Learn about what Lutheranism is.

1. Why Lutheran? By Grace Alone

2. INTRODUCTION Defining God’s grace has caused divisions in Christian churches. If you get grace wrong, then you will not properly understand God’s love and salvation. What does the word grace mean? Take a moment right now and right down your answer. To understand what it means to be a Lutheran Christian, you need to understand this word.

5.  Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE CAN ONLY SIN. A two year old cannot pick up a 200 lbs. weight. He can try all he wants, but he will never budge it. No matter how hard he tries, on his own, a sinful human being can do nothing to please God.

6.  Romans 8:7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so . SIN MAKES US GOD’S ENEMIES. What’s the relationship between a Taliban fighter and a U.S. soldier? They are enemies. They hate each other. That’s the way things are between people and God because of sin.

7. ALL people are sinners. They are born this way. They are incapable of doing good, and can only do evil. This makes them God’s enemies.

8. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Evaluate: “People are basically good. It would be unfair for God to hold the few sins they do commit against them.”

9. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What do people deserve from God because of their sins?

11. THEY DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED NOW . Sin has consequences. If you murder someone, you will go to prison because you deserve this for your crime. For our crimes against God, we deserve his punishment right now.

14. THEY DESERVE TO SUFFER ETERNALLY IN HELL. When you disobey your parents they may take away your TV privileges for a while. But the punishment of hell lasts forever . Can you describe what hell is like?

15. For their sins people deserve to be punished by God. They deserve to die and to suffer eternally in hell.

16. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? The Bible tells us that God is loving. This means that God would never actually send anyone to hell. He just says that to scare us into being good.

17. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What can people do to solve this great problem?

18.  Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, PEOPLE CAN DO NOTHING TO SAVE THEMSELVES. A corpse can do nothing. It just lies there. In the same way sinful people can do nothing to save themselves from God’s anger.

20. People can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to solve the problem . Left on their own they are doomed.

21. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Evaluate: “I know I’m not perfect, but I’ve lived a pretty good life. I don’t cheat or steal and I try not to hurt anybody. I’m sure God will let me into heaven.” Agree or disagree and why? Jesus proved that it is possible for a person to keep the commandments if he really tries.

22. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What did God do to solve the problem?

25. HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO PAY FOR OUR SINS . When you have a debt the debt must be paid off. No one will simply cancel it. God paid our debt of sin with the blood of his Son.

26. God sent his one and only Son to take all our sins away.

27. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? Jesus died to save all who believe.

28. CHRISTIAN VOCABULARY Grace God’s undeserved love for sinners. HYMNOLOGY: By Grace I’m Saved (CW 384)

29. STUDYING GOD’S WORD Why did God do this?

30.  Romans 11:35 “ Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE FOR HIM. Sometimes we say to someone who has done something for us, “I owe you a favor.” God owes us sinful human beings nothing.

33. God does this not because we deserve it, but because he is gracious and doesn’t want anyone to go to hell.

34. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? Some people are more deserving of God’s grace than others.

35. CLOSING PRAYER Dear Lord, We realize that we act and think in such a way that we are your enemies. We are sinners that are desperately lost and deserving of hell. Dear God, you did not give us what our sins deserved, but instead gave up your son Jesus to live and die in our place. He was punished so we would not be. Strengthen us to change our thoughts and actions to reflect your love and forgiveness for us in Jesus. Amen.

37. Why Lutheran? By Faith Alone

38. INTRODUCTION One night, while Luther was studying in the Black tower of Wittenberg, he came across the words of Romans 1:17 - ”The righteous shall live by faith.” The Holy Spirit used these words to change Luther’s life forever. He was convinced because of what he was taught by the Catholic Church, that he had to live up to God’s demands to earn his way to heaven. This passage led him to understand it was not his own goodness that saved him, but the righteousness of God that was his through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is a gift of God. Today, we will discover just like Luther, why salvation comes to us by faith alone.

39. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What does not qualify as “faith”?

41. FAITH IS NOT DOUBTING – What if your parents offered to help you with a report or science project, but then you remembered how long its been since your parents have been in a science class? Perhaps you didn’t get a good grade on the last report they helped you with and then you begin to doubt their abilities and whether they can help you at all. Well, your parents can help you, but you aren’t showing faith in their promise or abilities.

43.  James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. FAITH IS NOT A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD - There is a big difference in just “knowing” about something and actually “believing” in something. The best way to explain it might be knowing is “head knowledge” and believing is a “heart knowledge”.

44. Faith does not fear, doubt or have a mere head knowledge of God.

45. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? Everyone who knows about God and His Word will be saved. Evaluate: “I must not have faith, because I feel doubts and fears all the time.”

46. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What is “faith”?

