I know that while having homosexual living a homosexual lifestyle is sinful. What about asexuality, which is still considered part of the LGBTQIA umbrella, but is defined as "experiencing little to no sexual attraction"? It is explicitly stated to be different from intentional celibacy, since in theory it comes from the way a person "naturally" is.

I ask because I have recently realized that I very much identify with the label of "ace". Assuming that this feeling (or lack thereof) stays constant through my life, is this an issue?

Hi! I am a newly confirmed member of the Lutheran Church of the Philippines (LCP) which is in communion with LCMS. I came to faith in Christ through a college Christian organization and was convinced of salvation by faith alone and the truths of Christianity in that college Christian organization (which was mainly evangelical).

While I am convinced that the confessional Lutheran Church is the denomination that is most faithful to Scripture and the revelation of Jesus Christ, I struggle with the fact that we cannot seem to start small group bible Studies by ourselves as youth... Not that we want to be Pietists... But rather still form piety within church context...

We brought up the idea to our deaconess of having small group Bible Studies by ourselves as youth. Because, based from experience in the evangelical community, there is that sort of transparency and vulnerability when you are able to share reflections and learnings with those the same age generation as you. But the deaconness insists that her or the pastor be present.

My question is, is this really the standard for the LCMS/LCP? I'm starting to decide not to push through with the idea of a small group youth and lay people only Bible study. Not to undermine or have distrust with the deaconness. But there really is something deeply wonderful when I see youth coming together as themselves and able to share with each other..

Correct me if there is a need for correction in my Ecclesiology... I know the deaconness only wants what's best for us...

But in some ways I see that the LCP is cold when it comes to discipling the youth and educating the truths of the Word and sacrament, personally as Christ for us.... Kind of like only churchianity is left in a sense (go on sundays then repeat)

Our school chapel has used contemporary and VBS type music in the past. We’re working on creating a more structured liturgical chapel service. I’d like to choose a small selection of LSB hymns we specifically want them to know well. What would be your top picks?

I was baptized Orthodox as a kid. Went to church sometimes, not regularly, but I did go.

As a teenager, I stopped believing. I even took off my cross necklace (which is a big deal for Orthodox). But honestly? Deep down I always felt like God exists. I just couldn't connect with the whole system.

I never really read the Bible. I don't know much about church history either. I was just raised to believe that I should believe, you know? Like it was expected of me.

Recently I went to an Orthodox service again. And honestly? It disappointed me a lot. The prayers and bowing to icons of everyone except Jesus — Mary, saints, all of them — it just felt off. And calling these people "saints" with so much honor? I don't get it.

Also, I feel like a lot of people go to church not because they genuinely love God, but because they want to "pay off" their sins. Like it's some kind of transaction. I still remember one woman working at the church — she was so rude and aggressive. I was thinking, "Aren't you ashamed? You're in a church, for God's sake." It just felt so fake.

Then I started looking into Orthodoxy and Catholicism more deeply. And there are things I really can't accept:

· the hierarchy — too much power given to a few people
· papal infallibility in Catholicism — one guy speaking without error? That's a lot of authority for a human
· tradition being treated as equally authoritative as Scripture — shouldn't the Bible be the final word?

At this point, I know I can't go back to Orthodoxy. Catholicism? I'm not sure — I haven't fully closed that door, but I have a lot of questions about it too.

I've been reading about Lutheranism, and honestly? It caught my attention.

· Sola Scriptura — Scripture alone as the final authority
· Sola Fide — saved by faith alone, not works
· liturgical but still Protestant
· no pope, no crazy hierarchy, but still has structure

That said, I'm not locked in on Lutheranism. I'm open to other Protestant traditions too — Reformed, Anglican, Baptist, non-denom, Methodist, whatever. I'm just trying to find where I belong.

I'm still doubting everything — sometimes I even wonder if I'm agnostic or atheist. But I'm searching.

For those who left Orthodoxy or Catholicism for any Protestant tradition:

· What denomination did you choose and why?
· What made you pick that over Lutheranism or other options?
· What was the hardest thing to adjust to?
· Any regrets?
· Any book recommendations for someone just starting to explore?

Also curious — did any of you go through a phase of doubting God altogether before finding your way?

Thanks for reading. I'm just trying to figure things out.

Hello!

I'm a prospective seminarian and I'm trying to decide which seminary to attend (I've applied to both). It would be useful if I can hear some pros and cons of each seminary. Ive heard a lot of them already, but want as much information as possible before I make my decision.

