Bethany Church of Canby: Recent Episodes
Jeff Jennings
Weekly Bible-based sermons from Bethany Church (EFCA) in Canby, Oregon. We seek to be gospel focused and Christ-centered in our study of the Word as we strive to help others follow Jesus.
This Sunday, we look at Peter's first sermon, where he explains what is meant by this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter gives a Christ exalting clear sermon that interprets the Old Testament with a decidedly Christological exegesis. We now live in the long age of opportunity between Christ’s two comings, where we are called to live in His powerful PRESENCE as faithful WITNESSES.
This Sunday we look at the day of Pentecost which was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would come. Let’s look at the three accompanying miraculous SIGNS and how they empower God’s people to be a GOSPEL OUTPOST for the nations.
This Sunday, we begin our new series in Acts: Unstoppable with our message The Mission of God in Motion. These crucial first verses of Acts connect the job Jesus has given us to do, after his ascension, with the power to do it - the Holy Spirit. Let's look this morning at three M's- The MESSAGE, MISSION, and MOTIVATION.
When we think of the early church in Acts 2 we tend to highlight the Apostles' powerful preaching and wonderful miracles. And while the early church thrived on doctrine, Luke also mentions the incredible devotion to: shared worship, shared meals, shared possessions, shared lives. It’s a family life. Therefore, friendship in the church is not privatized, but public, and meant to form a rich family of friends that show the world the love of Jesus.
True biblical friendship, while nurtured by proximity, convenience and similarities, is based on a covenant like commitment. Real friendships have the biblical marks of wisdom and the gospel marks of the nails in Christ’s hands and feet. Let’s look this morning at 6 marks of true friendship.
Friendship is not a luxury but a necessity. And yet, so many of us struggle with the concept in our modern world and a loneliness epidemic plagues our young men. Friendship is not a side benefit, but it is central to how God made us. This morning we want to see that from the garden to the cross that we were made by a relational God to be relational as friends.
This July, we set out on a road trip through some Psalms. In Psalm 117, at this outdoor service, we are challenged to look beyond our walls to the great reach of the Gospel to all the nations. God’s steadfast love and faithful, fresh promises are for everyone! But the exhortation could remain largely empty unless we enter into the obligation to live out the Good News.
As we close the Sermon on the Mount we look one more time to answer the question, who is this preacher? We will see that Jesus didn’t preach so we would marvel at his speaking skills, but so that we would submit to his AUTHORITY and OBEY. But why would we do that? Let’s find out by looking at why the crowds gave Jesus a standing ovation.
Neither professing Jesus as Lord, nor hearing the Gospel, guarantees you are in God’s Kingdom and will stand on the final judgment day. While both are necessary for salvation, what guarantees that we will stand on the final day, like the wise man who built his house upon the Rock, is a profession partnered with true works of obedience from the heart. This is a haunting and hard-hitting passage. Let’s look at two ways to be deceived and then the one and only true Way to live.
Everyone naturally is heading towards destruction on the broad, easy path. Jesus, in his kindness, tells and shows us the narrow pathway that leads to life. We must find the narrow gate, the narrow path. False prophets will arise, trying to steer you towards the broad path to destruction. We can recognize them by the produce of their lives.
We all feel worry and anxiety as human beings. The problem for us is when we feed worry and anxiety. Jesus tells us today that we do not have to be anxious in this life because of our VALUE to God, our FAITH in God, and our VISION for the Kingdom.
As disciples, we are called to live differently from the world around us. Instead of hoarding possessions to ensure our financial security, we are to view the world through God's eyes and share from the abundance he has given to us. Jesus warns that if generosity isn’t our default mode, then maybe we are confused about who we worship.
Disciples are apprentices of Jesus. And this morning, Jesus apprentices us in the school of prayer. He does so by showing us two negative models of prayer, and one that is his own. His model shows us the richness of an interior life with God that is absolutely necessary to live outwardly as the kind of citizen the larger Sermon on the Mount describes. Let’s look this morning at three models of prayer.
We all have practices in our life that we do with the intention of growing deeper in our faith, but Jesus warns us that the way in which we do those practices is just as important as if we do them at all. We can look devout on the outside, but if our motivations are wrong it's actually a sign of darkness not light in our lives. When our religion is done for a true audience of one it leads to growth that only God can give.
Nowhere is the upside-down nature of Jesus’ Kingdom more obvious than in these verses. Jesus asks us to uniquely love, the evil and our enemy, who are sometimes one and the same person. Nowhere is it also more obvious that obedience to these two commands can only flow from a true citizen of God’s Kingdom. The true definition of spiritual maturity is spontaneously loving the evil one and our enemy.
Joy is mentioned in 3 out of the 4 resurrection accounts. On Resurrection morning, why did the women leave the tomb with Joy and how can we increase our own joy? This Easter we look at the Road to Joy that culminated in a risen Savior and an empty tomb. Let’s look at three reasons for Joy from Matthew 28:1-10.
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that Sunday of Holy Week, he came in on an unexpected road as an unexpected King. The people were expecting a ruling political liberator, but Jesus in humility had come riding on the humble means of a donkey, to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, and rule as king in the hearts of men and women. This morning our baptisms point to both this unexpected road and unexpected King. Let’s look together at both.
This morning, we look at the emotion of ANGER and how it is a seed that when fertilized gives bloom to MURDER. What will we do with our seeds of anger? Will we uproot them with the gospel, or will we fertilize them to rage? This morning let’s explain ANGER from the text, and work through some IMPLICATIONS for us to see that God is slow to ANGER even if we are not.
In the rest of chapter 5, Jesus is going to endorse the moral law and give his interpretation of it. But before he does that, he wants to make sure that we understand how he views the Scripture, God’s Word. Jesus wants us to know the TRUSTWORTHINESS of God’s Word, the CENTRALITY of its message, and its place in our RELATIONSHIP with him. This morning it is Jesus’ doctrine of Scripture.
This morning Jesus AFFIRMS us as SALT and LIGHT of the world. But what does this mean? And how should it impact us? This morning, we will explain the words of Jesus to his disciples and then look at some implications for us as a church for our LIVING and our SPEAKING. Are you lit? Let’s find out.
This morning, we introduce The Sermon on the Mount by looking at 7 guiding principles that will help us understand, WHY this was written, to WHOM it was written and WHAT is its intended impact? May God give us the grace to face the Sermon on the Mount in all seriousness, honesty and prayer until we are transformed through it, living as lights in the world.
What do we do when someone wanders from the faith and fellowship? Whose responsibility is it to go after a lost sheep? This Sunday we want to explore James’ call to search and rescue those who wander by looking at the OBJECT, the DOER, and the SERIOUSNESS of search and rescue.
To live as a Christian amid suffering has been the normal state of affairs for most Christians throughout history. It is us who have lived through a unique Christian history of incredible peace and prosperity. That is why I think we need James’ words more than ever. We are not sure how to be both suffering and patient. This morning, he calls us to live patient and steadfast with integrity in suffering because Jesus is coming with justice and judgement. He is at the door and the handle is turning!
In this passage, James addresses both believers and non-believers about two common temptations: our desire for autonomous control in making our plans, and our relationship to wealth. He is terribly practical and convicting in his wisdom reminding us that life is fleeting, God is sovereign, and wealth will betray us. Let’s look at this passage in two sections to grow in humility and generosity the only way possible, Gospel practicality.
The Bible has a particular theme; it is a story of redemption through Jesus Christ. The themes of the Bible may seem varied and scattered at times, but – in reality – they all follow a consistent method of pointing the way to salvation for mankind. A consistent method is often described as a modus operandi (M.O.). In our passage today, we will find the elements of this M.O. become apparent.
Today we get back to our study of the NT book of James. The focus of chapter 3 is all about our tongues and how that what we say can have tremendous outcomes in our relationships with others and with God.
When we visit the doctor, part of the exam is to look into our mouths and, using a tongue depressor, the doctor will see if there is anything to be concerned about there. In a way this chapter is going to look into our mouths and exam us for any cautions we need to be aware of that may be found there. So, open wide our spiritual mouths and Say Ahh!
We first learned that heaven will be a city that comes down to a New Earth. We then learned that some of the works of our hands will be there too. But what will we do all day in this New Heaven and Earth? This morning, we look at three truths about what will keep us busy in the New Heaven and Earth. Is it playing harps on clouds? I hope by now you know the answer to that.
So, if last week we saw that heaven is a place we go, is here now, and is coming to earth, what will that new heaven and earth be like? Let’s look today at three truths about this new garden city that will descend to a new heaven and earth. You might just be surprised by what you find there?
We come to the most well-known and widely discussed portion of James’ letter. James wants to make sure we know that genuine saving faith will always results in organic good works of obedience. He does this, not by contradicting Paul’s message of justification by faith alone, but by making sure we know that real saving faith never remains alone. Even the demons have faith.
James is very blunt in his warning to not show partiality and favoritism in the church based on external markers. In fact, he calls it evil, law-breaking, and antithetical to the gospel of God and the mercy shown to us in Jesus. Let’s look today at the problem of partiality and Gospel solution of mercy.
James wants us to live spiritually whole lives. He provokes this by asking us, are you just a hearer of the Word, or are you also a doer of the Word? This morning, we examine the importance of God’s Word, Our Growth, and Generous Giving.
Persevering through trials brings great blessing, but trials also bring the temptation to respond in sinful ways. We need fresh reminders that temptation always comes from within, even if trials come from without, and that God is always good, giving, and gracious. He does not tempt us with evil.
While no one likes trials, James calls believers to view suffering and trials as a gift that leads us toward maturity in Christ. Rather than resenting trials we are called to turn towards God in the midst of trials, seeking his wisdom and recognizing that we are not striving for success in this world. Instead poverty, humility and even suffering can be gifts, if they send us running to the feet of Jesus.
Where is Jonah’s compassion after the repentance of the Ninevites? It’s what God wants to know. God shows that he is both merciful and just in the object lessons to Jonah, and asks us the same question – where is our compassion?
In God’s great mercy, Jonah is given a second chance to obey. Upon his proclamation of the bad news of coming judgment, Ninevah repents displaying their belief in God’s Word. And we see at the heart of God is a desire to extend mercy and a willingness to forgive those that repent.
Here again we are meant to see a compare and contrast between Jonah and the Sailors. While Jonah wants a god of his own making, the sailors just want to find the right god to appease in the storm. In the end we see Jonah just begin to emerge from his shallow spiritual identity and the sailors radical transformation into God-fearers. But what is needed for both is the beautiful pattern of love in a substitute. We all need that, so let’s take two more steps together into the story of Jonah.
More than a great children’s story, the book of Jonah asks us to evaluate whether we understand the heart of God. Jonah in these opening verses pridefully wants a God of his own making who will act according to Jonah’s definitions of mercy and grace. And yet, God begins to teach Jonah a lesson with a merciful storm that will reshape his grasp on God’s gracious heart and lead us to true humility and love for the lost.
Psalm 138 is one of my favorite and one of the most hopeful psalms. We need hopefulness as we live out the Great Commission, which this passage reminds me a little of. We will look at the ATTITUDE for discipleship, the MISSION of discipleship and the HOPE of discipleship.
This Sunday we are going to move from a diagnosis to symptoms to a cure for the tension between living in this world, while hoping for the next. Why are we so tempted to put our trust in the temporal and in people we think have power? Let’s talk about that in the context of our politically charged election season and find hope in the God of CHARACTER and COVENANT in Psalm 146.
