcast this week to tell us how we can serve and support the homeless populations around us.
Rev. Tyler Cronkright lives in Mt. Clemens, Michigan with his wife Brandi and serves as the Associate Pastor of both Family of God Lutheran Church and St. Stephen Lutheran Church in southwest Detroit, Michigan. As a complement to teaching, preaching, and writing, he also co-hosts the Suffering Servants podcast. In his down time he loves cycling, reading and learning, traveling up north, and cheering for the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, and Michigan Wolverines.
Learn more about Family of God's ministry at fogdetroit.com.
Listen to the Suffering Servants Podcast, hosted by Rev. Tyler Cronkright and Rev. James Hill.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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"Our suffering reminds us that Jesus has suffered in our place." -Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller
The Gospel is dangerous to those who would rather reside in the dark, but Christians are called to be carriers of the light, and to carry that light even unto death. Countless confessors of the faith throughout history have suffered for this confession. And their suffering, their martyrdom, affirms life. This week we’re going to study the life-affirming confessions of martyrs. Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller joins us on the Youth4Life podcast to share with us the stories of the martyrs for the faith. Join us to be affirmed and strengthened for life by the martyrs who have gone before us and now surround the throne of heaven.
Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller is pastor of St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX. He is the author of Take They Our Life: Martin Luther’s Theology of Martyrdom (2019), A Martyr’s Faith for a Faithless World (CPH, 2019), Has American Christianity Failed? (CPH, 2016) and Final Victory: Contemplating the Death and Funeral of a Christian (CPH, 2010). He is host of What-Not, The Podcast, posts videos on YouTube at wolfmueller1, and has a number of other theological projects that all end up on his blog, www.wolfmueller.co. Bryan is a member of the Doxology Collegium. He and his wife Keri live with their children in Round Rock, TX.
Find Pastor Wolfmueller's work at his website, wolfmueller.co.Discover your Gospel-motivated voice 4 Life at Y4Life.org.
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