Bethany Lutheran Church

Our stories are part of God’s bigger story—a story of rescue, renewal, and hope. Jesus commissions His followers to go, teach, and baptize, making disciples of all nations. Peter reminds us to always be ready to share the reason for the hope within us. We don’t need to pressure or persuade—just proclaim. As we close the series, we are sent not just with a method, but with a mission: to bless the world in Jesus’ name. Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”1 Peter 3:13–16 (ESV)Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even

After being healed by Jesus, the man set free from demons was sent to share his story—and he did, to great effect. Your story, too, matters. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—it just has to be real. The psalmist says, “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me.” This week empowers us to reflect on our own stories of God’s faithfulness and share them naturally with others. Mark 5:1-20 (ESV)They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down

The Good Samaritan didn’t ignore suffering—he got involved. True love is active, interruptible, and sacrificial. In Micah, God calls us not to grand gestures but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. As we follow Jesus, we learn to slow down, notice others, and respond with compassion. Blessing our neighbors means moving toward pain with courage and grace. Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and de

In God’s kingdom, greatness is defined by serving. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve—and He calls us to do the same. Paul reminds us that freedom in Christ expresses itself in love through service. Serving others doesn’t require a title or a platform—it just takes eyes to see and a heart ready to respond. This week encourages us to take action and meet real needs in real time. Matthew 20:20-28 (ESV)Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the te

Jesus revealed Himself to the two disciples not in the classroom or temple, but around the table. In Acts, we see the early church living out this rhythm—breaking bread together with joy and generosity. This week, we reflect on how God still works through simple, shared meals to build community, deepen discipleship, and reveal His presence among us.  Luke 24:28-35 (ESV)So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who w

The table was one of Jesus’ most consistent ministry tools. Meals were sacred spaces where outsiders became insiders, and strangers became friends. Eating together remains one of the simplest, yet most powerful ways to build trust and show hospitality. As Paul encourages us to “practice hospitality” and “share with God’s people in need,” we’re reminded that the dinner table is often where blessing begins. Luke 5:27–32 (ESV)After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”R

Jesus didn’t just tolerate people—He welcomed them, especially those society ignored. When He called Matthew and dined with sinners, He did so after first noticing, listening, and drawing near. Listening creates space for relationships. James teaches that listening is essential to godly living—quick to hear, slow to speak. In our divided world, listening like Jesus can open doors the loudest arguments never could. Matthew 9:9–13 (ESV)As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I c

Before healing, Jesus listened. He stopped, asked questions, and responded with compassion. Listening is more than being quiet—it’s an act of love that makes others feel seen and valued. In a noisy, opinion-filled world, true listening stands out. This week reminds us that to bless someone, we must be willing to listen with both ears and our full hearts. Luke 18:35–43 (ESV)As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he rec

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He gave them a vision not just for God’s kingdom “up there” but for transformation “down here.” Prayer is how we align with God’s purposes in our neighborhoods and world. Paul reminds Timothy that we are to pray for all people—because God’s desire is for all to be saved. We’re called to pray with boldness and specificity—for our neighbors, workplaces, and cities. Matthew 6:5–13 (ESV)“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:“

Before choosing His disciples or launching His public ministry, Jesus began with prayer. If we want to join Him in His mission, we must first tune our hearts to His. This week, we explore how prayer shapes our awareness of others, opens our eyes to opportunity, and anchors our mission in the peace of Christ. Prayer is not passive—it’s the first step in loving our neighbors well. Luke 6:12–16 (ESV)In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV)Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about a

Jesus didn’t just preach good news—He embodied it in ordinary encounters, like with Zacchaeus. In this opening week, we see how Jesus “blessed” people through simple acts of presence and attention. The B.L.E.S.S. model helps us recover this everyday approach to mission. God makes us new in Christ—and then sends us out as His ambassadors, not with pressure to convert, but with an invitation to love, serve, and bless.Luke 19:1–10 (ESV)He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He ha

Celebrate what we have done and what God will be doing. Ephesians 2:19–22 (ESV)So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives l

As Joshua led the people into what was new, they had to let go of what was, and before they did, he told them to consecrate themselves because the Lord was about to do amazing miracles among them. The word consecrate comes from the Hebrew word qadosh, which means to be “set apart, holy, or sacred” or to “prepare or dedicate” oneself. Are we in a place where we are prepared and set apart for what God desires to do in and through us? Probably not. This is how God works though.. When the conditions are not perfect (the river was at flood stage) He leads us into something new and usually He does it so we have to completely trust Him to lead us through. Joshua 3:5-8,14-17 (ESV)Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of

Bethany has seen a lot of change over all its years of ministry. Staff have come and gone for various reasons but in everything we always remember who we are and how far we have come. Even more so, we remember who He is and what He’s done. Remembering how far we’ve come is worth celebrating. Remembering how good God is reminds us that He is worthy of our praise.Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.Luke 5:1–11 (ESV)On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Gettin

Change often involves releasing what was in order to embrace what God is doing now. Change is about moving forward with integrity and trust. Often we are not in control of change. We might initiate something or move forward but how everything unfolds is part of what makes change hard. We cannot control how others choose to embrace changes or evaluate what is changing but we do get to decide if we will face changes with integrity and trust in God. Whatever transitions we walk through we can take heart in knowing “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” Psalm 24:1Philippians 3:12–14 (ESV)Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Mark 2:18–22 (ESV)Now John's disciples and the Phari

In every new season we have the same God. Starting a new school year, going to a new school, changes at work. In the middle of all the change it can feel like a storm. In this the words of Christ ring true: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27). Transition can be a teacher or take us out. We get to choose. Joshua 1:1-9 (ESV)After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with y

The Feast of Purim is established to remember God’s deliverance. The story ends with joy and peace for God's people. Christians also are a remembering people — not in ritual for its own sake, but to proclaim the Gospel of God's faithfulness. We gather to remember, rejoice, and receive grace in Word and Sacrament. Esther 9:20–28 (ESV)20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son o

The Jews are saved, Haman is defeated, and the people rejoice. Mordecai is elevated, and Esther’s people are delivered.God delivers His people by grace, through hidden means. This foreshadows the greater deliverance in Christ. Esther 8:3–8, 15–17 (ESV)On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke

Esther approaches the king, risking her life. Meanwhile, God begins to unravel Haman’s power and protect His people. This is not a story of self-salvation but of faith acting in love. Esther’s courage flows from her trust in God’s providence, not in her own power. This is about faith over fear. Esther 5:1–8; 7:1–6 (ESV)On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for t

Mordecai uncovers a plot, and Haman's plan to destroy the Jews is revealed. Esther hesitates, but Mordecai challenges her with the famous words: “Who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” God works through the everyday roles and positions He gives us. Esther is not a superhero, but someone God has placed in a particular setting for a purpose. So are we.Esther 4:6–17 (ESV)Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him t