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 […]
Matthew 28:16-20: The Holy Trinity
June 15, 2014 by
Right now, I’m going to warn you. I’m going to use the word “catholic” a lot in this sermon. That’s because “catholic” is a Lutheran word, even a Christian word! When we let the Roman-Catholic Church steal that word away from us, and claim full right to it, we have only become the poorer for […]
Acts 2:1-21: The Holy Spirit working through the Word
June 8, 2014 by
On the day of Pentecost, people gathered because they heard a powerful, mighty wind. And as they gathered, curious about the sound, they saw something astounding. Tongues of fire had come down on the New-Covenant Church, on all 120 people. Of course, none of us has experienced such an event. And that makes perfect sense. […]
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 […]
Mark 16:19: Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God the Father
June 1, 2014 by
Our Lord’s ascension is a continuing celebration of His incarnation. It celebrates that Jesus, true God of true God, became man. Jesus became man to save us from our sins. But it was more than that: He also came to raise us up in Himself, all so we could share in God’s divine nature, as […]
Augsburg Confession, Articles 10 (continued), 12
May 31, 2014 by
Review on the Lord’s Supper: Closed Communion Last week, we looked at what we believe about the Lord’s Supper (and confession and absolution). In today’s culture, we may have many who will visit our congregation and NOT believe that they are receiving Jesus’ body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. In Luther’s day, such […]