As Christians, what do we make of the presence of both sorrow and joy in our lives? What good can from our tears? Can they be wasted? We know that all sorrow will someday end with joy, but did you know that the two work to-gether, and that your tears produce joy? Psalm 126 like no other, points us to the New Testament joy and eternal joy available to us. Let’s look at three principles of sorrow and joy in the Christian life.
Psalm 96 is a happy song from start to finish. But when we look at the world it describes of singing joyful trees and roaring seas of praise, we notice that our world doesn’t quite compare in its brokenness. So how do we get the joy to sing God’s praises and enter this joyful, happy, world to come even if it comes through judgment? Let’s find out by looking at three invitations.
We often feel worry and anxiety when we look at our lives and the problems that surround us and threaten to invade. In Psalm 27 we see David combatting his anxiety by seeking a deep relational experience with the LORD that would translate into an obedient, patient faith. If we can pursue God in this way too, we will have the courage to face the problems of life. Let’s seek God’s face together.
Can Jesus be found everywhere in our Bibles? When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God and pointed the world of His time to Himself, he only had the words of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms to speak from (see Luke 24:44). Psalm 1 is a familiar Psalm to many in the church. Today as we delve into Psalm 1, let's get on the right path as we look for Jesus.
The open and empty tomb opens up everything! This Sunday we look at the open tomb, the open Scriptures, and the opening of our eyes, minds, and hearts in worship. May we be transformed to live open lives of witness as our baptism candidates are today!
The death of Jesus on a Roman cross is the dividing line for all of history. It is where the Kingdom ethics and mission of truth, justice and sacrifice come to fruition. How will we respond to this dividing line? Will we respond in self-interest like the religious leaders, or in grace, with full life committal that we see in Jesus and his followers?
This morning, we look at the rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders, his disciples and ultimately the Father. However, it is in this rejection and mockery of Jesus, that he was accomplishing the very thing he came to do. Let’s examine our own hearts for mockery and find acceptance and forgiveness as Peter did, while we look at Jesus’ rejection. Let’s look at three types of rejection.
Even as Jesus moves toward his mock trial and ultimately the cross, his heart is set on guiding his followers. While Judas betrays him, he teaches in word and deed what it looks like to follow him. He offers his life on our behalf and calls us to lay down our own lives as we apprentice under him.
The disciples understandably want to know, according to Jesus’ prophecy, when the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed. However, Jesus’ intent for them, and for us, is not about timing, but about the certainty of the end of all things, and the certainty of the signs that will precede it. Jesus wants to prepare his disciples to live ready for his certain return. So, let’s prepare with three certainties.
On the heels of exercising his authority as the Son of God in the temple in Luke 19, the Jewish religious leaders come to challenge Jesus’ authority. We are naturally suspicious of authority as those steeped in the autonomous individualism of our culture. Yet, we all live under multiple kinds of authority including the Supreme Authority – Jesus Christ. Let’s look at Jesus’ authority and how it actually gives us freedom.
Peace is something that most people want and pursue and yet it is so elusive in every generation. Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem is not a declaration of war, but an offer of peace. This peace is true and lasting and yet Jesus knows, as he sees the city, that most won’t see the things that make for peace. Let’s see where and how we can find this peace.
In Luke chapter 19, we are challenged to see Jesus for who he is, the Seeker and Savior of the lost. We will then be encouraged to a life of investing in the Kingdom mission until he returns. We will do this by looking at two principles, one big encouragement, and one challenge to invest in the here and now.
Do you ever wonder when God’s promises will be realized? When will the fullness of His Kingdom come? In Luke chapter 17, Jesus teaches that he has already inaugurated the Kingdom, and yet there is a tension because it has not yet fully arrived. In the meantime, the disciples are encouraged again to not hold too tightly to the things of this world, but press on in discipleship, as they ask for more faith. The alternative- remember Lot’s wife?
Keeping in line with the theme of “stewardship” in chapter 16, Jesus challenges us to make a connection between stewarding our horizontal relationship with him, with how we vertically treat the poor, in a parable full of truths on heaven and hell and everything in between.
Pacific Northwest District Superintendent Rob Chadwick
I Corinthians 1:26 & 27
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
How are we to steward the life God has given us? If God is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of all, aren’t we living under his roof? This Sunday we look at multiple areas of our lives and the responsibility to be good stewards, and to the one ultimate steward.
Two Sundays ago, we looked at the parable of two brothers who are both just as lost, one through moral license, and one through moral conformity. This Sunday we look at what both brothers need to be brought into the Gospel feast, and how the Gospel feast is brought to us in different ways.
John, Peter, and Mary, saw in different ways at the empty tomb, and yet all believed. We too are called to see an empty tomb and wrestle with those implications. This morning, we not only want to see the truth of the resurrection, but also the beauty and goodness of the resurrection. Let’s look together and SEE this Resurrection Sunday!
Is it possible to avoid Jesus in two different ways, one through flat out rejection, but the other being through obedience? Jesus tells a parable of two brothers who are both just as lost, one through moral license, and one through moral conformity. This Sunday we look at the two lost brothers and one loving father.
If you are a Christian, meaning you have repented and believed in Jesus, your life is uniquely tied to his life in what the Bible calls “union with Christ.” This now defines your reality, you are holy, pure, free and good. The call of Jesus is not to become something you are not, but rather to live out the reality of who Jesus has made you to be when you join his life to yours. Baptism is the physical picture of this spiritual reality.
Two of Jesus’ simplest parables contain the heart of God and the heart of the Gospel. This Sunday we look at lostness, the search, and the found community. Jesus not only changes us individually, but is also creating the most distinct community the world has ever seen.
Jesus isn’t interested in gathering the crowds; he is interested in gathering disciples. In this passage Jesus wants us to consider -up front- what discipleship is & to really count the cost of following him. By doing so we will see that serious reflection and daily walking is needed by anyone who truly follows Jesus. But even more so, a deep love for Jesus.
This Sunday Jesus addresses the call of the Christian to generous, costly, hospitality. We will look at the humility it takes to invite the stranger in, and the homelessness and hospitality of Jesus, that makes it all possible.
How can such an immeasurable kingdom have such a narrow door? This Sunday we look to find encouragement not only in the spread and certain victory of the immeasurable kingdom, but we also look at the urgency of the message to enter the narrow door. And as citizens of that kingdom now, what is the key to entry and heart of the citizen to be? We will look to Jesus and see.
There is a cosmic battle between Christ and Satan that plays out in our individual lives. In this story, Jesus enters the life of a woman with a disability to show that compassion and love are the weapons of this battle, not custom and convention. While legalism shrinks the soul and the cosmic battle to a life-sized problem, compassion and love free us from bondage to our greatest enemies.
The sequence of this section of Luke is very important. Jesus’ ministry marks a dividing line between humanity and brings division even to the closest relationships, the family. In considering the divisions, one should examine closely the signs for Jesus’ claims, and choose repentance. A reckoning, a day of settling all debts is coming, and there is only one way to be freed from your debt. Let’s look at stark reality today in three points.
Jesus wants his disciples to know that the reality of the already/not yet, Kingdom of God, is a gift that transforms citizens now. This morning we look at Jesus’ call to action, which is a call to whole life transformation. How do you live if you have been given the kingdom? - with awake, sober, joyful service? This is only possible when you see the master has become the servant. Let’s look at the gift of the Kingdom, the readiness of the servant, and the master trading places.
We begin the 2024 New Year with a return to our study in the gospel of Luke. It seems appropriate to enter this new year with a message that puts our focus on “His kingdom” and off of the things that tend to distract us and cause us to worry. In this text today, Jesus presents us with some thoughts on how we might overcome worry in our lives: we will Face the Facts about what it is and does and then look to a Faith-Filled response.
Christmas is the season of lights. But why? The imagery of light runs throughout the entire story of God’s Word. This Sunday we look at the words of Jesus as he declares himself to be the Ultimate Light of the world and what that means for us.
How do you view your money and stuff? And what is the place of money and stuff in our lives? This week we look at our relationship to money through the parable of a rich farmer. What we will see, is that the problem is not so much money, but our attitude towards money and God. Do we take God into consideration when making money decisions? Let’s look at The Warning, The Foolishness of Greed, and the Poverty of Jesus.
How does the fear of God rid us of fear? That is the paradoxical question we seek to answer this morning as we look at Jesus’ private message to his disciples amidst the overwhelming crowds. Let’s look at WHAT the fear of God is, WHY it brings us peace, and HOW to get that proper fear.
It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t wash his hands; it was that Jesus didn’t respect their extra-biblical customs. This was the conflict between the legalism of the Pharisees, and the deeper, truer, internal righteousness Jesus was seeking. Legalism wants to work from the outside in, where the Gospel works from the inside out. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of legalism and see how the Gospel Solution is a soft pillow heart.
We all know Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples,” but WHY? It might sound like a simple question, but Jesus does give us more answers than just, because I told you to. The answer is that we make disciples because God’s goal for all history and humanity is to gather to himself a multitude of people who will spend eternity with him. This is the answer that gives so much urgency and importance to our mission. This morning we attempt to imagine this by looking at one cosmic answer to the question - WHY make disciples?
Every section of this text today is a call to examine our choices in light of how we respond to Jesus’ words. Every choice is crucial. Like the hearers of Jesus’ day, we too are accountable for how we respond to what we hear from Jesus. Will we walk in the light or the darkness? Will we emit light or darkness? Today we look at a beatitude, a warning, and an exhortation to discover the “something greater."
Jesus makes it very clear this week that you are either for him or against him. It is his declaration of dependence. However, we are tempted to depend upon so many other solutions to the problems in our lives, including the problems of sin and evil. Let’s look at this short passage to find again that we need to be not just dependent upon, but possessed by, the stronger man Jesus.
In our study of Luke’s gospel, we see that the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry is fast approaching an end. He is wanting to teach all He can to His disciples. We will find Him speaking in many parables and taking every opportunity to teach what these followers need to know of Him and of the Kingdom to come. How can we most benefit from Jesus’ teaching? In today’s message, we will look at some ways in which we can truly make His teaching become more real to us in our daily lives.
Last week Jesus challenged his disciples, as messengers of the Gospel, to call everyone to believe. This week Jesus challenges his disciples to gospel love of their neighbors regardless of what they believe. In Jesus’ mind the two are inextricably linked together. So why do all Christians have a hard time keeping them together? Let’s find out by looking at the COMMAND, the
CAVERN, and the CATALYST
The call to evangelism can scare us when we think of having to speak out loud for Jesus. But if we will look together at the WAY Jesus lays out for evangelism and the HEART behind it, we will be encouraged as we find out that the power comes from him, the message is his, and the entire program is under his control. Let’s look today at the WAY of evangelism and the HEART behind it.
What does it mean to count the cost of FOLLOWING Jesus? And what does Jesus expect the cost to be? How are we to respond when we face some cost or REJECTION for being a disciple? These are questions we will answer as we look at the primacy that Jesus places on kingdom discipleship and how to respond when the kingdom of the world rejects us. This morning we will each be challenged and asked to give up something as we count the cost.
Instead of simply singing because it is what we do in church, let's consider the different ways in which singing is important in the life of a Christian. Singing is not only a sign of worship, but an act of war and a tool for shaping us into the people that God has called us to be.
