What's it all about?
How we Live, Who we Love
and Where we Serve
Bethany, a tiny town just outside the city of Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives. While small in size it was a place of importance to our Lord. We see Jesus teaching in the home of Mary and Martha. We see Jesus eating a meal in the home of Simon the Leper where Mary anoints Jesus in an extravagant act of worship. We see Jesus moved to tears before raising his friend Lazarus back to life.
Teaching - Healing - Fellowship - Worship - New Life. What incredible stuff happening in this humble setting! This is what we, the church, are called to. To be those who bring this life to a lost and hurting world.
Teaching here at Bethany is pretty straightforward. All we do is open up God's Word and study the scriptures verse by verse. While there are a number of ways to study, taking a book in its entirety gives us the 'full counsel of God' (Acts 20:27). That way we don't skip difficult passages or take verses out of context.
I'm a firm believer that wherever we are in life God will speak to us and meet us right where we're at. In our current times we need that more than ever which is why we need to be in His word daily.
Worship is more than music. It's how we express our praise and love to God. It's also how we show our submission to our Creator.
Psalm 96:5-6 says, "For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary."
No matter what the style it must be focused on God the Father and our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.
James 2:14 says, "friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?" In chapter 1 James tells us that undefiled religion is to care for orphans and widows. As Christ followers we are to show God's love in tangible ways whether that's helping feed the hungry or teaching in the kids area.
Then we can move forward, living with the expectation that God is on the move and He's invited us to be a part of what He's doing.
