Welcome to What do Lutherans believe? Grace Alone and the Cross Alone St. Luke’s Lutheran Church sola gratia et sola cruce Scripture Alone St. Luke’s Lutheran Church is a place to sola scriptura As sinners, we human beings rebel against call home. Through God’s word and the God. Simply put, we do not want God to two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Lutherans be God. Instead, we want to make our own Supper, Jesus Christ makes himself believe that the gods, or we want to make God in our own present here and now to welcome sinners Bible is the word image, or we even want to make ourselves home to God’s love and forgiveness. of God. The God. We at St. Luke’s want you to hear this Bible is com- posed in two So, God has taken decisive action. God has parts, the Old sent his Son, Jesus Christ, whom we Testament and sinners crucified, to bring us into a right the New Testament. relationship with God. Only a gracious Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ God could so freely give of himself to makes the Bible come alive and creates the remove us from our sin and set us free to faith which makes sinners right before live with God forever. The cross of Christ God. This teaching is called “justification is the eternal expression of this gracious by faith alone.” Sharing this good news love of God. (gospel) at the heart of the Bible is the mission of Christ’s church. As St. John writes, “For God so loved the good news (gospel) for a living faith in world that he gave his Jesus Christ. That is why we strive to teach Word Alone and Faith Alone only begotten son, in and preach the gospel as purely and order that all who solo verbo et sola fide clearly as possible so that you can hear believe in him should God speaking to you. This defines St. Lutherans understand Sin as unbelief in not perish but have Luke’s mission to be a “genuinely Lu- God as the only true God. Our broken eternal life” (John 3:16). theran” church. relationship with God can only be made right (justif ication) through faith alone in Likewise, St. Paul firmly the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through believed that “nothing in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, God all creation will be able to has revealed his love for us in an almost separate us from the love of unbelievable way. Through word and faith God in Christ Jesus our alone, the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, and Lord” (Romans 8:39). enlightens us in one true faith in Jesus Christ. Despite our remaining sin The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ (unbelief), we are sanctified and recon- demonstrate God’s invincible love for all ciled with God through word and faith humanity for all time. This promise of alone and given God’s promise of eternal eternal life is God’s gift of grace given only life. in the word of the cross of Christ. Who are Lutherans? St. Luke’s Lutheran Church The name “Lutheran” describes Christians Worship who cherish the theological insights of Dr. Martin Luther. Luther was an Augustinian Sunday - 9:00 am monk and professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany in the Sunday School to early 1500s. After a thorough study of the (for all ages) St. Luke’s Bible, Luther noticed that many of the practices of the Roman (Catholic) Church Sunday - 10:30 am Lutheran Church conflicted with the gospel teachings in the Bible. So, Luther sought to make the truths of the gospel known to both the pope and the public. Luther’s courageous efforts to reform the church won him both friends and enemies. In time, these efforts took hold, and today the Reformation has spread to all the world. Jesus said, “If you remain in my word, ... you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). 5150 Wilson Street What are Lutherans? La Mesa, California 91942 As Christians, Lutherans are Protestants. In fact, Lutherans are the original Protes- Telephone (619) 463-6633 tants. The name Protestant was first used Fax (619) 463-1468 in 1529. That year, princes and bishops We are called loyal to the pope tried to reverse the Reformation. In response, reform-minded www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org as a community of Christians princes and nobility “protested” against saved by grace such actions. Since that time, the name A Member Church -through faith alone in Jesus Christ- “Protestant” describes all Christians who of the Fellowship of Evangelical Lutheran Churches to spread the Holy Gospel put biblical teaching before the religious http://www.f-e-l-c.org in word, sacrament and action rites, rules, and restrictions required by soli deo gloria. the papal church. © Cymru Graphics