Be reconciled to God!

In Christ's body on the cross, God reconciled us to Himself, not counting our sins against us.

Because of our sin we deserve God's wrath. But by His death, Jesus Christ paid completely for all of our sins. Now we have peace with God! And because Jesus rose from the dead, we have eternal and abundant life!

Put your faith in Jesus. Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins! Receive Christ's Body and Blood, given and shed for you!

"Immanuel" means "God with us"

How can one man's death accomplish so much? We find the answer from two men, one a prophet of Israel, the other an eyewitness to all that Jesus said and did.

Isaiah writes, "So the LORD Himself with give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel [God with us]."

John tells us, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God....The Word became Human and lived among us. We saw His glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with His only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth...."

Jesus was (and is) God in the flesh--God with us!

Oktoberfest 2008

Check out photos from our Oktoberfest here (password needed).

'Twas on One Sunday Mornin'

The Lutheran Confessions

The Book of Concord

A summary of the faith once for all delivered to the saints can be found in the Book of Concord, a compilation of the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. We accept these Confessions because they are derived from the Word of God and are a faithful exposition of its teachings.

God will bless you as you study His word!

The Nicene Creed

One brief summary of the Apostolic Faith is The Nicene Creed, confessed by the Church for nearly two millennia:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried.

And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.

And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, Whose kingdom will have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic Church, we acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

* "catholic" means "universal"

Three Solas

Our sole source of authority for all matters pertaining to life and doctrine is the Holy Scriptures (Sola Scriptura).

From these, we learn that a person is declared holy in God's sight by"

God's grace alone (Sola Gratia),
through faith alone (Sola Fide),
in Christ alone.

The ancient Biblical texts are our sole authority for life and doctrine because Jesus said, "[Father] Your Word is truth" (John 17).

In this Word, God shows us that we are completely unable to please Him by our own efforts; we habitually break His commandments by what we think, say, and do, and by what we leave undone. We are miserable sinners who deserve God's anger and punishment. He says, "by works of the law no human being will be justified [declared "innocent"] in His sight," for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . ." (Romans 3).

The Scriptures also reveal to us the wonderful news that God loved each of us so much that He sent His One and Only Son to suffer the punishment for sin that we deserve. Jesus "was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53).

By His Sacrifice, once for all, God has forever made peace between us and Himself!

His Word tells us also that "to the one who does not work but trusts Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness . . ." (Romans 4).

We no longer live to please our sinful nature, nor do we try to earn God's favor. Instead, we show our thankfulness for His great mercy.

We live by faith in Christ, Who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14).

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