Bethany Church

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?

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.

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 equipped?

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. Jesus Christ!

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.

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.