Thanks!

Hi, I just started going to an LCMS church, and my only hang up is real presence. I really like it, and want it to be true, but it seems like too much of an inference from the bible and not a clear teaching. I know lutherans don’t think John 6 is about the Eucharist, but when I was studying Catholicism I could never see that passage

as referring to Communion. Why do you in particular believe it?

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96t9Oe8jrU

Gospel According to Matthew, 18:1–20 (ESV):

Who Is the Greatest?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Transcript

(Original devotional script is original work by ALTS. /u/1776-Liberal is not affiliated with ALTS. ChatGPT was used to polish transcript and find references.)

Hello. Today, let’s talk about God’s precious child. The text before us is the Gospel of St. Matthew, the 18th chapter, verses 1–20. (Matthew 18:1–20)

Introduction: A Lost Child

It was spring of 1980 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Debbie and the boys and I were living in a neighborhood filled with young families. Most of them were connected with the Fort Bragg Army Base, home of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment. We were surrounded by Green Berets. The men of our neighborhood were trained to respond to crisis and to show no fear.

But on this spring afternoon, there was fear in abundance. A shout had gone out across our neighborhood. A three-year-old child was lost. Her tricycle had been found at the edge of the cul-de-sac. But where was she? Had she wandered into the woods? Had someone picked her up? No one knew.

In a matter of seconds, every available man was in the street. Each man knew that the lost child could have been his own. And suddenly, we were a family of fathers, and the lost child belonged to all of us.

We established something like a skirmish line, a wide formation strung out across the field, and began making our way into the woods. Each man called out the child’s name. Each father was desperate to find the defenseless and helpless child.

From the time that the call went out across the neighborhood, our search lasted less than 15 minutes. I was very close to the man who found her. He shouted, “Here she is! I’ve got her! She’s okay!” He scooped her up in his arms as we all gathered round with smiles and cheers. Our lost child was found.

Though this happened over 40 years ago, I still remember the apprehension and worry as we searched for her. And I remember the relief and joy when we found her. And I remember her mother’s face when we handed her little one back into her arms.

If you could please picture this moment in your mind—a lost child back in the arms of her loving parent—allow it to stand in your mind alongside the message of today’s Gospel.

Point One: Who Is the Greatest?

The chapter begins with the disciples asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1) And the disciples of Christ demonstrate their competition, their insecurity, their desire for notoriety and reputation.

In typical rabbinic fashion, Jesus uses the question as a moment for teaching. Our Lord calls one of the little children to come to Him, and He places the child before His disciples. (Matthew 18:2) St. Mark notes that Jesus actually took the child into His arms. (Mark 9:36)

So imagine the child being called by the Lord and gladly coming to Him. Jesus holds the precious child in His arms, and He teaches His disciples the lesson before us today.

“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

A child trusts that he or she will be fed, protected, loved by his or her parents or caregivers. In the same way, we trust God to feed, protect, and love us. A believer enters the kingdom of heaven by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8–9) Faith is trusting, believing that God is safe and that Jesus is Savior.

You must be converted, changed, says Jesus. You must become as children who trust. Put your trust in God. This is how you enter the kingdom of heaven.

But there’s more. Jesus teaches, “Woe to the one who entraps or tempts or causes one of these little ones to stumble. Woe to the one who despises one of these precious children.” (Matthew 18:6–10) These little ones are precious and must be treated as such.

Jesus then tells the story of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep and one is lost. He leaves his 99 in order to seek and find the lost one because not one sheep is disposable. Not one sheep is without value. Each one is absolutely dear. (Matthew 18:12–13)

And the heavenly Father is not willing that even one should perish. (Matthew 18:14) To what lengths will He go in order to save a sheep? Well, there is no limit, even to spending the life’s blood of His own dear Son. And how God rejoices when the lost one is found.

As the first disciples hear this teaching from Jesus, we hear it too. We are called to trust God. Have faith in Jesus our Savior. He feeds, protects, and loves us. He saves us both now and forever.

You are God’s precious child, and you must treat others as God’s precious children too.

Point Two: If a Brother Sins

Now Jesus gives us a surprise. There’s an unexpected application to the teaching of God’s precious child.

Up to this point, the little child has been trusting, vulnerable, perhaps even lost. But in a shocking turn, Jesus speaks of the little child as a sinner.

By the way, this passage, Matthew 18, is often cited for church discipline. (Matthew 18:15–20) But what we must remember is its context. We must remember the child that Jesus is holding, the story of the lost sheep, and the image of the parent whose child is brought safely home.

