Bethel Mennonite Church

This sermon is taken from Ephesians. The first three chapters tell us the divine blessings that make the worthy walk described in the last three chapters possible. The believer is chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted in the Beloved, redeemed and forgiven by the shed blood of Christ, participants in the final gathering together of all things in Christ (both Jew and Gentile and heaven and earth), and all of this is experienced “in Christ,” in the heavenlies. The person who has experienced these blessings “in Christ” is equipped to live a worthy walk. Eph. 4 calls the believer to walk in unity, in holiness, in love, and in hope and courage. We walk in unity as we walk in humility, meekness, patience, and forbearance in love. These are the attitudes that make a worthy walk possible. The post Walk Worthy of Your Calling appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jesus had a reason for instructing his followers to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We know there is something special about this service and that Jesus is present to minister to us in a special way, but exactly how Christ is present is a mystery. We may not fully understand the mystery, but we know that we are in need of something that Jesus offers us in Communion, grace and mercy, the Christ who came and the Christ who is coming again. Psalm 22 describes David’s deep distress and suffering and foretells the suffering of Christ. The Psalm is the cry of a heart that is feeling lost and abandoned. And this is how both David and Jesus felt, but the heavenly Father had abandoned neither of them. The Father is not far away even though we feel alone. We need to see that while this Psalm begins with a lament – a picture of a suffering Savior – it ends with a song of victory Jesus came to gain victory over his enemies. His death and resurrection delivers people from captivity to sin, the devil, and death. Christ is ris

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Two of the most important questions facing people of Jesus’ day and today are, “Who is Jesus?” and “What does He want me to do?” John records seven “I am” statements used by Jesus to reveal who He is. John 6 records a sign (the feeding of the 5,000), a sermon (in which He states, “I am the bread of life”), and then shows how this teaching was a stumbling stone to many of Jesus’ followers. The many parallels between the feeding of the 5,000 and the manna in the wilderness seem intended to show that Jesus is the source of abundant life in the wilderness of this earthly life. Jesus calls us to feed on Him by coming to Him in faith, believing that He is able to satisfy our hunger and emptiness. A community of believers who are living by Jesus’ words of life can be a place of abundance even as all of creation longs for the promised land of the new heaven and new earth. The post A Sign, A Sermon, A Stumbling Stone appeared first on Bethel Mennonite C

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Genesis 50 looks back and ahead. A major focus is leaving a legacy. At the end of his life, Joseph was satisfied. He had lived his life in such a way that he had no regrets. It hadn’t been easy and he had suffered much along the way, but he had lived well, and he was satisfied with his life. After the lengthy period of mourning for Jacob, Joseph’s siblings were afraid Joseph would retaliate against them for their sins against him. They had never asked for forgiveness, so maybe they still felt guilty. But in all of this Joseph maintained a Godly attitude. He had not forgotten, but he had forgiven. At the end of his life, Joseph requested that his bones be taken to the promised land. He knew that Egypt was just a temporary home and the land of Canaan was where they belonged. Joseph is known for loving and being loved by his father. He is known for his thirteen years of much suffering from the time of being put into the pit until he became ruler of Egypt. He is known for his capacity to forgive. He i

I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 The Holy Spirit is given. The gospel transcends all cultures. Jesus equips his church by giving the church the necessary gifts: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers. Jesus is looking for a pure bride so the Holy Spirit exposes sin in the church. Jesus gives the church the power to persevere. The gospel will not be stopped. The post I Will Build my Church appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Psalm 68 – God shares His victory and strength with His people. Ephesians 4:7-13 – Jesus shares His victory with the church, and gives it grace and gifts to equip the saints. II Timothy 2:1-7 – We need to lean on Jesus for the strength to be steadfast. Steadfastness looks like: enduring hardship, staying unentangled, remaining obedient to the Gospel, and working faithfully in hope of harvest. When we’re feeling weak, we should continue to wait on Jesus for strength. We should also be willing to share our struggles with people in the church; not all of the grace we need comes directly from Jesus to us. The post The Strength to be Steadfast appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jacob’s deathbed prophecies are recorded in Genesis 48-49. The Jews believed deathbed blessings had special powers. These prophecies were prophetic in their own way but didn’t change the future. First Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons, after which he blessed his own sons. The applications of the story of Jacob’s deathbed prophecies are: Nothing that happens to us is surprising to God. He gives us choices but knows what we will choose. Many prophecies are dependent on our choices. It might be easy for us to be fatalistic about God knowing the future, as if nothing we do will change the future, but our lives are affected by our choices. It is just that God stands outside of time and knows all that was and is and will be. Things we do affect our children and others, but that doesn’t mean our future is determined by our parents’ past. There is redemption for past failures. Redemption follows true repentance, which includes change. We should never trade liberty for comfort. Our

Scripture presents a view of salvation (a soteriological vision) that provides a vision for personal and community life at Bethel. This is the view that Jesus Christ shed His blood unto death so that both Jews and Gentiles can be forgiven of their sins, that by trusting Christ as Savior and Lord a person’s faith […] The post The Implications of the Gospel for Bethel appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

II Timothy 1 – are we living our lives according to the promise of life in Jesus? Paul’s Situation: Imprisoned, anticipating death, abandoned by some, yet unwavering in faith. Timothy’s Situation: Ministry challenges, fears, and discouragement; receives Paul’s letter of encouragement and challenge. Paul’s Greeting: God called Paul to the ministry because of the promise […] The post Living According to the Promise of Life appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Often people believe that the reason they can’t achieve their goals is that circumstances conspire against them. But the more likely reason might be a failure to count the cost and do the hard work necessary to achieve the goal. Grace is free, but that doesn’t remove the need for human effort. One reason people […] The post Achieving Our Goals appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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A covenant is more than a contract. Contracts are about “I.” Covenants are about “we.” Covenants are moral commitments sustained by loyalty and fidelity. The Old Covenant included endless sacrifices that looked forward to the New Covenant and the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ. At communion we look back at Christ’s suffering and sacrifice and […] The post The New Covenant appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Are we truly seeking first the kingdom of God, or are we caught up with the world’s desire for more security financially? Are we able to sleep, or do we worry about the future? Are we laying up treasure in heaven or earth? What if Jesus meant every word that he said? The post What Gets You Up in the Morning and/or Keeps You Up At Night appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

According to Scripture, whoever believes in Christ has eternal life and will not perish, and the person who does not believe in the Son of God is condemned and under God’s judgment (John 3:15, 18, 36). Becoming a believer starts with the realization that I have sinned and need a Savior. Becoming a believer in […] The post Becoming a Believer in Christ appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does he let people suffer and die? When he lived on the earth, he calmed the ocean and raised the dead. If he is present with us now, why doesn’t he do the same things he did back then? Why does it seem that he is sleeping? Joseph […] The post The Problem of Pain appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.