About Risen Savior Lutheran Church - Discover Our Faith Community in Lakewood Ranch, FL

DISCOVER RISEN SAVIOR

We believe Jesus changes everything.

CORE VALUES

Everything we do is powered by our Core Values

Our core values act as guiding principles, helping us align our actions and decisions with a Christ-centered approach. They steer our outreach efforts, instructional initiatives, community service, and our aim for excellence, ensuring that we stay rooted in our faith while engaging with the community and each other.

Christ-Centered Community

Because of who Jesus is, we want to be a church that is Christ centered. Everything we do, everyone we come into contact with, we want Christ to be at the center

Commitment to Outreach

Because Jesus commands his church to “Go”, we want to be a church that is dedicated to outreach

Heart of Lakewood Ranch

Because of what Jesus has done for us, we want to be a church that isn’t just located in the heart of LWR, but we want to be the heart of LWR, through the service, generosity, kindness, love we show to our community.

Culture of Biblical Instruction

Because Jesus commands his church to “Teach”, we want to be a church that is dedicated to instruction in his Word.

EXPLORE CHRISTIANITY

There's no other leader like our savior, Jesus.

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the true word of God. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This means that God breathed into the writers the exact thoughts and words they were to write. As a result every statement in the Bible is the truth. One part of the Bible explains another part. It is the only guideline for the faith and life of Christians. We are to read and study it diligently. It clearly teaches all we need to know in order to receive our eternal salvation.

2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:15; Luke 11:28; John 5:39; John 17:13-17

Jesus Christ

The Bible and Lutherans teach that Jesus Christ is the Savior of everyone. He is the eternal Son of God, equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is also the son of the Virgin Mary. He became man to redeem all people. Taking our place, he lived a perfect life keeping the law of God for us. He also died as our innocent substitute on the cross to pay a price sufficient for everyone’s sin. After rising from the dead, Jesus ascended into heaven. On the Last Day he will judge all the people who are still living and those whom he will raise from the dead.

1 John 5:20; Matthew 1:23; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 1:4; Acts 10:42

The Triune God

Man and Woman

The Bible and Lutherans teach that men and women are a special creation of God. The first man was created from the dust of the earth. The first woman was made from the rib of man. They were created in God’s image. This means that they were without sin and had a perfect knowledge of God. That image was destroyed when Adam and Eve first sinned. But God sent his one and only Son to save us from our sin and restore his image in us.

Genesis 2:7; Genesis 2:22; Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 2:14

Creation

The Gospel

The Bible and Lutherans teach the gospel. The message of the gospel is the good news that a loving God sent Jesus Christ to take away the sins of all people. This gospel freely offers to all sinners the righteousness that is found in Jesus. God offers and gives eternal life and salvation to all those who believe in the gospel promises.

John 1:17; Romans 1:16; John 3:16; Colossians 2:13; Luke 2:10,11; Ezekiel 33:11

Saved through Faith

We believe that saving faith is a gift God works in our hearts through his Spirit and his Word. As Christians, we put our faith in Jesus and Jesus alone for our salvation. The Bible and Lutherans teach that faith is a repentant sinner's acceptance of Jesus Christ as his only Savior and full trust in his worthiness for forgiveness of sins and salvation. Such faith is not a personal achievement or an act of human worthiness. The Holy Spirit creates faith.

John 1:12; Acts 10:43; Galatians 2:16; Acts 16:30,31; John 3:36; Matthew 24:13

Repentance

The Bible and Lutherans teach that repentance is an acknowledgment of sin and sincere regret for it. A repentant sinner also trusts that God will forgive sin for Jesus’ sake. Repentance is a condition of the heart without which no one can hope to be saved. Every truly repentant sinner is assured of God’s free and full pardon. Therefore, a repentant Christian will seek to forsake a life of sin and turn and follow God instead.

Isaiah 55:6,7 ; Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Luke 18:13,14

Sanctification

The Bible and Lutherans teach that faith in Jesus Christ is living and active. Therefore faith produces good deeds that are pleasing to God. True faith, nourished by God’s Word, delights to do the holy will of God. In this sinful world, however, even the best works of a Christian are still dirtied with sin. We will never be perfect in this life. For Jesus’ sake, the imperfect efforts of a Christian are graciously considered acceptable by our Father in heaven.

James 2:17; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 7:19; Isaiah 64:6; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Ephesians 2:10

Prayer

The Bible and Lutherans teach that believers pray. In the name of Jesus, that is, trusting in his salvation, a believer confidently speaks to God. We present to God our needs, praising him, thanking him, or interceding for others. Prayer is not a way to earn salvation. Christians pray because God commands us to pray and promises to answer our prayers. Sometimes his answer is yes, sometimes no. Sometimes God waits until the time is right to answer our prayers.

Psalm 19:14; Psalm 50:15; Matthew 7:7; Matthew 21:22; John 16:23; 1 Timothy 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:8

OUR HISTORY

A Network Rich in History

Risen Savior Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The WELS is a group of nearly 340,000 men, women, and children in over 1,300 congregations united by a common faith in the saving love of Jesus.

We share a commitment to be faithful to the Bible. We also share the statement of faith found in the creeds that Christians have confessed together for centuries.

“God gathered us to work together and blessed the faithful efforts of all those who have gone before us. We remain together to work as brothers and sisters in Christ and to proclaim the wonders of God’s grace to all the world”

Together in Christ: A History of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WELS

WHAT IS A LUTHERAN?

What the Bible and Lutherans teach.

Nearly 500 years ago, the Christian church was corrupted by many false teachings. A man named Martin Luther led people back to the teachings of the Bible. His work, and that of his friends, is called the Reformation. Through Luther, God restored the Church to the true teachings of the Bible and a new life of faith in Christ