Jesus talks about a sin that is threatening to destroy the faith and life of one of God’s precious children. He or she is in terrible need, in spiritual peril.

“If a brother or sister sins, then go show him his fault,” says Jesus. (Matthew 18:15) This is a sin of such nature that it cannot be overlooked because its continuance threatens the brother or sister’s relationship with God.

It’s clear Jesus is calling His disciples not to be arrogant or haughty, but to be humble and loving. This grievous sin demonstrates that this child is no mature Christian. This is a precious child who’s left her tricycle in the cul-de-sac and is lost in the woods.

This is a prime time for the enemy to be at work, both in the life of the lost child and in the lives of those who seek to find her.

Jesus describes a process in which the love of God seeks and seeks and seeks again God’s precious child. We don’t often think of errant sinners as a precious child. But to God, that’s exactly what he or she truly is.

If your brother sins to the point of spiritual peril, personal destruction, you must go. First, go in private, pray, and then speak the truth in love. (Matthew 18:15; Ephesians 4:15) Go and speak the Word of Christ with the heart of Christ.

And there’s no number of attempts that’s prescribed. Continue to go as the Spirit leads you and with the passionate love of your heavenly Father.

If this does not work, then take with you one or two more who have the same heart. (Matthew 18:16) God is gathering a family, a skirmish line, as it were, to enter the woods, seeking the precious child who is lost.

Go with prayer and love. And there’s no specific number of times that finishes this step or concludes your obligation.

If God’s precious child is still unrepentant and hard-hearted, then go with the pastor. Let the church know of this peril. (Matthew 18:17) Everyone must pray. This is a potential loss for the entire family of God.

People are gathering in the name of Christ and are asking for His miraculous and spiritual power to be brought to bear. (Matthew 18:19–20)

Like the father of the prodigal son, God longs to run and embrace this lost child. (Luke 15:11–32) And you, Christian, are His hands and His voice. You, Christian, are His heart.

If the unrepentant sinner refuses all of this over and over, even from the entire church, then that one has removed him or herself from the fellowship of believers, with every hope of reconciliation and with the ultimate desire of complete restoration.

He or she must be faced with what is at stake and what is being lost. By his or her own choice, God’s precious child has removed him or herself from the church.

Conclusion: Who Is the Greatest?

How typical of Jesus. He has expanded and reshaped our understanding. His disciples had just asked a simple question: “Who is the greatest?” (Matthew 18:1)

But it was not a simple question. And Jesus did not give us a simple answer.

The greatest in God’s kingdom is not the greatest orator or evangelist, not the greatest scholar or author, not the one with the greatest reputation or global ministry. Like the first disciples, our thinking needs to be adjusted. Our kingdom concepts need to be redefined.

Jesus gives us a new definition of greatness.

If you truly wish to be great in God’s kingdom, you must become as a little child. (Matthew 18:2–4)

First, trust God. As a child trusts a parent, greatness in the kingdom is believing God with all your heart. For you, precious child, you are more precious to God than you can possibly know. How He delights in holding you, loving you, and saving you. Trust Him.

Next, humble yourself. Kingdom greatness is found in genuine love and service to others as Jesus loves and serves you.

And third, do not lead others into sin and do not despise one of God’s precious children. (Matthew 18:6–10) Do not despise even those who sin against you.

Jesus expands the definition of greatness to include those who are in great sin and in great peril of losing their spiritual lives. They are the greatest in the kingdom because they are the kingdom’s greatest concern and must become the beneficiaries of our greatest care and mercy.

Those who have sinned, and especially those who have sinned against you, must become the greatest recipients of your prayers, your mercy, and your love.

Why? Because that’s how God’s precious children treat one another.

Why? Because that’s how our loving Savior treats you, His own precious child.

Amen.

I was raised Orthodox, but lately I've been struggling with the emphasis on tradition over Scripture, intercession of saints, and ecclesiastical authority.

For those who made the switch:
1. Was it an intellectual/theological realization or a personal/emotional experience?
2. What denomination did you join (Baptist, Lutheran, non-denom, etc.) and why that one?
3. What did you miss most from your old church, and what surprised you most in Protestantism?

Disclaimer: Sorry if this is against the rules, since I'm asking more about WELS than LCMS. The WELS subreddit is pretty dead. Figured you folks might know about WELS culture. Anyway...

