Bethel Community Church Orlando

THE PASSION // WEEK 1 // GETHSEMANE

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus looked full into the cup of God’s wrath and the full ramifications of separation from God. Jesus drank from that cup so that not a drop would be left for your or me, and all that would be left for us is a cup of joy. Jesus went through Gethsemane and ultimately His death on the cross so that we didn't have to. The gospel, at its core, is substitution: Jesus in my Place! 

ORDINATION SERVICE for Bill Deitch

Today was a special day for Bethel Community Church. On this day, Bill Deitch was ordained as a pastor in Christian ministry. Tom Wagoner of Central Baptist Church in Dunn, North Carolina, was our guest speaker. 

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 6 // JAIRUS' DAUGHTER

Have you ever struggled with your faith? Have you ever thought, "If You’re really up there, God, why did you let this happen?” That's exactly how Jairus felt after his daughter died. If you struggle to believe, then believe this: Jesus came from heaven, and He healed the sick and raised the dead. Jesus is the only one that can forgive sins and and conqueror the grave. 

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 5 // DEMON POSSESSED MAN

Three worlds meet in this strange story: the underworld of evil spirits, the visible world of human experience, and the upper world of divine control. First, a man comes to Jesus in a shocking condition. Next, Jesus agrees to a surprising cure. Then the townspeople come to Jesus with a strange request. Finally, Jesus gives the man an unexpected answer. If your life is a mess, ask Jesus to deliver you. He will not turn you away.

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 4 // WOMAN AT THE WELL

Humans, in their sinful nature, have found ways to take the gifts of God and misuse them. It seems that the greater the gift, the more capacity it has for damage. In the sermon today, we'll see how two women misused the gift of sex. But these women, just like us, came to realize that salvation is a gift given to undeserving people.

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 3 // EXTRAORDINARY THINGS

The example in Luke 5 is Jesus doing extraordinary things for people who believed in Him. Verses 17-26 tell the story of a group of friends who lowered their paralyzed friend through a roof in order to get the man to Jesus. The man wanted and received healing but he received something even greater: forgiveness for his sins. Faith is what initiated the extraordinary healing. Our faith in Jesus will help us draw to Him and lead our friends to Him also.

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 2 // NICODEMUS

Sometimes, we as Christians, take something that is so simple and make it so complex. Nicodemus was a leader and teacher in Israel; someone with religious and political power. Despite all of his knowledge, Nicodemus did not know who Jesus was or understand why Jesus said he had to be "born again." Although Nicodemus came to Jesus a confused man dead in his sins, he left a new and transformed man. 

THE EXAMPLE // WEEK 1 // THROUGH TEMPTATION

Spiritual highs are often followed by spiritual lows. Whenever God does something great in our lives, we can count on Satan to try to steal, kill, or destroy it. Even Jesus wasn't immune to Satan's temptations. At the core, Satan used these strategies to tempt Jesus, and he uses them to tempt us: to prioritize something good more than God, and to go around God to get something good. We can learn how to deal with temptation through Jesus' example.

THE PROMISE // Week 4 // WISE MEN

Unlike the three Kings that are often pictured with Nativity scenes, the wise men from the Bible were from "the East," most likely Persia; men who studied the prophecies of Daniel; and a priestly tribe called Magi. Most likely there were more than three men, and they arrived months or years after Jesus' birth. So what is the point of their story? They were Gentiles who traveled close to a thousand miles to worship the infant King. Jesus was there in Bethlehem for the Jews to meet and worship. However, God's own people were not there to praise Jesus, but these men from far away came to acknowledge Him as King.

THE PROMISE // Week 3 // MARY

The angel Gabriel tells Mary that she has found favor with God. Her cousin Elizabeth calls her blessed. Yet, when we think about an unwed, pregnant teenager trying to explain that she is carrying the Lord's child, it doesn't seem that her circumstances are full of favor and blessings. Despite all of her hardship, Mary chooses to praise the Lord. She says in Luke 1:46-47, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."