The Declaration of Independence says that we should each be free to pursue happiness. But we Christians are called to a higher expression of liberty--not a freedom that allows me to do whatever I want (for myself) but the freedom of patiently seeking the good of others above our own. This was a core principle of the Reformation that still needs to guide the church today!
Lesson 2
July 21, 2024
It may surprise you to know that Martin Luther was voted TIME magazine's most influential person of the last millennium. There are many reasons why Luther received such notoriety, but high among them is his influence on education. Luther maintained that it was in the best interest of the state and the eternal interest of saving souls for both boys and girls to be basically educated so that they could read and understand the Scriptures and apply and share them for themselves.
Lesson 3
July 28, 2024
The Roman Catholic Church of Luther's Day (and still today) teaches that sinners work together with God's grace to merit salvation. This necessarily means that there must be certain moral requirements that we must fulfill. In contrast, Luther found in Scripture the comforting message that Jesus has fulfilled all of God's commands, and therefore none of them earn our salvation. That does not mean that we jettison the Old Testament Law, but rather we see it in its proper light and original purpose.
Lesson 4
August 4, 2024
From the beginning of the Lutheran Reformation, Martin Luther and his associates were accused of downplaying good works because they taught (as Scripture does) that good works do not contribute to our salvation. Incidentally the Apostle Paul was repeatedly accused of the very same thing. What is the place of good works in the Christian faith? Why can we never compromise or neglect this doctrine
Lesson 5
August 11, 2024
Human reason says that people have free will--the ability to make their own decisions, but what does the Bible say on this matter? Of particular importance, what powers (or lack thereof) does God assign to the human will in spiritual matters such as believing in Jesus and choosing the good things of the Lord? We'll explore what Luther taught from Scripture about conversion (that is the moment we come to faith in Jesus) and human will.
Lesson 6
Prayer is a vital expression of a Christian's spiritual life. But what is prayer? Who can pray? How should we pray? We'll devote much of our study to the model prayer that Jesus himself gave us--the Lord's Prayer.
Lesson 7
Marriage is a gift from God that is often maligned and much misunderstood. In Luther's day (and still today) the Catholic Church maintained that celibacy is a holier lifestyle than marriage. Likewise, the temptations of stereotyping marriage roles and the sin of adultery and divorce have persisted. In order to properly treasure and protect this gift, we go with Luther back to the Scriptures.
Lesson 8
In Holy Communion our Lord gives us his true body and blood by which he graciously forgives our sins and miraculously unites us with himself and each other. While God's Word is clear on these matters, unfortunately, many misconceptions persist among Christians about the nature of the Sacrament--with the vast majority of these differences going back to Luther's time and before. We'll return to Scripture to remind ourselves what we mean by the "real presence" of Christ in the Supper, and why our churches practice "close communion"--that is doing our utmost to only commune with those who have been properly instructed and with whom we are one in faith and doctrine.
