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On The Line

Bryan Stecker

87 episodes

1 day ago

Join us at the long table as we reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing confessional Lutheranism today, from sustaining faithful congregations in rural America to building institutions that serve future generations of the Church. About Today’s Guest Rev. John Hill is president of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a longtime parish pastor. With decades of pastoral experience and a heart for strengthening Lutheran identity, he has served congregations acr...

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Religion & Spirituality

All content for On The Line is the property of Bryan Stecker and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Join us at the long table as we reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing confessional Lutheranism today, from sustaining faithful congregations in rural America to building institutions that serve future generations of the Church. About Today’s Guest Rev. John Hill is president of the Wyoming District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a longtime parish pastor. With decades of pastoral experience and a heart for strengthening Lutheran identity, he has served congregations acr...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality

Episodes (20/87)

On The Line

Dr. James Lee: Lutheranism After Luther (The Untold 1800s Story)

Join us at the long table as we explore the Lutheran confessional revival of the nineteenth century, uncover the lives and thought of its key theologians, and consider what their witness offers the Church today in an age of doctrinal confusion and historical amnesia About Today’s Guest: Dr. James Ambrose Lee II is a church historian and theologian specializing in the nineteenth-century confessional revival, Lutheran worship, and German theology. He teaches courses on church history, religion ...

1 week ago

1 hour 27 minutes

On The Line

Tim Wood: What the Data Says About the Future of Lutheranism

Join us at the long table as we take an unflinching look at the numbers shaping the future of Lutheranism—and consider how honesty, clarity, and confessional faithfulness can guide the Church through challenge and change. About Today’s Guest Rev. Tim Wood is a pastor and data analyst serving the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with a rare blend of theological conviction and statistical insight. With a sharp eye for demographic trends and a heart for the Church’s future, he helps Lutheran insti...

2 weeks ago

2 hours 17 minutes

On The Line

Col. Willie Grills: Reality is Not What You Think: Aliens, Demons, and Cryptids

Join us at the long table as we question the official story, explore the rise of conspiracy thinking, and ask how Christians can remain anchored in truth and humility while navigating a world of collapsing narratives and contested realities. About Today’s Guest Rev. Willie Grills is an LCMS pastor and co-host of A Brief History of Power, where he brings historical insight and pastoral clarity to bear on the crises of modern life. Known for his deep knowledge of church history, American folklo...

3 weeks ago

1 hour 53 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Louis Markos: Awakening the Christian Mind: Paganism vs. Modernism vs. Christianity

Join us at the long table as we recover the moral imagination, rediscover the wisdom of the ancients, and explore how story—rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness—forms the heart and mind for Christian living in an age of fragmentation. About Today’s Guest Dr. Louis Markos is a professor of English and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University, where he teaches classical literature, Christian thought, and C.S. Lewis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and is a proli...

4 weeks ago

2 hours 22 minutes

On The Line

Jacob Benson: Reigniting Wonder: How All Great Stories Echo the One True Story

Join us at the long table as we explore how stories shape the Christian imagination, from the parables of Christ to the poetry of Tolkien, where beauty, suffering, virtue, and vocation meet in the narrative of redemption. About Today’s Guest Rev. Jacob Benson is director of admissions and assistant professor of humanities at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming. Ordained in 2019, he previously served parishes in Connecticut and Wyoming, and holds degrees from Concordia Theological Semi...

1 month ago

1 hour 38 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Joel Biermann: How Lutherans Understand Good Works (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)

Join us at the long table as we dig into what it means to be wholly citizens of both heaven and earth, recover a robust Lutheran ethic, and consider how virtue, identity, and vocation shape Christian witness in a fragmented age. About Today’s Guest Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann is professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and one of the LCMS’s leading voices on vocation, virtue ethics, and Christian identity in the public square. He holds a Ph.D. from Concordia Seminary and...

1 month ago

1 hour 39 minutes

On The Line

Dr. James Lee: How the Early Church Defeated Heresies & Preserved Christian Doctrine

Join us at the long table as we trace the roots of Christian tradition, wrestle with the legacy of the Church Fathers, and recover a vision of doctrine, discipline, and ministry shaped by the clarity and strangeness of the early Church. Dr. James Lee is a scholar of historical theology and teaches Church History and Religious Studies at Concordia University Chicago, where his courses range from Christianity and the Modern World to Lutheran Worship and Liturgy. He holds a Ph.D. from Saint Loui...

1 month ago

1 hour 59 minutes

On The Line

Dr. David Petersen: The Seven Deadly Sins (and Why You Should Know Them)

Join us at the long table as we confront the seven deadly sins not just as abstract categories, but as real spiritual threats—and explore how humility, gratitude, and daily repentance lead us toward the virtues that shape faithful Christian life. Rev. Dr. David H. Petersen has served as Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since 2000. A graduate of Central Michigan University and Concordia Theological Seminary (M.Div., S.T.M., D.Min.), he is known for his deep commitment...

1 month ago

2 hours 15 minutes

On The Line

Dr. David Petersen: A Lutheran Renewal is Happening Against the Odds

Rev. Dr. David H. Petersen has served as Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since 2000. A graduate of Central Michigan University and Concordia Theological Seminary (M.Div., S.T.M., D.Min.), he is known for his deep commitment to the Church’s liturgical and theological heritage. Dr. Petersen is a contributing editor for Gottesdienst: The Journal of Lutheran Liturgy, teaches D.Min. and continuing education courses at CTSFW, and serves on the LCMS Commission on Theology ...

