Pastor Matt Harrison, President of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Senate, is the author of the

Issues, etc. book of the month for June. Take courage encouraging words for discouraging times.

This new resource reminds discouraged Christians of the one thing right in the world,

the person who alone has overcome the world. Find out more about take courage at issuesetc.org

or by calling Concordia Publishing House 1-800-325-3040. Take courage by Pastor Matt Harrison,

the Issues, etc. book of the month.

In my place, I must and not to speak. Then to my mercy grace, less I offend the weak.

Stanza 3 of the hymn, O God, my faithful God, the hymn of the day for this coming Sunday,

the 4th Sunday, after Trinity. In the gospel ring for that Sunday, Jesus says judge not,

and you will not be judged condemn not, and you will not be condemned forgive, and you will be

forgiven. Those words follow upon Jesus beginning where he says be merciful, even as your father

is merciful. Welcome back to Issuesetc.org, live on this Wednesday afternoon, June 28.

I'm Todd Wilkin, thanks for tuning us in. We'll be looking forward to Sunday morning,

according to the one-year electionary, the 4th Sunday, after Trinity. Pastor Peter Bender joins

us. He is Pastor of Peace, Lutheran Church, in Sussex, Wisconsin, and Director of the Concordia

Catacetical Academy. Peter, welcome. Good to be with you, Todd. This upcoming gospel reading

so often misunderstood by unbelievers, they know those words judge not unless you be judge,

and often misapplied even by believers. Why is that? No kidding. The reason for that

is because they interpret this judge not as a, you have no right to discern whether what I am

doing is good, bad, or indifferent. That is my choice. Even your own scripture say judge not,

which of course is not what Jesus is talking about at all. He's talking about it's not given to

us to condemn people to hell. It absolutely is given to the Christian, according to the word of

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