Embrace weird.

Published: Oct. 16, 2016, 10 a.m.

Back in 1517, something happened that didn't just change the church. It changed the whole world with it. It's known as the Lutheran Reformation. 499 years later ("ID" in Roman numerals), the same truths that started it all are still the heart and core of our identity as a church. Most importantly, they still offer unequaled peace, joy, and hope to sinners. This week we discover mankind’s inability to come to faith and life on our own power. 499 years ago people banked on the hope that God would not deny grace to those who “did what they could.” Today a vast majority of Christians believe the same thing, that God “helps those who help themselves.” That might work if we could help ourselves, but we cannot. Sin has so corrupted humanity that we only have salvation by grace alone.