Download Audio THE PUBLIC USE OF THE KEYS Second: How does a Christian congregation use the keys? A Christian congregation with its called servant of Christ uses the keys in accordance with Christ’s command by forgiving those who repent of their sin and are willing to amend, and by excluding from the congregation those who […]
Download Audio Divider page for the Exposition Luther’s Small Catechism: THE KEYS, with a picture of two keys forming a cross from a church window, and the caption, “Christ gives his church two keys: the power to forgive sins and the power to refuse to forgive sins.” THE KEYS First: What is the use of […]
Download Audio THE MEANING OF BAPTISM FOR OUR DAILY LIFE Fourth: What does baptizing with water mean? Baptism means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily contrition and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise […]
Download Audio THE POWER OF BAPTISM Third: How can water do such great things? It is certainly not the water that does such things, but God’s Word which is in and with the water and faith which trusts this Word used with the water. For without God’s Word the water is just plain water and […]
Download Audio THE BLESSINGS OF BAPTISM Second: What does Baptism do for us? Baptism works forgiveness of sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. What are these words and promises of God? Christ our Lord says in the […]
Download Audio Divider page for the Exposition Luther’s Small Catechism: BAPTISM with a picture of a stained-glass window with a dove descending in front of a cross above a shell dripping water, and the caption, “The shell, water, and dove remind us of Christ’s baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit in our own […]
Download Audio MEANS OF GRACE God’s means for Blessing Us The Christian life is full of challenges. In the Lord’s Prayer, we place all of our challenges into the hands of our gracious and powerful God, confident that he will give us everything we need to face them. But how does God help us in […]
Download Audio THE DOXOLOGY For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. What does this mean? We can be sure that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven and are heard by him, for he himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised […]
Download Audio THE SEVENTH PETITION But deliver us from evil. What does this mean? In conclusion, we pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil that threatens body and soul, property and reputation, and finally when our last hour comes, grant us a blessed end and graciously take […]
Download Audio THE SIXTH PETITION Lead us not into temptation. What does this mean? God surely tempts no one to sin, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair, and […]