Sermon Podcasts

Today’s words of the Savior for our consideration are set in the context of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. In this account, Jesus looks at his disciples and asks them, “Why are you so afraid?” If we thought about it for a minute, we could come up with a lot of different ways that we could answer that question. But what we want to consider today is another question—is this a fear problem, or is it a faith problem?

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on June 26, 2021.

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Continuing our series on the words of our Savior, today we focus on the words of Jesus that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. God’s kingdom starts with what may seem like small, even unimportant, things. But as God grows his kingdom, those seemingly small things grow into something huge.

This sermon was shared at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 20, 2021.

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Today the statement of Jesus we’ll focus on is this: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” So we will consider what it means to be accepted into God’s family and what the blessings of that really are.

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 13, 2021.

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As we begin a new sermon series, we will be looking at a single, powerful statement by our Savior Jesus that speaks to our lives of following him. Today, we focus on the Third Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” as we consider this powerful statement from Jesus: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 6, 2021.

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Today we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday, the day of the year that we focus on the doctrine that God is one God, yet He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It’s something that we hear every time we gather together, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” But it’s good for us sometimes to stop and think about what that really means—how profound the doctrine of the Trinity is, what it tells us about who our God is, and what it means for our lives and our relationship with Him.

Guest preacher Pastor Aaron Dolan preached this sermon at Bethany's Trinity Sunday worship on May 30, 2021.

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Today we celebrate the festival of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. But rather than focusing on those powerful things that we see on the day of Pentecost—the sound of the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the speaking in different languages—we want to focus on the quiet but powerful work that the Holy Spirit does in people’s hearts, day after day.

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Pentecost Sunday worship on May 23, 2021.

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As we welcome two young members of our congregation in Confirmation, we also celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. When we think about our Lord’s Ascension, we see in that event the tremendous care and protection that Jesus provides to his people from his position at God’s right hand—both to each of us individually, and to his Church as a whole.

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Ascension Sunday worship on May 16, 2021.

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The message of Jesus with which God gathers his church has the power to bring diverse people together. We see that example in the early church as Jews and Gentiles were gathered together with one common faith. And we see it among ourselves still today—and rejoice that we have the unity we do, even in a world where so many are divided.

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on May 8, 2021.

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As we continue to look at how God gathers his church through the good news about Jesus, today we see how that message enlightens his people. In the well-known hymn Amazing Grace, we sing, “I was blind but now I see.” Through the message of salvation through Jesus, God puts the lights on in his people’s hearts. And it’s also through that message that God keeps the lights on in his people’s hearts. Through his enlightening message, God strengthens and grows our faith so that we might share that message with others as well.

Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on May 1, 2021.

Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd. His sheep hear his voice, and they follow him. As we consider how God gathers and grows his church, we see how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, uses his voice to empower his sheep. It’s through the voice of Jesus—his empowering message of life and forgiveness—that we receive the strength we could never have on our own to live as his flock to his praise and glory.

Pastor Mark Henke preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on April 24, 2021.

Learn more at bethanyappleton.org