This week we close our short series by looking for wisdom in a tech saturated world. Whereas technology can ever only answer the “what is” questions, we need something more to answer the “why” and “ought” questions. That something more is wisdom. Let’s wrap up today by looking again at some wise principles to guide our tech adopting and adapting.
This week we want to discuss two competing gospels – the gospel of technology and the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. What kind of narrative does the gospel of technology offer us? One that seeks to liberate us from our need of God and feeds our deepest idols. It is only in the true Gospel that we are given what we truly need – a face to face relationship with God. Let’s compare these two gospels.
This morning we begin our new series on technology and the life of faith.
We will be answering some questions. What is technology? What is God’s relationship to technology? What is our relationship to technology? How can we trust God in the digital age? Let’s unpack these together with several Scriptures.
Like the seasons transition from planting to plucking, the teacher in Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us there are seasons not only in individual lives and families, but in groups, institutions, and churches as well. Our job is to discern what season we are in, recognize what is called of us in that season, and determine to live with God and each other through that season. This morning let’s look at some different times and seasons on the horizon for Bethany Church.
Peter closes his letter where he began - GRACE. In his opening greeting he announced multiplying “grace and peace” to his readers (see 1 Peter 1:2). Now, as he brings this letter to a close, he reveals for them, AND US, the marvel of this true grace. It truly is a marvelous grace that we have received from Him. It is my prayer that all who hear this message today will humbly come to Him who offers His grace of Support, Strength, and Security in our Salvation.
Appointing elders was an established form of church organization since the beginning. Who are these men and how should we go about finding them in our churches? Peter includes some insight and guidance for the church regarding elders in his closing chapter of this first letter bearing his name.
We’re continuing our study in I Peter and today we are looking at the start of chapter 4, talking about how Jesus’ life and way of thinking makes believers different than the rest of the world. Not only are believers lives different than unbeliever’s lives, but Jesus’ way of thinking causes us to engage with one another in love.
It's often in those relationships which are closest, where we spend the most time, that our selfishness is most clearly on display. But here Peter calls us to a different way. Instead of defending our right, fighting to get our way with those closest to us, Peter calls us to model Jesus by silently laying down our lives SO THAT the radiant beauty of Jesus will shine through us to those around us and they might embrace our God.
Our focus this morning is on Peter’s instruction in 1 Peter 2: 13-17 for all followers of Christ to demonstrate proper respect for and humble submission to all legitimate institutions of human authority.
Peter has described for us who we are, and our ultimate destiny. Now he describes for us how we are to live as we wait for Christ’s return. At the center of the command is the call to live as who we really are, but instead of being true to ourselves in the sense of following every desire (i.e. slave to sin) he calls us to be true to ourselves by living in sync with the new identity God has given us. We are CHOSEN, we are HOLY and we are CHILDREN of God.
No one looks forward to suffering and yet it is one of the tools that God uses to bring a broken, prideful and hurting world into line with himself. We have the honor of living with full knowledge of the gospel as we look upon the life of Jesus and experience suffering just as he did so that we might ultimately experience the great reward, the salvation of our souls.
Who are you and why is life so hard? This is the fundamental question that we are asking as we launch into the book of 1 Peter. Peter identifies us as foreigners and yet we are chosen. The problem for us comes when we forget either of those truths. To live in the grace and peace of God we must remember that our identity is chosen and holy children of God and as children of God our experience in this world will always be a foreign one. In this life suffering, rejection and homesickness are to be expected but a future hope awaits us.
No one likes leaving unfinished business out there. This morning we are shown, that even after 2 years with Jesus, the disciples are still very unfinished in their maturity and growth. Are you content, or do you have a “holy discontentment,” a “Christian restlessness” that springs from a heart that knows its unfinished? Let’s look at 4 places to grow in the Christian life so we too can pursue the finish.
What is “glory,” and what does it matter for my life? Jesus displayed a great amount of glory to the disciples on a mountaintop. What does that mean for you and me? Let’s look at the transfiguration together, and how we should respond to Jesus, God in flesh.
This morning we look at the walk of Jesus and his disciples. We will hear and see the hard news that the walk of a disciple will be filled with self-denial and rejection. Jesus calls this the way of the cross. But as Jesus says, this is the way of life, profit and glory. Do you believe that?
This morning we look at the hunger of the human heart and how Jesus knows what we really need to be full. In the feeding of the 5000, we are given a picture of a mission that was unlike the revolution that the crowds wanted, and more like an eternal feast. A feast that would find it’s fulfillment in Jesus. Are you hungry? I hope so.
This morning we look at the kingdom mission of the Gospel and deeds of compassion. We will see that we too have been sent by God to live as new citizens welcoming in others to this new kingdom under the authority of a new King, Jesus. We will find that the trust and urgency we need for this mission is only available with a big picture kingdom identity. Where do we find that?
Luke continues to narrate events in the ministry of Jesus to show us Jesus' unique authority over creation. We are led to ask the same question as the disciples, “Who is this man?” Luke’s answer, Jesus is Master over everything.
Jesus again puts his full God power on display for the disciples to see, yet they continue to struggle to understand who Jesus is. Luke invites us into that story putting before us the ever important question: Who do you say Jesus is?
Life is so perplexing many times. Reality is sometimes more confusing than fiction. In reality though, there are so many things we often can’t explain or understand. And yet when we come to the resurrection, we don’t find fiction, we find ultimate reality. This morning let’s look at three realities in the beauty of the resurrection of Jesus our Lord.
This morning, Jesus tells a parable about the state of our hearts and commends the heart that responds in obedience and patient faith to the Word of God. But how do we get that kind of heart? How do we pursue obedience and patient faith? It’s all in the family. Let’s look this morning at how to have a heart for the family.
Even the greatest of Jesus’ followers have doubts. What matters is what you do with those doubts. Our culture has raised the ever open and questioning mind to the highest virtue, but Jesus says wisdom finally sinks its teeth into something. This morning we look at what to do with our doubts and how Jesus answers them.
This morning we look at the importance of faith in the life of a follower of Jesus. We will examine the essence of faith in the story of the centurion and the faith awakening truth that death can be overcome in the resurrection of the widow’s son.
How do we become people of integrity as we deal with the sin in our own lives and sin in the lives of others? How can we truly know ourselves enough to be able to help others know themselves? These are truly challenging questions, but integral to the spiritual health and growth of the new kingdom of God’s people. In fact, to not know this is to come into ruin. Let’s look at three truths about integrity this morning.
This morning we look at a portion of Luke’s summary of the Sermon on the Mount. What we see is that Jesus is beginning to put together a new type of people into a new type of community. Jesus is building kingdom citizens for his kingdom. However, this kingdom prizes what the world despises, and is empowered in an entirely different way than the kingdom of the world. Let’s look at three pieces of the new kingdom – the promise of the kingdom, the values of the kingdom, and how to grow to fit this kingdom.
The ongoing controversy over the intent and use of the sabbath continues in Luke 6. Was it about the form of keeping the sabbath, or about the function of worship and rest found in the sabbath? The pharisees struggled to see the heart of rest in Jesus, and so do we. This morning we look at three truths that will point us to the true intent of internal sabbath rest, where we find it, and how we give it.
The Pharisees are going to “dog” Jesus all the way to the cross. Ever since He healed the paralytic and had declared his sins forgiven. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” EXACTLY! Jesus was God and He was letting it be known. The Pharisees couldn’t accept this and were seeking to cancel Him entirely. So, they sought to trap Him by their constant challenges to His authority. They questioned Him relentlessly. But their questions were not motivated in seeking to know Him but by self-righteous resentment. Do you find yourself ever questioning God? Do you ever place your interests above His? Do you really want to see Him for who He is and understand Him in what He does? The passage before us today, can reveal some things we ought to consider when we find ourselves Questioning God.
What looks in chapter 5 to be a loosely connected mishmash of stories is actually one big picture of what it looks like to have an encounter with Jesus from start to finish. This morning we will look at a progression of truths that begins with Peter, moves through two healings, and ends with Levi. This progression is the story of an encounter with Jesus.
In the close of chapter 4, Jesus brings his authority and power right out into the open exercising it over both the spiritual and physical world. Not only is this a testimony of the power of his words and who he is, but it is a great display of the compassionate heart of Jesus in our own battles against sin and sickness. Let’s find hope today by looking at three spheres of Jesus’ Authority.
Jesus begins ministry in his hometown with one of his first sermons and the reaction is very mixed. The reaction goes from bland amusement, to bewildered rage, in a matter of moments. When you understand the gospel, you can’t accept Jesus blandly, or in self-righteous indignation, but always in abject spiritual poverty, and sometimes real poverty.
At the close of chapter 3, the genealogy of Jesus ends with this declaration, “the son of Adam, the son of God.” It should be no surprise then that Satan’s goal of temptation in the beginning of chapter 4 was to use good things to get Jesus to doubt his sonship. But isn’t that how temptation normally works? Good things become god things, making us doubt the goodness of the true God. This morning let’s look to define temptation and then seek to know how to overcome it.
This Christmas morning, we finish the birth accounts in the Gospel of Luke by hearing more about the purpose of Jesus’ birth from two old saints to the mouth of Jesus himself. In the accounts are contained the core truths of the Gospel – Jesus is salvation and change and growth are possible in him. Let’s look at these two core truths together.
This morning Luke sets up for us a story of contrasts in the birth of Christ. No human being alone would have ever written a story where such a magnificent person, the incarnated Son of God, was born in such average circumstances. Especially in the ancient world. But the meaning of this birth, and result it can have in our lives, is extraordinary, if we will listen. Let’s listen together to three contrasted truths this morning.
This morning we look at the meeting of two soul sisters, each with their own joyful prophetic word about the meaning of Christmas and the state of those who receive Jesus as the Son of God. Let’s look this morning at the story of Christmas so we too can be changed and rejoice in “soul” and “spirit” like Mary and Elizabeth.
The progressive unfolding of God’s plan of salvation, in the coming of Jesus, is curious and marvelous. In this encounter between the Angel Gabriel, and Mary, we get to see the tender grace of God and the real time process of Mary wrestling with God’s plan for her life. Can we leave today knowing that God’s plan is always better than our own? Let’s see.
How can we have certainty of the story of Jesus and the things he taught and did? Luke wrote as one familiar with the eyewitnesses who had followed things closely for some time past. He has compiled a story for us of the "the things that have been accomplished among us."
Big Idea: May God sanctify us completely while we live in unity together longing for Christ’s return.
Description: As Paul closes this letter he prays for the people of Thessalonica, that their whole selves would be transformed by God himself, and that they might be blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As they wait he commands them to live in complete unity with each other. This morning we will see how Paul’s encouragement is just as true for the people of Bethany Church today.
As Paul nears the end of his first letter to the Thessalonians, he gives them a rapid succession of instructions. Almost like parents giving instructions to their children as they prepare to leave them with the babysitter. Paul, in a staccato-like manner, advises the church at Thessalonica how they are to behave. There are more than 15 commands given in these 11 verses! In this season of Thanksgiving, we will look specifically at one of them. “Give thanks in all circumstances” is a Thanksgiving Proclamation that should be in our hearts and on our lips particularly as believers in Christ
The day of the Lord is known throughout the Bible as the day of God’s judgement. However, the experience for those who are children of the day will be entirely different from those who are of the night. Let’s look at the two different experiences and how to live in light of them. Let’s look at some warnings and encouragements.
