What Lutherans Believe

*God is the author, creator and sustainer of the universe and our planet Earth and all living things. *The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God. *Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. *We are born in sin and through the free grace of God we are made saints. *Our basic beliefs are identified in Martin Luther's Small Catechism.

*The Augsburg Confession enriches what Lutherans hold dear about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Bible, Sacraments, pastors, and more.

*The Ten Commandments and the explanations shows us that we are not perfect, and we need help. They also teach us how to relate to God and our neighbors. *The Apostles' Creed shows us where to go for help: God who is our creator (first article) Jesus Christ who saves us from sin, death and the devil (second article) Holy Spirit, whose presence guides and directs our lives (third article) *The Lord's Prayer shows us how to ask God for help. The first 3 petitions speak about Him The last four address our personal needs *Sacrament of Baptism: This is where God comes into our lives through water and His Word to set us free from our sin, but also to make us one of His beloved children *Sacrament of Holy Communion: This is gift of God's love and grace freely given to us on a regular basis through eating bread (His Body) and drinking wine or grape juice (His Blood). *Confession: directions for privately confessing sins and strengthens the need for God's forgiveness and love.