A Brief History of Power
Every Monday and Thursday Dr. Koontz, Pastor Fisk, and Pastor Grills along with friends and guests explore truths and falsehoods, forgotten ways and forgettable fads, so that you can live wisely.
Brief#43 A Primary Allegiance to Christ - Part 1
Charlie Ungemach of Gird Up Ministries talks with Dr Adam Koontz about putting political loyalties for the Christian in their right place, and how culture and media affects generational differences.
Watch the full episode
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#356 Three Questions about the Church and Its Future
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about pastors taking calls and moving across the country, how to know when to leave for another church, and LCMS congregational culture and leadership.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem, Memento, and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#43 How to Learn when You Never Learned Anything in School
Dr Adam Koontz talks about growing in knowledge and wisdom, and the importance of reading and reflection.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#355 Confessions, Cryptids & the Baptist Belt
Brian Yamabe talks with Pr Willie Grills on Synod Stories about his journey in the ministry, spiritual discipline, the history of pastoral formation, and the SMP program.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem, Memento, and Gnesio Health
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#42 Is the Pope Catholic? Political Commitments and Church Teachings
Dr Adam Koontz talks about the Roman Catholic positions on war and immigration since the Second Vatican Council.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#354 The Pocket Constitution Gap
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about the establishment of Lutheran synods in America, the problem with elevating cultural norms to the level of Biblical standards, and caring too much about internal politics.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#41 How Do I Help My Pastor Do His Job?
Dr Adam Koontz talks about the duties of the pastor and helping those struggling in them.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#353 Endo's Silence: Persecution, Apostasy, and the Silence of God
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills discuss Christianity in feudal Japan and whether persecution is good for the Church.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#40 Comfortably Numb: Nihilism in Our Time
Dr Adam Koontz talks about nihilism and its causes in our current age.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP Classics - What is Zionism?
In This BHoP Classics rebroadcast Dr Adam Koontz talks about Zionism, its origins in 19th century nationalism, the establishment of Jewish nation state, the politics of Jews in the diaspora, and the confusion of Christian Zionism.
Scripture references for the episode include Romans 9-11, 1 Thessalonians 2, and John 18
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#352 Our Identity and God's Creation
Dr Adam Koontz talks at Lutherske Fordybelsesdage about how living our lives defined by God's creation and speaking to those who are living in rebellion against it.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#351 Theologies of War in the Middle East
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about the historical Christian idea of Just War, how modern armaments and media change how people think about war, how a wrong understanding of the temple leads to Zionism, and the distinction between Shia and Sunni Islam.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music...
BHoP#350 Luther's Doctrine of Creation and Defending Creation Today
Dr Adam Koontz talks at Lutherske Fordybelsesdage about how Luther understands the creation account in Genesis and the age of the earth.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#349 Thoughts on Giving to Missions, Pastoral Formation, and the Importance of Japan
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about congregations giving to missions with different confessions, the outsized role of Japan in American culture and history, and pastoral formation at Loehe's time in Germany.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#39 Why Marriage Matters So Much
Dr Adam Koontz talks about the importance of marriage and what individuals, churches, and society at large can do to facilitate and encourage it.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#348 Your Questions on Church Life and History - Governance, Seminex, Pastors Being Weird
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about Policy Based Governance in the church, the life and works of Dr. Arthur Carl Piepkorn, and unapproachable pastors.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#38 Suspicion and Trust in the LCMS
Dr Adam Koontz talks about what causes coldness and distrust between Lutheran congregations and how cooperation and trust can be fostered in both the laity and the clergy.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#347 Time to Lean, Time to Clean: The Story of Ray Kroc and the Rise of McDonald's
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about Ray Kroc and his role in the rise of McDonald's, the developments of the Burger Wars, and comparisons with denominational inconsistency.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#37 Bushido: The Soul of Japan
Col Willie Grills talks about Nitobe Inazō and his book Bushido: The Soul of Japan, and how it shaped the West's perception of samurai.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#346 Baptism, Confessional Christianity, and Cultivating Character
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk answer listener questions about the written or implied confessions of typical American congregations, having a knowledge and confidence in the Scriptures, distinctions between the sacraments, and seeking counsel from one's friends and pastor.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#36 Reviewing Memento with Jarryd Allison
Dr Adam Koontz talks to Jarryd Allison about his experience using Memento, the benefits of fasting, and potential objections.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#345 "Dirty Harry" and Vigilante America
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about the film Dirty Harry, the significance of the time and place of its setting, why its portrayal of justice outside the law appeals to its audience, and the changes in policing in the last fifty years.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music...
