What We Believe

At Southwest Lutheran Church, we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
We follow Him because He is the only hope for our broken world today:

To those living in darkness, Jesus is light.
To those who hunger, Jesus is the bread of life.
To those who thirst, Jesus is the living water.
To those who have no future, Jesus offers new birth.
To those facing death, Jesus promises life.
To those with hurting bodies, Jesus gives healing.

For those who feel worthless, Jesus paid the highest price.
To those who are trapped, Jesus gives freedom.
For those who sin, Jesus gives forgiveness.

For those who are guilty, Jesus declares them righteous.
On behalf of those who cannot speak, Jesus intercedes before God.
To those who are lonely, Jesus gives a family.
For those who lack a father, Jesus makes them children of God.

To those who fight, Jesus gives peace.
To those who are estranged from one another, Jesus offers reconciliation.
To those who have been left by everyone, Jesus is faithful.

For those who seek God, Jesus is the perfect priest.
For those who see their efforts fall short, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice.
For those who feel dirty, Jesus makes them clean and holy.

To those in peril, Jesus is salvation.
To those who have lost it all, Jesus gives victory.

We believe that Jesus can do all this because He is truly God. He accomplishes all of these things for us through His death on the cross and His resurrection.  We cannot truly achieve any of these things on our own, and only Jesus can do all of this for us.

We believe:

  • In one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • That God is creator of Heaven and Earth, and our lives have meaning on account of that fact.
  • That we receive all the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
  • That the Bible is the only source of authority for our beliefs.  It is true, without error, and complete.
  • That God delivers His grace to us through His Word and Sacraments.
  • That through Baptism God delivers forgiveness of sins, rescues us from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe.
  • That the Lord’s Supper is mysteriously the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that through this meal God also delivers forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation to all who believe.
  • That the Church is the Body of Christ sent on a mission to make disciples of all nations.
  • That Jesus Christ will come again to complete His work on earth.  On that day He will usher in a New Creation that no longer suffers from the corruption of sin.
  • That there are spiritual forces in the world which we cannot see.  Satan and his demons are the enemy, but Jesus has triumphed over them through his death and resurrection.

We are a member congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.