Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church Working to show the love of Jesus Christ to all! http://www.bethel-lutheran.net/about.htm

06/09/2026

Matthew 28:16–20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Consider, if you will, the curious thing about the Trinity: at one and the same time, it’s the most extraordinary and the most ordinary of Christian doctrines, simultaneously the most inaccessible and the most obvious. On the one hand, we have highly developed technical language regarding this great mystery. On the other hand, the most ordinary Christian simply and regularly invokes the Trinity every time they make the sign of the cross.
Our Gospel for today is taken from the very end of Matthew’s Gospel. The risen and glorified Lord speaks to the new Israel of the Church, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is not an ordinary prophet speaking. This is the very Word of the Father, the very imprint of the Father’s being. Jesus then tells them to go forth and to do the work of gathering in, of drawing people into the very dynamics of the divine life. Now, how all of this fits together theoretically is indeed a fascinating question, but we should never allow the theological language of the church to obscure the revolutionary meaning of the Trinity: pure and simple, it is a summons to mission, a call to action.

Heavenly Father, help me to hear your call to action, to serve today, and to respond. In Jesus’ name, amen.

06/05/2026

1 Chronicles 29:11–13 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.

It seems that the thought of what we possess doesn’t really belong to us is somehow foreign. We believe that we “own” land, house, vehicles, tools, toys. We tell people, this is my spouse, my kids, my grandchildren. We have a possessive concept of everything that is under our control. In our minds we have earned the things we “own”. But is this really true?
According to king David, the answer is no. In his prayer for the nation of Israel, he reminds us that it is God who made, it is God who owns, and it is God who supplies and entrusts these things to us. God is the One who has the power, and it is He that allows us to use these things and our job is to use them for His kingdom.
Each day we need to stop and remember that this isn’t our life, or possessions, or position, or authority, but God’s and He has entrusted these things to us to be used for His glory. When we do this, we not only return thanks to God, but we appreciate what we have even more.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have entrusted to me. Help me to always be grateful and use these for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen

06/04/2026

Genesis 39:1–4 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

If anyone had a right to be upset about his situation, Joseph did. Sold into slavery by his brothers. Resold again and taken into a foreign land. Did Joseph get discouraged? Did he wish his situation was different? I’m sure that the answer to both was yes. But Joseph believed that God was using his situation for good, so he applied himself and did his best even when faced of temptation. We of course know the whole story of how God used Joseph to save not only Egypt, but the household of his father ensuring God’s promise to Abraham would continue to be fulfilled. So what about us?
Can we look at Joseph and draw parallels between Joseph’s early story and our lives? Are we looking at our current situation and wondering why we are where we are? The story of Joseph tells us many things, but chiefly it reassures us that when we remain faithful to God, no matter the situation, God can and will work through us to bring about His will and plan. Joseph couldn’t see the whole of God’s plan, but because he trusted God, he rose above the bad and became a mighty leader.

Heavenly Father, help me to trust that you are at work in and through me to fulfill your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen

06/03/2026

Proverbs 15:1–4 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Growing up in a household with three head-strong boys, Proverbs 15 was one of my mom and dad’s favorite chapters to quote. I was always amused at the fact that it never seemed to work. Anytime one of us boys would try to “answer softly”, it seemed that the other brother in the confrontation would take the muted response as a victory and then the argument would change to one of who won or not. Little did I realize that the wisdom mom and dad were teaching would be of even greater help later in the world at large. Of course, once I left home to serve in the military, I wasn’t exposed to such pearls of wisdom nearly as much. Yet the teachings remained with me.
On one occasion, as a young supervisor, one of my charges made a rather large mistake. I had given them explicit instructions on what to do, and in good military fashion, how to do it. Yet for whatever reason, they chose to do the exact opposite; I was livid. As I proceeded to “dress this person down”, their response as to why caught me off guard. They simply and quietly admitted their mistake, that they should have followed my instructions and that it would never happen again. You can guess what words were ringing in my ears at that point, yup, verse one of today’s passage. And by the way mom and dad, (and Solomon too, of course) you were right!

Heavenly Father, help me to respond to others in a gentle and loving way, no matter who’s right or wrong. In Jesus’ name. Amen

06/02/2026

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

To tell you the truth, I don’t like it either. From my youth I’ve been taught that this verse says that Jesus was sacrificed for all. We want to believe that everyone, except those who commit certain heinous crimes, all go to heaven. Honestly, the next time you’re at a funeral, listen to what folks say. Listen to what people say on the news, or in conversations people have when they talk about their parted loved ones. But we must accept the hard truth here. This isn’t what the writer of Hebrews is saying here.
The author, inspired by God’s Spirit, wrote, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.” No where is the Greek word “pollon” translated inclusively. Pollon is translated as “much, many or often.” Certainly, as sinful creatures, we need God’s mercy often. But we must be honest with our selves. The last part of that verse tells us to whom forgiveness is given; “to those who are waiting for Him.” St. John clarified even further when he wrote, “that whosoever believes” (John 3:16).
Yes, God’s free gift of grace is available to all through faith, but sadly, many will not believe, confess, nor wait for Jesus to return. This is why Jesus provided the warnings in Matthew 24, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come (vs. 40-42).

