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About Us

Our Grip On God’s Word

the History

While the presence of Lutheran Churches in Oconomowoc was fairly well established and rooted by the early 1970’s by the larger Lutheran Synods of America, there was no church in the area from the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). Through the vision of the Mission Board of the Lutheran Church in America, land was purchased in 1975 at Lord of Life’s present location on the northeast corner of Cty. Roads P & Z.

Thus, a small Lutheran Church on the northeast side of Oconomowoc was poised to strengthen it’s grip on the truth of God’s Word and the certainty of salvation and share it with the surrounding community. Because of Lord of Life’s grip on the truth of God’s Word, the congregation united around these foundational beliefs of Holy Scripture on which confessional Lutherans stand: “By Grace Alone, By Faith Alone, By Scripture Alone.”

Not long after Lord of Life’s 10th anniversary on April 5, 1987, this congregation joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988. The decision was later made, and we currently are, a member of the NALC, North American Lutheran Church. 

Hear From Pastor Mike

 July, 2024

“You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”                                                                      — I Corinthians 6:20

       In two years, our nation will be 250 years old. What began as an experiment in creating a democratic republic, has blossomed into a system of government that many have tried to imitate but none have equaled. God has certainly blessed our nation and our refrigerators can prove it! If you have enough food in your house to last the next two days, you are better off than most of the world’s population.  

Over the past two and a half centuries, a lot of blood has been spilled to preserve our freedom. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” have come at a high cost. But there is something else to consider this Independence Day. Perhaps we have become a little too independent. It is no surprise when people who hold a worldly point of view leads lives independent from the will and Word of God. But, as members of the household of God, we too can be tempted by the world’s philosophy of accumulation, worry, and discontent. “Will I have enough to live comfortably in my retirement?” “Will I be able to afford the cost if something goes seriously wrong with my car?” “What if the market crashes?” As your pastor, I must admit that these thoughts creep into my head from time to time. I am not as spiritually-minded as I ought to be. 


But then another thought enters my heart. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8). It is in our human nature to reject rules and regulations (just ask Adam and Eve!). We do not like anyone telling us what to do, whether it be our parents, our lawmakers or even our pastors. We crave independence, the freedom to live our lives the way we choose. Unfortunately, many times our choices leave us trapped instead providing the freedom we desired.


In the above verse, St. Paul remind us that within the kingdom of God we do not have the freedom to live any way we want.  Our reprieve from sin, death and eternal damnation came at a price: the blood of God’s own Son! When it comes to salvation, we lose our independence. In fact, we are totally dependent on the grace God shown us in Christ. We belong to the Lord and our duty is to Him, first and foremost. 


What follows is honoring God with our bodies: where we go, what we say, and even how we think. Why? Because, as created beings, we are dependent on Him. Our next day, indeed, our next breath depends on God’s mercy and grace alone. Paul reminds us that worship is not just sitting in church for an hour every Sunday. It is honoring God through the way we live our lives. Our bodies can be used for either good purposes or evil. How much we genuinely love God is shown by how we spend the 167 hours in a week that we are not in a pew. 


Happy Independence Day! Two and a half centuries ago we declared our independence from an enemy called England. During the past 100 years, that enemy has become one of our staunchest allies, including throughout two World Wars. A reminder that even the bitterest of enemies can be reconciled when it comes to fighting evil. Through sin, we had become enemies with God. But by His grace, He now joins the battle and fights on our side.

 And if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). 

  

 

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mike

May, 2024     

  “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in
accordance with their own desires.”
                                                                                        2 Timothy 4:3

Let’s face it—the Bible is a big book! Better put, it is a large collection of books written over centuries. It is made up of different genres; history, poetry, song, narrative, and letters are just some of the literary forms found in that book which we call the “Holy Bible.” For thousands of years, people have debated its meaning and central thoughts. Wars have been fought over differing interpretations and martyrs have been made when they differed with the majority opinion. Still, it remains God’s message to mankind and our only window into things unseen.

This month, our church calendar changes gears. On May 26 (Holy Trinity Sunday), we will enter that portion of the Church Year which is more doctrinal than historical. From Advent to Pentecost, we concentrate on events in the life of our Lord. Beginning on Trinity Sunday, the emphasis becomes doctrinal and practical. In other words, we learn how to live from what we have learned about our Lord’s life.

Doctrine. It’s what pastors try to teach to school age children in Confirmation Class. It is the driving force behind Bible Studies. And it is part of every Sunday Sermon (or, at least, it should be). Doctrine merely means “teaching.” Most of what I say on a Sunday morning is not new information. Rather, it is a reminder of those things we already know. There is a reason we say either the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed as part of our order of service; both creeds present the basic doctrines of the Bible in a short form. Every important teaching of the Christian Church is proclaimed by us in these three short paragraphs. It’s a wonderful way to start the week, acknowledging God as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. It is not new. Rather, it is a reinforcement of what we already know so that we might live according to God’s truth day by day. As David aptly said in Psalm 119:105: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

One of my goals as a pastor is to get us to think Biblically. The world has a myriad of opinions, distractions, and temptations. Doctrine gets us back on track, both as individuals and as the collective we call “church.” Doctrine is truth and, for the disciple (student) of Christ, it is not simply information to be accumulated. It is truth to be lived! When we are thinking right, chances are we will also be living right.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mike