THE APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
What is a creed? Well yes it is the name of a rock band, but it is more than just that. You could say that we all have creeds about certain things. We have creeds about who should be President. We have creeds about gun control and immigration. We have creeds about sports. We all have many different creeds in different areas of our lives. A creed is simply a statement of what we believe, teach and confess. If you are a Republican you probably have a different creed than a Democrat when it comes to taxes and social spending. It is the same with our faith. We all have creeds about what we believe about God. As Christians we also subscribe to the historic Christian Creeds. These would be the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. These three creeds are pretty much accepted as the truth by all Christians around the world even if they do not use them in their worship services. We will be looking at the Apostles' Creed because it offers the most concise explanation of Christian doctrine.
Now the Apostles' Creed is not called that because it was written by the apostles. It is called that because it briefly states the doctrine that God gave through the apostles in the Bible. You will also notice that the Apostles' Creed is Trinitarian. It has three parts to it. The first part deals with God the Father, the second part deals with God the Son and the third part deals with God the Holy Spirit. You will also notice that the creed begins with the word I. It starts that way because it is a statement of faith and we cannot believe for each other as a group. You must believe for yourself.
Traditionally in the church we have used the Apostles' Creed for baptisms because it started out as a baptismal creed. We also use it for non-communion services. We use the Nicene Creed for communion services. This is just tradition and doesn't need to be done that way.
Here are some Scripture verses for you: Romans 10:10; Psalm 31:14; Psalm 37:5; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:1; Habakkuk 2:4; Luke 7:50; Matthew 28:19; Ephesians 4:4-6; John 15:26; Galatians 4:6
Pastor Fred
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
TEST OVER THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Well sharpen your pencils here it is. This is a very easy test over the Ten Commandments.
1. What does the close of the commandments tell us about the job of parents?
2. What is the difference between simply wanting something and coveting it?
3. What other commandment is the Eighth Commandment connected to?
4. What are some ways that we steal?
5. What are the only reasons for divorce?
6. What are some ways that we keep the Sixth Commandment?
7. What is and what is not Euthanasia?
8. Where in Scripture do we learn that the unborn are people too?
9. What do we have to prove before we can Scripturally disobey authority?
10. Who are the authorties in your life?
11. What are the two main parts of the church year called?
12. When do we use the color purple?
13. What are some things that are required in worship?
14. What part of the Third Commandment is Ceremonial Law and what part is Moral Law?
15. Why do we worship on Sundays?
16. What is God's name?
17. What other commandment is the Second Commandment tied to?
18. What Petition of the Lord's Prayer is it connected to?
19. How do we worship other gods?
20 How many tables of the law are there and what do they mean?
Pastor Fred
1. What does the close of the commandments tell us about the job of parents?
2. What is the difference between simply wanting something and coveting it?
3. What other commandment is the Eighth Commandment connected to?
4. What are some ways that we steal?
5. What are the only reasons for divorce?
6. What are some ways that we keep the Sixth Commandment?
7. What is and what is not Euthanasia?
8. Where in Scripture do we learn that the unborn are people too?
9. What do we have to prove before we can Scripturally disobey authority?
10. Who are the authorties in your life?
11. What are the two main parts of the church year called?
12. When do we use the color purple?
13. What are some things that are required in worship?
14. What part of the Third Commandment is Ceremonial Law and what part is Moral Law?
15. Why do we worship on Sundays?
16. What is God's name?
17. What other commandment is the Second Commandment tied to?
18. What Petition of the Lord's Prayer is it connected to?
19. How do we worship other gods?
20 How many tables of the law are there and what do they mean?
Pastor Fred
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Lutheranism 101 - Part 18 - The Close of the Commandments
Well we finally made it! This is the last lesson on the Ten Commandments. Today we are talking about what we call the close of the commandments. Actually it comes between the First and Second Commandments in the book of Exodus. After God gives them the First Commandment he tells them what he is going to do if they keep or don't keep all the commandments. He says, "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thouand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Notice God says he is a jealous God. Now most of the time we say jealousy is a bad thing, but that is not always true. Jealousy can be bad if it is over stupid things or if it is because of evil motives. Jealousy can be a be a good thing though. There is nothing wrong with a jealous husband or father. A person has a right to be possessive of their spouse and family they belong to him; he wants the best for them. A person should not be willing to share their spouse with another person. A person should not let their family be taken from them by another person. It is the same with God.
