Sermon: Reformation Day, John 8:31-36

October 26, 2025 
Faith-La Fe Lutheran Church
Pastora Veronica Alvarez

There’s a word that runs through today’s gospel, through this celebration, through our whole story as Faith–La Fe: freedom.
Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

We’ve heard that verse many times. It’s painted on university walls, quoted in speeches, and sometimes used out of context. But when Jesus said those words, he wasn’t talking about political freedom, or the kind of freedom that lets you do whatever you want. He was talking about the freedom that only God can give, the kind that starts deep inside the heart and changes how we live, how we see ourselves, and how we treat one another.

Today we celebrate 80 years of ministry as Faith–La Fe Lutheran Church.
Eighty years. Think about that.
Eighty years of worship, prayers, baptisms, funerals, laughter, and potlucks. Eighty years of being a home for people who might not have found one anywhere else.

Think about what Faith–La Fe has done in these years, creating a home where English and Spanish, Anglo and Latino, straight and LGBTQ+ people share one faith, one baptism, one Lord.
Think about our outreach, our Hope at the Table, food boxes for families too afraid to go out because of ICE. That’s not charity; that’s the gospel alive in the neighborhood.
That’s reformation, God’s grace breaking down walls and setting people free.

Reformation Sunday It’s not about Martin Luther being brave or smart. It’s about rediscovering that everything begins and ends in grace, God’s unearned, undeserved love that sets us free.

That freedom is not an idea. It’s something we experience. It’s what happens when we remember who we are and whose we are.

When Luther nailed those 95 theses, he was trying to call the church back to the truth, the truth Jesus spoke of: that we are saved by grace through faith, not by what we do or how perfect we look, that our hope is not in our own works, our money, our traditions, or our reputation, but in the mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

And that same rediscovery of grace that shook the church 500 years ago still shapes who we are today.
The Church and the world are changing fast, but our foundation hasn’t moved.
We are still rooted in grace.
Eighty years of being rooted in grace, not in perfection, not in success, not in size or power, but in grace.

And that’s the same truth that has carried this congregation through 80 years, through changes, joys, struggles, losses, new beginnings, and all the stories that make this community what it is today.

Jesus says to those who believed in him: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples.”
He doesn’t say “if you’re perfect” or “if you get it right every time.” He says continue, keep walking, keep learning, keep trusting.
That’s what it means to grow in faith. It’s a journey, not a destination.

Faith is not about having all the answers; it’s about remaining rooted in God’s grace while we learn to love as Christ loves.

For 80 years, this church has done exactly that, grown in faith. You’ve done it by showing up, by worshiping, by teaching children, by feeding the hungry, by building bridges between cultures and languages, by being a place where todos son bienvenidos, where everyone belongs. That is faith in action.

Jesus says, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
That freedom is not something we achieve. It’s something we receive.

So where do we find that freedom? Where does it meet us?

It’s given to us in baptism, when water and Word meet and we are claimed as children of God forever.
Today, we remember that God’s freedom isn’t about escaping life, it’s about living it fully, with purpose, forgiveness, and courage.
Every time we remember our baptism, we are reminded: In the water, God claims us, not because we’ve earned it, not because we’ve done something right, but because grace always moves first.

Baptism is our foundation. It’s God saying: You are mine. You are loved. You are free.
That promise doesn’t wear out. No matter what we face, doubt, fear, failure, we come back to that water. That’s where our freedom story begins.

And when we come to this table, the Lord’s Table, we live that freedom again.
Here, Christ gathers us from every background, language, and story, and makes us one.
Here, there’s no division between who’s worthy and who’s not.
Here, grace is poured out, freely given, broken and shared.

At this table, we taste the truth that makes us free, the truth that we belong to God and to one another.
This bread and cup are not just symbols; they’re sustenance for the journey. They remind us that the same Jesus who sets us free also sends us out, to be freedom for others, to be grace in flesh and blood.

We live in a time when people talk a lot about freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom to live as we are. But so many are still trapped, by fear, by hate, by the pressure to prove themselves.
I think of our immigrant neighbors who live afraid to drive to work or buy groceries.
I think of young people weighed down by anxiety and the need to be perfect.
I think of all of us, scrolling on our phones late at night, comparing our lives to someone else’s highlight reel and feeling “less than.”
That’s not freedom. That’s captivity with good Wi-Fi.

But Jesus says, “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
That freedom isn’t something the world gives, and it’s not something the world can take away.
It’s the freedom to love boldly, forgive fully, and live honestly, knowing that your worth doesn’t come from your success, but from our Savior.

So today, we stand on holy ground, not just because it’s Reformation Sunday, or our 80th anniversary, but because God is still reforming us, still shaping us, still calling us to live free in Christ.

We are a people rooted in grace, remembering where we come from.
We are a people growing in faith, trusting God to lead us forward.
We are a people set free by Christ, to serve, to love, to be witnesses of hope in this world.

That’s what it means to be the church. Not a building, not a tradition, but a living, breathing, grace-filled community.

So as we celebrate today, let’s give thanks for those who came before us, who planted seeds of faith. Let’s celebrate those who are here now, nurturing that faith and making room for others. And let’s look ahead, trusting that the same Spirit that began this good work 80 years ago will carry us forward.

Because the truth still sets people free.
Grace still saves.
Faith still grows.
Christ still reigns.
We are rooted in grace.
We are growing in faith.
We are free in Christ.  Amen.