I'm going to be spending the weekend in a rural place where the only confessional church option seems to be a WELS church. I don't want to miss Sunday liturgy, but am also a little nervous of attending a WELS.

As a member of a confessional (that is to say, real presence, male clergy, non-gay) Presbyterian church, will I be welcome? I understand and respect the closed communion practice, but what type of vibe should I expect?

What do Lutherans think of the Marian Apparitions?

Mostly a hype post to express my immeasurable gratitude to God for leading my family and I to the LCMS. I am a former evangelical pastor with a Reformed and Baptist bent. I had a wonderful godly upbringing and childhood, but I've been an anxious person by temperament. I felt a lot of anxiety before God and never felt like my faith/testimony/works ever made me feel peace with Him. I always knew how I was justified (by grace through faith) but assurance was always so difficult to come by. I never felt like I felt or did enough to feel assured before God that I was elect. After leaving ministry I suffered a crisis of faith and year long road of difficulty. Finally, over the summer, we began attending our local Lutheran church. And that's when the switch happened. Suddenly, I had these objective, permanent markers outside myself I could point to in Word and Sacrament where God did what he promised in powerful form. I could point to objective realities in Holy Baptism, Eucharist, the Word, and the Absolution to find peace with Him. God has been doing a healing work and the Lutheran Church, quite literally saved my faith. We've been attending for a few months now and it's been so healing for me and my family. This subreddit has also been a blessing of research and advice in understanding and learning. Still struggling with Law and Gospel, but thanking God for His inexpressible kindness to us!

In the past, it seems that almost all Lutherans (including Luther, Gerhard etc) held that parental consent was necessary for a valid marriage/betrothal, except where a parent withheld consent for sinful or otherwise unjust reasons. They even criticized Roman Catholicism for recognizing marriages contracted without parental consent, which seems to be implicitly mentioned in the confessions themselves:

“Unjust also is the law which in general approves [i.e., recognizes as valid, not merely "regard as morally correct"] all clandestine and underhanded betrothals in violation of the right of parents.”
— Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope

The "parental right" in question was historically understood as the parents having a 'veto' right over marriages, unless the motivations were sinful (thus, the Treatise’s condemnation is not merely about secrecy in the narrow sense but about violation of parental right.). Yet modern confessional Lutheranism, while still encouraging parental consent, generally does not regard a marriage as invalid merely because it was contracted through the civil magistrate without the parents’ consent, even when the parents’ refusal is not arbitrary or unjust.

I find some difficult in seeing how this contemporary position can be reconciled with the confessional condemnation of marriages that violate parental rights. While such marriages may not be “clandestine” in the fullest sense, they still appear to stand in tension with Melanchthon’s insistence on the rejection of marriages made without parental consent. Am I misunderstanding something? Or has there been a substantive shift in Lutheran teaching on the validity of marriage, and if so, how is that shift justified within a confessional framework?

I just started going to a Lutheran church after being a non-denominational but the Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions are really making me question Protestantism.

(Please don’t say they’re demonic, If they’re real that might be blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) I guess it really comes down to authority, like do the post apostolic councils and such have the ability to bind dogma? If so = Catholic, if not = Lutheran.

I feel like the council of Jerusalem, because it’s a binding council found in scripture, and the verses about the power to bind and loose support the Catholic side of this. do you guys have any ideas?

also they claim to not add any new stuff but rather “define doctrine“. Do you know of any blatant additions that contradict early Christianity?

I could ask this in any sub, but I want to ask here because I’ve been reading the small catechism and recently got a copy of the Book of Concord, and am generally headed towards catechesis and I think baptism.

I’m curious for the LCMS perspective on this because my experience here and IRL is that LCMS theologians are very knowledgeable.

So, to the question: are the verses like Exodus 20:3, 2 Kings 17:35, and Jeremiah 25:6 saying that there are other “divine beings”?

Does this get elaborated on elsewhere in the Bible?

I’m not referring to angels and fallen angels necessarily, unless this is what those passages are referring to.

Hello everyone, basically, I plan to be regularly attending a local LCMS church as soon as I formally dismiss Catholcisim as the one true church. However, my local LCMS church is very small, like only 20 attendees, the priest is very old, theres no choir or anything just a digital organ being played to the melody of whatever song is being sung, and most of the members are over 60. I want to make it my new church home and convince some people from old church to convert as well. As well as help this small church go from dying to growing (in the long run of course). My question is, is this too ambitious? Is it possible to revive a small church like this? What happens if the pastor dies?

