Pastor’s Welcome
Welcome to our Faith Lutheran Council Bluff’s website! To anyone passing by, I would like to share an important message about the uniqueness of our church. Our church and church body, the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod), feel it is incredibly important to worship God in the way He comes to us in the Sacred Scriptures. The message of total depravity comes to us in Scriptures saying there are no good people in God's eyes. Paul says in Romans 3:10-12 (ESV) "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” And even if we could do great good, it would be a self-righteousness, but not good in God's eyes. Despite our good intentions, we cannot help but to sin. Since the time of Adam and Eve, we have inherited the "old sinful nature" that desperately desires sin. Very few churches teach this anymore. We are so corrupt that we cannot save ourselves by a decision (John 1:12) or by good deeds. God must save us completely. There are literally hundreds of verses that speak about God's election and calling us to faith. Ephesians 1:1 "He chose us in Him before the creation of the World…"
So God saves us! God calls us to faith before the creation of the world. He puts faith in the hearts of all that are saved. Paul tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing [decision]; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
God's church then, is run entirely by faith. He puts faith in our hearts and that faith enables us to see our many sins. Seeing sin convicts and convinces us to come to church to confess our sins, and to hear "GOD'S" word of absolution on account of the cross. Those that say you must make a personal confession of Jesus don't realize that brain power or intelligence cannot save them. In fact, man's wisdom is just the opposite of God's wisdom. Rather the Scriptures are clear when it says in Mark 16:16 (ESV) "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." You see, faith saves, not our decisions, confessions, or intelligence. If salvation came only by confessions of faith and intelligence, the mentally impaired and infants who die could never be saved.
It is Christ Crucified, Christ’s body and blood that saves. God does not leave us wallowing in our sin. Rather he saves us by going to the cross, creating faith in our hearts so that we confess our sins. Also because of faith we are willingly baptized, eager to receive God’s presence and the forgiveness found in Christ’s body and blood of Holy Communion. There is more on this topic under the page titled Holy Communion. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV) says, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Pastors use their pulpits to teach their people: prosperity gospels, social gospels, all kinds of self help, and for Bible studies, everything but Christ Crucified. At Faith we preach Christ crucified, and that is a Lutheran distinction and difference. Come to Faith, and you will never be the same.
So, if you are interested in a church that is authentic, Biblical and real, come to Faith, you will never be the same!
God’s Richest Blessings to you,
Pastor Ron