How often do you think of Jesus’ second coming? Does it impact the way you live your day-to-day life? In this section of 1 Thessalonians, Paul wants to remind us of that the coming of Jesus is to be an event that causes us great hope and encouragement, not one that breeds either speculation or disengagement. Let’s look this morning as 7 words of hope and encouragement.
This morning we continue to examine Paul’s call, from the first letter to the Thessalonians, to love others more and more. Did you know that your work is an expression of love for others? In 4:9-12, Paul explains that one of the ways we love others is to value our work and to do it well. By working well, we are imaging God to the world and valuing the creation as he does. Let’s look at three values this morning.
On this baptism Sunday, we look at Jesus’ standing orders for the church. These orders are a call for the disciples to take the baton of Jesus and run forward with it by making disciples of Jesus. Like a master with his apprentice, we are called to baptize, teach and help new disciples obey. Jesus has not called us to provoke hasty decisions for Christ, but to a depth and intensity of making disciples who will make disciples. His orders include a power, a
commandment, and a promise. Let’s see that together.
In chapter 4 of his letter, Paul takes a turn to apply the gospel in practical ways to a few common areas of life. The first area Paul gives a reminder to the Thessalonians about is sexual holiness. We live in a culture that has deified and is obsessed with sex. I think we need this reminder too! Let’s look at the goodness of sex, the brokenness of sex, and how the gospel can make sex holy.
The Apostle Paul bares his heart in vulnerability again as he describes the mutual love, he, and the Thessalonian church share. This sharing is more like a walk together as the Thessalonians live their lives and common story together as the church. This morning let’s look at three ways we walk together.
When we welcome God’s Word into our lives, surprising and transformational things happen. This morning we look at Paul’s thankful heart as he encourages the Thessalonians to continue welcoming the Word into their collective life together. The Word unified and fortified them against hostile persecution because there was a common story they were living in. Let’s get into that story together by answering two questions today.
What does a genuine leader in the church look like? For that matter, how are all of us to interact with one another for the promotion and sake of the
gospel? In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul describes what an authentic, real, leader should look like, in turn highlighting for all of us what a man or woman of integrity looks like. We will look at the perseverance, the personal motives, and the pastoral heart of Paul.
What does a genuine church look like, what does it love? In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul describes a church that has not only been changed by the gospel but is serious and joyful about passing it on. This morning let’s look at a church that was living today while longing for tomorrow.
Ever since the fall of mankind, God’s compassion has restricted His judgment and extended His mercy giving fallen mankind the opportunity to repent and be saved from the penalty of rebellion against and rejection of God.
Message brought by Tony Freitas. He is a Bethany Church Elder and missionary with EFCA Reach Global.
Is gentleness an attribute you aspire to? Is it something that is culturally promoted, and what is gentleness? Hebrews tells us the priests of the Old Testament were to be gentle in heart towards the sinner as they made sacrifices for sins. This morning we will look to see that Jesus’ priestly role is one of a heart of gentleness and sympathy for the sinner who comes to him. In turn we will see that we too can exercise a gentle controlled strength. Let’s look at three truths about the great Hight Priest
When you sin, what do you think God’s posture is towards you? Do you think of Jesus responding in tenderness to your sin? This Sunday we look at Hosea 11 to find the tender heart of God, therefore, the heart of Jesus.
This morning we continue our series on The Heart of Jesus by looking at his Joy. Did you know that we can cause Jesus joy? And it is not just by our obedience, our good works, or evangelizing. Hebrews 12 tells us something profound, that Jesus’ joy is increased in our failures when we find fresh forgiveness. That is astounding!
We often think about what Jesus has done for us and what he has taught. But we don’t often think about who he is in his person. What is he like? And do you know him only for what he has done or for who he is in his heart? This summer we are going to take a look at “The Heart of Jesus.” This morning we look at the one place where Jesus describes his own heart.
It has been 17 years since Joseph and his brothers were reconciled, and yet they still don’t trust him. In the conclusion of our Genesis series, Joseph completes the restoration, by showing us the pinnacle of a person of obedient faith from a heart that grasps grace. Let’s look at three marks of the changed heart.
This obscure passage contains the moment that the writer of Hebrews chose to highlight as Jacob’s greatest act of faith. Why is that? It is because it goes against and crosses everything the world values and is a picture of God’s grace. Joseph struggled with his dad’s decision, too. And so do we when God crosses our plans. Let’s look this morning at God’s grace and how to trust it.
Even as Pharaoh becomes a great blessing to Jacob and his family, it is only Jacob who can truly bless Pharaoh. This morning we look at the settling of Jacob and family in Goshen, where the promises of God come true, and an old man of faith keeps his eye on what is important – the future promises of God.
God always provides for his people! This morning we look at the move of Jacob’s family to Egypt. Little did they know but God was already working his plan of deliverance and preservation for them by providing rich farmland and a place where they could flourish and grow into a nation. It was like their very own ark of safety and deliverance. This morning let’s look at what this means.
In this third encounter between Joseph and his brothers, Joseph is finally convinced that his brothers have truly changed as Judah offers himself as a substitute on behalf of the family. Much transformation has taken place in this family, and now Joseph reveals God’s greater purpose in their drama. Let’s look at their transformation and God’s providence.
In this second encounter between Joseph and his brothers, the sunny floodgates of mercy begin to open on this family - From father Jacob’s prayer for mercy for his boys, to the steward of Joseph’s house proclamation of peace, to Joseph’s home shared feast. But would the 10 reciprocate mercy? Let’s find out as we look at three realities in the story.
We are reaching the climax of the Joseph story in chapters 42-45. In this first of two encounters Joseph is seen testing his brothers without revealing his identity and forgiving them. Why did he not just reveal and forgive right away? Joseph wanted more than just reconciliation. He wanted transformation for his family, and that would come at a greater expense to everyone involved. But this was God’s doing and a greater display of love. This morning let’s see God at work in three ways.
Joseph goes from the pit of prison to the height of Egyptian power in one day in chapter 41. In all of this, God is asserting and loudly proclaiming that he is sovereign over all things. Yet God loves to work through individuals. So, in Joseph, God is confronting the world by displaying that only his power can bring life to the world. We see this in Jesus too. This morning let’s look at God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
Joseph’s story continues to go from bad to worse; still separated from his family, still in prison which he describes as a pit and even as chapter 40 comes to an end there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The story causes us to wrestle with big questions like how do I respond when God delays in keeping his promises and why does God allow suffering.
Why did the first women to the tomb need to be reminded that Jesus said he would die and rise when he had already been teaching them this? Had they forgotten? No, it was because they didn’t actually understand the reality, the necessity and the power of his death and resurrection. This Easter morning let’s remember again and enter the empty tomb together. Let’s remember three things!
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that Sunday of Holy Week, he came in an unexpected way as an unexpected King. The people were expecting a ruling political liberator, but Jesus in humility had come riding on the humble means of a donkey to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, and rule as king in the hearts of men and women. This morning our baptisms point to both this unexpected way and unexpected King. Let’s look together at both.
Joseph’s life goes from the pit to the pinnacle and back to the pit again. But through all the circumstantial ups and downs, Joseph remains a man of
integrity. Through temptations to grasp power and sex he stays faithful. What is his secret? The answer is not sheer willpower but a new perspective. Let’s get that new perspective this morning!
This morning we begin a new series on the life of Joseph. In this first scene, we see no mention of God and a lot of sin between Jacob’s family members. If this is God’s chosen family, and the family of promised Messiah, where is God in all this mess? Don’t you ask that in your own life quite often? The answer is that he is working just as much in his silence as he is in his immediacy. Let’s uncover together what is hidden.
We have been walking through a series on The Disciple Making Church. We have heard about the why, what, who, where, how, of making disciples, but today we are going to shift slightly in our focus. Today we are going to connect the of disciple making with the idea of witness.
Today we look at our final question in our Disciple Making Church series, WHERE to make disciples? It might seem like an obvious question, but it is absolutely vital to helping us understand where we are to make apprentices of Jesus Christ. We will answer our question by looking in two places, the gathered church, and the scattered church.
“The pattern and ethos of Jesus-style discipleship revolves around the idea that it is disciples who in turn make disciples. According to the New Testament pattern, pastors, church programs, and preaching alone are not what make disciples. No, it is very clear that Jesus intended that all of His followers become disciples and then in turn be disciple makers, regardless of their vocation.” Lance Ford, Unleader
So far in our Disciple Making Church series, we have covered WHY make
disciples, seeing it is God’s grand, cosmic plan for all history. We have covered WHAT is a disciple, seeing a disciple is an apprentice of Christ, a
“Christ-learner.” Today we ask the question, HOW disciples are made and through what means God is rescuing and transforming people? We will
answer this question by looking at “4 P’s.”
If you are a Christian then you are a disciple of Jesus and to be a disciple is to be a learner of Christ. Through the transformation that the Holy Spirit brings as we repent and turn to Jesus in faith, we live a life of continual growth in likeness toward Jesus. Watching not only what he said, but also how he lived and integrating that into your life.
We all know Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples,” but WHY? It might sound like a simple question, but Jesus does give us more answers than just, because I told you to. The answer is that we make disciples because God’s goal for all history and humanity is to gather to himself a multitude of people who will spend eternity with him. This is the answer that gives so much urgency and importance to our mission. This morning we will look at three answers to the question, WHY make disciples?
30 years after God appeared to Jacob in Bethel with an angel staircase from heaven, Jacob fulfills his vow by returning to THE place again. But it is on this return that a clear transition from one generation to the next is taking place and so preparation is made. This morning we are going to compare Jacob’s family’s transitional season to our own and be reminded that the faithfulness of God in our own transition time is a call to self-examination and renewed worship.
Jacob’s partial obedience, of stopping in the promised land at Shechem, rather than returning to where God had commanded at Bethel, brings alarming grief and injustice upon his daughter and family. But responding to evil and injustice with greater evil and injustice, as Jacob’s sons do, is never the right solution. Where have we been tempted to betray our call as disciples to the gospel, to win, win, win, the smaller battles? And how gracious is a God who uses people like this, and us for his gospel purposes?
Instead of simply singing because it is what we do in church, let's consider the different ways in which singing is important in the life of a Christian. Singing is not only a sign of worship, but a tool for shaping us into the people that God has called us to be.
Joseph and Mary must have been very frightened at the first prospect of having this strange child, in this strange way. What they both needed, what was given to them by an angel, was a reframing of their thoughts and lives around Immanuel: God with Us. This gave them immense courage. Today we will reframe our lives around this central reality- that Jesus is both God and man with a mission to rescue people from sin.
This Christmas we celebrate and explore Immanuel - God with us! What could possibly drive Matthew, the Gospel writer, to think that beginning his book with a long list of names was a good hook? This morning we will be shown that this is not a dry list of names, but a rich statement on the historicity of the Gospel news, the breaking down of barriers, and ultimate rest from all our self-effort.
Why is reconciliation so hard in the face of conflict when we have been given all the resources we need in the Gospel? This morning we look at the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, which was only possible because of the reconciliation Jacob had had with God first. The answer to our question is only found in the grace that humbles us, restores us, and brings us all the way home.
Jacob is now at the border of the Promised Land, and he is about to face his greatest fight yet. Jacob is fearing a return to face off against his betrayed brother Esau, but what Jacob really needs is a healthy dose of the fear of God. What a radical transformation we see this morning in Jacob as he is changed in two distinct ways: in name and body, as he comes to the end of himself. How do you win by losing? Well, we answer that question today in the FIGHT, BLESSING and RESPONSE.
