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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 6pm - 7pm Sunday 8am - 12pm

Bethel Lutheran Church

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Morton, IL
Bethel Lutheran Church

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We are a community of believers where you Meet Jesus, Find Connection, and Make A Difference in the world to the glory of God. We are all broken people.

At Bethel we value nurturing relationships with God and each other. https://linktr.ee/BethelLutheranChurch Here at Bethel we firmly believe that we are all sinners, all imperfect people, all given to temptation. We all need help. We all need a Savior. But here at Bethel we also believe our only hope is in Jesus Christ, who has rescued us from eternal separation from God's grace. Only Jesus, who is God, could establish a relationship between us and God; and so we believe that out of God's amazing love for His creation, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and show us how to love others. At Bethel, we also believe and teach that this is not the end of the story. Jesus is alive!! Jesus was raised to life and has taken up His throne in heaven where he reigns as our Master and Savior. Here and now, in the midst of the pain and strife in our lives, Jesus is helping and guiding us through tough times and is interceding for us with forgiveness as we continue to make mistakes and fall short of His glory. He also sends to us the Holy Spirit, who lives inside each of us and comforts, guides, directs, strengthens, and empowers us with spiritual gifts to use in this life. As our Master, Jesus' commands are not burdensome...love God, and love the people around you as you love and care for yourself. This is our call as Christians. We also know that death is part of life. But since Jesus is alive, we can be sure that Jesus will raise us to new and never-ending life when He returns! We will live with God forever in a new and perfect creation. But until that day comes, we at Bethel believe and teach that Jesus has called each of us by faith and commands us to go out in His name to share the Good News of salvation!

10/29/2026

Forget superheroes in capes. The Bible tells us about a man who tore apart a lion with his bare hands, performed incredible feats of strength, and brought down an entire building.

His name was Samson.

And his strength was legendary.

But here's something you might not know.

Samson's strength wasn't really in his muscles. And despite what many people think, it wasn't magic in his hair.

His strength was a gift from God.

“The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces...” — Judges 14:6

Samson wasn't perfect. Far from it. His story is filled with poor decisions, pride, and painful consequences.

But even in his weakest moments, he learned something we all need to remember.

Our greatest strength isn't found in ourselves. It's found in the God we depend on.

We may not be called to wrestle lions or knock down pillars, but we all face things that seem bigger than we are.

Difficult circumstances. Overwhelming responsibilities. Battles we don't feel strong enough to fight.

And sometimes, recognizing our own weakness is exactly what reminds us how much we need God.

So the next time you see a superhero showing off incredible strength, remember Samson.

The strongest thing about him wasn't his muscles. It was the God who gave him strength.

And that same God is with us today.

10/28/2026

Isaiah 41:10 does not promise that God's people will never experience hardship.
Israel still experienced exile, suffering, loss, and uncertainty.
God didn't promise that they would avoid every difficult circumstance.
He promised that He would not abandon us in those circumstances.

10/27/2026

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given a choice:

Bow down to the king's golden image or be thrown into a blazing furnace.

They refused to bow.

Not because they knew exactly how things would turn out, but because they trusted God no matter what.

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods...” Daniel 3:17–18

That kind of faith is remarkable on its own.

But then comes the moment no one expected.

The king looked into the furnace and said:

“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?... But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt...” — Daniel 3:24–25

The fire was real.
The danger was real.
But they were not alone.

That is what makes this story so powerful.

Sometimes faith doesn't keep us out of the fire.
But it reminds us that God is with us in it.

The world tells stories about terrifying things in the flames.
The Bible tells us about a God who stands with His people in the fire.

And that means whatever heat, fear, or trial you are facing, you do not face it alone.

10/27/2026

This week, we remember how God used Martin Luther to call the Church back to the truth of His Word.

The Reformation wasn't about making something new. It was about returning to the Good News that has always been true:

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone.

Our salvation isn't something we earn. It's a gift Jesus won for us through His death and resurrection.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.” — Ephesians 2:8

Today, we celebrate not Luther, but the Savior Luther proclaimed.

To God alone be the glory!

10/26/2026

Imagine standing outside a tomb. Four days have passed since Lazarus died. His family is grieving. His friends have lost hope. The stone has been rolled into place.

And then Jesus arrives.

He tells them to roll the stone away.