2 months ago

2 hours 14 minutes

On The Line

Christian Preus: Epic Bible Study on Genesis

Rev. Dr. Christian Preus is pastor of Mount Hope Lutheran Church in Casper, Wyoming, and Chairman of the Board of Regents for Luther Classical College. He holds a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Iowa and an M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. A scholar and translator, his works include Philip Melanchthon’s Loci Communes 1521 and contributions to Luther’s Works. Dr. Preus is also editor of Christian Culture: A Magazine for Lutherans and a frequent contributor to ...

2 months ago

1 hour 34 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Jamison Hardy: Major Updates on the Concordia Universities

Rev. Dr. Jamison J. Hardy is a former district president in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a member of the President of the Concordia University System. A lifelong Lutheran, Hardy was born in Bay City, Michigan, and attended Lutheran schools before earning his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University Wisconsin and his M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. He brings pastoral care, administrative leadership, and theological clarity to his roles within both church ...

2 months ago

2 hours 13 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Joel Okamoto: What Hinduism and Buddhism Believe (and How Christianity Differs)

About Today’s Guest Dr. Joel P. Okamoto is the Waldemar and Mary Griesbach Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he has served on the faculty since 1998. A former MIT graduate turned theologian, he brings rigorous thought to questions of truth, Christian witness, and systematic theology in a post-Christian world. His writing explores the intersection of faith, American culture, and Lutheran theology, and he has played a key role in shaping seminary curriculu...

2 months ago

1 hour 50 minutes

On The Line

Caleb Keith: Wrestling with Sanctification & the Theology of the Cross

Caleb Keith is a Lutheran theologian and podcast producer at 1517, where he serves as the voice behind The Thinking Fellows and Outlaw God podcasts and oversees the 1517 Podcast Network. He graduated summa cum laude as an Honors Scholar from Concordia University Irvine and holds an MA in systematic and philosophical theology from the University of Nottingham. In 2018, he published a translation of Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation. Caleb lives in California with his wife Erika and their four ch...

3 months ago

2 hours 19 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Joel Elowsky: The Early Church Was Lutheran

Rev. Dr. Joel C. Elowsky is Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he also directs the Center for the Study of Early Christian Texts. A leading scholar of the early church, African Christianity, and patristic exegesis, Elowsky has edited and authored numerous works, including volumes in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and Ancient Christian Texts series. He previously served at Concordia University Wisconsin and held academic and research posts c...

3 months ago

1 hour 56 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Larry Sanger: The Eucharist: Symbolic or Real? | Wikipedia Founder Debates

Dr. Larry Sanger is a philosopher, technologist, and co-founder of Wikipedia, one of the world's most widely used reference platforms. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and has spent his career shaping the landscape of online knowledge and advocating for decentralization, transparency, and intellectual freedom. In recent years, Sanger experienced a profound shift (from agnosticism to Christianity) prompted by deep reflection on truth, meaning, and the foundations o...

3 months ago

3 hours

On The Line

Dr. Larry Sanger: Why Wikipedia Founder Converted From Agnostic To Christianity

Dr. Larry Sanger is a philosopher, technologist, and co-founder of Wikipedia, one of the world's most widely used reference platforms. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and has spent his career shaping the landscape of online knowledge and advocating for decentralization, transparency, and intellectual freedom. In recent years, Sanger experienced a profound shift (from agnosticism to Christianity) prompted by deep reflection on truth, meaning, and the foundations o...

3 months ago

1 hour 50 minutes

On The Line

Dr. Jon Bruss: Residential Seminary Is The Gold Standard

Please note: We apologize for the audio issues between 45:57 and the first break at 1:05:21. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Rev. Dr. Jon S. Bruss is the seventeenth president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and is an associate professor of systematic theology. With a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an M.Div. from Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Bruss brings decades of experience in both higher education and pastoral ministry. He has...

3 months ago

1 hour 51 minutes

On The Line

Why Felix Loc converted from Evangelical to Lutheran

Felix Loc is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, overseeing the national office's operations and supporting the Synod president's strategic work. With a background in organizational leadership and a deep commitment to the LCMS’s confessional identity, Loc plays a key role in guiding the Church’s mission and structure. His work bridges theology and administration, ensuring the Synod remains faithful and effective in a changing world. Check Out Our New Webs...

4 months ago

1 hour 10 minutes

On The Line

Jeff Hemmer: How the Industrial Revolution Broke the Family & Gender Roles

Rev. Jeff Hemmer is an LCMS pastor serving in St. Louis and a leading voice on recovering godly masculinity within the Church. He is the author of "Man Up! The Quest for Masculinity," a bold theological call to men to embrace their created vocation with courage, responsibility, and faithfulness. With pastoral insight and cultural clarity, Hemmer addresses the crisis of manhood in today’s world through the lens of Scripture and Lutheran theology. Check Out Our New Website! https://onthelin...

4 months ago

2 hours 5 minutes

On The Line

Hans Fiene: Jewish-Christian Tension, Misguided Zeal, & Overcoming Depression

Rev. Hans Fiene is the pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crestwood, Missouri. He is the creator of Lutheran Satire, a multimedia project that uses humor to teach and defend the Christian faith. A graduate of Indiana University and Concordia Theological Seminary, Rev. Fiene has served congregations in Colorado and Illinois before beginning his service at Prince of Peace in June 2020. He also contributes to The Federalist and WORLD, where he writes on cultural and religious issues fr...

4 months ago

2 hours 13 minutes