The great Apostle Peter once wrote, “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19). Clearly Peter understood two very important things: when we do the will of God suffering may come (contrary to the whole health and wealth narrative), and God READ MORE
Passion
With One Accord
Acts 2:42-47 is the quintessential passage in the Bible on community and fellowship within the church. Consider what it says: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the READ MORE
Summer At Home
As part of Bethel Church‘s @Home initiative we’re highlighting ways that we can pursue fruitful disciplemaking opportunities on the homefront throughout the summer. Keeping in mind the admonition of Deuteronomy 6:7, which says, “You shall teach [God’s commands] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when READ MORE
Handing Over My Meager Stuff
The crowd was hungry and the guys in front of the crowd were getting anxious. “How are we going to take care of a crowd this large?” they asked themselves. “Where could we possibly get enough food?” Making matters more complicated was that the leader, Jesus, seemed insistent that it was possible to satisfy the READ MORE
Manage the Moment or Build the Individual. You Choose.
There are two ways of influencing a situation that tend to dominate the leadership landscape. One is to manage the moment. This is when the person in authority recognizes the need for change and pursues a safer course toward transformation, putting into motion the manipulation of tasks or systems or behavior for an immediate effect. In READ MORE
Write This Down: Lust
“Write This Down…” provides a restatement of selected points or observations from various teaching venues at which Pastor Matthew speaks. The following material is from Pastor Matthew’s sermon entitled, “Lust,” part of the series called “The Seven Deadly Sins,” the weekend of October 17, 2010 at Bethel Church: Lust is when my contempt for God’s READ MORE