AC XIX: The Cause of Sin Concerning the cause of sin, our churches teach that–although God creates and preserves nature–the cause of sin is located in the will of those who are evil, that is, of the devil and ungodly people. Without God’s help, the will of the wicked turns itself away from God, as […]
Acts, Lesson 6: Persecution from the Jewish Leadership
July 3, 2014 by
In last week’s lesson, Ananias and Sapphira had decided to deceive the Apostles and congregation in Jerusalem by stating they sold property for a certain amount, deliberately understating the amount they had received. After that fear-inducing event, Luke takes us to see what is going on with the Apostles in Jerusalem, in particular, Peter. […]
Acts, Lesson 5: Dissension Within the Ranks
June 29, 2014 by
In last week’s lesson, Peter was preaching within the Temple complex. Today, we learn how the Jewish leadership responded, especially the Sadducees. To understand their reaction, we need to know a bit about the Sadducees. The Sadducees The Sadducees emerged as a religious and political-interest group in the 2nd century BC, around the time […]
Augsburg Confession, Article 18: Free Will
June 26, 2014 by
AC XVIII: Freedom of the Human Will Our churches teach that a person has some freedom to choose civil righteousness and to do things subject to reason. However, it does not have the power to produce the righteousness of God or spiritual righteousness without the Holy Spirit. For the “unbeliever doesn’t accept what comes from […]
Augsburg Confession, Article 17
June 19, 2014 by
AC XVII: The Return of Christ as Judge Our churches also teach that at the end of the world Christ will appear for judgment and will raise up all the dead [1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:2]. He will give the godly and elect eternal life and endless joy, but He will condemn the ungodly and devils to […]
Acts, Lesson 4: The Faith being lived out
June 19, 2014 by
After seeing a glimpse into what the first New-Covenant Church’s worship looked like, Luke now takes us to see how the fellowship (communion) at the Altar was lived out in the lives of those first Christians. Communal Life of the Christians Read Acts 2:44-45 What did the intense spiritual unity among the first Christians lead […]
The Chasuble
June 19, 2014 by
This is our pastor’s article for the summer edition of our congregational newsletter. ———— Some of you have asked me over the last several years about the chasuble, the outer, poncho-like garment, I wear during the Lord’s Supper. I hope this article will help explain the origins of the chasuble and why your pastor wears one. […]
Augsburg Confession, Articles 15-16
June 18, 2014 by
AC XV: Church Ceremonies Our churches teach that those ceremonies should be observed that can be observed without sin. Also, ceremonies and other practices that contribute to peace and good order in the church, such as holy days, festivals, and the like, should be observed. Yet, the people are taught not to be burden consciences […]
Augsburg Confession, Articles 13-14
June 8, 2014 by
AC XIII: The Use of the Sacraments Our churches teach that the Sacraments were instituted, not merely to be marks of profession among people, but even more, to be signs and testimonies of the God’s will toward us, intended to awaken and strengthen faith in those who use them. That is why we must use […]
Acts, Lesson 3: A glimpse into the earliest New-Covenant Church
June 4, 2014 by
In the last lesson, pastor taught that the “they” in Acts 2:1 referred to the entire Christian Church at the time: those before whom Peter spoke (Acts 1:15). And we find more confirmation that more than just the Apostles spoke in other languages. Read Acts 2:5-13 What brought the Jews to where the Christians were […]