This is the final showdown between Jacob and his arch-nemesis Laban. And Jacob comes out on top as victor, but not because of his own might and strength. God is the protector and vindicator of Jacob, and faithful to his promises. And these truths, prompt exemplary obedience on the part of Jacob and his wives. Let’s look today at two parts: the conflict and the covenant.
Jacob is finally being sent home after 20 years, 4 wives, and 11 children, but it is not before a final showdown with his arch-nemesis Laban. This morning we look at the spiritual growth that accompanied both the family, and prosperity growth for Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. And the lesson we will learn, is that from Romans 11:36, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Let’s SEE this together
God continues to work through this incredibly broken family, showing not only his willingness to care for the broken, but his deep love for the oppressed and brokenhearted. Even while this family fights for control of things that only belong to God we see God patiently and consistently accomplishing his purposes. He was the God of the broken hearted and he still is today
After the amazing vision of the angel ladder, Jacob has a lighter bounce in his step, but still moves by his own strength. This week we look at a scandalous story of deception, disillusionment, but ultimate deliverance for the unlovable Leah. Let’s look at the messy lives of Jacob, Rachel, Laban, and Leah to discover the providence of God, the discipline of God, and the Gospel of God.
Jacob is a man on the run as he flees the family drama and leaves it in his wake. There is an irony in the fact that the man to whom the land and family inheritance is promised, is leaving them both behind. This is Jacob’s darkest moment, and he must have been questioning heaven. But it is in this darkest moment that heaven explodes, and God’s grace descends in the most unlikely way. Let’s look at the stairway from heaven.
At the center of this messy family story is the desire of every family member to lay claim to “THE blessing” for their own desired purpose and person. What results is a sad display of family disintegration and a willful ignorance of God’s Word and means. But we also see a dazzling display of grace. We all want the blessing, don’t we? It is just a matter of where we find it.
How much do we really believe God’s promise that he is present with us all the time? Is it possible that we objectively believe that, but we don’t always live faithful in accordance with that truth? This morning we are going to examine both the promises and presence of God and the faithful obedience these should engender in us.
The more we look at the heroes of Genesis, the more we see that God is truly the hero of the story. This morning we look at the continuing family line of Abraham, the man of promise, to see the promise continue, but not in the way we would expect. God’s grace never works in life how we expect it to in God’s upside-down economy – the first shall be last, the last shall be first; the older shall serve the younger; the weak shall be made strong.
This morning we look at an incredible passage on the power of the Gospel to change and transform lives. Too often we say we understand the gospel, but then, we prove that we do not by wanting something more than the Gospel to be ok. Today we are going to unpack Paul’s greeting to the church in Colossae as we look at the Gospel Foundation, Fruit, and Walk to see that Jesus is enough.
This letter is both a guide for how the church should work but also a “call to Christ-centered, gospel-centered godliness for the sake of the church and a lost world.”
This morning Paul addresses the cravings and desires of our heart which drive the actions of our lives. The false teachers at Ephesus serve this morning as an example of the destruction that a desire for money causes while we are called to find contentment and satisfaction in Christ. We will answer the question - what do you crave?
What is true for every organization is also true in the local church: The local church rises and falls on the quality of its leadership. Nothing is more crucial for the health of a local church than its leadership. The Apostle Paul knew this, which is why he highlights 5 Biblical principles related to elders and their leadership in 1 Timothy 5:17-20.
What is true for every organization is also true in the local church: The local church rises and falls on the quality of its leadership. Nothing is more crucial for the health of a local church than its leadership. The Apostle Paul knew this, which is why he highlights 5 Biblical principles related to elders and their leadership in 1 Timothy 5:17-20.
Many have asked, why didn’t Jesus or Paul call for the immediate abolishment of slavery? This morning we are going to answer this question along with seeing that there is great value in the gospel redeeming the call to servanthood and in shaping the way we respond to those whom we are subordinate.
It is ok to admit that there are differences in the church between the different genders and age groups. By doing so, we can remind ourselves that in the gospel, we in the church are called to relate primarily to each other as family members who love, honor, and care for one another, even as Christ did for us. This morning we look at two topics: the family relationships of the church and care for widows.
Pastor Don Smith
Key Text: “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
This morning Paul turns his attention to the identity and mission of the church as truth bearers by focusing on our conduct and confession of Christ. We will also see how false teachers always add to the pure unadulterated gospel and how to spot them.
Jesus Christ himself not only modeled what biblical leadership looks like, but he also designed the way the church would be led by servant-leaders, and leading servants. Today we look at the two official offices of the church, why they matter, how the requirements really apply to us all, and how only Jesus makes leading possible.
God has put in place a design of wide-ranging order for all of creation and human society at all levels. Human flourishing and God’s glory is brought about when we live into, and all submit to this ordering of creation and society. Today we look at the challenging call for men and women, created equal by God, to submit to the God-given order of distinction in their complementing roles within the church. Today we look at three calls. The call to men, the call to women, and the call to us all.
Chapter 1 is all about Paul’s CHARGE to Timothy and the people of God to protect the gospel from the distortions of false teachers which cause division and pride. We are charged to not only to celebrate the gospel, but so work it into our personal lives and churches that we overflow with praise as Paul did, due to God’s grace overflowing in his life. This morning we look at 3 elements of the CHARGE. How to guard, be thankful, and fight.
This week in Sanctification 2.0 we are going to consider how our identity and union with Christ in both his death and resurrection are integral to our change and growth. We will see that it is both by believing in repentant faith, and exercising grace fueled effort, that we can actually live as one who has died to sin and is resurrected with Christ. Your sanctification is certain! Let’s consider two integral truths to sanctification.
When Jesus came to earth, he established a kingdom that transcends all earthly kingdoms. It is a kingdom that exists here and now, but will ultimately be fully realized when Jesus comes back again. We have been invited into that kingdom which is worth far more than anything that the kingdoms of this world have to offer.
To ask how we are sanctified is to ask how we change and grow more in obedience to be like Jesus. How does this process of change take place for the disciple of Jesus? Is it just try harder at obeying the commands of God, or is it a lackadaisical approach to change because we have been saved by grace? It is neither. Real change comes from the gospel being worked deep into the heart. This morning let’s look at two responses to God: moralism and real gospel growth.
Chapter 4 of the Gospel story is a look at the street view response of individuals to the gospel and a future forward look to the Google earth view, restoration of all things. This week we answer the question, how can I be made right, by looking at two sides of the gospel coin of repentance and faith. We will also look towards the end of time as we know it to see FOUR REALITIES about the coming restoration.
Chapter 3 of the Gospel story is the heart of the Gospel. This week we answer the question, what will make things right, by looking at Jesus Christ and his life, death and resurrection, and the redemption he brings not only to humanity, but to the entire cosmos. We will examine three concentric circles of gospel reconciliation: the personal, the corporate, and the creation.
We began our new series last week exploring the mountainous heights from where we began in the garden as image bearers given life, identity and purpose to shine God’s glory as royal priests on the globe. This morning we look and see just how great our fall was by examining what took place at the center of the garden and a horrific exchange that took place.
This morning we are beginning our new series on the Gospel. Throughout this series we are going to be looking at the Gospel on two levels. One is the personal street view level. The other is the cosmic Google Earth view. My hope is that by weaving the two together we will see that the Gospel is even more than we hoped for. Today we begin where it all started, with God. Let’s look at three foundational truths that answer the question, where did we come from?
Through baptism we see the gospel rehearsed. Just as a person must be submerged into the water and then raised back up again, so also as believers we have been united with Christ and in that union we have died with Christ and been raised back up to newness of life in him. It is no longer you who live but Christ who lives through you.
Sometimes the Lord has to bring us to a point of absolute desperation before we give Him our undivided attention. In today's scriptural text Christ's disciples had run out of human solutions and had only Jesus to lean upon for help. God certainly delights in hearing a sinner's cry of desperation resulting from the realization of one's own inadequacy since it is the first step in turning to Him. God also delights in hearing His own children desperately cry out to Him in their trying times because that is a sign that they remember to whom they belong. Today you are invited to learn what the disciples did when Jesus calmed the fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee--the Lord can be trusted even in the most severe, threatening, and helpless situations.
This morning amidst all the noise of this last year we want to narrow in and consider Jesus. What does it mean for our fears, our hopes, and our salvation when we consider that the place where he lay in his tomb was empty? Let’s look at four considerations from our text.
This morning we look back on the life of Abraham as we consider his death. His was a life, much like ours, which consisted of a mixture of FAITH, FAILURE and the GRACE of God. This morning we want to look to Abraham, but then through him, even as he himself did, to the day when all the promises of the covenant would come to fruition in Abraham’s seed, Jesus Christ.
This Sunday we look at one of the sweetest stories of God’s providence working in the lives of those he loves. We will walk through the story by looking at the faith of Abraham, his servant, and Rebekah, who all trusted in the Lord’s covenantal faithfulness and his kind provisions.
This Sunday we begin the transition to the end of the narrative arc for Abraham’s life with the death of Sarah. And while he mourns the death of the amazing woman of faith, he also looks past his own death to the future promises of God to be fulfilled even beyond the grave. And so should we because we are sojourners in life, but heirs in death.
After so much laughter and the long-fulfilled promise of a son, could God really be testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac? In the midst of the obvious emotional turmoil, we see this father exercise otherworldly faith by surrendering the one who meant the most to him and he had been guaranteed to have. Could the test have been more for the benefit of Abraham and us than for God? Let’s find out
Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Some say it is even the best medicine. But when it comes from receiving a long-awaited, fulfilled promise, that gives hope not only to the family, but the whole world, it is laughter upon laughter, grace upon grace. But there is grace as well not just for the insider family, but for those cast out as well. Let’s look this morning at grace so surprising that all we can do is laugh!
This morning we will see Abraham brought back to his old temptation of trusting in his own schemes rather than God’s goodness, promises and His own power to get things done. We too doubt with similar questions when we chose sin over costly obedience. But much like with Abraham, God can graciously even use our sinful choices to accomplish His purposes. Let’s ask and answer two questions today.
Even with the coming judgment upon the wicked revealed to them, Lot and his family must be dragged to grace and safety because of their inordinate attachment to their earthly life. But what they find on the other side of rescue is that the infection of Sodom remains, and they need an even greater rescuing. Let’s look at four chapters of this epic story.
In this strange encounter between Abraham, Sarah, and the heavenly visitors, we get to see an unusual display of intimate, fellowship-feasting and the omniscient annunciation of the promised child. After the week we have had in our nation we need to be reminded, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Let’s look at the feast and then the fulfillment.
From the birth of Ishmael, God allows 13 years of domestic turmoil to pass before renewing the covenant with Abram with new names and new hope. This morning we look at the covenant sign of circumcision by unpacking four new names that God reveals in this passage. Let’s find hope for the New Year in the eternal covenants of God
This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as a baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. This morning we look at three reminders that will help us wait as God intended us to wait for his future advent.
This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. This morning we look at four aspects of Beholding him daily through the hope of Christ in you.
This advent season over three weeks we will BEHOLD Jesus’s coming as baby, his daily residing in our hearts, and his second glorious return. What a journey that begins today by looking at the way a rising sun fills all the earth with light. Let’s discover the answer to the question everyone is asking whether they know it or not - how to fix this dark world.
Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. 1 Chronicles 16:35
We began last week (Gen. 15:1-6) by looking at the inevitability of doubt in the lives of believers and how God graciously forebears and provides comfort to the doubter. This week we look at the culmination of God’s guaranteed promises in a one-sided covenant that fueled the faith that God credited as righteousness to Abram.
Is doubt allowed for the believing Christian? And what does God do with our doubt? This Sunday We look at the beginning of the covenant and promises to Abram and God’s gentle forbearance with the doubt of the man of faith.
What are we to make of this strange Gentile Priest-King Melchizedek? He disappears from the scene as quickly as he has shown up and reappears in the book of Hebrews in a big way pointing us to Jesus. This morning we will look at the strange significance of Melchizedek.
For a third time the land promised to Abram is threatened. This time by an international war. And rather than rebel against God or forsake his calling to bless the nations, Abram responds in heroic trust, refusing to use brute power to achieve God’s purposes. This Sunday we will look at a heroic rescue and reward and how Abram points us to Jesus in both cases.
Abram seems to have learned his lesson from the fiasco in Egypt as he renews his faith in God by displaying a bold trust in God’s promises. In fact, it is so bold that he gives up the very thing he has been promised entrusting himself to God rather than his own scheming devices. Let’s look at three scenes in this story.
In this strange story we see a quick transition for Abram from immense faith to a false start, faith lapse. What is so encouraging for us is that even though Abram jeopardizes the promises and blessings of God with his strange actions, God intervenes to protect and deliver his people. Let’s look at three stages of the deliverance.
Isn’t just like our God that when things seemed most dark and hopeless, he began afresh with a new call to fashion a new people to bring the greatest blessing the world has ever known? This Sunday we examine the call of Abram and his bold response by looking at three elements of faith.
This morning we want to revisit some of the big themes from Genesis chapters 1-11 to pave the way for our new series into the life of Abraham. We will notice that these big themes carry not only through the book of Genesis but are the foundation for the entire Bible and structure of history. Let’s look at 5 BIG themes.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4
This may be the most searching of all the Beatitudes. Jesus says it is inevitable that we will be persecuted if we are His followers. But there is only one type of persecution he calls blessed. This Sunday we look at the wrong type of persecution, the right type of persecution and the reward that awaits those who persevere
A peacemaker is not someone who is passive, avoids conflict, or is after superficial peace at any cost. A peacemaker is one who actively pursues the peace that only God can bring seeking opportunities of reconciliation from the interpersonal all the way up to the institutional. This morning we look at 3 keys to peace.
In our world, it is the mantra of follow your heart that guides the masses. In God’s Word, it is those whose heart follows Him that will finally find what they were looking for all along. This morning we uncover the heart, purity and seeing God.
Jesus tells us here that a true test of our membership in his Kingdom is how we reflect the mercy of God. Those who have truly experienced his mercy will certainly be merciful toward the hurting world around them.
In our world it is those who “have” and are “full” who are to be happy and emulated. Satisfaction comes from getting something we want. But in the upside world of the Beatitudes, it is those who desperately long for and hunger for something greater than themselves that are truly satisfied and filled. Satisfaction comes from a hunger for righteousness. This morning we will feed upon 5 steps to this happiness.
Mourning is not fun, but if you are a child of God and from the depths of your heart you ask the God of all creation to give you comfort, then get ready for the most amazing ‘Holy Hug’ that you could possibly imagine!
Are the Beatitudes a list of dos and don’ts, or something far more beautiful and richer? This morning we will look and see that the Beatitudes are the qualities of someone who has had an operation of grace upon them and being poor in spirit is the doorway to the kingdom of heaven.
God is our Refuge and Strength in this time of trial. This service is a little different. Instead of a message by the pastor, it features worship interspersed with passages of Scripture.
As we conclude our study of 1 John, we will find that John finishes as he started with a pastoral heart, encouraging us with the certainties of our faith. With everything going on in our world, we need to know what we can be certain of. This morning we look at three certainties for the child of God.
As John begins to wrap up his letter he returns again to the person and work of Jesus Christ to remind us that everything points to him and that he is the center of everything. You can’t afford to get Christ wrong, so John gives us multiple witnesses to give us assurance and make sure we get it right. Let’s examine the witnesses.
When you read 1 John 4:7-21 it is clear that John want to help us understand true biblical love. He mentions the word love 27 times in our passage. This morning we simplify this passage breaking it down into two halves: the SOURCE of love and the POWER of love.
Do you know that every person on this planet is a theologian of some type? John encourages us to be discerning theologians of Jesus so that we will listen to voices that deserve to shape us and mold us to the Spirit of truth and the true Jesus. So, what type of theologian are you? This morning we look at four characteristics of a godly theologian.
Do you know that every person on this planet is a theologian of some type? John encourages us to be discerning theologians of Jesus so that we will listen to voices that deserve to shape us and mold us to the Spirit of truth and the true Jesus. So, what type of theologian are you? This morning we look at four characteristics of a godly theologian.
John’s goal has been to give us assurance in our hearts that we know, we know God. But many times, we know even our believing heart can accuse us causing us to doubt this. However, the truths of the Gospel are bigger than any accusation that can be brought against a child of God, and believing these truths frees you to self-forgetfulness and the love of one another which gives us abiding assurance. Let’s look at three types of heart this morning.
John shows us that the central command of Jesus for his followers was that they would love one another and by that love, we can know we are his. But John doesn’t leave the definition vague he goes on to proclaim that this love is to be both sacrificially and practical.
This morning John wants to make clear the connection between knowing God and doing righteousness. He uses the two comings of Christ as motivating factors as we look at our motives for righteous living finding the power to do so by abiding in him and realizing we have God’s Seed.
This morning, John describes true Christians as those who will hold onto the truth by the power of the Spirit even when it is contradicted by those from within. His warning is for us to resist those who he describes as actively speaking words against Christ and the gospel. Let’s look at both groups and their marking characteristics.
This morning, John wants us to know WHO we love and WHY we love him and affirm us in this before he goes on to exhort us in the HOW to examine our loves. This morning we will compare and contrast a love for the heavenly Father with a love for the world, learning how to put all our loves in their proper place.
The Apostle John has a very clear understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This understanding came from his firsthand experience with Jesus’ teaching, His person, and His work. John wants us to have a very clear understanding too and assurance of our faith. So, this morning he gives us three tests by which we can evaluate the validity of our personal faith and whether or not we are walking in the light.
The hope for this world is found in the new life that is available only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This hope is living and available to all. This Easter we look at three reasons to hope.
One of the greatest comforts available to the Christian is the fact of knowing that God is sovereign over all things and that he is good. It is in moments of suffering, whether global or personal, that we need to be reminded that God is on his throne and he is in control. This truth is the doorway from hopelessness to hope. Today we look at 4 implications of God’s sovereignty.
There are times in life when we just need to be reminded of the comfort that is available in knowing and trusting God - when trials come, when suffering happens, and when we begin to question God’s character. This morning we need to remember that comfort comes in knowing his grace, his presence and his providence. Let’s look at all three of these life changing truths.
John wants us to start with the foundation and beginning of our faith and that is God. John is also interested in what we think about sin and darkness, and we will never have an accurate understanding of sin and darkness, or an appreciation for salvation in Christ, unless we first know God is light.
What would it look like to live in complete joy? And how do we attain it? In the prologue to his letter, the apostle John gives us two keys to the joyful Christian experience that every Christian can have.
This morning we will examine a moving testimony authored by an Individual who claimed to be the worst sinner in the history of mankind. It comes from the depths of a truly thankful heart that wanted to praise God for salvation in Jesus Christ.
This morning in Genesis we transition from the primeval history of many generations to the focusing in on one pagan family with tentative beginnings that God will work through. From the corruption of humanity will come the hope of God’s calling to Abram.
It was God’s intention after the flood that humanity would multiply and fill the earth. It was man’s intention driven by fear and pride to do the exact opposite – dig in their heels and build up. This Sunday we look at God’s gracious solution to the problem of our own pride in his condescension to and scattering of humanity.
We all fear being naked and exposed and known for our true selves. Noah was literally exposed, and his sons responded in vastly different ways that impacted their futures. So how do we deal with our own nakedness and shame? Where do we find true cover?
God delivers Noah and his family through the flood judgement to establish a new order of fruitfulness and peace, to preserve humanity and creation, and He promises to do the same with a covenant and great sign in the sky.
In one disturbing yet beautiful story, because humanity had corrupted and destroyed God’s world with violence, God destroys the world with a catastrophic flood, but delivers Noah through grace, saving creation and humanity to begin again. Jesus tells us that their story is all of earth’s story and all of us need an ark.
Pastor David Does an overview of the first five chapters of Genesis to get us back into the swing of things in our Genesis Foundations series.
Even though we have sentimentalized Christmas, everything about the Christmas story is scandalous and unexpected - from the family, to the birth, to the Savior, to the audience of shepherds. This morning we will look at three unexpected surprises to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
The angel Gabriel has been busy and now he prophesies another miraculous birth to an elderly couple who is beyond the childbearing years, swooping the couple up into the grand story of Christmas. This morning we will look at their serving, believing, seeing and singing to find our own mercy and hope this Advent season.
Have you ever felt insignificant to God’s plan, or thought that God doesn’t even notice you? The Song of Mary reminds us that God chooses even the most seemingly insignificant people to be a part of His greatest blessing to all of mankind.
This morning we look at the interaction of the Angel Gabriel with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Gabriel surprises her with the unlikely news that she will carry in her womb the Messianic Savior of humanity. We will look at the good news of Gabriel, and the model of faith in a teenage girl.
It is clear that the Genesis 3 curse continues on in both the lines of Cain, Seth and in our day too. We all die. Nevertheless, God continues to work in the unlikely cursed context by giving a hint of the reverse of death, and a glimmer of hope for the future for those who walk with God. This morning we look at three glimmers of hope.
What happens when Cain walks away choosing pity and vengeance over repentance and faith? Humanity is divided into a way of Cain and a way of grace. This morning we explore the two ways and the song that defines each.
We are continuing where we left off in Genesis with the story of Cain and Able. The negative results of Adam and Eve’s choice to eat the forbidden fruit are clearly evident in their son’s lives.
How will God respond in the garden when through their sinful choice Adam and Eve turned the world upside down? How will Adam and Eve respond? This Sunday we will see that even as God is pronouncing judgement upon humanity that the seeds of grace and compassion are present. Maybe it is true that grace does grow best in winter.
We all know something is wrong with the world. Well this Sunday we take a look at the source of all our problems. What we will find is that our problems of temptation and sin follow a pattern of asking us to question God’s Word, His Goodness, and His Position. Let’s look at four patterns.
If the garden that God has placed Adam into is like an earthly paradise, why is it not good for Adam to be alone? What is he lacking? We will look for the answers by looking at Adam’s need, God’s complementary answer in Eve, and the resulting marriage that comes about. We will also explore the blessings and challenges of uniting our life together with someone so like us, yet so unlike us.
This Sunday we zoom in to get a more detailed account of the creation of humanity. And by doing this, as we see how much purpose, meaning and potential that God breathed into Adam’s nature, we set the stage for the devastating effects of the fall.
Upon the completion of creation, God ceases from His work and enters into rest. It is upon entering into this rest that God establishes the purpose of creation and the pattern for his people from Israel to the church. This Sunday we will look at three types of rest: God’s rest, Israel’s rest and our rest.
