Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA

The post Godly Contentment appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Steve introduced his sermon with three texts from the KJV that share the same punctuation. All use a colon and parentheses at the end of a phrase… that looks remarkably like a smiley face emoticon! “We don’t want to be irreverent here, but this brings up a subject I’d like to talk about this morning!” […] The post Say What?? appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Forgiveness is not a one-time quick fix for trauma; that is the upfront message that John wanted to convey in this morning’s sermon. Forgiveness takes time and effort. Trouble between brothers is not a new phenomenon. We have Cain and Abel at odds soon after creation. In modern history, we have Rudolph and Adolph Dassler, […] The post Jacob Meets Esau appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This question was asked often during the presidential campaign. Even when things aren’t going well, Christians know God is in control and orchestrating world events. Christians are also concerned about their own hearts and their trajectory as pilgrims. Without — events out there — we believe in a bright and perfect future with Christ, but […] The post Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago? appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

To believe Jesus depends on knowing who Jesus is, and we learn who Jesus is in the stories of Scripture. According to John 1:7-13, to receive Jesus is to believe in Him. God gives those who believe Him the authority to become children of God. A person becomes a child of God by receiving Jesus. […] The post The Meaning of Believing appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jesus states that He works as His Father works, and has come to do the Father’s will, not His own. Jesus’ sacrificial life shows that He is completely authentic and trustworthy; His life never provided a basis for suspicion that He had a hidden agenda or mixed motives. The Jesus of the Gospels is who […] The post Jesus’ Identity and Purpose appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jacob had a lot of challenges in his life. His first challenge was with Esau, but then he left home and faced a similar challenge with Laban. It seems that God’s intention was to bless Jacob, but since Jacob didn’t seem to know that, he connived and deceived people in an effort to get ahead. […] The post Jacob Wrestles appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

History of Anabaptist/Mennonite singing: Some early Anabaptist/Mennonites expressed negative views of congregational singing, but by 1900, four-part acapella singing and singing schools were common among Mennonites, except for Old Colony Mennonites, Old Order Mennonites, and Amish. My early memories of singing and singing at Bethel: My earliest memories of singing are prior to seven years […] The post Speaking to One Another in Songs appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Genesis 31 opens with Jacob hearing Laban’s sons discussing how Jacob was stealing from their father. Jacob’s flocks had become very large, so he must be stealing. And Jacob also notices that Laban is not feeling kindly towards him like he did when he first came. Jacob has a dream, and in this dream, the […] The post Jacob Flees From Haran appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

I Corinthians 11:24 reads, “This is my body which is broken for you,” but in the Gospels, Jesus’ statement reads something like, “This is my body which is given for you,” and has the idea, “This is my body which is for you.” Hebrews 9 and 10 say that one difference between the Old Testament […] The post Christ Given for You appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

What kind of person was Jacob? In comparing him with Job, they were both very wealthy. Job was also very invested in his family and in his relationship with God. In comparison, Jacob seems more invested in material gain. He doesn’t seem to be around much with his family. The story as told in Genesis […] The post Jacob in Haran appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Psalm 36:7-9 – God wants to satisfy us with the fullness of His house, but we are often interested in a lot less. In the John 4 story of the healing of the nobleman’s son, Jesus was concerned about the shallow faith of the people of Galilee. The nobleman, however, exhibited the kind of faith […] The post Two Concerns of Jesus appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

The post Better to Be Wronged: Valuing Relationships Over Rights appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jacob was fleeing from his home, traveling to his Uncle Laban’s place in Haran. Officially, he was going to find a wife, but he was also fleeing from his brother’s anger. He stopped for the night under the stars, with a stone for a pillow, and as he slept, he had a dream. In his […] The post Jacob Meets Laban appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Life is filled with challenges; what kind of person does well during a crisis? James 1 tells us that those who have faith grow through trials, but those who are double-minded cannot rely on God. Daniel is an example of James 1 applied—he faced trials and received wisdom and strength. Daniel’s hymn of praise in […] The post Facing Life’s Challenges appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

If you knew your life was about to change, would it make a difference? Matt 24:36-46. We don’t know when Jesus is coming again, but we’re told that normal life will be going on… and then the unexpected happens, and He returns! If we knew when Jesus was coming, would we do anything different? In […] The post If You Were Dying Would Your Life Change? appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Why do we do what we do? People around us may think we are weird. Even if the culture around us changes, that does not mean that we need to change. We must never elevate our practices to be equivalent with the Bible, but they can still be beneficial. Some Biblical mandates for Biblical practices: […] The post Why I Am an Anabaptist – Applications appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

The book of Nehemiah is the account of the Jews rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem 280 years after the Assyrians had deported the 10 northern tribes and scattered them over the known world. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king of Persia when he heard about the challenges his people were experiencing in Jerusalem, so […] The post Courage Amidst the Challenge appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

A good question to ask ourselves is: Why do we attend our church? Hopefully, it’s not just because it’s where we grew up, but because we see something worthwhile here. The emphasis of the Great Commission is discipleship, not just conversion. Our focus shouldn’t be on what is the bare minimum to get to heaven […] The post Why I Am an Anabaptist – Theology appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

How can we, as a church, bless and be an encouragement to each other? Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, commends them for their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. He also thanks God for them and prays for them. It is extremely important that a body of believers should […] The post Blessings & Encouragement appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.