…Bethel Baptist has begun a new Sunday sermon series, “Religion ~ Redemption ~ Restoration” from the life of Job. The word order of our series title is critical. We are all spiritual people. This means we want to be better tomorrow than we are today. We all want to be healthier. We all want to be richer, not just with money, but with the good things in life. We all want to be wiser. In all these things and more: We all want to be RIGHT. This is the lesson Job must learn through the destruction God allowed into Job’s life…

…This Lord’s Day we introduced a new sermon series in the life of Job. The Book of Job is incredible. However, this book can be a misunderstood book. Job lived a good life, was a good man, and did good things, “continually” the Bile says. Then Job was struck by allowed and undeserved devastation by God. God did not cause Job’s devastation, nor did Job cause his own devastation, but God allowed it to happen. This truth takes a minute to fully absorb. Because: What God allows to happen in our lives now, is always for our good later. This truth brings so many questions to our minds about God Himself. And God is what the entire book of Job is about. God’s presence. God’s protection. God’s power. God’s prestige. God’s purpose. And then from the most personal Biblical account – Job is about God’s people…

…There was a man in the Bible who lived an incredibly blessed life because of who he was. This man was a righteous man, never a self-righteous man. Big difference!! The man was Job. God blessed Job because of who he was and how he lived. There is nothing wrong with this life: Job was good to people, and God was good to Job. But Job, with all his comforts in life, health of body, kindness towards others, and his personal wealth, needed to know God completely…

This new year, as every new year has the same single thing in common – Opportunity. What will we do with all the opportunities God will give us? Will we grow spiritually stronger as a Christian congregation? Will we grow spiritually stronger as individual Christians? Growth is the key to opening opportunity. Since the last week of August, God has taken us through His word in Romans and showed us through the life Elijah the gift and the power of His grace. God’s incredible grace has provided us opportunity to do so much if we will apply and appreciate all He gives us. The deepest hope and intention I have through Romans is you have grown in spiritual strength, biblical wisdom, and most of all your love for and connection to Jesus Christ is stronger. Romans is a book written for Christian assurance. Assurance of Christian truth. Assurance of Christian salvation. Assurance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And the assurance of joy in the Christian life. When you are sure, then you are strong

…There are tremendous benefits to believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness for our sins. Because there is an enormous difference between knowing about God, accepting the Trinity, believing the Bible, and going to church, and believing IN Him. The difference is not about choosing the best religion, the difference is about where you will spend eternity. See, we all know about the different cell phone companies and their various plans. But you don’t get any benefits from T-Mobile unless you belong to T-Mobile. The greatest benefit of being a Christian is that you BELONG to Jesus Christ. This is where Paul will take us next...