VOTL's Mission

We exist to hear God's Word and tell it to others. We do this by learning, teaching, and testifying to the fact that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

We believe and teach . . .

The Bible tells how a compassionate and righteous God has repaired the broken relationship between himself and his corrupted human creation. As a Christian church, our basic mission is to set forth this truth plainly without adding nor subtracting from it. (See 2 Corinthians 4:2.)

• God created human beings and determined how we should live and be.
  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).
   
• God is Triune, three persons but one God, a fact which transcends all human understanding.
  Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deuteronomy 6:4).
  Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
   
• We have utterly failed to be what God wants and requires of us, and therefore he has every right to punish us for our sin and rebellion against him.
  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23a).
  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
   
• Although many people try to gain favor with God by their "good" lives and "good" works, God has made it clear that no one will get to heaven by his own accomplishments.
  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law (Romans 3:20).
  All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10)
   
• God is loving and merciful, and he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us -- not by telling us what to do, but by actually doing it for us as our perfect Substitute and Savior.
  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18).
   
• Jesus Christ is both true God and true man in one person, equal to God the Father in his divinity, less than the Father in his humanity.
  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1,14).
   
• When Jesus died on the cross he paid the price for the sins of the whole world.
  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
   
• Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, a fact that assures us of his divinity and of our completed salvation.
  Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4).
  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25).
   
• God gives us the salvation won through Jesus' death when he gives us the gift of faith to trust Christ as our Savior.
  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).
   
• Saving faith or trust in Christ is not something we can create or choose for ourselves. God the Holy Spirit works miraculously in our hearts to bring us to Jesus.
  No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).
   
• The Holy Spirit uses the good news of Jesus (the gospel) to bring us to believe in him. The gospel comes to us in verbal form (the Bible) and in tangible form (the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion) to create and strengthen saving trust in Jesus.
  (Note: The sacraments are not rituals by which we earn forgiveness. Rather they are means through which God works faith and forgiveness.)
  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
  Take eat; this is my body . . . Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26,28).
   
• Out of love and gratitude to God for his salvation, and to give him honor and praise, we want to gather for worship and lead God-pleasing lives.
  Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).
  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).

Studying The Bible

It is important to understand the Bible within its proper context. The Bible is a long, interwoven story covering a period of over 2500 years. It contains historical accounts, poetry, wisdom literature, prophecy by visions, and parables (earthly stories with a spiritual message).

The Bible was not written with the intent of providing "proof passages" to be pulled out and shot like bullets during a debate. Instead, it was written as a collection of books to tell a cohesive story which contains profound depth and truth. As the inspired Word of God, it is worthy of life-long study and meditation.

Tips for studying the Bible

When studying a passage of Scripture, remember to do the following:

• Take note of the book in which it is found. What is its genre and main purpose? What is its place in history?
• Look at the verses before and after the passage in order to keep the truth of the passage in synch with the words around it.
• Always ask, "What is the passage saying?" before you ask, "Does this answer my question or please my reasoning?".
• Look for other passages in the Bible which speak to the same subject in order to help in understanding the truth of your original passage. (Let Scripture interpret Scripture.)

Resources for studying the Bible

Many good books are available through Northwestern Publishing House's online catalog.

• A good study Bible — We recommend the Concordia NIV Self-Study Bible. It provides historical and literary context, references to related passages, and some explanation and analysis.
• A good set of commentaries on the books of the Bible — We recommend the People's Bible series and authors Paul Kretzmann, R.C.H. Lenski, and Matthew Henry.
• A set of Bible encyclopedia
• A good Bible dictionary
• An exhaustive concordance of the Bible. We recommend authors James Strong and Robert Young.
• A pastor — Please feel welcome to consult our pastor. During his college and seminary training, he received extensive training in the original Hebrew and Greek biblical texts. Take advantage of his knowledge and experience.