The book of James: Active in using prayer
From Jesus comes an example of how to pray. On the mountaintops and in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed for strength to do his Father’s will. From Jesus also…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Public ministers of the gospel are called to serve
Priests in the Middle Ages had two primary tasks: Correctly perform the sacraments of the church to earn God’s grace on behalf of the people and listen to confession. The…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: The church is believers in Jesus
In Luther’s days, there were differing views about what the church looked like. The Roman Catholic Church considered the one holy church to be the church of Rome. Others, like…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: God’s different work in two kingdoms
There has always been tension between the church and government. At various times and places in history, the government has tried to wipe out the church. At other times, the…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Vocation: Serving God and others
Monasticism received a lot of attention from Luther and his fellow reformers. They saw that the church promoted this “religious” way of life as the best way to improve a…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Faith-produced good works
One of the sharpest criticisms of Lutheran theology revolves around the subject of good works. The argument is directed against the teaching that a person is saved by grace alone…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Living a life of repentance
When Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses, he was seeking a debate on the issue of indulgences, especially as they related to the repentance of the Christian. He emphasized this…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Lord’s Supper
Teachings about the Lord’s Supper separate most of the various branches of Christianity. When true Lutherans accept this teaching of the Scriptures, they stand apart from other Christians. Roman Catholicism…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Baptism
Most American Protestant Christians have views of Baptism different from Lutherans. Some see Baptism as little more than a dedication ceremony where the parents are promising to raise their child…