After completing the formation of the earth to make a habitable home to welcome humanity into, God begins to fill the new earth with creatures of all kinds. Today we look at the uniqueness of the male and female made in God’s image.
Genesis 1 is a historical song written to convey more of the WHO and WHY behind creation than the specific details of HOW. This morning we will see that the eternally existing God (WHO) sovereignly created by His powerful word (HOW) to display His glory through the new creational community (WHY).
This morning in a short introductory message we answer the question WHY Genesis by looking at several foundational reasons WHY, and the foundational theology of the opening verse of the Bible.
The final three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer give us a clear picture that we are both absolutely dependent on our Heavenly Father for EVERYTHING, and yet simultaneously loved enough that He provides it ALL. This morning we will see that we don’t pray to impress others or to impress God, but with hearts that know we have real needs and there is only one real provider.
This week we move from the HOW to pray (vs. 5-8) to the WHAT to pray (vs. 9,10). Jesus begins by naming the One we approach in prayer and placing His agenda and kingdom at the top of our list of requests. This morning we will explore the name and three requests.
The Lord’s Prayer is smack dab in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus lays out his vision for the disciple’s life in the newly inaugurated kingdom of heaven. This morning Jesus will ask us to examine our own heart motives for prayer by looking at two negative and one positive example. Our hope is to pray more and more like true citizens of the kingdom.
Summer is about travel, and the study portion of our summer worship services has involved "traveling through the psalms." Today's psalm spotlights the very purpose for which we exist as a body of Christ's followers and for which God has entrusted us with the gospel. It makes abundantly clear what God wants to be the major theme, the primary motivation, and the driving force of our lives. That makes the understanding of Psalm 67 very important.
This psalm invites us to cry out to God in our despair. To be honest about the pain that we are experiencing in this life and to respond by joining in with our fellow believers in worship when we see how God is working in our lives. The truly amazing part is that he has already suffered right beside us.
Psalm 115 is a communal prayer for confidence in the Lord. The Psalmist reminds God's people to abandon their idols, their "functional gods," and trust in the true LORD for protection, blessing, and deliverance. Today we look at four encouraging reminders.
The Psalmist is in awe of the incredible intimacy of God's relationship with him. God is not distant and abstract but closely involved in our lives from before we are born through the grave and on into eternal life. As we recognize God's intimate care for us it should cause us to reject injustice and desire holiness.
The next couple weeks we will be taking a look at different Psalms and gleaning life giving truth through them. This week our focus will be the 35th Psalm in which we see God as our Deliverer. Let’s expand our understanding of what this means for us as His people.
Listen to an insightful teaching on the familiar passage of Psalm 23 by our guest speaker, Tony Freitas.
How does God view us as we move closer towards the end of our life here on earth and how do we view ourselves as we age? Do these views line up? This morning we look at three truths from the Apostle Paul's affliction to see that bodies lost, will be bodies regained, by souls that never die. Let eternity fill your life with meaning now!
To truly know something you must know its purpose. So what is the purpose of sex? This Sunday we look at the primary and secondary purposes of Sex and place them in a Gospel context of redemption and resurrection to glorify God in our bodies.
Last week we discussed the confusion that abounds over gender and our bodies. This morning we look at the positive side in the grand narrative of Genesis 1 and 2 to see three beautiful, clarifying factors about what it means to be a man or woman. Who and what will be your guide- your culture or God and His Word?
If our bodies are a gift from God, why do we have so many body issues? This Sunday we look at the story of God’s blueprint for our bodies. We will explore the resultant discord and confusion with our bodies that came about through the fall and see how the Gospel gives the only true hope for our body issues.
Which is more important the body or the soul? The answer to this question shapes how you will respond to so many of the current cultural challenges and dilemmas. With so much confusion and debate in our culture surrounding our bodies, life, death and sex, we want to find a clear Biblical answer to the questions How Did We Get Here in this cultural moment, and Why Does it Matter?
As we wrap up chapter 4 of Ephesians this week we move from the call to unity to the call to purity. Paul’s desire is that we would walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (4:1). But what does that look like? Today we look at the theology of two different ways to walk, and the fruit that each walk produces.
After unpacking the HOW of salvation in Ephesians 2, this week in chapter 4 we move to the WHY. We will make the transition from Gospel doctrine to Gospel culture, from what God has done to what we must do, from the indicative to the imperative. WE will look at 4 imperatives this morning to see what our united growth of Life Together looks like.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer starts his short, classic book Life Together with saying, “It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians.” This Sunday we look to Ephesians 2:11-22 to REMEMBER 4 truths about who we are as the Church to help us appreciate the gift we have of Life Together.
Baptism is a great time of celebration and rejoicing in the life of the individual, but also in the life of the congregation, as it causes us to remember the reality of our own baptism as well. This morning we look at a passage that shows us that salvation comes to the individual through spiritual death to life, and we will see how baptism is a beautiful picture of that transformation.
There is a brevity and no-frills approach to the resurrection in Mark’s Gospel. But it is in this short account, that we get some of the most compelling evidence to the historicity of the actual resurrection, and the ongoing implication that This Changes Everything!
Let’s look at 7 facets of the resurrection story to see that This Changes Everything…
This Sunday we attempt to look at the heart of love that was displayed in the cross of Jesus Christ. We will see the Eternal Father, turning His face away from the Eternal Son, with one purpose of redeeming a lost and sinful people.
The abandonment and suffering of Jesus, while serving as the payment for our sins, has also been a great source of encouragement for those who have gone through their own excruciating trial. This morning we look at three scenes of increasing abandonment and suffering to
embrace a King who saved through silence and won by losing.
The rapid events of Jesus’ arrest and trial continue as Jesus is whisked away to face an unjust courtroom while Peter faces a trial of his own. This Sunday we will look at how both men respond under intense pressure and how Jesus’ faithfulness gives even the greatest denier Gospel hope.
In the upper room discourse, Jesus takes the historical celebration of Passover and connects the arc of his ministry to this redemptive meal. Jesus connects the arc from the first Passover, to His sovereign fulfillment of Passover, to the assurance of the final feast in the new heaven and earth.
Mark 14 begins the Passion narrative of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest and execution. As tensions rise, it feels like a coming storm. There is a cast of characters and controversy swirling around Jesus, a woman of extravagant love, and a disciple set on betrayal. And In the midst, we find Jesus at the eye of the storm confident, committed, & caring. Let’s see!
Today we complete our study in Mark 13 which details Christ's clear explanation of the facts of what would be taking place in the world prior to His second coming. We do not know when He will return, but we do know what we should be doing until He does based on His instruction in this chapter of Mark's gospel.
RESOURCES
The topic of the end times can cause great excitement, speculation and anxiety. Because of this, Jesus admonishes his disciples to prepare them for these days by challenging them to be expectant, watchful, and persevering. In this message we will look at three imperatives for the end times.
After hours of questioning and discussion in the temple, Jesus goes on the offensive and turns the tables with a dangerous question that he had already posed to the disciples in private – Who is the Messiah? The answer to that question shapes the heart of love and the direction of our giving. This morning we look at three types of love.
What does it mean to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God; and what is our responsibility as citizens? At the heart of Jesus’ answer is the
definition of true love and worship and a call to make sure you are in the Kingdom and not just near.
Deeply embedded in the human heart is the desire to live forever, but not everyone believes we do - and many fear death. This Sunday Jesus challenges the religious skeptics of his day and by doing so reminds us of our certain resurrection, and the hope that comes from the power and faithfulness of God.
This Sunday as we look at the second of five interchanges in Mark 12 between Jesus and his opponents, we will examine one of the most profound and influential political statements ever made in the history of the world. Jesus challenges all of us with his call for Christians to obey both the state, and God. But what do we do if they conflict? This morning we will look first at the trap, then the question, and then Jesus’ answer.
Nick Coleman-Canby Young Life Director
The prophet has big questions for God, asking why bad things happen. God answers as He always does, calling us to trust He is in control. We are then called to live a life characterized by our belief in God.
This Sunday we see Jesus walk right into conflict again with the ruling leaders of the day on what they perceive is their turf, the temple. Through their conflict we will see that when we are driven by fear we struggle to not only accept Jesus as our ultimate authority, but we also resist his rightful claims on our everyday lives and the world he has created as well.
Jesus has entered the Passion Week in the Gospel of Mark and this Sunday we consider his use of a strange visible parable to challenge the contemporary corruption of the temple, which gave the appearance of fruit, but was empty and fruitless. This morning may he challenge us individually and corporately as we consider Jesus’ challenge- Are we producing real fruit through faith in Jesus, prayer, and forgiveness?
Jesus clearly and unabashedly declares himself King. But as we look at the passage and surrounding area in Mark we will see that his Kingdom looks nothing like what those original crowds expected. Jesus came not to overthrow political systems but to save a world of hurting people from their sin.
We all love rags to riches stories, but how about humble to glory stories? This Sunday we scan the entirety of God’s saving purposes by looking at the image of a lopped off tree that blooms again to cover the whole earth with God’s reigning peace and perfect rule. Don’t you want to be there to see that day in the new Kingdom? This morning we look at FOUR BRANCHES of the NEW KINGDOM!
This morning we look at the 2nd of 4 Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah by entering into a cosmic conversation between God the Father
and The Servant. We will see that the Servant’s mission pointed Isaiah’s contemporaries to a future deliverance from a problem even greater than their Babylonian captivity – the problem of separation from God. We look at THREE CHORDS of the song today that point us to Advent.
Isaiah wrote to a people who would live in discouragement after a great defeat and exile. In many ways they are like us. They felt as if God could never redeem their past and that their future circumstances would never change. But God breaks through with a message of HOPE, a cry in the wilderness that Yahweh would save! We hear THREE VOICES of HOPE this morning, to kick off our advent season, that bring tidings of good news for all!
Our hearts, like James and John, wrestle with and resist the idea that true greatness comes from suffering servanthood. But it is in the discovery and embracing of the great ransom that Jesus paid for us that our anxious, skittish hearts find the true security out of which comes humble servanthood. Today we look at four clear principles of service.
How do you inherit eternal life? What must be accomplished, done or believed to enter God’s Kingdom? And what gets in the way? Each of us struggle as the rich young ruler did with building our own moral resume, but this Sunday Jesus lovingly challenges each of us to ask, “Is Jesus enough?” We look at three types of CURRENCY this morning.
This morning we will see that the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus with a discussion on Moses’ permission to divorce while Jesus wanted to point them further back to God’s original design for marriage. We will attempt to cover both with grace and truth.
Our attention today will be focused on what God wants to be at the center of the Christian’s universe. We will learn what the Bible identifies as the key to living a new life in Christ, to live consistently with whom we are as new creatures in Christ.
There is a road that leads to greatness, but it challenges our internal and cultural GPS as it points us in a different direction to the road Jesus walked. This week we look at four trails that lead to the road of true greatness.
How do we handle failures and our shortcomings in life? This Sunday Jesus descends the glorious mountain of transfiguration to a dark demonic dispute to address our failures and shortcomings by showing us three absolute needs
This Sunday, after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus reveals even more of his true identity in a glorious display of his divinity. The Father joins and affirms His Son and that glory and suffering go hand in hand. And we are encouraged to walk the same road. Let’s look at three points of clarity.
