Bethel LBC Podcast

As we continue to work our way through Mark's Gospel, Jesus addresses the important topic of marriage and divorce. It's a timely discussion, and Pastor Craig makes some valid points about how we, as husbands and wives, should view marriage -  and divorce. The scripture reading comes from Mark 10:2-16. We also refer to Ephesians 5:21-33

You might have heard someone tell you to "Mind Your Own Business", but would Jesus ever say such a thing? Well, in this lesson, that is, in essence, what Jesus says, to the Apostle John. Apparently, someone was doing some work in God's Kingdom, and John told them to stop doing it, because they were from a different group. It's a lesson for all of us in this divisive world we live in, just about everyone is in a different group, and we all have our own opinions that we somehow feel obligated to state. Is that the Christian thing to do? Or not? Our lesson uses the parallel of an old Hank Williams song. Our scripture reading is from Mark 9:38-50. We also quote Romans 3:23.

"I don't get it!" It's a response that we often have when we just do not understand something that's been said. We can all relate. But what about Jesus? If you think people must have understood everything He said, think again. Jesus spoke and people did NOT hear. This week's message is all about us acting as "The Servant",  but somewhere along the line we have a disconnect where we just don't "get it"!  Our reading comes from Mark 9:30-37 

This week, Pastor Craig takes us on dual journeys that end up connecting together in unexpected ways. Jesus heals a deaf/mute man, and it becomes a lesson for us today. Our reading is from Mark 7:31-37

We continue our readings from the Gospel of Mark, and we discover something missing. This week, Pastor Craig uncovers some mysteries: Where was Rosie's Ring? Where is Jesus in this mixed up world? Where is the missing verse in the Scriptures? All these and more as we uncover the mysteries within our own hearts. Our reading is from Mark 7:14-23

Oops! We had some technical glitches today, so Pastor Craig's message is recorded in his office this week. Using the image of a Train, we can see that the traditions of faith, though similar in many ways to the traditions of life, can be used in positive ways and can keep us 'on-track'. Or, as traditions often do, they can also derail us. Our message is based on some comments Christ made in the Gospel of Mark 7:1-13. And as Jesus did, we also refer to Isaiah 29:13. 

This week, Pastor Craig tells us he used to play 'hide and seek' when he was young, and the story is a great illustration of the questions we use to hide behind, to avoid the tough times in life. The main reading is from John 6:51-58, and we also refer to Hebrews 11:1

As we continue to examine the aftermath of Jesus feeding the crowd, this week it seems many people didn't believe that the Lord could be the son of Joseph, and be send by the God of heaven as well. Over and over, Pastor Craig reminds us how God uses everyday activities to teach us eternal things, and here, Jesus declares He is the "Bread of Life". But nobody seems to really believe Him.  It's a lesson for all of us today. Our reading is from John 6: 35-38, 41-51 and 1 Kings 19:7-8.

It's always annoying to have someone do something for us, only to find out they had Ulterior Motives. That's the subject of this week's message. As the people who had either seen or heard about Jesus feeding the crowd, many of them sought after Jesus and the Lord calls their motives into question. It's a relatable idea: do we really seek the Lord with the right motives? Our scripture passage is from John 6:22-35, and we also refer to Galatians 5:13

As we continue reading from last week's scripture passage, we hear the story of Jesus walking on water, and through the experience of the Disciples, we learn more about how we handle the storms in life by ourselves. The Lord Jesus comes to our aid, but like the men in the boat that morning, we don't see the Savior clearly, and our natural tendency is to call it something it really isn't. We tend to ask, is it "Really Him?"  Our scripture reading is from Mark 6:45-56, and we also refer to Psalm 46:1 and Psalm 121:1-2