One question Jesus often asks folks is: “What are you looking for?”  If you are looking for a tame, convenient god who will tolerate you and expect little of you, you won’t meet such a God in Jesus Christ nor among St. Paul Lutheran Church.  But if you are looking for the God who loves and forgives sinners and calls them to be an expression of his compassion in our community and beyond… then come and see who you meet among the people of St. Paul.

Here are the basics of what we believe: 

We believe that God has created us and all that exists. He has given us and still preserves our body and soul with all their powers. 

He provides us with food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and all we need from day to day. God also protects us in time of danger and guards us from every evil. 

All this he does out of fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, though we do not deserve it. Therefore we surely ought to thank and praise, serve and obey him. 

We believe that Jesus Christ–true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary–is our Lord. 

At great cost he has saved and redeemed us, lost and condemned persons. He has freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil – not with silver or gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. 

All this he has done that we may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. 

We believe that we cannot by our own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called us through the Gospel, enlightened us with his gifts, and sanctified and kept us in true faith. 

In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. 

In this Christian church day after day he fully forgives our sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day he will raise us and all the dead and give us and all believers in Christ eternal life.

This is most certainly true.