Simply the Sermon for April 21, 2024: “Though I Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow… You Are With Me”
Even when it is dark God is with us. The Good Shepherd calls us by name.
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Simply the Sermon for April 14, 2024: “The Resurrection of the Body”
What will heaven be like? What will we be like when we go to heaven? Pastor Russ shares his thoughts based on the Readings for 3 Easter from I John 3:1-7 and Luke 24:36b-48.
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Simply the Sermon for April 7, 2024: “Fear…Doubt…Faith”
Perhaps we should rename "Doubting Thomas", "Courageous Thomas" for questioning the other disciples when they attested to have seen Jesus alive. But Thomas has a chance to see Jesus alive for himself. So, too, do we not exclude those who may bring questions to the faith as Pastor Russ shares in his message: "Fear...Doubt...Faith" from John 20:19-21.
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Simply the Sermon for March 31, 2024: God's Cosmic Joke
"Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!" is the refrain on Easter Sunday and throughout the 7 week Easter Season. Pastor Russ' sermon is "God's Cosmic Joke" from John 20:1-18 reminding us that the raising of Jesus was the banishment of death. "Death has lost its sting" St. Paul tells us. When we peer into Jesus' tomb, we are looking into our own empty tomb.
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Simply the Sermon for March 24, 2024: God Uses Broken Things
There are two names for this impactful Sunday: Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday - when we recall the events of the last week of Jesus' life beginning with Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem when the crowds waved palm branches and shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Read Mark 11:1-11). We then follow the events of the remainder of Holy Week with the reading of the Passion of Our Lord (Mark 14:1-15:47). Pastor Russ notes a theme running throughout the long readings..."God Uses Broken Things" to do God's amazing work of redemption.
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Simply the Sermon for March 17, 2024: Making God’s Will Our Own
What is God's will for my life? Especially when difficulties and challenges arise. How do we know what path to take? Pastor Russ explores three steps on our faith journey that help us to "Make God's Will Our Own." Based on John 12:20-33
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Simply the Sermon for March 10, 2024: Amazing Grace
In the Ephesians Reading for the 4th Sunday in Lent is the core and foundation of our Christian faith...that you and I are saved by Grace through Faith. Pastor Russ focuses on this incredible mercy of God and how it makes us to be like a cup overflowing with love into the lives of others with his sermon entitled, "Amazing Grace."
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Simply the Sermon for March 3, 2024: Even Jesus Got Angry
The story of Jesus clearing of the Temple in John 2:13-22 gives us a chance to talk about a topic not normally broached from the pulpit with Pastor Russ' message "Even Jesus Got Angry." Anger can be destructive or constructive. Anger can be a sign that something isn't right. Jesus' actions show that perhaps there is some house cleaning we need to do as well.
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Simply the Sermon for February 25, 2024: A Prayer for Bethel
It’s Monica’s final sermon as Bethel’s intern, and she reflects on Jesus’s description of discipleship in Mark 8 in light of the end of her time with you all. It has been a crazy, wonderful, blessed year and a half here at Bethel, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way! The readings are Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 and Mark 8:31-38. The prayer at the end is from This Grateful Heart by Alden Solovny.
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Simply the Sermon for February 18, 2024: Water, Wilderness, Wild Beasts and Waiting Angels
Pastor Russ' message is "Water, Wilderness, Wild Beasts and Waiting Angels" as he weaves together the stories of Noah and the Ark with Jesus' baptism and temptation in the wilderness at the onset of his ministry. Animals play a role in each of the stories as we begin our Lenten journey together.
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Simply the Sermon for February 11, 2024: Five Mountaintops and a Valley
February 11th was Transfiguration Sunday when we remembered Jesus' clothes becoming dazzling white on the top of a mountain found in Mark 9:2-9. Pastor Russ' message is "Five Mountaintops and a Valley" as he takes us up vital mountains well known in the Bible. There are life lessons to learn atop these hills. Listen as we close out this Epiphany season and begin our journey of Lent.
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Simply the Sermon for February 4, 2024: Running the Race
We’re over a month into 2024, and we’re still in the first chapter of Mark! This gospel packs a whole lot of action into very few verses and shows us that Jesus was a very, very busy man. So what did Jesus do when things got overwhelming? Something that Intern Monica knows that she – and probably all of us – need to remember to do from time to time. The readings are Isaiah 40:21-31 and Mark 1:29-39.
Simply the Sermon for January 28, 2024: Check Your Sources
When it comes to our faith lives, there are an awful lot of different voices out there! This is nothing new – even Moses had to warn his people about following false prophets. Intern Monica talks today about how the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer help her discern how to follow Jesus as the ultimate authority. The readings are Deuteronomy 18:15-20 and Mark 1:21-28.
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Simply the Sermon for January 21, 2024: So, How's the Fishing?
Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John out of their fishing boats and into a completely new and different life....of service and love. In our following of Jesus, how are we "called out"? How can we be fisherfolk for the reign of God? Pastor Russ takes a look at the Gospel reading from Mark 1:14-20.
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Simply the Sermon for January 14, 2024: The Calling of Bethel Lutheran Church
This interim time for Bethel Lutheran is a good time to be asking ourselves, "What is God calling us to do over the next months and years?" "How do we listen to the voice of God in directing our future?" We have two readings to guide us...I Samuel 3:1-20, the wonderful story of God calling the young boy in the middle of the night; and John 1:43-51, Jesus calling his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee.
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Simply the Sermon for January 7, 2024: The Whos and Whys of Baptism
We’re coming out of the season of Christmas and kicking off the season of Epiphany with Baptism of Our Lord Sunday, which is just as exciting as it sounds, depending on your feelings about baptism! Intern Monica talks about how it can be difficult to talk about baptism, but why we do it anyway. The readings are Acts 19:1-7 and Mark 1:4-11.
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Simply the Sermon for December 31, 2023: The Holiness of Time
"The Holiness of Time" is the title of Pastor Russ' message for this 1st Sunday of Christmas and as we begin a brand new year. As time "marches on", how can we view time more as a friend than as something to be feared and anxious about? How can we see time as sacramental and divine? Listen as Pastor Russ shares insights into making 2024 a meaningful year for you.
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Simply the Sermon for December 24, 2023 (evening): The Story of Christmas
For this Christmas Eve Simply the Sermon, Intern Monica discusses why we still tell this old, old story two thousand years after it happened. Listen along, and maybe you’ll even hear something new! The readings are Luke 2:1-20, John 1:1-5,14,16. Merry Christmas, Bethel family!
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Simply the Sermon for December 24, 2023 (morning): The Songs of Advent
We have a special podcast for the fourth Sunday in Advent! Instead of just a sermon, we have two readings from Luke 1:46-55 and Luke 1:67-80, interspersed with two poems and a special guest. The poems Monica reads are “The Sound of Hope” by Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed) and the lyrics of the song “Zechariah and the Least Expected Places” by Ben Thomas. Many thanks to Wendy Hirschman!
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Simply the Sermon for December 17, 2023: Like Ones Who Dream
Advent tends to bring with it all sorts of expectations. In our readings for today, Intern Monica points out that expectations can be misleading, and that God calls us to be dreamers open to amazement.Today’s readings are Psalm 126 and Luke 1:57-66.
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