Ascension Marianna

As a member church of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, we teach and respond to the love of the Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God as confessed in the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
As Lutherans, our congregation prizes its Lutheran Heritage which is centered on Scripture (accepting the Word of God as His Word and believing what it teaches because we believe in Jesus the Word.) Martin Luther from Holy Scripture taught God's love for us was not preconditioned by how well we work at being good, but that this love was free from God and not deserved. Our church's word for this free undeserved love is Grace. He further found that we are saved by Christ's life, death and resurrection, not our own efforts. Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again because of His love for His Father and us. In the Bible (John 3:16) Jesus tells us that God so Loved the world (that is all of us) that He gave His only begotten Son, so that who so ever believes in Him doesn't perish but has everlasting life. So our church Heritage as Lutherans is Scripture alone (tells us how to be saved and what God would have us do); Faith alone (which is God's gift through the working of the Holy Spirit); and Grace alone (God's free unmerited love), are the basic foundation of Salvation. It is through the salvational work of Jesus, who as our substitute--takes our sin upon Himself, that we become free of our sins and are forgiven for our failures by God. All this happens because of God's love for us. This love comes to us through the Word of God and His Sacraments. The Lutheran words describing this way of delivery to us is means of Grace. All of this is dependent on Scripture alone, Faith Alone and Grace alone. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.
Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Faith alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.
Scripture alone
The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.

Who is Jesus?
Some teach that Jesus was a mere man who lived a long time ago and became a great teacher. Others take the position that Jesus was a man that God adopted for His use. We teach what Scripture upholds, that Jesus is the Son of God and is Himself true God. We were not present when Jesus lived on this earth, but in the Bible we have the record of his birth, life, death on the cross, and resurrection. Study of the Bible, God's Word, will enable you to seek out the answer to this age-old question.