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Petra Evangelical Lutheran Church
1049 First Avenue North
Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
Phone: 320-252-0120
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Come and find your real treasure, Jesus Christ.
Welcome and thank you for visiting our web site. Petra Lutheran Church and School is a member of theWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), which is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Our church is located at 1049 First Avenue North in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, near the intersection of Minnesota Highway 15 and Benton Drive, just east of the Mississippi River. Our building, dedicated in 1980, includes a Lutheran Elementary School (Pre-K through 8th).
Our members believe and teach what Jesus instructed His disciples to teach -- that it is by God's grace alone that we are saved. We preach Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord, the only Savior for all the world. We believe that the Bible is God's Word; that it is the true, unaltered source and authority for Christian faith and life. And we want what God wants, that "all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." What we offer is the pure, unchanged Gospel of the Lord. If this sounds like what your spiritual life is missing, come join us.
If you're looking for somewhere to share in the message of God's love and the promise of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, we invite you to make Petra your spiritual home. At Petra Lutheran Church, we treasure the Bible as the foundation of all we believe and teach. It is the unchanging Word of God which guides us in our daily lives. And no matter where your relationship with your Creator is, now is a great time to strengthen that relationship.
Whether you've never set foot in a church or have been a Christian all your life, we hope you'll consider visiting us soon. We'll leave the light on for you.
On this site you will find information about our church and the opportunities we provide. If you have any feedback, feel free to offer it. We are always glad to hear from you.
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Worship Schedule:
Sundays: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School, Youth Group, and Adult Bible Classes meet between services at 9:15 a.m.
Miss something in the sermon? Download it! Sermons are now available as downloads online. Click Sermons here or on the top menu and pick the sermon you want to download.
Want to be more informed about current events happening in the WELS synod? Subscribe to TOGETHER for electronic updates from the synod. Click here for more info.
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Daily Devotion| » | Just Another Fish Story - Feb. 8, 2010
Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
Luke 5:4-6 Russ remarked, “I have heard fish stories before, but this one beats them all.” There was no way he was going to believe his friend’s story. “Trust me,” John said, “This is no fish story.” Russ wasn’t convinced. It wasn’t until he saw the pictures and the mounted fish that Russ finally believed John wasn’t exaggerating.
Peter and the other disciples were like Russ. They were professionals and they knew better. So when Jesus told them to put out into deep water, they thought that it wouldn’t accomplish anything. In spite of their reservations, they decided to do what Jesus told them.
Much to their amazement, the impossible happened. The catch was beyond their wildest dreams. Suddenly the truth terrified them. They just experienced a miracle, and they recognized they were in the presence of God (Luke 5:8-9).
As I consider this account, I am confronted by conflicting conclusions. I can reject the account as an exaggeration – just another fish story. On the other hand, I can believe the account is a true event in the life of Jesus and his disciples.
If I choose to reject the miracle, as well as the response of the disciples, I may gain a small piece of self-satisfaction, but what do I lose in exchange? In contrast, if I put my confidence in Luke’s inspired account of Jesus’ miracle, what do I gain?
The bottom line is this. I cannot afford to pick and choose what I like or what I don’t like. That process leaves me with nothing. I need to believe everything Luke records regarding Jesus, and I need to believe it is the truth.
Luke’s Gospel is a carefully investigated account of the life of Jesus (Luke 1:1-4). It is also a true account because he wrote by the power of God the Holy Spirit. Because it is true, it eliminates fear. It erases doubt. It declares forgiveness. It proclaims peace. It eases pain. It offers a purpose for life. It gives me every reason to follow Jesus without hesitation (Luke 5:11).
Luke went to great lengths to record the facts of Jesus’ life and ministry and to share that truth with me. It is because his efforts were guided by the Holy Spirit that I can have complete confidence in what has been recorded. It is also because of God’s undeserved love that I can answer a most urgent question: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:26) Based on the truth of Luke’s detailed account, I can say, “Absolutely! And, he did it for me!”
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