The Unique Comfort of Lutheran Theology | A Conversation with Adam & Bethany Dirks, Part 2

[@run4cmt]

As a lifelong Lutheran, I so love all the meaning in our churches and liturgy. I was blessed to be educated in a Lutheran school system.

[@1920s]

This is exactly why I became Lutheran. I’m about two months in. Thank you, pastor. God bless you.

[@run4cmt]

Welcome.

[@RomGabe]

Thank you for Law & Gospel!

[@kaliki76]

Pr Wolfmueller always explains the Sacraments with truth and grace and in a way baptists can understand!

[@Supahmatt1]

Pastor wolfmeuler getting Covid-19 was a Blessing to us... To see God's Love remain in Pastor Wolfmeuler despite his sickness is exactly what this time needs to see... God's gifts are given and received no matter if things seem Bleak

[@lydialandes6863]

LOVE these interviews. Thanks so much!

[@luthergirl106]

We love these so much Pastor!!! Looking forward to the rest of them. I did not know that Bethany is Lutheran. So awesome!! 😎

[@amybrooks6722]

I wonder if she will ever tell her story about coming into the Lutheran Church from the evangelical.

[@MrGassemann]

The Lutheran church tour should be mandatory. Thank you 🙏🙂

[@sampark1986]

Thanks Pastor Wolfmueller!

[@debbiefogarty51]

Beautiful! Everything points to Christ! ❤️

[@trejea1754]

Thanks, Pr. Wolfmueller!

[@judithtaylor6713]

Awesome. Thank you.

[@danpurdy3987]

Love your enthusiasm!

[@mrscms831]

Like what Pr Bryan says about putting on his robes, not to make him bigger than life, but to make him blend into the background. I must decrease so that Christ can increase.

[@dennisparham5860]

Really liked your discussion.

[@lindaarbogast7841]

Great discussion. Thanks for sharing this. Looking forward to the rest.

[@jordantsak7683]

Love it.

[@maggieobersat3861]

AHH! They're Lutheran??!!! I"M SO EXCITED!!! 😂

[@Outrider74]

Bryan, do you know how many evangelicals would choke upon hearing that they are Lutheran? Have to admit that I assumed they were mainstream evangelical until seeing these videos with you on them.

[@CloudslnMyCoffee]

To be fair, she used to be.

[@angelbonilla2255]

Evangelical and Lutheran are not exclusive categories. I am both.

[@davidacharles1962]

The Word of God is *the* means of grace. The sacraments are visible words that depend on the Written Word for their efficacy. Neither the Word nor sacraments need the embellishment of architecture that mere mortals imagine necessary.

[@rickpettey8822]

Nixon Coming: So, what is your point?

[@davidacharles1962]

@@rickpettey8822 the building that contains the Word and Sacraments is not instituted by the Head of the church. The building is not, in any sense a means of grace.

[@rickpettey8822]

@@davidacharles1962: I'm sorry but you were not listening. He never said the building was a means of grace. The building can help focus our attention ON (caps for attention, not screaming :) the means of grace. I am currently leading my congregation in a Bible class teaching the exact same thing. If you want to see another even more so where the building does just that, go to the web-page of Our Savior Lutheran Church on Tidwell St. (there are two "Our Saviors" in Houston) in Houston, TX. I consider that the only confessional Lutheran "cathedral" in the U.S. Pastor Wolfmueller is exactly correct. btw- I titled my Bible-study "The Theology of Space" for the reason already mentioned. Pax.

[@rickpettey8822]

@@davidacharles1962 : One thing I forgot to mention. If the building (and its contents) point one to the means of grace, they do so because they point to Christ! Solus Christus!

[@CloudslnMyCoffee]

Is weird seeing Pastor Wolfmueller without his collar

[@edouardmarcelin2374]

Heyy .. im trying to find a traditional lutheran church in my country can you help me ?

[@p.t.benzinger2179]

What country?