First of all God hates sin, he wants perfection and he knows that sin separates us from him. He does not want things or other gods getting between us and him anymore than a husband wants another man between him and his wife.
He says if that happens then he will punish those people. He is not going to put up with one of his disciples sinning with other gods. That person will no longer be his disciple.
Probably the most distrubing part of God's statement here is that he will punish the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate him. At first glance that just seems unfair and God himself says that he will not punish the son for the sins of the father in Ezekiel chapter 18. What God means here though is that if the children of unbelievers continue to sin like their ancestors he will punish them on earth for the sins of their ancestors as well as their own. We also see that many times people do suffer because of the sins of their parents. For instance children of alcoholics have a much greater chance of being alcoholics themselves. Children that grew up in abusive homes tend to be abusive as well. Children of unbelievers also usually end up being unbelievers as well. So sin tends to be passed down through the generations.
The good news is that God promises to bless a thousand generations of those who love him. This command reminds us of the fact that God has called us to pass our faith down to the next generation, that if we train a child in the way that he should go those lessons will stay with him through life.
God has a reason for threatening this punishment. He wants us to fear his anger and to live according to his commandments. He want us to come to faith in his Son and to receive his mercy and forgiveness.
The number one thing we have to remember about all of this is that we cannot keep any of these commandments perfectly. We are all sinners. We cannot be saved by obeying the law. Therefore we come to God in confession and ask for his forgiveness and trust that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all of our sins. Through our faith in Christ we have complete forgiveness and total salvation.
Here are some verses for you: Psalm 5:4-5; Isaiah 42:8; Ezekiel 6:9; James 4:12; Leviticus 26:18; Romans 6:23; Galatians 3:10-11; Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Kings 9:7-8; 10:11; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 10:28; 1 Timothy 4:8; Job 42:10-17; Leviticus 19:2; James 2:10; John 3:16; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:13-14
Later this week there will be a test over the 10 Commandments, so study up.
Pastor Fred
Notice God says he is a jealous God. Now most of the time we say jealousy is a bad thing, but that is not always true. Jealousy can be bad if it is over stupid things or if it is because of evil motives. Jealousy can be a be a good thing though. There is nothing wrong with a jealous husband or father. A person has a right to be possessive of their spouse and family they belong to him; he wants the best for them. A person should not be willing to share their spouse with another person. A person should not let their family be taken from them by another person. It is the same with God.
First of all God hates sin, he wants perfection and he knows that sin separates us from him. He does not want things or other gods getting between us and him anymore than a husband wants another man between him and his wife.
He says if that happens then he will punish those people. He is not going to put up with one of his disciples sinning with other gods. That person will no longer be his disciple.
Probably the most distrubing part of God's statement here is that he will punish the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate him. At first glance that just seems unfair and God himself says that he will not punish the son for the sins of the father in Ezekiel chapter 18. What God means here though is that if the children of unbelievers continue to sin like their ancestors he will punish them on earth for the sins of their ancestors as well as their own. We also see that many times people do suffer because of the sins of their parents. For instance children of alcoholics have a much greater chance of being alcoholics themselves. Children that grew up in abusive homes tend to be abusive as well. Children of unbelievers also usually end up being unbelievers as well. So sin tends to be passed down through the generations.
The good news is that God promises to bless a thousand generations of those who love him. This command reminds us of the fact that God has called us to pass our faith down to the next generation, that if we train a child in the way that he should go those lessons will stay with him through life.
God has a reason for threatening this punishment. He wants us to fear his anger and to live according to his commandments. He want us to come to faith in his Son and to receive his mercy and forgiveness.
The number one thing we have to remember about all of this is that we cannot keep any of these commandments perfectly. We are all sinners. We cannot be saved by obeying the law. Therefore we come to God in confession and ask for his forgiveness and trust that Jesus' death on the cross paid for all of our sins. Through our faith in Christ we have complete forgiveness and total salvation.