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son as a sacrifice for many and for your Spirit who gives us the faith to believe and wait. In Jesus’ name. Amen

06/01/2026

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I can’t help but think of the scene in Star Wars where Yoda is explaining to young Luke that the “force” was all around him. Young Luke is like way too many people in our world today. The evidence of God is all around us. Proof of God’s handiwork can be seen in the complexity of human life itself and in the geological formations of the earth. Science struggles constantly to “explain the origins of the universe” yet when pressed, the one thing they can’t explain is the original matter from which everything sprung. And even they rightfully call this the “God Particle.” That which cannot be explained must be God. It’s not that hard to explain: “In the beginning God!”
The problem is we don’t stop and recognize the intelligent design: how the trees go to sleep in the fall and reawake in the spring, how the ecosystem is always in balance (that is when we don’t interfere with His creation through wanton waste, chemicals etc.) and so much more. The evidence of God’s love and care for us and creation is obvious to anyone who will simply open their eyes. And all of this is for our benefit, and its care is in our hands. So, take a few minutes today and stop to “smell the roses.” Anytime we do, we’ll see God’s love for us.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love shown to us in the smallest things of your creation. Help to see and appreciate it today. In Jesus’ name. Amen

05/29/2026

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Question, what kind of person will you be today? Not who you were several months ago, or who you are convinced you’ll be next year, but who are you today? As St. Thérèse of Lisieux beautifully reminds us, “When we yield to discouragement it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future.”
When our present situation tests and stretches us, we’re tempted to idolize the past or romanticize the future. Yet the present is the only place in which we find ourselves or in which we’re able to find God. Though Christ was with us in the past, and promises to be with us in the future, our encounter of His grace and love must take place in this present moment.
Likely, whatever your life looked like 6 months ago, it doesn’t look that way today! Similarly, who can possibly say what your life or our world will look like 6 months from now? Yet you read these words in the present, and this very moment is a gift given to you by God and is an invitation to breathe in His life and breathe out your praise. So as Paul reminds us, whatever you do, whatever you say, wherever this day may take you, it’s an opportunity for you to live as a witness to the world of the love of God in Jesus and the joy and thanksgiving that flows from a life lived with him, day by day, moment by moment.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Heavenly Father, despite fear or fatigue, help us to accomplish the work of your kingdom, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

05/28/2026

Acts 20:22–24 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Throughout music recording history there has been a reality, and a fear that a rising star will be a “one-hit wonder. These are musicians who seem to rocket to the top of the charts with one song and they are forever known by this title. Some like Jimmy Buffet turn this into an empire while other fade to obscurity. Another similar phenomenon is the “15 seconds of fame.” This is when a person has their very brief time in the spotlight and then they to fade back into the background. One trick pony, a one-hit wonder, a flash in the pan; all these are descriptions of a person or group that had a single talent, song or message. But is this always a bad thing?
Is having a singular message or focus always negative. If we were to ask St. Paul, he’d say no. In the above passage Paul has focused his life and call to a singular focus, “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul was aware of what would await him if he continued sharing the message of Jesus, but he refused to back down. He had a singular focus and goal, to preach the good news no matter the cost or location. Ah, that we would be so single-minded.

Heavenly Father, give me the single-mindedness to testify to the gospel faithfully. In Jesus’ name. Amen

05/27/2026

Psalm 103:15–18 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

What a grim reminder that our days are numbered. The writer of Hebrews is equally clear when he wrote, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (9:27). So then, our question suddenly becomes the same as rich man who came to Jesus, “what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:16-24). If you were to take a pole of 100 of your friends asking, what do you want to happen to you when you die, I’m certain that at least 99 out of that 100 would tell you, I want to go to heaven. The wonderful fact is we can! Anyone can go to heaven! But….Like so often occurs in the Bible wonderful promises are followed by a But.
There is a conjunction, that connecting word, that says we need to read the whole passage. Like our passage today, facts are connected to facts. Want eternal life we must be born a new. Want the steadfast love of God that includes eternal life? Keep God’s covenant and statutes. Jesus was clear, “no one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24). What we choose today has lasting effects. Joshua understood this, this is why he declared, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Heavenly Father, help me to follow your commands and statutes that I might enjoy your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name. Amen

05/26/2026

John 3:16–18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Motive and means, in the criminal justice system, these are two important factors in determining whether a person was able to commit an act. However, the same can be said for any act good or bad. When we consider our sin and the ability to save ourselves, we fall short. Without God’s mercy, we would be dead in our trespasses (Eph. 2:1-3.) Without this ability to save ourselves, God was the only one who could supply the means, Jesus. But what about the motive?
After all the sins committed by humankind, what could possibly motivate God to act? The answer is given in the first verse of this passage: “For God so loved the world” (vs. 16.) We can’t possibly understand this after all we’ve done and will yet do, but thanks be to God His love is endless, and His grace is free to “whoever believes in him.” Thanks be to God indeed!

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to pay the penalty I can never pay. Help me to believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Address

509 Long Shoals Road
Lincolnton, NC
28092

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 12pm - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

+17049225487

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