[@edouardmarcelin2374]

@@p.t.benzinger2179 haiti 🇭🇹

[@edouardmarcelin2374]

Would really appreciate your help

[@edouardmarcelin2374]

@@jwidmann1 i already went there .. not really traditional

[@donspinniken9045]

My take away: I/we can not climb any of those ladders up to heaven, :(. Christ climbs/ed down to carry me/us up to heaven! Heaven IS earned by works…the work of Baptism where the Creator of water adds His Word, washes us into His death and raises us into His Resurrection! Then the Creator of bread, aka The Bread of Life, and the Creator thru water, sunlight, grape vines, soil & nutrients, yeast & time gives us wine and with His Words “this is” gives us His Body and Blood. All this He works for our forgiveness. Thank you, Pastor Bryan.

[@85xxwarmachine]

Why do Christians feel the need to say they're a Lutheran or Methodist or whatever? Can't we just follow the Jesus of the Bible and God? I don't get it.

[@tonigraf3096]

Yes, I think most would agree we do (hopefully) all follow Jesus, the Bible & God very broadly. I grew up in a non-denominational community church and it was wonderful except...we could not ever have deeper Bible study or more than spiritual milk teaching due to differences. Milk is necessary and wonderful but we just avoided questions about understanding what God was saying in the Bible and in doing so failed to receive comfort from doubts and/or questions that are bound to arise in the life of a believer. I always had questions no would could or would answer for fear of being 'impolite' towards differing views. I appreciate the teaching and explanation some churches such as the LCMS, to which I now belong, provide and these explanations come straight from the Bible. No group is perfect but it helps establish fellowship of understanding God's Word. I think robust discussion and loving debate is healthy and productive. Differences will always exist but ignoring them does not make them go away. I get what most people of non-denominational churches feel though - we should never make non-salvation differences a cause for disunity between brothers and sisters in Christ. Also, a church nailing down a summary of beliefs (creed) helps people steer clear of churches who say they "follow Jesus" but don't share beliefs such as his deity or trinitarian belief. Even Muslims believe he is a prophet. Every person has a creed or "a set of beliefs or aims which guide someone's actions". Some people feel it is helpful and unifying to write them down so there is no ambiguity and also less chance of false teaching slipping in unnoticed. Most denominations spring up and creeds are written down to combat false teachings throughout the Church's history. I like that more recent churches are quick to pivot away from what they perceive is anti-Biblical but they can be prone to pivot quickly toward whatever ear-tickling teaching is popular at the time that may be un-Biblical as well. Just my perspective from my short time here on this earth. I am humble enough to realize I have plenty left to understand and I pray for the unity of all God's people that I may unfortunately have to wait and see when Jesus returns. I am not a fan of labels either as I have always said I am only "Christian" or "follow Jesus" but I have seen a different side to this seeming "disunity" of denominations.

[@tonigraf3096]

And yes, I did constantly read my Bible for absolute truth and counted on the Holy Spirit to teach me since I was 8 years old but some questions and topics would have been more quickly answered by a knowledgeable, faith-filled teacher. We are made for sharing our gifts with one another. God does work to encourage and serve us through other people and tells us to worship in Spirit and Truth. Love this passage... 1 Peter 4:7-11...verse 10 especially pertaining to this topic - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."

[@85xxwarmachine]

@@tonigraf3096 Yeah I guess. It's a good thing that ALL denominations don't share the same heresy or anything. *Cough* Sunday *Cough*

[@tonigraf3096]

@@85xxwarmachine Haha! Yes. As long as we can agree that the Sabbath is on Saturday, the 7th day, but it is fine to worship on and call Sunday the Lord's Day since that is the day of the week He was resurrected and is symbolic of the 8th day - new Heaven & Earth, forever with Him. I personally feel it would make things much easier to worship on Saturday. There are groups that do and some, like we do, have even more worship services than once a week. I suppose that is why we ended up with 2 days set aside in America? We, as a family, observe all the Feasts (not in a legalistic manner). What a blessing to remember what God has done and how it all points to Jesus!

[@rickpettey8822]

85xxwarmachine: I mean no offense when I say, "To say I am Lutheran, is to say that I am Christian. They are one and the same thing." Know that I even talked that way while going for me BA in biblical studies at a SBC university in Florida. Most of the students in the same program (mostly Baptists, but also Methodists, Presbyterian, Assembly of God) understood what I meant and respected me for holding to my confessional conviction. They knew it was not meant as a slight or a pejorative.