Here are some verses for you: Psalm 5:4-5; Isaiah 42:8; Ezekiel 6:9; James 4:12; Leviticus 26:18; Romans 6:23; Galatians 3:10-11; Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Kings 9:7-8; 10:11; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 10:28; 1 Timothy 4:8; Job 42:10-17; Leviticus 19:2; James 2:10; John 3:16; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:13-14
Later this week there will be a test over the 10 Commandments, so study up.
Pastor Fred
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Lutheranism 101 - Part 17 - The Ninth and Tenth Commandments
I knew a guy in college that always had to have what everyone else had. If you bought a watch he would buy one just like it. If you bought a camera, he would buy a camera, even if he never used it. He coveted everything that everyone else had. He was a big breaker of the Ninth Commandment.
Both the Ninth and Tenth Commandments have to do with coveting. Coveting is having a sinful desire for anyone or anything that belongs to your neighbor. It is not wrong to want things and even to get things. But it is wrong to try to get things from your neighbor that you don't need. Coveting also involves a sinful desire. You just have to have it, even though you really don't need it and you will do illegal or immoral things to get it.
God wants us to be content with the things that he has given us and he wants us to help our neighbor keep his own stuff.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments although talking about the same sin, stress different things that we covet. The Ninth Commandment which says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house", has to do with material possessions. It has to with things like our neighbor's house, his car or anything materially he owns.
The Tenth Commandment which says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor", has to do with living things that belong to your neighbor. You should not look for ways to have an affair with your neighbor's wife, or to steal his employees or other people that help him.
We also have to remember who our neighbor is here. It is not just the guy living next door, but everyone that we come into contact with in life. Everyone is our neighbor. God tells us to be satisfied with what we have and if we want more to ask him, and seek it in good moral and legal ways.
Here are some verses for you: Romans 7:8; Matthew 15:19; Micah 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:8-10; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Kings 21:1-16; Acts 20:32-35; Luke 12:5; Colossians 3:5; 2 Samuel 11:2-4; 2 Samuel 15:1-6; Philippians 2:4; Genesis 3:6; James 1:14-15; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 119:35-36; Philippians 4:8
Pastor Fred
Both the Ninth and Tenth Commandments have to do with coveting. Coveting is having a sinful desire for anyone or anything that belongs to your neighbor. It is not wrong to want things and even to get things. But it is wrong to try to get things from your neighbor that you don't need. Coveting also involves a sinful desire. You just have to have it, even though you really don't need it and you will do illegal or immoral things to get it.
God wants us to be content with the things that he has given us and he wants us to help our neighbor keep his own stuff.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments although talking about the same sin, stress different things that we covet. The Ninth Commandment which says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house", has to do with material possessions. It has to with things like our neighbor's house, his car or anything materially he owns.
The Tenth Commandment which says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor", has to do with living things that belong to your neighbor. You should not look for ways to have an affair with your neighbor's wife, or to steal his employees or other people that help him.
We also have to remember who our neighbor is here. It is not just the guy living next door, but everyone that we come into contact with in life. Everyone is our neighbor. God tells us to be satisfied with what we have and if we want more to ask him, and seek it in good moral and legal ways.
Here are some verses for you: Romans 7:8; Matthew 15:19; Micah 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:8-10; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Kings 21:1-16; Acts 20:32-35; Luke 12:5; Colossians 3:5; 2 Samuel 11:2-4; 2 Samuel 15:1-6; Philippians 2:4; Genesis 3:6; James 1:14-15; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 119:35-36; Philippians 4:8
Pastor Fred
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Lutheranism 101 - Part 16 - The Eighth Commandment
A professor once told my seminary class that Lutherans have a particular way of writing the 10 Commandments. To demonstrate he began to write the numbers 1 through 10 on the black board, yes when I went to seminary they still had black boards! So the professor begins to write the numbers on the board and the first five numbers representing the first five commandments are normal size then the number six is written three times the size of the other numbers, seven is normal size and then eight is written so small you can barely read it. He then finished up with nine and ten as normal size. He explained that most of the commandments were looked upon as equal except for the Sixth Commandment. If you broke that one that was big, real big! On the other hand if you broke the Eighth Commandment and spread gossip about your neighbor that was no big deal. Another unfortunate joke about breaking the Eighth Commandment is that in church we don't gossip, we just share prayer requests.