Brief#35 Questions on whether Film Makes Us all Voyeurs and on whether Closed Communion is Too Scary
Dr Adam Koontz answers listener emails about the making of film, and the communion practices of the early Christian church.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#344 Confessional Christianity and the Baptist Tradition: A Conversation with a Baptist Pastor and Professor
Dr Adam Koontz interviews Pr Joshua Tinkham about the history of the Baptist confessions, Associationalism, and the Baptist understanding of the sacraments.
Pr Joshua Tinkham - Covenant Community Church, Founders Seminary
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#343 Pastoral Formation - Part 3
Brian Yamabe talks with Dr Adam Koontz about the scriptural and historical modes of pastoral formation, the changing nature of education in the internet age, and expectations for what will come in the future.
Listen to the full interview Here or on YouTube
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Check out the 2026 Men's Gathering
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#342 Elites Part 2 - To Be and Not to Seem
Dr Adam Koontz follows up the episode on elites by talking about their purpose, what separates them from the merely rich or influential, and how a democratic society produces leaders focused on appearances.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#341 Pastoral Formation - Part 2
Brian Yamabe talks with Dr Adam Koontz about the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to pastoral formation and what that education needs to achieve.
Listen to the full interview Here or on YouTube
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#340 Evil Underneath - The Horror of "Lost Highway"
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about David Lynch's film Lost Highway, confronting your own sin, and why the film portrays the horror of evil so well.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsors, Ad Crucem and Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#339 Pastoral Formation - Part 1
Brian Yamabe talks with Dr Adam Koontz about the Koinonia gathering which discussed pastoral formation issues, and the positions on either side of the debate.
Listen to the full interview Here or on YouTube
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#338 Minnesota Church Invasion, Holy Places, and Immigration
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about the invasion of Cities Church in St Paul, MN, practices to safeguard churchgoers and attitudes towards them, and how people see the doctrine of two kingdoms applied to immigration.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#337 Can We Have an Elite?
Dr Adam Koontz talks about why Lutherans have no cultural elites, the societal mechanisms that create an elite, and what elites are supposed to do.
Links:
https://firstthings.com/the-problem-with-the-evangelical-elite/
https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-problem-with-the-evangelical-elite
https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/comments-on-the-evangelical-elite
https://americanreformer.org/2025/12/why-are-there-no-evangelical-elites/
https://americanreformer.org/2025/12/toward-an-elite-doctrine-of-vocation/
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#336 The Transformation from Republic to Principate and Why It Matters
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about Rome's transition from republic to empire, how the church behaves in relation to government and often mirrors its structure, and why agreeableness is important in a heterogeneous society.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#34 The Invasion of Panama
Col Willie Grills talk about the US invasion of Panama and compares it to current military actions in Venezuela.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
Brief#33 Overcoming Christian Nihilism
Dr Adam Koontz follows up the brief on preferred pronouns and answers the question, "Why does what we say matter when God will save all his elect?"
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#335 A Brief Christmas Part 2 - The Heavenly Christmas Tree
Col Willie Grills reads two short Christmas stories.
The Heavenly Christmas Tree by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#334 A Brief Christmas Part 1 - Thy Lowly Shrine
Dr Adam Koontz reads various Christmas poems.
Christmas Day by John Keble
A New Christmas Carol by Arthur Machen
A Letter from Santa Claus by Mark Twain
The Christmas Tree by Robert William Service
Journey of the Magi by T. S. Eliot
A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Ad...
Brief#32 Preferable Pronouns
Dr Adam Koontz talks about withstanding the pressure to declare your pronouns and use those that others insist upon in work and in your family, and why acquiescing actually harms your ability to be a faithful witness to the truth.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Dr Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#333 Appalachistan Is Just a Meme
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills talk about Appalachia, how dependence on government support hurts a people, and people lose can their dignity even while leaving poverty.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#332 Church Polity in Christ's Way
Dr Adam Koontz speaks at the Chemnitz Conference 2025 about the scriptural model of the church, Jerusalem in the book of Acts, and how human traditions are increased while divine commands are diminished.
Watch the talk on YouTube
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Music thanks to Verny
BHoP#331 Listener Questions on Inviting People to Church, Confronting Sin, and Ecumenism
Dr Adam Koontz and Col Willie Grills answer listener emails about how to bring those living in sin into the church, how to talk to your family who have fallen away from the faith, and whether recent developments in the Catholic church are movements toward ecumenism.
Visit our website - A Brief History of Power
Sign up for Memento, a Lutheran devotional for men.
Thanks to our sponsor, Gnesio Health
Dr Adam Koontz - Redeemer Lutheran Church
Pr. Willie Grills - Zion Lutheran Church
Music thanks to...
