Reflection

About Reflection

On the Reflection podcast Ed Blonski has conversations with interesting people to talk about: -How God has made a difference in their lives -Equipped them to make a difference in other people's lives -What they are actually doing to make a difference in other people's lives The Reflection Podcast is here to encourage you to see how God can use you to change the lives of others in this increasingly insane world.

Publisher

St. Matthew Lutheran Church

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Aug 2023

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

71 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Rooted and Growing - The Story of St Matthew

   For more than 160 years, God has sustained His Church in a little corner of Lake County, Illinois. What began in 1863 with thirteen German Lutheran families has grown into generations of Word and Sacrament ministry, Christian education, missionary outreach, and faithful witness. On this episode we journey through the remarkable history of St. Matthew Lutheran Church. Along the way, we'll explore the world in which the congregation was born during the Civil War, trace the waves of immigration that shaped its identity, witness the challenges of war, depression, social change, and pandemic, and hear the stories of ordinary Christians whose faithfulness left an extraordinary legacy. You'll hear the story of a pastor's conversation with one farming family that ultimately helped produce generations of pastors and church workers. You'll hear about the challenges of speaking and worshiping in German during World War I. You'll experience the joy of growth, the heartbreak of a devastating church fire just days before Christmas, and the determination of a congregation that continued to gather around God's Word no matter the circumstances. More than a history lesson, this episode is a testimony to God's faithfulness across generations. Through changing times, changing cultures, and changing communities, the mission has remained the same: proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. Whether you're a member of St. Matthew, a student of church history, or simply someone who loves stories of faith and perseverance, this episode offers a window into how God works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things over time. "One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:4) Join us as we look back with gratitude, celebrate God's blessings in the present, and look forward in faith to what He will do next. #StMatthewLutheran #ChurchHistory #LCMS #Lutheran #ChristianPodcast #LakeCountyIllinois #FaithLegacy #LutheranChurchMissouriSynod #ChristianHistory #ChurchAnniversary #GodsFaithfulness #RootedAndGrowing #ChristianHeritage #Psalm1454

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   The Great Awakenings in America: Revival, Renewal, and a Lutheran Reflection

   What were the Great Awakenings? Were they genuine movements of the Holy Spirit, emotional excesses, or something in between? In this episode of The Reflection Podcast, Pastor Ed Blonski explores the major revival movements that shaped American Christianity, from the First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s through the revival campaigns of Dwight L. Moody and the rise of Pentecostalism. Along the way, we examine the lives and ministries of key figures such as Gilbert Tennent, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, and Dwight L. Moody, and consider how their influence continues to be felt today. This episode explores: • The religious landscape of Colonial America before the First Great Awakening • The ministries of Tennent, Edwards, and Whitefield • The rise of revivalism and the debate between "Old Lights" and "New Lights" • The Cane Ridge Revival and the frontier camp meeting movement • Charles Finney's "new measures" and their impact on American evangelicalism • The Third Great Awakening and its connection to missions, social reform, abolition, and temperance • Dwight L. Moody's transformation of mass evangelism • The Azusa Street Revival and the growth of Pentecostalism • Whether America may be experiencing another spiritual awakening today • A Confessional Lutheran assessment of revival movements, conversion, and the Means of Grace Throughout the episode, we ask an important question: How should Christians evaluate revival movements? From a Confessional Lutheran perspective, we rejoice whenever Christ is proclaimed and sinners come to faith, while also examining revival theology through the lens of Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and God's promised means of grace. Featured Figures • Gilbert Tennent • Jonathan Edwards • George Whitefield • Charles Finney • Dwight L. Moody • Ira D. Sankey • Walter A. Maier Resources Mentioned • Gilbert Tennent: Son of Thunder by Milton J. Coalter Jr. (https://a.co/d/04jmoip0) • Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden (https://a.co/d/07AmaEPT) • Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Iain H. Murray (https://a.co/d/0blukLoq) • The Divine Dramatist by Harry S. Stout (https://a.co/d/02BlsXK3) • George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore (https://a.co/d/0ajlZy6L) • Charles G. Finney and the Spirit of American Evangelicalism by Charles E. Hambrick-Stowe (https://a.co/d/04yFhVLe) • A Passion for Souls: The Life of D. L. Moody by Lyle W. Dorsett (https://a.co/d/06OmlbrQ) 📖 Learn more about St. Matthew Lutheran Church (https://stmatts.net) 👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone interested in American history, church history, theology, or revival movements. #GreatAwakening #ChurchHistory #JonathanEdwards #GeorgeWhitefield #CharlesFinney #DLMoody #Lutheran #ChristianHistory #Revival #Theology #AmericanHistory #ReflectionPodcast

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   How We Got the Bible

   How did the Bible come from God’s Word spoken to God’s Word in your hands? In this episode of The Reflection Podcast, a ministry of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, we begin Season 7 with a new format and a deep dive into one of the most important questions of the Christian faith: How We Got the Bible. We’ll trace the story of Scripture from oral tradition to written text, from Moses and the prophets to the Septuagint, from the eyewitness testimony of the apostles to the formation of the New Testament, and from ancient manuscripts to the Bible translations we read today. Along the way, we’ll consider how God preserved His Word through centuries of copying, translating, preaching, teaching, and confessing. This episode also explores why Christians can trust the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, living Word of God—historically reliable, textually preserved, theologically unified, and centered in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Whether you are new to the Bible, returning to Scripture, or looking to better understand how God’s Word has been handed down through the centuries, this episode will help you see the Bible as a miracle of history, a gift of grace, and the living Word that brings you Christ. Learn more about St. Matthew Lutheran Church here (https://www.stmatts.net/). Subscribe to The Reflection Podcast, share this episode with a friend, and join us for more reflections on faith, Scripture, and everyday life. Gospel of Jesus Bible Study (https://youtu.be/tFmFYxn34GM?si=SlcVxxSmQIXEHAKP) Conversation with former curator of the Museum of the Bible (https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/OKB8M5sVF6b)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings