Bethel Community Church Orlando

Addicted to Distractions - Week 1 of ”12 WAYS YOUR PHONE IS CHANGING YOU”

Session 1 of our Community Group is "We are addicted to distractions." Whether you have a smartphone, a dumb phone, or no phone, you cannot escape a life of distractions. We use these distractions to ignore our families, our work, and even God. 

If you'd like a copy of the worksheet, email Jay@mybethel.cc.

SUPREME LIFE // WEEK 1 ”FIRST IN EVERYTHING”

We are starting a new series from the book of Colossians, a letter Paul wrote to a group of believers in the ancient city of Colossae. The culture of the city had begun to infiltrate the church, and the believers there were adding other traditions and rituals to the gospel. From the beginning of his letter, Paul establishes that Jesus should be first in every aspect of their lives. So, what gets the first and best of your time, talent, and treasures? God wants to be first in your heart, and you reflect His position in your life based on how far up the priority list Jesus is. 

NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES//Week 5 - Wrath

Over the last four weeks, we have discussed some of the names of God such as holy and loving. Although it seems counterintuitive, God's wrath actually shows His goodness. God's wrath grows out of His love for purity, holiness, and justice. Sin angers God. God feels wrath toward our sin, yet He sent Jesus because of His compassion towards us. No one wants you to escape God's wrath more than God!

NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES //Week 4 - I AM

Everything that has ever existed began with God. He was there before the universe started. He is the source of life. He always has been and always will be. Nothing preceded Him. Nothing created Him. He is the same for all of time. God told Moses to tell the Israelites "I Am" was sending Moses. God is. We either receive Him for who He is, or we reject Him. Your are not all the things that God is, but it does not matter because His name is "I Am."

NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES // Week 3 - Loving God

How do you know God loves you? Exodus 34 presents three dimensions of God's love: merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and steadfast. The world around us does not always show evidence of God's love, and it can be hard for us to comprehend it. But God's deep love for us is revealed many times throughout the Bible. Our circumstances and feelings do not determine God's love. God proved his love for each of us by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our salvation. When we know and understand God's love, we will produce it our own lives and then share it with others. 

NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES // Week 2 - Holy God

Names are important. God has a name, and understanding that name is crucial to knowing Him. One of God's names is "Holy." This name literally means "set apart." God is set apart by His awesome power and His perfection. Interestingly, God's holiness can be both terrifying and comforting. What does God's holiness mean for humanity? God is so perfect and righteous that man has to die for his sins; but God is so loving that He was glad to die in man's place.

God with Us in our Worship

In Colossians chapter 15, Paul gives a clear description of who Jesus is. Paul does this by showing how Jesus is God through six different examples. When Jesus came the first time, he became weak for our sake despite being fully God. When Jesus comes the second time, everyone will know and recognize that He is God. The love and salvation Jesus offers to us, should make us want to worship Him. Joy in Christianity comes from knowing Jesus and having a heart of worship for all that He has done for us.

God with Us: An Available God

Enoch faithfully walked with God for 300 years. The simplicity and shortness of Enoch’s story may cause us to miss how incredible it is. But we can learn from Enoch's faithful walks. Faith takes advantage of the outstretched hand of God. Immanuel means God is available to us. Enoch stands in contradiction to what the world had become in his time. Will you take God by the hand, walk with Him, and stand in contradiction to our world today?

God with Us in the Valley

Christians and non-Christians alike have used a form of the phrase, "God is with you." When things are going well, it can be easy to think that God is taking care of us. But what about during those times of desperation, when we are in a valley? Christians have the power and strength of God on their side. While we are going through the tragedies of the valley, we can still set our minds on the goodness and unfailing love of God. The road to the path of peace is often through the valley. We all will encounter valleys, but God promises that we won't be stuck there alone. God is with us!

Emotions: INGRATITUDE

A spirit of ingratitude can cause many negative emotions. Romans 1:21 shows us that the people Paul was speaking to knew God, but they did not give thanks to God. We tend to do the same thing. We have knowledge of God, but we ignore His providences and refuse to give Him thanks. Gratitude is a matter of our hearts. We are ungrateful because we take for granted the goodness of the Lord. Every good gift comes from God! So, be thankful to God for all the good things, even the common things, that He has given us.