Resources
(This section of the website is fairly new, so if you have any suggestions on things to add, please contact the webmaster. Thank you to Jim Wilkerson for putting these resources together.)
-Belief
& Practice
-What About?
-Online Bible
-Timely Topics
With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
Being "Lutheran," our congregations accept and teach Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.
Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel
against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the
unlovable and save the ungodly.
Faith alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus
purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this
Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith
in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.
Scripture alone
The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and
His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for
Christian doctrine.
Who is Jesus?
For more than 2,000 years people have asked the question, "Who
is Jesus?". We were not present when Jesus lived on this earth, but in
the Bible we have the record of his birth, life, death on the cross, and
resurrection. Study of the Bible, God's Word, will enable you to seek out the
answer to this age-old question.
What does "Synod" mean?
The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod comes from
Greek words that mean "walking together." The term has rich meaning in
our church body, because congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the
Synod. Though diverse in their service, these congregations hold to a shared
confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran
Confessions which they believe are a correct interpretation and presentation
of Biblical doctrine. Contained in The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church, these statements of belief were put into writing by
church leaders during the 16th century. The simplest of these is Luther's
Small Catechism. The Augsburg Confession gives more detail on what Lutherans
believe.
Study Resources
The Synod's Commission
on Theology and Church Relations provides study documents and statements of
theological issues. Answers to theological questions may be found on the Frequently
Asked Questions web site.
The Christian Cyclopedia has served thousands of students, church professionals, and lay persons as a one-volume compendium of historical and theological data, ranging from ancient figures to contemporary events.
In addition, a series of downloadable pamphlets offer insight on variety of doctrinal topics, moral issues and concerns in the church.
A series of 29 pamphlets, written by former Synod President A.L. Barry, that address doctrinal topics, moral issues and concerns in the church to help Christians grow in their understanding of these important questions. These documents are made available in Adobe Acrobat Reader format. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.
CLICK HERE to go to the "What About" site provided by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
CLICK HERE to go to an online bible.
The LCMS website also has great articles about topics for today's families. Some of the topics included are:
CLICK HERE to visit the "Timely Topics" page of the LCMS website.