“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 One of my responsibilities here at Bethel is to … Read more
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at … Read more
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells them that he would like to “remind” them of the Gospel. This seems to me a strange thing to do. Why would a Christian need to be “reminded” of the Gospel? Wouldn’t you have to know the Gospel to be a Christian in the first place? … Read more
There are many examples of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the Scriptures. If I asked you to name people in Scripture who have inspired you as a disciple of Jesus you might say John, Peter or even Paul, but how many would answer Tabitha? Sometimes when discussing what it means … Read more
In the end of Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas return from their missionary journey and arrive back at their sending church in Antioch. Scripture tells us that “on arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the … Read more
In Philippians 2:12-16 Paul encourages the church in Philippi to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal. Throughout my life these verses have been an inspiration and a reminder to me that I am not stumbling around in this life, but am called to press on. When life gets tough, I press … Read more
In Acts 1 we find the account of Christ’s ascension into heaven. After giving many convincing proofs and speaking to them about the kingdom of God, the time had come for the Son to return to the Father. Before he ascends, he commissions them by saying, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; … Read more
In Mark 2 we learn of a time when a few men had to find a creative way to get their friend to Jesus. “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, … Read more
A few weeks ago WaterLife was introduced at Bethel. One of the goals of WaterLife is to highlight what God is doing through His people who are a part of Bethel Lutheran. These are stories of people who acted boldly to share the love and truth we know in Christ. One of the marks of … Read more
In 1 Samuel 3 we are told the story of the Lord’s calling of Samuel. Samuel, a young boy, ministered before the Lord under Eli. He had never heard the Lord’s voice before. One night the Lord called Samuel and thinking that it was Eli, the boy went to him and asked him what he … Read more