December 21, 2008

Pastor Janine Olson preaches on the familiar story of the angel's appearance to Mary and Mary's response: the Magnificat.

Texts:
2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
Romans 16:25–27
Luke 1:26–38

Sermon Audio

December 14, 2008

In the letter to the church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul reminds Christians to rejoice always, pray unceasingly, and give thanks in all circumstances. How can we do that in the difficult times we face today? By looking not to ourselves, but like John the Baptizer, pointing to the One whose coming is certain - Jesus, the Light of the world.

Texts:

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon Audio

November 23, 2008

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on Christ the King Sunday.

Texts:
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Audio

November 16, 2008

Pastor Dee Pederson preaches on the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25. The sermons discovered a master who met their expectations. The first two servants expected a generous master and sought to be generous in what they returned to him. The third servant expected a master that was wicked and hid his money out of fear of losing it. The same is true of our relationship with God. When we recognize God as generous and are willing to live as "Children of the Light" we put our time, talent and treasure to work trusting that God will continue to be generous with the Gifts of Grace.

Texts:
1st Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30


Sermon Audio

November 9, 2008

Pastor Janine Olson discusses Generous Living as the stewardship series "Gifts of God's Grace: Made for Giving" continues. Pastor Janine reminds us that we have been "invited to the party" and that part of our Generous Living is making sure everyone else knows they are invited too!

Texts:
Amos 5:18-24
1 John 4:7-21
Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Audio

November 2, 2008

Pastor Dee Pederson continues the series "Gifts of God's Grace: Made for Giving" as she discusses Grateful Living. Bethlehem member Don Lemke also shares his faith story and the Saints who have had an impact on his life on this All Saints Sunday.

Texts:
Revelation 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Audio

October 26, 2008

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on Graceful Living as we begin a series on Stewardship "Gifts of God's Grace: Made for Giving." Insights on Graceful Living from Martin Luther are presented on this Reformation Day.

Texts:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Romans 3:19-28
John 8:31-3

Sermon Audio

October 12, 2008

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on Jesus' Parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22:1-14.

Texts:
Isaiah 25:1-9
Philipians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon Audio

September 28, 2008

Pastor Dee Pederson preaches at Bethlehem's Centennial Festival Worship.

Texts:
1st Kings 8:22-30
1st Peter 2:4-9
John 17:11-21

Sermon Audio

September 21, 2008

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16 to teach about the radical generosity of God in offering forgiveness.

Preaching Texts:
Jonah 3:10-4:11
Philippians 1:21-30
Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Audio

September 14, 2008

Pastor Janine Olson preaches on the Parable of the Wicked Servant found in Matthew 18:21-35 to teach about our need for forgiveness and our need to forgive.

Preaching Texts:
Genesis 50:15-21
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon Audio

August 10, 2008

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on the Roman text for this week to explain that we are all called to be evangelists, that is: bringing the Good News to our world.

Preaching Texts:
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon Audio

August 3, 2008 -- "God's Love: bigger than our understanding"

As we continue to look at Paul's letter to the Romans Pastor Janine reminds us of the immense love that God has for all of His creation.

Texts:
Isaiah 55:1-5
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon Audio

July 27, 2008 -- "Nothing can seperate us from the love of God"

Today Pastor Steve Cook preaches on Romans 8:26-39, the concluding section of the first part of Romans. These are words of encouragement and hope, not simply in the face of death but for the challenges of life in Christ today.

Texts:
1 Kings 3:5-12
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 12:31-33, 44-52

Sermon Audio

July 20, 2008 -- "Both . . . And"

In this section of Romans 8 Paul tells us that we are children of God, forever adopted into God's family and recipients of all of God's promises. What do we do with this wonderful gift? Pastor Janine explores this with us as we continue to study Paul's letter to the Romans.

Texts:
Isaiah 44:6-8
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon Audio

July 13, 2008

This week, Pastor Dee Pederson preaches on the Second Reading - Romans 8:1-11. She focuses on the difference between walking according to the flesh (picture yourself saying, hands on hips, "You're not the boss of me now, God!") and walking in the freedom of the Spirit, following the way of the cross.

Texts:
Isaiah 55:10-13
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon Audio

July 6, 2008 – “Church is the place where we tell the truth”

In this sermon, based on Romans 7:15-25a, Pastor Steve Cook speaks about church - the community of Jesus Followers - as a place for truth telling. Whenever and wherever Jesus Followers gather we can speak of the truth that this world is a broken hurting place, filled with broken hurting people. Even more importantly, Church is the place where we can speak the more powerful truth that this world is not the world the Creator had in mind. The Good News is that there is a whole new world coming, the world the Creator had in mind from the beginning. In the death and resurrection Jesus we are set free to live into God’s New Reality now.

Texts:
Zechariah 9:9-12
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon Audio

June 29, 2008

As we continue with Romans 6 Pastor Janine reminds us that as baptized children of God, sin no longer has a vote in our lives, unless of course we give it that vote! The promise of God's forgiveness, freedom and love are here now. Paul asks us to consider, in Romans 6:12-23 whether we live our lives reflecting the truth of our baptism or not.

Texts:
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon Audio

June 1, 2008 -- "The Question of the Ages"

This summer we will be taking a trip through Paul's letter to the Romans. In today's sermon, Pastor Janine invites us to consider how we are all marked people - the mark of our sin was removed with the mark of our baptism.