47.  Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. FAITH TAKES PLACE IN THE HEART - Agree or disagree and why? If you have a heart transplant from an unbeliever you will not have faith. What does God mean by “with your heart”? Not talking about the heart as a beating organ.

48.  Romans 3:22a This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference ,

49. FAITH IS BELIEVING IN JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR - Have you ever told others something hard to believe just because you heard it from a reliable source and weren’t even an eye witness? God is such a reliable source even though we didn’t get to meet Jesus or see him die. We believe that he died for our sins and rescued us from eternal death and hell.

50.  Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. FAITH IS BEING CERTAIN OF WHAT WE DO NOT SEE - If your friend said that they are a perfect shot and can hit the bulls eye every time then split the arrow of the last shot because they are so precise. You might say. “I’ve got to see it to believe it”. Now if your friend had no reason to lie and you could trust him absolutely without seeing it, that is blind faith. We can trust Jesus.

51. Faith is believing in my heart that Jesus Christ is my Savior even though I cannot see him. HYMNOLOGY: Faith Is a Living Power from Heaven (CW 404)

52. STUDYING GOD’S WORD Why is faith the key to salvation?

53.  Philippians 3:8-9 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

54. THROUGH FAITH WE RECEIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD Imagine your teacher demanding that you get 100% or you will fail the entire course. Now when you fall short, your teacher gives your grade to someone else and gives you what you didn’t deserve. By faith, we are given the righteousness God demands even though we don’t deserve it.

56. THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS WE ARE CREDITED RIGHTEOUSNESS This teaching was hard for Martin Luther to understand. He thought that he had to earn God’s righteousness. God gives it to us as a credit through faith in Jesus. Jesus made good on our debt of sin through his body and blood.

57. Faith is the key to salvation, because through faith in Jesus we are credited with the righteousness God demands.

58. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or Disagree and why? Christ’s redemption is worthless without faith .

59. STUDYING GOD’S WORD Can we choose to come to faith?

60.  John 15:16a You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

61. WE CANNOT CHOOSE TO HAVE FAITH, WE ARE CHOSEN - How likely is it that if a dead person made a choice to live, that he would start living? The Bible tells us that we are dead spiritually. We cannot choose to believe and expect to then begin believing. Jesus chooses us and gives us spiritual life.

63. We cannot chose to come to faith, rather God chooses us and the Holy Spirit works faith in us.

64. CHRISTIAN VOCABULARY Faith - trust in God and his promises Righteousness - the holiness and perfection that God demands of us. Credit - being given something that you didn’t earn or deserve

65. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Which is the most important? T he fact that God created you, Jesus redeemed you, or the Holy Spirit brought you to faith. Agree or disagree and why? I am saved the minute that I decide to accept to call Jesus into my heart.

66. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What does God use to bring you to faith?

67.  Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ .

68. GOD USES HIS WORD - SPECIFICALLY, THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST – God doesn’t talk to people from the clouds nor does he enter into hearts by means of surgery or the blood stream. God uses his Word, the message of Jesus, to work faith. If you aren’t hearing the gospel, faith cannot be produced.

70. GOD BRINGS US SAVING FAITH THROUGH BAPTISM - In the sacrament of Baptism, the gospel message of Jesus is accompanied with an outward thing that we can see and feel. The water of baptism does nothing in and of itself. When connected to the Word and promises of God, the Holy Spirit uses baptism to create saving faith.

71. God brings us to faith through the message of Christ in His Word and through the sacrament of Baptism

72. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? We have the power to keep our faith strong.

73. CLOSING PRAYER Dear Lord, We realize that we act and think in such a way that we are your enemies. We are sinners that are desperately lost and deserving of hell. You did not give us what our sins deserved, but instead gave up your son Jesus to live and die in our place. He was punished so we would not be. Strengthen us to change our thoughts and actions to reflect your love and forgiveness for us in Jesus. Amen .

75. Why Lutheran? By Scripture Alone

76. INTRODUCTION In Martin Luther’s day, there was a real shortage of Bibles because it cost too much to produce them by hand. The Bible that Luther used was in the library and it was chained to the desk so that it couldn’t be checked out.

77. The other problem was that the Bible was only written in Latin and the language of the people was German. Most people couldn’t read at all so they had to depend on the priest for everything. Give some reasons why this would have a negative impact on the spiritual conditions of the day.

78. STUDYING GOD’S WORD Who is the author of the Scriptures?

80. THE BIBLE IS NOT THE WORD OF MEN BUT THE WORD OF GOD - When you think about man’s words, they are pretty predictable and they are changing all the time. When you think of God’s Word, remember that “God’s ways are higher than man’s ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts” God’s Word does not change.

82. ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES ARE WRITTEN BY GOD - When someone has been under water too long and is no longer breathing, you do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Your breath fills their lungs. God breathed into these men to write his word. This was not with the literal breath, but the Holy Spirit filled their minds and hearts to write every word. (VERBAL INSPIRATION)

84. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT USED MEN AS INSTRUMENTS TO WRITE THE SCRIPTURES - This isn’t like a secretary taking notes from her boss and going back and rewriting the letter. God used their individual talents and writing styles while making sure that they wrote exactly what he wanted them to. ( VERBAL INSPIRATION)

85. God is the author of the Scriptures. God inspired men to write every single Word.

86. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? The Bible contains the Word of God . Evaluate: “I believe that the Bible is God’s Word because it makes so much sense.”

87. STUDYING GOD’S WORD Why is it important to know that God is the author of the Scriptures?

88.  John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth . I CAN BE SURE EVERYTHING IN THE BIBLE IS TRUE - If you look at your school books, you probably have books that have been revised, edited and you have the latest edition. The reason that they have to do that is because of mistakes, inaccuracies, contradictions and new things need to be included. Not so with God’s Word. It is all true and unchanging.

90. I CAN BE SURE THAT ALL THE PROMISES WILL BE KEPT - Have you ever had a friend make a promise that you are going to a movie, or out to the mall and then they didn’t keep their promise or did something with someone else? Didn’t you feel betrayed? Well you can be sure God will never betray you. He keeps all of His promises that he has given in the Bible. As God he can’t break a promise.

91. It is important to know because we can be sure that God will keep all of his promises because the Scriptures are all true.

92. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Evaluate: A friend of yours insists that the Bible does not have to be correct in areas of science or history as long as it’s correct about things regarding God and His promises?

93. How can you tell if it is from man or from God? (put God or man in the blank) ___ The way to heaven is a free gift given to you through faith in Jesus. ___ You have to figure out what to believe and what not to believe in the Bible. ___ Getting to heaven is a life long process of doing the best you can.

94. ___ Getting to heaven is a life long process of doing the best you can. ___Jesus hates your sin, but he loves you so much he willing died for you. ___ Every religion ultimately leads you on a different path to the same place. ( Notice that man focuses on what YOU have to do , God focuses on what HE did for you .)

95. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What are the two main messages of the Scriptures?

96.   John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

97. ONE OF THE MAIN MESSAGES IN THE BIBLE IS THE LAW - There are many laws at school. No running in the halls, no weapons allowed, no speeding in the parking lot, no cheating, etc. These protect students and help to keep order. God has his own set of laws for our lives which are summarized for us in the Ten Commandments.

99. THE OTHER MAIN MESSAGE IS THE GOSPEL - Think of a magic motion baseball card. At one angle the player is pitching. At another angle he is swinging a bat. It depends on how you look at it. Both messages are in the Bible.

101. The two main messages of the Scriptures are the Law and the Gospel.

102. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or Disagree and why? The only two teachings of the Bible that I need to know are the Law and the Gospel. HYMNOLOGY How Precious is the Book Divine (CW 284)

103. STUDYING GOD’S WORD What is the main purpose of the Scriptures?

107. The main purpose is to tell us the reality of sin and our need for Jesus who opens the door to heaven.

108. CHRISTIAN VOCABULARY Scriptures - the word means “Writings ” Verbal Inspiration - God caused men to write the Bible using the very thoughts and words he wanted them to. Prophet - One who speaks God’s Word to God’s people Gospel - the “good news” that Jesus is our Savior from sin

109. STUDYING GOD’S WORD How do I treat the Scriptures since it is God’s Word?

111. AVOID ADDING TO OR SUBTRACTING FROM IT - Imagine if I was going to make you some fresh lemonade but I subtracted sugar from the recipe and I added boiling water instead of icy cold water. What would that lemonade taste like? Why? You ruin God’s Word when you add to or subtract from it. Leave it alone or suffer the consequences.

113. AVOID CHANGING THE MEANING - Usually people distort things for no good purpose. A bank robber will change his appearance by covering his face so that he can’t be recognized. People who change the meaning of God’s Word are up to no good. The devil gets them to do this to try to keep people from learning the truth about their salvation.

114. I will avoid adding or subtracting from Scriptures or change the meaning in any way.

115. GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE Agree or disagree and why? Some of the teachings of the Bible are out of date like no sex before marriage, same sex relationships, Christianity is the only way to heaven, etc. These teachings no longer apply to our society.

116. CLOSING PRAYER Dear Lord, We thank you for giving us the Scriptures in a language that we can understand and read. Unfortunately, our sinful nature gets bored with your Word and doesn’t like to take any time reading or studying it. Help us to take advantage of every opportunity you give us to study and memorize your Word. We know that through the Scriptures alone you strengthen our faith and we grow in the knowledge of your love for us in Jesus. Your Scriptures open our eyes to the plan you have for us in heaven. We praise you for giving us your Scriptures. Amen.