And with three powerful words, Jesus calls into the darkness:

“Lazarus, come out.” — John 11:43

And Lazarus does.

A man who had been dead for four days walks out of his own tomb.

No tricks. No magic. No ghost story.

Just the Son of God demonstrating His power over death.

But this miracle wasn't just about bringing Lazarus back to life. It was a glimpse of something much greater.

Jesus had already declared:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” — John 11:25

That's not a scary story.

That's the greatest hope we could ever have.

Because with Jesus, even death doesn't get the final word.

10/26/2026

Tonight, make a little room to simply be with God.

Join us at Bethel Lutheran Church for Praise and Prayer — an evening to step away from the noise, worship together, bring our prayers before God, and be reminded that we don’t carry life alone.

Come with something to celebrate.
Come with something weighing on you.
Come with questions.
Come needing peace.

You don’t need the right words or the right kind of week.

Just come. Pray. Praise. Be present.

We’d love to have you with us tonight at Bethel.

10/25/2026

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh.

Jonah went the other direction.

He ran from God's calling, boarded a ship, and tried to put as much distance between himself and the Lord as he could.

But Jonah's story reminds us of something important:

You can run from God, but you cannot outrun Him.

When the storm came and Jonah was thrown into the sea, it looked like the end of the story.

Then God appointed a great fish.

For three days and three nights, Jonah sat in the darkness, confronted by his own rebellion, his own need, and the mercy of the God he had tried to escape.

And then, God gave Jonah another chance.

“Then the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” — Jonah 2:10 (ESV)

That is what makes this more than a strange story. It's a story about mercy.

A story about a God who doesn't give up on people when they fail.

A story about a God who pursues, rescues, and restores.

Maybe you've had moments when you've wandered, resisted, or run from what God was calling you to do.

Jonah's story reminds us that even there, God's mercy is deeper than the sea.

The world tells stories that leave us afraid of what might be lurking in the deep.
The Bible tells us about a God who meets us there with mercy.

10/24/2026

Imagine standing in a valley filled with bones.

Not just a few. Thousands of them. Dry, lifeless, scattered across the ground.

Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie, doesn't it?

But in Ezekiel 37, God takes the prophet Ezekiel to a valley filled with dry bones and asks an extraordinary question:

“Son of man, can these bones live?” — Ezekiel 37:3

Then God tells Ezekiel to speak His Word over the bones.

And something incredible happens.

The bones begin to rattle. They come together. And when God breathes life into them, what was once a valley of death becomes a vast, living multitude.

But this wasn't a story meant to frighten anyone. It was a vision of hope.

God's people were living in exile, feeling defeated, forgotten, and hopeless. Through Ezekiel, God promised that He had not abandoned them and would restore them.

What looked completely hopeless to them was not beyond the power of God.

And that's a reminder worth holding on to.

When life feels overwhelming, when circumstances seem impossible, or when hope feels far away, we can trust the God who brings life where there was none.

Because even in a valley full of dry bones, God wasn't finished with the story.

And He's not finished with ours.

Ezekiel 37:1–14

10/23/2026

October is full of stories about graves, darkness, and things that refuse to stay buried.

But this one isn’t fiction.

Jesus was laid in a tomb.
The stone was rolled into place.
The grave looked final.

It wasn’t.

Three days later, the tomb was empty.

The story of Jesus reminds us that darkness does not get the last word.
The grave does not get the last word.
Death does not get the last word.

Jesus does.

Acts 2:24 says God raised Him up because “it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

This October, remember:

The grave couldn’t hold Him.

10/21/2026

October is full of stories about spirits, strange happenings, and things that are supposed to scare us.

But the Bible tells us about a Spirit who does something very different.

Jesus called Him the Comforter.

The Holy Spirit guides us.
Teaches us.
Reminds us of truth.
Strengthens us when we’re weak.
And reminds us that God is not distant from His people.

There’s nothing spooky about that.

There’s something incredibly reassuring about a God who doesn’t simply tell us how to live and then leave us on our own.

He is with us.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… he shall teach you all things…” — John 14:26 KJV

So this October, if you love a good ghost story…

maybe read about the Holy Ghost.

Address

325 E Queenwood Road
Morton, IL
61550

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	6pm - 7pm
Sunday	8am - 12pm

Telephone

+13092632417

Website

http://www.bethelmorton.org/

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