You and I cannot add anything to what Christ did for us, because He has done it all. If Christ’s death was not enough, if we needed to add our own good works to His in order to be saved, then we could never know for sure that we will go to heaven when we … Read more
Have you ever wondered why worship music at Bethel is different week to week? Walking into worship you never know if you will hear organ, piano, guitars and drums, handbells or even an African praise team! This diversity is very deliberate. It is intended to help defend us from one of our most basic desires. … Read more
A few weeks ago I got an email from a concerned parent about how to raise their children in a culture that has rejected God’s created order and Jesus, the One sent to restore that order. I just so happened to have been teaching the last hour on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. The answer … Read more
It seems to me we travel through life generally seeking our own self-interests. When we consider what kind of impression we want to leave with people, we naturally want to leave a positive impression of ourselves. Now, that’s not all bad. Nobody wants to spend time with someone who leaves them with a bad impression … Read more
Have you ever wondered what the big deal is about the name of God? It’s everywhere, but what does it mean? At the beginning of our worship we invoke the name of the Triune God. We baptize in the Triune name of God. Christians bear the name of God and praise the name of God. … Read more
Two of my favorite parables recorded in the Bible are the parable “A Treasure Hidden in a Field” and “The Pearl of Great Price”. They are the shortest parables we have and contain a simple message. In each parable, someone finds something of great value. They go away and sell everything they have to obtain … Read more
Have you ever read Luther’s Large Catechism? Many of us are familiar with Luther’s Small Catechism from our time in confirmation, but what is the Large Catechism? The Large Catechism is a collection of sermons that Luther preached expounding on the catechism. It was published to aid teachers and parents in sharing the faith with … Read more
At some point in our lives, we must all decide if we are going to conform to the world’s expectations for our lives or rebel against them. For many of us this decision comes in high school. We are met with so many decisions on every level of who we are. Will I accept what … Read more
Lately I’ve been reading a book entitled Greek for the Rest of Us. It’s a book that teaches a person to utilize the vast amounts of Greek bible study tools without actually learning to translate Greek. In the opening chapters of the book, the author explains why we have different translations and the pros and … Read more
“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