Texts:
Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31
Matthew 7:21-29

Sermon Audio

May 4, 2008 -- "The Source of Strength"

Pastor Janine Olson examines the many places people find strength but uncovers "The Source of Strength" is found in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Texts:
Acts 1:6-14
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
John 17:1-11

Sermon Audio

April 27, 2008 -- "Breathe"

Breathing in necessary to every living thing. Breathing always requires both inhaling and exhaling. In this sermon based on Acts 17:16-34 and John 14:15-21 Pastor Steve Cook points out the ways in which the Spirit that Jesus promise both breathes the church in to be nurtured and out again to bring the Good News of resurrection to the world.

Texts:
Acts 17:22-31
1 Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21

Sermon Audio

April 20, 2008 -- "Stones Along the Way"

This week Pastor Steve Cook talks about one of the most difficult sayings of Jesus. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) In the death and resurrection of Jesus the whole world has been set free from slavery to sin. Hope is in the promise that God love the whole world so he sent his Son. What if the "whole world" really means the whole world?

Texts:
Acts 7:55-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

Sermon Audio

April 13, 2008 -- "An Abundant Life"

In the Gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd, who came that we "may have life, and have it abundantly." What does "abundant life" look like? In the reading for today from Acts 2:42-47, we see that this life means being part of the Christian community, the church, in which people worship, pray, learn, give, and serve.

Texts:
Acts 2:42-47
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10

Sermon Audio

April 6, 2008 -- "History Repeats Itself"

As they walked away from Jerusalem with their heads hung in grief and despair, two disciples are met by Jesus who renews their hope and restores their joy. This week, Pastor Janine Olson reminds us that as we experience life with all of its despair and grief, Jesus meets us on our road daily. Do we recognize Him or do we continue to walk away from God?

Texts:
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
1st Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Audio

March 30, 2008 -- "In Praise of Uncertainty"

On this Sunday after Easter we continue to hear the news from the first Easter Day. Today we hear how Jesus appeared to Thomas. He is often called “Doubting Thomas,” but that is not really fair. In John’s Gospel Thomas is portrayed as a courageous and faithful follower of Jesus. Thomas just needs to see some ID to establish that the resurrection is real. In this sermon, based on John 20:19-31 Pastor Steve Cook teaches how our questions and doubts are often the very thing that keeps our faith in Jesus alive and fresh.

Texts:
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
1st Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31

Sermon Audio

March 23, 2008

Pastor Dee Pederson preaches on the Easter Story. We are all looking for things, the women came to the tomb looking for the body of Jesus. We don't always find what we are looking for, but the Good News of the Easter Story is that God has already found us!

Texts:
Romans 10:34-43
Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Audio

March 16, 2008 -- "The Power of the Story"

Pastor Janine Olson preaches on the power of the Passion Story.

Text:
Matthew 27:14-54

Sermon Audio

March 9, 2008 -- "What if you really are raised from the dead?"

Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life." What if this is not only a promise for the future, but a statement of current reality? What if you really are raised from the dead? In Holy Baptism, you have been joined to Christ's death and resurrection. Pastor Dee Pederson asks, "So how are you living that gift of new life right now?"

Texts:
Romans 8:6-11
John 11:1-45

Sermon Audio

March 2, 2008 -- "What if your life was turned upside down? "

Based on the story of the healing of a man who was blind by birth, Pastor Steve Cook explores the implications of having your life changed through Jesus. We get new life because our old life will just not work anymore, and there will be lots of questions!

Texts:
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41

Sermon Audio

February 17, 2008 -- "What if you can have a whole new life?"

In the familiar text of John 3:16, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus--and to us--about the new & unending life that begins now, and is given, in Christ, for the whole world.

Preacher: Pastor Dee Pederson

Texts:
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17

Sermon Audio

February 10, 2008 -- "What if . . . we can trust God's promises?"

In this sermon Pastor Steve Cook talks about trusting the Promise of God in the face of temptation. Looking at Jesus' experience with Satan (Mathew 4:1-11) we learn that temptation is, at its root, the invitation to be something other and therefore something less, than what we have been called by God in our baptism.

Texts:
Romans
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon Audio

February 3, 2008 -- "Transformed to Shine!"

This is the week , as we remember the day Jesus was transfigured on the mountaintop with Moses and Elijah we discover that our vision for what God is doing is always too small. Pastor Janine remonds us that: through faith, we too live lives as transformed sons and daughters of God, sharing the brilliant light of our Lord as we shine in this world!

Texts:
Exodus 24:12-18
2nd Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon Audio

January 20, 2008 -- "Shine on Others"

Pastor Steve Cook preaches on texts calling each of us to "Shine on Others" with acts of service.

Texts:
Isaiah 49:1-7
1st Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42

Sermon Audio

January 13, 2008 -- "Shine Y Clean"

As we remember the Baptism of our Lord we also celebrate our own baptisms. Baptism is much more than a religious ritual. It is a grace-filled bath of life! Because we have been washed clean in the waters of baptism we are set free to shine in God’s world!

Texts:
Isaiah 42:1-9
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Audio

January 6, 2008 -- "Shine in the Night"

Pastor Dee Pederson preaches on the texts for Epiphany, relating our call to follow the Light of Christ to the call of the Magi to follow the light of the Star of Bethlehem.

Texts:
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon Audio