I know this is a common thing that comes up on Christian subreddits so I apologize for adding to it but: earlier today I was feeling overwhelmed by temptation and and felt angry that I was always feeling convicted of my sin and how much easier it is to just give in.

I’m worried that feeling angry at the Holy Spirit for convicting me of my sin is the unpardonable sin and so now I’m vacillating between anxiety about being irretrievably damned, feeling comforted, and then feeling anxiety about feeling comforted since from what I’ve read worrying that you’ve commuted the unpardonable sin is a sign you haven’t committed it thus it stands to reason not worrying could be a sign you have committed it

I guess it goes without saying that I have OCD and scrupulosity and that the vast majority of my experience with faith prior to joining the LCMS was in Calvinist traditions. I’d just appreciate some clarity on this issue and prayers that I’ll find some peace.

I’ll try to make this short and to the point. Today at work a new guy started and I was training him all day.

We start talking about God.

He tells me that he has been saved and baptized, but says demons torment him daily(thoughts etc)

I reminded him to focus on the Cross and tried to give him some scripture for encouragement. It seemed to me he was wanting to focus more on his torment(demons) than what God has done for him. If that makes sense. He kept saying he wants to be delivered(exorcised).

I asked him to join me at the next Divine Service.

He said he would love to and that he would want to meet the pastor, etc.

He comes from a non-denomination background.

I guess my question is did I go about this the right way? I said a prayer for him earlier and planned on praying more about this and talking to my pastor. I just wanted to also see if anyone has had a similar experience or situation etc.

I just got back from a couple weeks of vacation. I attended church on Sundays and I couldn’t believe I was actually in a LCMS church. The only way they could have been more different is if they spoke another language completely.
I was under the impression that every LCMS church service was supposed to be very similar no matter where you went.
Does the synod know about this? I mean it is hard to hide it…

Hi all! I’m not very familiar with Lutherans on a personal level other than the few small amount that I went to highschool with but I’ve been looking into my local LCMS church. Something that has changed for me as I’ve gotten older is the emphasis and importance of the sacraments and I feel I need communion as often as possible and I don’t really align with the reformed/presbyterian understanding of communion anymore. For context, my boyfriend was raised lightly Roman Catholic so he’s familiar more with that tradition and we currently attend a PCA (to which he hasn’t committed to being a member there) because he doesn’t feel it’s right and I’m also not completely aligned with reformed understanding of scripture since I’ve been reading Lutheran posts/videos. I’m wondering if an LCMS church would be something that would align more with our views that we could settle in. I have to do more research of course and actually attend a service in person to see the culture of that community but the communion emphasis is a big one for me. Thanks

Hello everyone. Hope all is well. I believe in Jesus Christ, have felt conviction and compunction for my sins, (am not baptized yet), but through my sheer disobedience and willing sin, I feel I could possibly be reprobate and beyond repentance.

My conviction seems to be lowering and I do not feel compunction like I used to. I am afraid that I truly am beyond change. I suffer with a chronic illness, and a lot of anxiety and depression that is getting worse around my spiritual situation. I am not sure exactly how the Gospel is supposed to work in life, but I do know I feel very distant from God and very carnal and it’s killing me. I desire holiness, but for whatever reason cannot do anything virtuous. Cannot change at all.

Reddit can be a sin for me as it can get addicting, so I am truly asking for some spiritual advice particularly from an LCMS pastor(s). I want to visit an LCMS church, and be baptized but it’s hard with the uncertainty around my diabetes, and the fear that is involved with traveling with it.

Please, please pray for my soul.

What did Melanchton say here in the apology?

"Concerning this subject we have frequently testified in this assembly that it is our greatest wish to maintain church-polity and the grades in the Church [old church-regulations and the government of bishops], even though they have been made by human authority [provided the bishops allow our doctrine and receive our priests].."

Is this offering union with Catholicism if they only barely tolerated Lutheran teaching but could still maintain their own disagreements? That would seem to imply a kind of unionism where two confessions are allowed side by side in one church, so I am wondering if there is some other possible interpretation of Melanchthon here?

I was just wondering because it’s not explicitly commanded nor forbidden by the Lord

Edit: was a dumb question

​

There is a YouTube and Spotify account called Reformed and Dangerous. I found them when they made a rock version of A Miighty Fortress. They just came out with a rap type song on Martin Luther (see link). Note they do use AI to help create the songs.

https://youtu.be/JXAUtxZhetw?is=ACI-mZHMgQcbZ6_A