Ben Bergren

Stop comparing yourself to others·Paul says grace already settled your worth, not your ledger. If you've ever caught yourself keeping score—against a sibling, a coworker, that person from high school on Facebook—you're not alone, and you're not crazy. It's how we're wired. Paul helps us see a better path forward.

Why is grace so hard to accept? Jesus offers forgiveness and love without a price tag — and yet most of us keep reaching for something we can manage, something we can earn. In this sermon from Galatians 4. You didn't find grace, grace found you. 

Most of us have a "Jerusalem crowd" · a person or a room that makes us go quiet when we know we should speak up. Peter had one too. And when that crowd showed up in Antioch, he stopped living out what he actually believed. Paul called him on it publicly.

Grace is free·no asterisks, no fine print. So why do we keep building tollbooths on a road we didn·t pave? A look at Paul·s letter to the Galatians.

Grace is free·no asterisks, no fine print. So why do we keep building tollbooths on a road we didn·t pave? A look at Paul·s letter to the Galatians.

Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit was given to the early church. Nothing has changed God's heart and mind since then. We have the same Spirit and the same mission today.

Jesus told Mary ·don·t hold on to me· · then told Thomas ·put your finger here.· Same risen Jesus, opposite instructions. Here·s why both make perfect sense.

We conclude our sermon series "This is Us" about our mission statement at CLC. What does it mean to be on a path of Inspired Growth? Mary Magdalene show us the way.

The story of Zacchaeus in the gospel Luke illustrates Jesus' inclusive love for all. All four parts of mission statement are contained in this story! Jesus welcomes all without condition and the crowd hated that.

Did the resurrection of Jesus happen? Does he care? Does he even notice you? Listen in and find out!

We come to the end of this season and our series on Spirituals. "Soon I Will Be Done" reminds us we are going home one day in the same way the people of Israel crossed the Jordan to finally be home after 40 years.

There is quite a story to the Spiritual, "There is a Balm in Gilead." Hear the hymn and how it ties to the book of Numbers, Jeremiah and the gospel of John. There is healing to be found in your life!

Today we hear the Spiritual, Wade in the Water and we hear the story of the people of Israel at the Red Sea. This Spiritual also points to the waters of Baptism.

As we begin the season of Lent we are going to explore both the story of Exodus and the genre of music called "Spirituals." Today we begin with the beginning of the Exodus story and we welcome Knixx Taylor singing, "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child."

We are called to be humble and invited to serve. Are there exemptions to that rule? To find out, we look at the story of Joseph found in Genesis.

There is a reason this story is told before the season of Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Listen in and find out why this is an important moment in history and why it is important for you today.

If Christ is our foundation and we build the walls of love and service on that foundation, what holds them up? Prayer. Prayer anchors our lives to the foundation.

We continue in our sermon series on Foundations. Today we build on the foundation of Christ and we do that by serving others.

We begin a new series on foundations based on the Sermon on the Mount. We begin with the most important thing in any building: the foundation. As people of faith, we also have a foundation of faith.

Is a song in the Bible just a song or does it come from the heart of God? In this message, we explore Mary the mother of Jesus song of praise but it also points to a vision of living differently.

Need a little grace in your life this season? Christ comes to give us a free gift of love. We call that grace. This is Pastor Ben Bergren's Christmas Eve message for Community Lutheran Church of Las Vegas, NV.

God is generous and wants to give us joy when the external circumstances of our life are difficult. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth show us how God responds to our emptiness.

In the month of December we are looking at the generosity of God! Today we explore Joseph's story that shows us how we can tap into the peace of God.

Not everyone feels thankful on Thanksgiving because of circumstances beyond their control. The story of Elijah running away shows us what God does when we gratitude doesn't come naturally.

Not only do we learn that Jesus is a servant king but also that we are invited to be people of service. Service is a core value of Jesus and of this church.