Bethel Community Church Orlando

Get in the Game - Week 3 // Consumer vs. Follower

We need to desire what God desires more than what we desire. Judas was a follower of Jesus. However, his desires came before what Jesus desired. Despite Judas's betrayal of Jesus, Jesus didn’t stop Judas from doing what Judas intended to do; neither did Judas stop Jesus from doing what Jesus intended to do. Ultimately, God is God. It's up to us to follow Him wholly and completely. 

Get in the Game - Week 2 // Take the Gospel Deep

In Mark 4, Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seeds. He uses the hard, rocky, thorny, and fertile soils to represent our hearts and how we receive the Word of God. As Jesus tells the story, the seeds are unable to grow in the hard, rocky, and thorny soils. We realize that the problem isn't the sower (Jesus) or the seed (the gospel). The problem is the condition of our hearts (the soil). We must be a fertile soil that allows the gospel to go deep and take root in our lives so that we can bear fruit.

Get in the Game - Week1 // The Start

Take a step of faith, and get in the game! Although quick to commit to Jesus, Peter is sometimes unsteady in his faith in Christ. At first Peter’s faith was very strong; it just didn’t last long. Peter, like us, needed sustaining faith. The faith we all can find in knowing Jesus. Peter's faith may have wavered, but Jesus proves that He is trustworthy. God proves that He is gracious. As we go through the storms of life, may we continue to take steps of faith and trust that Jesus will see us through it. 

DAVID // WEEK 11 ”David and His Covenant”

God keeps His promises! The promise of Christ was a long time coming. God prepares the way for Jesus' coming in the book of Genesis, right after the fall of Adam and Eve. We see the covenant God made with David in 2 Samuel. Matthew 1 tells the lineage of Jesus and links David in Jesus' ancestry. Paul helps us understand in Romans that God has been planning our redemption through Jesus since the foundation of the world. Christmas confirms God promises; promises made to David many years before. God kept His covenant, and we can worship God for the salvation He offered through Christ. 

DAVID // WEEK 10 ”David and Absalom”

David was not perfect; he was a sinner just like each of us. Despite the fact that David had experienced God's grace and goodness in the past, he lost the courage to confront his own sin and the sins of his sons. This created a lot of disfunction and resulted in some horrible consequences. The Gospel can break the cycle of sin and free us from guilt. The Gospel of Jesus not only saves you from your past and rescues you in the future, it also delivers you in the present by giving you the power of new life.

DAVID // WEEK 8 ”David and Bathsheba”

David defeated Goliath, became a mighty warrior, and eventually was crowned King of Israel. Despite all the good, godly things David did, he was still a fallible man. David really made a mess of things when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. However, God stayed faithful to what He had promised for David. The God who forgave, restored, and used David is the same God who will forgive, restore, and use you.

DAVID // WEEK 7 ”David and His Mighty Men”

It's Team Sunday at Bethel, and we’re going to look at one of the best teams in all of ancient history. David’s mighty men were ordinary men. These guys followed David before he was anything and before they were anything. What made them mighty, was the character they gained, the lives that they lived, and the decisions they made while with David in the wilderness.

DAVID // WEEK 6 ”David and Mephibosheth”

David’s kindness to Mephibosheth illustrates the grace of God - that seeks us, welcomes us, and enriches us through Jesus Christ. Mephibosheth's father was David's best friend, Jonathan. Because of Mephibosheth's crippled feet, he was in a vulnerable position. The grace, goodness, and generosity that David showed to Mephibosheth, because of his covenant to Jonathan, is a picture of how God treats us. We are crippled by our sin, but the blood of Jesus covers us from the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God.

DAVID // WEEK 5 ”David and Abigail”

God used Abigail to save the life of her husband and remind David of God's promises. There is much to learn from this story. Often, we can see ourselves in the foolish, ungrateful Nabal. Although Abigail shows wisdom and David shows restraint, neither of them are the true leader we need. The true King was a son of David. He will be perfect and need no reminder to trust God. 

DAVID // WEEK 3 ”David and Goliath”

People often to look to David and Goliath as a story that represents hope for the underdog or how God will fight our battles. However, the Bible is not a book about you, it's a book about Jesus. This story shows us that Jesus is the true David, and He defeated the greatest giant of all -- Satan. It is about what Jesus would one day do on the cross, and the big giant of our sin and death that He would eliminate.