This edition of The Lutheran Witness podcast was recorded almost a year ago in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. In this episode, we speak with Sandra, an American living in Germany and working with the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. She discusses her life between Germany and the USA, and the great privilege and opportunity she has to help care for refugees in Germany.
For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025.
To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church.
Photo credit: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford
For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.
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“Substitutes” LW Searching Scripture, August 2025: Genesis 17:15–21 and 22:1–18
In May, we studied Exodus 12:1–14, which introduced the idea of substitution: In order to escape the destroyer, who would kill the firstborn male of every family as a judgment on Egypt, an unblemished male lamb had to be killed and its blood sprinkled on the lintels and doorposts of Israelite houses. The Passover lamb was a substitute for the firstborn males of Israel, and St. Paul makes the connection with Jesus explicit when he says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Later in the same Epistle, St. Paul emphasizes the substitutionary work of Jesus, teaching that it was “of first importance … that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). In addition to the Passover lamb, there are other substitutes in the Old Testament that point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. These will be the subject of this study.
Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the August 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Substitutes” on Genesis 17:15–21 and 22:1–18. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!
Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.
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Baptized into Christ: Sebastian’s Story
This edition of The Lutheran Witness podcast was recorded almost a year ago in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. In it, we speak to Sebastian, who was baptized during our trip to Germany. In this podcast, he discusses the importance of dreams in Iranian culture, how he came to faith, and how the Lord is working through Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany.
For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025.
To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church.
For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.
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Persians Find a New Home in Christ in Germany
In this podcast recorded almost a year ago, the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, the Rev. Dr. David Preus and the Rev. Dr. Christian Tiews join the podcast to discuss the work at Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. This congregation of the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK) cares for Persian immigrants seeking asylum in Germany. The conversation includes an explanation of the political situation in Germany, and the LCMS mission with Farsi speakers in Germany and beyond.
For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025.
To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church.
For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.
The Walking Together column in The Lutheran Witness is a regular column that features congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In this special edition of the LW podcast, we interview the Rev. Jonathon Krenz, pastor of Augustana. He talks about the struggles of starting a church plant without a physical building, and what it’s like being a pastor in Moscow, Idaho.
For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.
The Lutheran Witness provides readings of all the articles posted on LW website, witness.lcms.org. The Lutheran Witness is an official periodical of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (Visit lcms.org to learn more). Subscribe to the print edition of LW at cph.org/witness. For additional stories and articles that help you interpret the world from a Lutheran perspective, visit the LW website.
South Africa