This Sunday we reach the turning point of Mark’s Gospel. Jesus speaks as plainly as possible so that the original disciples (and we, in turn) could make no mistakes about who he is and what he came to do. He MUST suffer, and we MUST see why.
Sometimes in life we have to see something over and over again before it sinks in and we see the light. This Sunday we will see in Jesus’ compassionate miracles and straight forward teaching that he keeps repeating and staying on point, until we see. We will look through four clear lenses this morning to see the Bread of Life.
Pastor Jeff - Fall Kick-Off
At the end of the day, many of us know we need to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ but sometimes we just don’t know how. This Fall Kick Off, we look to our new theme as Paul calls the church to BE EQUIPPED, by answering two questions: HOW and WHY are we to be equippe
This morning we find more hope and encouragement for the oppressed and for the church as we look to God the Deliverer. He will deliver us from this present evil age. We will hear two calls to deliverance this morning, one for the oppressed and one for the church.
This Sunday we do the hard work of looking to God’s Word to answer three questions: Why this series now? What is oppression? And what is God’s heart for the oppressed? We will find hope in the fact that Jesus faced great oppression too and that God is a stronghold for the oppressed!
This morning we look at two scenarios in which Jesus responds to two people with exactly what the person needs. And the crowds who are present marvel in “astonishment beyond measure” saying, “He does all things well.” This
Sunday we look to our God who does all things well to fix our ears and eyes on the one who deserves our astonished worship.
It is quite possible that Jesus’ inside out language from this passage is the most revolutionary message ever spoken by him. Why is it so much easier to focus on our external works of righteousness than on the state of our hearts? This Sunday we will seek Jesus’ answer by looking at three symptoms of legalism and their consequential results.
Whether it is your storm-tossed life, or the cultural storm the church finds herself in, Jesus has one clear message from this passage for us: He is the great I AM! And while following him into obedience may bring challenges, it brings even greater joy.
The feeding of the 5000 harkens back to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. However, someone greater than Moses is here, and he has not only the compassion but the power to feed the whole world! And he uses us in the process.
The feeding of the 5000 harkens back to Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. However, someone greater than Moses is here, and he has not only the compassion but the power to feed the whole world! And he uses us in the process.
When we follow Jesus on mission, we go where he leads us to make His name known. It may even be risky and costly. This morning we see that some are offended at Jesus, some reject Jesus, and some may even seek to destroy Jesus and his followers. But we follow because it is a path he has taken as well.
Baptism is a great time of celebration and rejoicing in the life of the individual, but also in the life of the congregation, as it causes us to remember the reality of our own baptism as well. This morning we look at a passage that shows us how baptism is a beautiful picture of the progression that every follower of Jesus makes, from captive to the law, to freedom found in the work of Jesus Christ. We look at four HOWS…
In this passage, Mark shows us the compassion that Jesus has for those who are suffering—regardless of social status—while again putting his power on display for all to see. Ultimately, we see this same compassion as Jesus steps down into our mess and saves us. Let’s look at 3 key elements of Jesus’ compassion.
In this passage Mark answers the disciples’ question from 4:41, who is this man, by showing us that Jesus is the great Liberator and Savior with authority even over the demonic. This morning we will look at three stages of Jesus’ engagement in the story and find our commissioning to engage the culture with the message of Jesus.
In this passage Mark wants us to look at both an amazing display of Jesus’ humanity and divinity, and of his power and his love. The result for us will be the realization that we have the resource necessary to face our own trials and storms of life. That resource is the object of our faith, not the strength of our faith. Let’s look to three clarifying facts.
In contrast to the message of contemporary culture to promote, pamper, and protect ourselves, Jesus' call has always been to deny ourselves and abandon anything and everything that would hinder us from a non-negotiated commitment to following Him.
Jesus wants us to listen well to the Word. It is in the listening to His Word and responding that the kingdom Seed grows in individual hearts, communities, and nations. This morning we look at four kingdom parables. Hear it up!
Who do you say that Jesus is? How do you relate to him? In this passage we will look at six different responses to Jesus and his ministry. Will you call him liar, lunatic or Lord?
Jesus’ encounters with his enemies teach us that the Gospel, and Jesus himself are offensive to our own self-driven efforts to please God. He offers something so much better: Forgiveness, Joy, & Rest.
We have so many needs, but what is our deepest? As Jesus continues to incrementally reveal himself to the people in an electrically charged encounter of sickness, sin, faith and evil, we see that the Son of Man is the only one who can ultimately meet our needs - Including the deepest one of all.
In Mark 1:21-45, we see Jesus continue His ministry with a clear and unmistakable voice of AUTHORITY. In this message, we will notice 4 things about the authority of Jesus that will lead us to ask some questions. But first we will contemplate, which voice do YOU hear?
As the ministry of John the Baptist recedes with his arrest, Jesus’ ministry comes to the foreground with His message of the kingdom. This Sunday we will look at two aspects of that message: The good news call of the kingdom, and the call to follow the King.
Mark doesn’t waste any time in introducing us to Jesus the central character, His commissioning, and His mission. This Sunday we join Mark on the road as fellow travelers as we hit the ground running directly into the action of God breaking into time and space.
What could make a man like Peter, who denied Jesus, stand up and proclaim the great Gospel story a few weeks later? The Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the joy of the Gospel story. And this morning we will explore the story through Peter’s Pentecost sermon and three crucial events.
Jesus is the Treasure of life and knowing Him and making Him known
is the purpose of life.
What does it mean to have to have the gospel be the center around which we build our lives and our churches? What does it mean to believe, live out and cherish the gospel? This Sunday we wrap our Why series with WHY Gospel Centered by looking to three implications of the truth of the gospel.
This Sunday we look at the Why behind Communion, or as it has been called The Lord’s Supper by looking to three avenues for clarity: The History, The Meaning, & The Blessing. Our hope is to gain a greater appreciation for what Christ has given us for our good, unity, and nourishment.
Why do we practice church membership? Where is it mentioned in the Bible? This Sunday we gather to grow in our understanding of what the church is, what it means to identity with a local body of believers, and how blessing comes through mutual submission to each other.
Sometimes it is just good to pause ask WHY we do certain things in the church. This Sunday we look at the WHY behind baptism by looking at three foundational keys in the Practice, the Pattern, and the Blessing.
Do we truly believe that God is weaving together all of the mundane circumstances of our lives for His great story and our joy? This morning we look through the dark clouds of providence to see THREE RAYS of providential light that tell us, yes God is for us!
Redemption by its very nature is costly, messy, and never quite seems to unfold as we expect it. This Sunday we will examine redemption on two different horizons: first in the lives of Naomi, Ruth & Boaz and then in our lives too.
This Sunday we look at the transforming power of God's kind grace in the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. We will see that we too can be transformed as we place our trust in that same grace available today in Jesus Christ.
This Sunday we look at two journeys with Naomi and Ruth to discover two responses, with the hopes of seeing that even underneath life’s darkest circumstances God is working His providential, refreshing purposes.
We are creatures who from our very conception are under the developing and caring hand of our Maker. God’s unique image has been placed on humanity giving us a value and dignity far above any other made thing. And yet, humanity in every era and place wages war on the image of God. This morning we look at three UNIQUE truths that will help us understand WHY?
We all have a calling from the Lord for some type of ministry in the body of Christ. Paul is one who was faithful to the end of his life to his calling. This morning we examine Paul’s final words to see three examples of faithfulness by answering the question, What Is Our Salvation For?
“For God so loved the world,” was an astounding statement that came from the mouth of Jesus. This Sunday we focus on the LOVE of God, which was not mere sentiment, but rooted in the action of giving us His Son, the coming Light. Let’s discover four facts about the coming Light from our passage.
Christmas is the season of lights. But why? The imagery of light runs throughout the entire story of God’s Word. This Sunday we look at the words of Jesus as he declares himself to be the Ultimate Light as we begin our advent series, The Coming Light. Let’s explore the SETTING and the SOURCE of light in our passage.
And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
Genesis 45:7
Since Paul has just reaffirmed that the Scriptures are God-breathed, he now charges Timothy and all pastors and Christians to keep on preaching the Word, the Truth that, challenges, changes, and equips us. Today we want to be as CLEAR as possible.
When tragedy strikes we are prone to ask the question Why. This morning we are reminded of three truths that will help us remember that God’s mercies are new every morning even in the midst of dark days.
The Bible has been called a book of rules, a good book, a book of stories about heroes, and a myth. Today we will see three truths that show us that it is so much more. It is God’s Book!
Paul describes a day which is not unlike our own when the love of self is seen as the greatest virtue. It is a destructive path we are not to follow as lovers of God first and foremost. We actually love our neighbors best when we follow Paul’s example of godly living and service in the midst of a self-loving culture. Today we will see two diverging roads in the same church.
So far Paul has been reminding Timothy with Gospel Exhortations (2:8). Now it’s Timothy’s turn to remind the congregation. This Sunday we look at three more images that will help us remember what a Gospel Worker is to be all about.
No pain, no gain rings true in most of life. So why do we doubt it so much when it comes to our spiritual life and growth, and faithful Gospel witness? This Sunday Paul encourages a timid Timothy to suffer for the Gospel by pointing him to the Hero of that Gospel, and the model and method to passing it on. This morning we look at four basic practices for encouragement.
There is a natural tendency to be ashamed and fearful of the gospel and of speaking Jesus’ name. Sometimes this shame and fear can even tempt us to tweak or hide the gospel. This Sunday Paul exhorts us through the Gospel, to guard the gospel that has been entrusted to us. We make a three-step progression from problem, to solution, to exhortation.
Our mission at Bethany Church is Helping People Follow Jesus. But what do we need to do that? This morning we look at three helps that God has given us in the church to produce sincere, faithful, courageous followers of Jesus. But first the why???
Jesus Christ is the living stone and the One who has risen from the dead. He is the cornerstone of the church. But Peter tells us, this church isn’t a building; it is comprised of the special people of God, other living stones, who live to proclaim His excellencies!
The human condition is one of striving for significance and security. Do you ever ask yourself the question, “do I measure up?” This Sunday we will look to the Psalmist as he cries out to find mercy and security in the only place, and from the only one it can be found.
When it comes to our working life there is a tendency for us to vacillate between frantic production and pessimistic passivity. This Sunday we will look at what it means to “work well” and rest well, and how the Gospel frees us to do both.
Paul is a man who learned the secret which made his life of contentment possible and his candor about Gospel giving conceivable. This Sunday, as we unpack this secret together, we will explore 3 closing remarks to shape our own contentment and giving.
The most accomplished Apostle Paul was the humblest of men. This week he shows us that true spiritual growth comes through a humble, grace driven, passionate pursuit of knowing Jesus more deeply. We look together at four goals that promote spiritual growth to the finish line.
We all place our confidence in many things throughout the course of a day, a week, or a life. The Apostle Paul wants us to place our confidence in only Jesus Christ and he shows us how we can do that. This morning we will look at three truths we NEED to KNOW.
Paul has called us in service of The Gospel and in humility to consider others more significant than ourselves (2:3,4). This morning he gives us two examples of disciples who do just that by displaying hearts and lives that had been changed by Jesus.
Paul has a desire to prepare the church by challenging them to live a life worthy of The Gospel by standing and striving in unity and humbly loving
one another.
Paul continues his missionary update portion of the letter to the Philippian church by modeling what it looks like to have a life worth living and dying for Christ.