Bethany Church

What are we to make of this strange Gentile Priest-King Melchizedek? He disappears from the scene as quickly as he has shown up and reappears in the book of Hebrews in a big way pointing us to Jesus. This morning we will look at the strange significance of Melchizedek.

For a third time the land promised to Abram is threatened. This time by an international war. And rather than rebel against God or forsake his calling to bless the nations, Abram responds in heroic trust, refusing to use brute power to achieve God’s purposes. This Sunday we will look at a heroic rescue and reward and how Abram points us to Jesus in both cases.

Abram seems to have learned his lesson from the fiasco in Egypt as he renews his faith in God by displaying a bold trust in God’s promises. In fact, it is so bold that he gives up the very thing he has been promised entrusting himself to God rather than his own scheming devices. Let’s look at three scenes in this story.

In this strange story we see a quick transition for Abram from immense faith to a false start, faith lapse. What is so encouraging for us is that even though Abram jeopardizes the promises and blessings of God with his strange actions, God intervenes to protect and deliver his people. Let’s look at three stages of the deliverance.

Isn’t it just like our God that when things seemed most dark and hopeless, he began afresh with a new call to fashion a new people to bring the greatest blessing the world has ever known? This Sunday we examine the call of Abram and his bold response by looking at three elements of faith.

This morning we want to revisit some of the big themes from Genesis chapters 1-11 to pave the way for our new series into the life of Abraham. We will notice that these big themes carry not only through the book of Genesis but are the foundation for the entire Bible and structure of history. Let’s look at 5 BIG themes.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

A stand alone sermon for a time of trial and suffering.

This may be the most searching of all the Beatitudes. Jesus says it is inevitable that we will be persecuted if we are His followers. But there is only one type of persecution he calls blessed. This Sunday we look at the wrong type of persecution, the right type of persecution and the reward that awaits those who persevere.

A peacemaker is not someone who is passive, avoids conflict, or is after superficial peace at any cost. A peacemaker is one who actively pursues the peace that only God can bring seeking opportunities of reconciliation from the interpersonal all the way up to the institutional. This morning we look at 3 keys to peace.

In our world, it is the mantra of follow your heart that guides the masses. In God’s Word, it is those whose heart follows Him that will finally find what they were looking for all along. This morning we uncover the heart, purity and seeing God.

Jesus tells us here that a true test of our membership in his Kingdom is how we reflect the mercy of God. Those who have truly experienced his mercy will certainly be merciful toward the hurting world around them.

In our world it is those who “have” and are “full” who are to be happy and emulated. Satisfaction comes from getting something we want. But in the upside world of the Beatitudes, it is those who desperately long for and hunger for something greater than themselves that are truly satisfied and filled. Satisfaction comes from a hunger for righteousness. This morning we will feed upon 5 steps to this happiness.

A message from Matthew 5:5 from the Director of the Canby Center.

Mourning is not fun, but if you are a child of God and from the depths of your heart you ask the God of all creation to give you comfort, then get ready for the most amazing 'Holy Hug' that you could possibly imagine.

Are the Beatitudes a list of dos and don’ts, or something far more beautiful and richer? This morning we will look and see that the Beatitudes are the qualities of someone who has had an operation of grace upon them and being poor in spirit is the doorway to the kingdom of heaven.

God is our Refuge and Strength in this time of trial. This service is a little different. Instead of a message by the pastor, it features worship interspersed with passages of Scripture.

As we conclude our study of 1 John, we will find that John finishes as he started with a pastoral heart, encouraging us with the certainties of our faith. With everything going on in our world, we need to know what we can be certain of. This morning we look at three certainties for the child of God.

As John begins to wrap up his letter he returns again to the person and work of Jesus Christ to remind us that everything points to him and he is the center of everything. You can’t afford to get Christ wrong, so John gives us multiple witnesses to give us assurance and make sure we get it right. Let’s examine the witnesses.