Bethel Church of Houston

Pervasive Depravity

It may well be that, when we talk about the "glory of God", we're in danger of succumbing to a sort of deafness based in a familiarity... or at least a numbness. How could we ever approach the glorious nature of God's worth and not be moved - and significantly so? This is all great preparation for our upcoming series in Romans.

Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace

"Credit to whom credit is due"...so goes the old saying. That's our purpose this morning: to remind ourselves the One to whom all credit, thanks, and glory is due, for all Bethel has experienced and all that is to come.

"And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

A break in our sermon series comes today, Mother's Day. Let's remind ourselves of God's view of the worth of a wife and mother ....and be challenged about what we should do about it, under the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It is still to hold, with soul-satisfying confidence, that one day Jesus Christ will physically return to this earth, to "set this world to rights", as one well-known British cleric asserts? and if so, what difference should this make for you and me, this week?

Where's Jesus? To simply say "... in heaven" might leave us with an inadequate sense of His ongoing concern, presence, and working in our lives. He is seated, but in no way is He inactive. What does this look like for us in daily life?

We've gone to His cross, and then to His empty tomb. This morning we watch as He ascends into Heaven. This last recorded event of Jesus' earthly life is perhaps sometimes easily dismissed as a unique, but insignificant narrative. Luke and the Apostles would disagree!

It may seem a stretch to assert that something that happened 2,000 years ago - though contested by skeptics - is the lens through which we should look at life - all of life! Yet thats precisely what the Scritpure affirms and orthodox Christianty proclaims.