Bethel Church Louisville IL

06/13/2026

2 Corinthians 4:16-17
New International Reader's Version
16 We don’t give up. Our bodies are becoming weaker and weaker. But our spirits are being renewed day by day. 17 Our troubles are small. They last only for a short time. But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever. It is greater than all our troubles.

I don’t know about you, but things of this life are wearing me out. There are commitments we must keep. Deadlines that must be kept and all the while, our bodies seem to be getting weaker and weaker. However, if those commitments are to help further the kingdom of God, we will find that our troubles are small. If we compare them to the reward we will be getting in the end, it makes it easier to continue, so don’t give up.

So, if you are tired and worn down, remember what we have been promised if we remain true to the work He has given us. Glory that will last forever…much longer than our troubles.

Don’t give up!

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/12/2026

Luke 9:23 NLT
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

Are you a leader or a follower? Which would you say if you were asked? Do you identify as one over the other, or perhaps both, depending on your circumstances?
Our culture praises leaders for bold words, brave actions, and boundary-pushing agendas. However, as Christians, we are to take the example of Christ, who walked humbly and elevated others.

One thing I have learned in my life is that I will never be a good leader unless I want to be a good follower. How about you? We are sometimes asked to do things that may not want to do, but will those things further Gods kingdom? If so we should do them willingly.

Take time today and ask yourself, is God calling me into a deeper discipleship commitment? Perhaps you must first ask, have I had a personal encounter with Christ? If the answer is yes, are you prioritizing a relationship with the living God? And, lastly, are you walking in faithful obedience to what God has called us to do for Him and His Kingdom?

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/11/2026

Romans 3:23-24
New International Reader's Version
23 Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory. 24 The free gift of God’s grace makes us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free.

Many of us spend our lives trying to meet standards that were never meant for us. We compare ourselves to others, focus on our shortcomings, and wonder why we can't seem to get everything right. Yet Scripture reminds us that perfection was never the goal. God's grace is.

Romans 3:23-24 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory, yet we are justified freely through the redemption found in Jesus Christ. Every believer is a work in progress, dependent on God's mercy and transforming power.

The freedom of the Christian life is not found in flawlessness and perfection but in surrender. We can stop pretending, stop comparing, and stop carrying unrealistic expectations. God's love meets us where we are and faithfully shapes us into who He created us to be.

Thank Jesus today for saving you. Then, pray for strength to continue. Pray for understanding and pray for forgiveness. And always give God the glory.

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/10/2026

Romans 15:13

New International Version

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The God of Hope! Read that closely and slowly. People put hope in many things, and those things fail. When that happens, all joy is lost so I ask you today, where do you search for joy and where do you put your hope?

Another thing to look at in this verse is the word overflow. Filled to the rim and running over. That is a lot of joy and peace. When your hope is in God, that is what your life will look like.

Place your hope in God today. Find true joy. Then let it overflow because then it will be spread to others.

Be safe and have a great day.

James.

06/09/2026

Ephesians 4:23 Living Bible
23 Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better.

I was actually going to use a different verse this morning, but I read the this one and I thought it was fitting for everybody. Paul is writing to the Ephesians and in this verse he reminds them that they should always be doing better. They must be better today than yesterday. They should always be growing. This applies to us as well today.

We should constantly be growing. A Christian has never arrived at a point where they are as strong as they need to be. We should always be better today than yesterday.

Spend time in prayer and bible study today. Be the best Christian you can be.

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/08/2026

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Have you ever had a friend ask for help with something and before you committed to helping you ask them “what’s in it for me”? You want to know if this friend is going to help you when the time comes. Their answer figures in on your decision to help or not. We have all done it.

Scripture tells us that we are to help others just because it is the right thing to do. We are to look out for their interests before we consider ours. That is what a follower of Christ would do. Others first.

When you know someone needs help, just help them and expect nothing in return. It’s the right thing to do.

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

Luke 6:46
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

This is how Luke’s version of the Parable Of The Wise and Foolish Builder begins. Jesus tells this parable at the end of His Sermon on the Mount and He wants to make sure the listeners understand that following Him and His teachings require obedience. I wonder what Jesus would say to us today. We have all sat through sermons, bible studies and other teachings and thought they were great, but when we went out into the world we forgot all about them. We must follow His teachings by doing what they say, or our lives will fall apart when the storms come.

We will be looking at this parable today and I want to invite you to join us at Bethel this morning. Our service begins at 9:30AM you are welcome to attend. We will have a seat saved for you.

See you at 9:30.

James

06/06/2026

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New Living Translation)
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Every time I read this, I am reminded of the times when I was in need of encouragement. I may have been down for a variety of reasons, but in every occasion, someone purposely chose to offer encouragement. It may have been a gift or even bought my lunch or something. However, most of the time it was just a smile or a kind word. Those things can carry a lot of weight in encouraging others.

Is there someone in your world today in need of encouragement? Offer that smile. Give that kind word. I can assure you that those things will make a difference in their lives.

Encourage everyone you meet today.

Be safe and have a great day.

James

06/05/2026

Proverbs 15:31-32
“Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding”

What do you do when you make a mistake? Do you admit it and own up to it? We all make mistakes, but if anyone asks us, we will not admit it. I have been corrected more time thn I care to count and I will be honest with you, sometimes it really hurt but many time, I never paid attention to it. I learned more lessons from the criticism I took seriously.

You will never grow if you don’t admit that you are not faultless. Accept criticism and learn from it.

Be safe and have a great day.

James