The Eighth Commandment is one of the most abused commandments. Simply stated it says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." In other words don't ruin your neighbor's reputation. That means you can't tell lies about your neighbor in a court of law or any where else. We see many examples of this being broken in Scripture. For instance false witnesses testified against Jesus and Naboth. The result was both of their deaths.
The commandment also requires that we not tell people our neighbor's secrets. If they tell us something in confidence we are to keep it that way. It also requires that we be truthful with our neighbor and that we speak well of him and put the best construction on all of our neighbor's actions.
The Eighth Commandment is the Second Table's version of the Second Commandment. Remember the First Table has to do with how we treat God and the Second Table has to do with how we treat others. The Second Commandment forbids us to drag God's name through the mud and the Eighth Commandment forbids us to drag other people's names through the mud. It is a very important commandment because once someone's reputation has been ruined it is hard to fix it. It is like the guy who was accused of the Atlanta bombing in the 96 Olympics. Later they found that he was completely innocent. After he was released he said, "So now where do I go to get my name back?"
Like I said this commandment is abused like on other. The lesson to be learned is that before we say something negative about a person we better make sure we have our facts straight and we better make sure we really need to say it.
Here are some Scripture verses for you: Proverbs 19:5; Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 26:59-61; 1 Kings 21:13; 2 Kings 5:22-25; Proverbs 11:13; 1 Samuel 22:6-19; Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 18:15; Luke 6:37; James 4:11; Proverbs 31:8-9; 1 Samuel 19:4; Luke 7:4-5; Mark 14:3-9; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Peter 4:8
Pastor Fred
The Eighth Commandment is one of the most abused commandments. Simply stated it says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." In other words don't ruin your neighbor's reputation. That means you can't tell lies about your neighbor in a court of law or any where else. We see many examples of this being broken in Scripture. For instance false witnesses testified against Jesus and Naboth. The result was both of their deaths.
The commandment also requires that we not tell people our neighbor's secrets. If they tell us something in confidence we are to keep it that way. It also requires that we be truthful with our neighbor and that we speak well of him and put the best construction on all of our neighbor's actions.
The Eighth Commandment is the Second Table's version of the Second Commandment. Remember the First Table has to do with how we treat God and the Second Table has to do with how we treat others. The Second Commandment forbids us to drag God's name through the mud and the Eighth Commandment forbids us to drag other people's names through the mud. It is a very important commandment because once someone's reputation has been ruined it is hard to fix it. It is like the guy who was accused of the Atlanta bombing in the 96 Olympics. Later they found that he was completely innocent. After he was released he said, "So now where do I go to get my name back?"
Like I said this commandment is abused like on other. The lesson to be learned is that before we say something negative about a person we better make sure we have our facts straight and we better make sure we really need to say it.
Here are some Scripture verses for you: Proverbs 19:5; Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 26:59-61; 1 Kings 21:13; 2 Kings 5:22-25; Proverbs 11:13; 1 Samuel 22:6-19; Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 18:15; Luke 6:37; James 4:11; Proverbs 31:8-9; 1 Samuel 19:4; Luke 7:4-5; Mark 14:3-9; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Peter 4:8
Pastor Fred
Friday, June 8, 2007
Lutheranism 101 - Part 15 - The Seventh Commandment
A pretty basic commandment, "You shall not steal." In other words, don't take your neighbor's stuff. Okay next! Wait a minute it is not quite that simple. Obviously taking someone else's physical property violates this commandment, but it is not the only way that it is broken. For instance a man was arrested and fined thousands of dollars the other day because he was sitting outside a coffee shop somewhere illegally using the establishment's wireless connection without paying for it. Was he stealing? Yes he was. Some college students were recently sent bills in the thousands of dollars from music companies because they illegally downloaded music without paying for it. Were they stealing? Yes they were. A few years ago a lawyer went to a scheduled medical appointment and spent so much time in the waiting room before he saw the doctor that he then billed the doctor for his time. The doctor laughed, the lawyer sued and won. Was the doctor stealing from the lawyer? Yes he was, in the law profession time is money and the doctor didn't keep the appointment time and wasted the lawyer's time. I included that last story because of years of frustration sitting in doctor's offices sometimes for close to two hours before seeing my doctor.
