Beloved Friends in Christ,

So what does it mean to be a Lutheran Christian? And what are the differences between what we as confessional Lutherans and other Christians believe? Do the differences really matter?

Many Lutherans, sadly, are unable to give an answer to these questions. More troubling still is that many Lutherans, and Christians in general, don't care. They don't care that there are significant differences between church bodies and they don't care to know what they are. To say it another way, many Christians-perhaps even most-are unconcerned about what the Word of God actually teaches on a given issue.

Instead, their priorities are that the preacher delivers a good sermon, the members are friendly and they themselves are happy. But that begs the question: happy about what? If happiness comes at the expense of what God's Word teaches, as sometimes it does, that happiness is actually sinful.

In today's individualistic society, that sinful desire for personal happiness abounds. Denominational differences aside, many Christians (or Christians in name only) live as they please, contrary to the clear teaching of God's Word. They believe that it is alright to pick and choose which part of God's Word they will keep.

It is that very individualism that is infecting even some of the most devout Christians when it comes to the making of a denominational choice. They believe that they should be allowed to pick and choose. They would like to pretend that the doctrinal differences that initially caused the creation of these denominations are no longer relevant.

But God's Word-every part of it-is always relevant. We must always take care to maintain the truth as we know it.

Of course that means that we must first know the truth. So why are we confessional Lutherans? This fall, we will try to address that question through a sermon series called "The Lutheran Difference!" Take a look below to find out more about this upcoming sermon series

In His service,

Pastor Richard A. Frey

This fall, beginning on Sunday, September 7, 2008 and ending in the Advent season, a ten week sermon series, called "The Lutheran Difference!" will be offered. Some Sundays, such as Thanksgiving and Sundays when a guest preacher is at St. Paul's, will be skipped and so stretch the series out.

Sermon titles will be:

1. Grace (Putting the Emphasis where it Belongs)
2. God's Word (the Truth that Matters)
3. Original Sin (Life from Death)
4. Faith (the Work of the Holy Spirit)
5. Holy Baptism (God's Cleansing Flood)
6. The Lord's Supper (Who's Remembering Whom)
7. Confession & Absolution (Keys Meant for Comfort)
8. Church & State (God's Two Kingdoms)
9. Law & Gospel (a Proper Distinction)
10. Mercy (a Theology of the Cross)