Burden and Blessing Podcast

CPR - The Divine Call

In today's podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Neal Radichel discuss the topic of the Divine Call. In one sense, all Christians have a divine call from the Lord as described in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” But typically when we talk about the Divine Call, we are talking about a call to the Public Ministry - when a congregation or a church body calls a pastor or teacher to serve them. In many denominations, the calling of a pastor or teacher is very similar to the process of applying for any other job. In the Lutheran church, we take a much different approach when it comes to issuing a call. Our discussion will define the Divine Call, discuss how we typically go about issuing a call, and how a pastor or teacher go about deciding what to do when they receive a call. We pray that this study will be informative and beneficial to you!

Bible Study - Leviticus 16

In this Bible Study episode, Pastor Neal Radichel is joined by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew to look at the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. They dig into this very important chapter which helps us understand the entire book of Leviticus and also sheds light on the purpose of the work of Jesus as the Christ. They take a look at a couple of important Bible words in this chapter: Atonement, Skape Goat, and Offering, explain the context of Leviticus 16 and what it meant for God's Old Testament people and what it means for us as New Testament Christians. You won't want to miss this impoant journey through Leviticus 16!

Word of the Week: Denomination

In our Word of the Week Pastor Nathanael Mayhew takes us into the word denomination. This is not used in the Bible but something that we should know and understand in our current religious landscape today. A denomination is a group or affiliation of churches that gather together because they share a common belief. Sometimes we call this a synod or a church body. Some people say that they don't go to church at all because there are so many differences between churches and they don't know which one is right. First of all, let's be sure that God's Word is true, and differences between church denominations don't make God's Word false or worthless. The problem which causes denominations is sin and false teaching which God has warned His people about throughout history. Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul and Peter all warn about the danger of false teachers and tell believers to stay away from them. It is because of false teaching that we have so many churches teaching different things today. But God's Truth CAN still be known. We can study His word and compare it with the teachings of different churches to see what is false and what is true. May the LORD bless us through the study of His Word of Truth and lead us to gather with others who believe and teach the same thing!

CPR - Does Podcasting Hurt Preaching?

In today's podcast, Pastors Nathanael Mayhew, Mark Tiefel, Neal Radichel, and Rob Sauers all gather together for a roundtable discussion on podcasting. Our discussion is in response to a recent article published in Christianity Today entitled "How Podcasting Hurts Preaching" which you can read by clicking here. As the title of the article suggests, the author argues that podcasting takes away from the value of the Sunday sermon, even causing some not to see the value in going to church at all. In our discussion, we will highlight the importance of gathering together for worship regularly while also pointing out how podcasts like ours and sermons you may listen to online can be beneficial to you in your daily Christian walk. 

Word of the Week - Conception

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Rob Sauers takes up a study of the word conception. This week marks the 45th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed women to abort their unborn children in our country. Related to this decision is the debate as to when human life begins. Does it begin at conception or sometime later? We, of course, have laws in our country against taking another person’s life. But isn’t that what we’re doing in an abortion? To try to relieve this tension, those who support abortion say that human life does not begin at conception, but rather, either when the fetus could survive outside of the womb or when the child is born.
Does God’s Word have anything to say about this? It most certainly does! Our study will look at those key Scripture passages that deal with this topic, and we will see that God’s Word clearly indicates that life begins at conception.

Review: Patterns of Evidence

Pastors Nathanael Mayhew and Neal Radichel give a summary and review of the documentary "Patterns of Evidence: Exodus" in our podcast today. This video is available for purchase or on Netflix and covers the investigation of a man into the history of the Children of Israel in Egypt and their Exodus to the Land of Canaan. They will discuss some of the important archeological discoveries that verify the historical accuracy of the Biblical account of the Israelites in Egypt and their conquest of Canaan. They will also look into some of the reasons why this information is not better known today. In addition, this is not the typical documentery.  Filled with pictures, animation and computer aided reinactments, along with interviews with real people this is sure to keep you interested. If you are interested in the history of the Old Testament and how archeology verifies the Bible, you won't want to miss this documentary. 

Word of the Week - Marriage

In our Word of the Week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of marriage. Marriage is under attack from many angles in our society today. As Christians, we can get caught up in talking about all of the sins against marriage that we sometimes forget about all of the blessings. As a result, there is a growing trend of people who no longer want to pursue marriage. Our study will remind us of all of the blessings that God intends for us to enjoy in marriage. We pray that this study will help you to see how the Lord intends to bless us through marriage.

CPR - Stewardship Part 2 - Making a Plan

On today's CPR episode, Mike Schierenbeck and Pastor Neal Radichel join us again to discuss part 2 in their series on Christian Stewardship. Part 1 dealt with the motivation for giving, and that really is the first step of the topic for this podcast - developing a plan for Christian Stewardship. The point of developing a plan is so that our giving will be purposeful and intentional. This begins with the understanding that we give not out of obligation or in order to earn heaven, but rather in thankfulness for all that the Lord has given to us. In this study, we will be encouraged to give as the Lord prospers us (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:2). We will also explore some of the personal challenges we face in giving as well as some ways we can talk about this important, but not always easy to talk about, subject. We pray that this study will encourage you to consider your own stewardship as you seek to express your thankfulness to the Lord for all He has done for you.

CPR - Are You Motivated to Give? - Stewardship (Part 1)

In today's CPR, Retired Pastor Mike Schierenbeck joins Pastor Neal Radichel to discuss the topic of Christian Stewardship and specifically, what our motivation should be as we bring our tithes and offerings before the Lord. This can be a difficult topic to discuss because of the fear of giving the wrong impression that the church is all about money. However, we should discuss this topic as it shows us the privilege we have to give thanks to our God by giving back to Him from what He has so graciously given to us. In our study, we will discuss what it means to be a steward, what some of the wrong motivations are in giving, and finally, what the proper motivation should be for Christian Stewardship. We pray that this study will be a blessing to you!

Word of the Week - Resolution

In this week's Word of the Week, Pastor Mark Tiefel takes us through a study of the word "resolution." This is a word that is commonly used as we begin a new year. The word itself has two main meanings: to make a decision about something or to bring something to completion. We see both of these concepts at the beginning of a new year as we look at the things we want to accomplish or change. As we think about the resolutions we want to make in 2018, we will be encouraged through this study not to lose sight of the resolutions that God has made for us through our Savior Jesus. We pray that knowing what Jesus has done for you will give you a joyful outlook as you look ahead to the new year.