What are some other ways that people steal? Students cheating on tests are stealing from others and themselves. Workers not doing their work to the best of their ability are stealing from their employer. Christians not giving financially to God their first fruits are stealing from God. Christians not giving of their time and talents are also stealing from God. There are all kinds of way to steal. You can even legally steal from people. I knew of a church organization one time that existed to give out scholarships to seminary and college students. They had promised one guy four years worth of tuition. They paid the first three years but as he was about to go into his fourth year they didn't want to pay anymore so they just dissolved the organization, renamed themselves and stated back up again. They said they didn't have to pay the fourth year because the organization that promised the money didn't legally exist anymore. They were actually legally right and protected, but they were morally wrong and were stealing from God and the student. By the way I was not that student.
The basis of this commandment is simple. God gives other people their stuff and he gives you your stuff and he expects everyone to be satisfied with their own stuff. So be content with what you have and keep your hands off other's stuff.
There is a positive aspect of this commandment as well. We are to help our neighbor keep his stuff and when he doesn't have enough stuff to keep going we are to give him some of our stuff. After all at the end of the day all stuff is God's stuff.
Here is some Scripture: Leviticus 19:35; Psalm 37:21; Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Joshua 7:20-22; John 12:6; 2 Kings 5:20-24; Matthew 7:12; Philippians 2:4; Matthew 5:42; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17; Luke 10:29-37; Luke 19:8
Pastor Fred
What are some other ways that people steal? Students cheating on tests are stealing from others and themselves. Workers not doing their work to the best of their ability are stealing from their employer. Christians not giving financially to God their first fruits are stealing from God. Christians not giving of their time and talents are also stealing from God. There are all kinds of way to steal. You can even legally steal from people. I knew of a church organization one time that existed to give out scholarships to seminary and college students. They had promised one guy four years worth of tuition. They paid the first three years but as he was about to go into his fourth year they didn't want to pay anymore so they just dissolved the organization, renamed themselves and stated back up again. They said they didn't have to pay the fourth year because the organization that promised the money didn't legally exist anymore. They were actually legally right and protected, but they were morally wrong and were stealing from God and the student. By the way I was not that student.
The basis of this commandment is simple. God gives other people their stuff and he gives you your stuff and he expects everyone to be satisfied with their own stuff. So be content with what you have and keep your hands off other's stuff.
There is a positive aspect of this commandment as well. We are to help our neighbor keep his stuff and when he doesn't have enough stuff to keep going we are to give him some of our stuff. After all at the end of the day all stuff is God's stuff.
Here is some Scripture: Leviticus 19:35; Psalm 37:21; Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Joshua 7:20-22; John 12:6; 2 Kings 5:20-24; Matthew 7:12; Philippians 2:4; Matthew 5:42; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17; Luke 10:29-37; Luke 19:8
Pastor Fred
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
New Neighbor Outreach needs
As most of you know we have enrolled in the Lutheran Hour Ministry New Member Outreach program. They will send us names of all new move ins in a certain radius of the church. I am going to select a 3 mile radius, which should give us 12 to 14 new move-ins every week. We will send postcards out them inviting them to worship with us. If they come and visit then we will give them a welcome gift at the church. If they don't we will physically go their house to deliver the gift. That is all the visit will be. We will welcome them to the community give them the gift and invite them to join us for worship that is all. Then we will follow that up with another postcard.
We need a lot of help for this though. I need at least 2 people to address all the postcards by hand and send them out. I need at least 2 people to assemble the gift basket. I need at least 2 people to gather the stuff and community resource lists to go in the basket. I also need at least 10 people willing to go in groups of 2 to visit all these people. This will be a big on going ministry but a very important one for our growth. Call me.
Pastor
We need a lot of help for this though. I need at least 2 people to address all the postcards by hand and send them out. I need at least 2 people to assemble the gift basket. I need at least 2 people to gather the stuff and community resource lists to go in the basket. I also need at least 10 people willing to go in groups of 2 to visit all these people. This will be a big on going ministry but a very important one for our growth. Call me.
Pastor
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