Bethany Church of Canby

Joseph’s life goes from the pit to the pinnacle and back to the pit again. But through all the circumstantial ups and downs, Joseph remains a man of integrity. Through temptations to grasp power and sex he stays faithful. What is his secret? The answer is not sheer willpower but a new perspective. Let’s get that new perspective this morning!

This morning we begin a new series on the life of Joseph. In this first scene, we see no mention of God and a lot of sin between Jacob’s family members. If this is God’s chosen family, and the family of promised Messiah, where is God in all this mess? Don’t you ask that in your own life quite often? The answer is that he is working just as much in his silence as he is in his immediacy. Let’s uncov...

We have been walking through a series on The Disciple Making Church. We have heard about the why, what, who, where, how, of making disciples, but today we are going to shift slightly in our focus. Today we are going to connect the of disciple making with the idea of witness .

Today we look at our final question in our Disciple Making Church series, WHERE to make disciples? It might seem like an obvious question, but it is absolutely vital to helping us understand where we are to make apprentices of Jesus Christ. We will answer our question by looking in two places, the gathered church, and the scattered church.

“The pattern and ethos of Jesus-style discipleship revolves around the idea that it is disciples who in turn make disciples. According to the New Testament pattern, pastors, church programs, and preaching alone are not what make disciples. No, it is very clear that Jesus intended that all of His followers become disciples and then in turn be disciple makers, regardless of their vocation.” Lance Fo...

So far in our Disciple Making Church series, we have covered WHY make disciples, seeing it is God’s grand, cosmic plan for all history. We have covered WHAT is a disciple, seeing a disciple is an apprentice of Christ, a “Christ-learner.” Today we ask the question, HOW disciples are made and through what means God is rescuing and transforming people? We will answer this question by looking at “4 P’...

If you are a Christian then you are a disciple of Jesus and to be a disciple is to be a learner of Christ. Through the transformation that the Holy Spirit brings as we repent and turn to Jesus in faith, we live a life of continual growth in likeness toward Jesus. Watching not only what he said, but also how he lived and integrating that into your life.

We all know Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples,” but WHY? It might sound like a simple question, but Jesus does give us more answers than just, because I told you to. The answer is that we make disciples because God’s goal for all history and humanity is to gather to himself a multitude of people who will spend eternity with him. This is the answer that gives so much urgency and importance to...

Ray Keen, Executive Director – The Canby Center

30 years after God appeared to Jacob in Bethel with an angel staircase from heaven, Jacob fulfills his vow by returning to THE place again. But it is on this return that a clear transition from one generation to the next is taking place and so preparation is made. This morning we are going to compare Jacob’s family’s transitional season to our own and be reminded that the faithfulness of God in ou...

Jacob’s partial obedience, of stopping in the promised land at Shechem, rather than returning to where God had commanded at Bethel, brings alarming grief and injustice upon his daughter and family. But responding to evil and injustice with greater evil and injustice, as Jacob’s sons do, is never the right solution. Where have we been tempted to betray our call as disciples to the gospel, to win, w...

Instead of simply singing because it is what we do in church, let's consider the different ways in which singing is important in the life of a Christian. Singing is not only a sign of worship, but a tool for shaping us into the people that God has called us to be.

Joseph and Mary must have been very frightened at the first prospect of having this strange child, in this strange way. What they both needed, what was given to them by an angel, was a reframing of their thoughts and lives around Immanuel: God with Us. This gave them immense courage. Today we will reframe our lives around this central reality- that Jesus is both God and man with a mission to rescu...

This Christmas we celebrate and explore Immanuel - God with us! What could possibly drive Matthew, the Gospel writer, to think that beginning his book with a long list of names was a good hook? This morning we will be shown that this is not a dry list of names, but a rich statement on the historicity of the Gospel news, the breaking down of barriers, and ultimate rest from all our self-effort.

Why is reconciliation so hard in the face of conflict when we have been given all the resources we need in the Gospel? This morning we look at the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, which was only possible because of the reconciliation Jacob had had with God first. The answer to our question is only found in the grace that humbles us, restores us, and brings us all the way home.

Jacob is now at the border of the Promised Land, and he is about to face his greatest fight yet. Jacob is fearing a return to face off against his betrayed brother Esau, but what Jacob really needs is a healthy dose of the fear of God. What a radical transformation we see this morning in Jacob as he is changed in two distinct ways: in name and body, as he comes to the end of himself. How do you wi...

Pastor Jeff | Special

This is the final showdown between Jacob and his arch-nemesis Laban. And Jacob comes out on top as victor, but not because of his own might and strength. God is the protector and vindicator of Jacob, and faithful to his promises. And these truths, prompt exemplary obedience on the part of Jacob and his wives. Let’s look today at two parts: the conflict and the covenant.

Jacob is finally being sent home after 20 years, 4 wives, and 11 children, but it is not before a final showdown with his arch-nemesis Laban. This morning we look at the spiritual growth that accompanied both the family, and prosperity growth for Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. And the lesson we will learn, is that from Romans 11:36, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory...

God continues to work through this incredibly broken family, showing not only his willingness to care for the broken, but his deep love for the oppressed and brokenhearted. Even while this family fights for control of things that only belong to God we see God patiently and consistently accomplishing his purposes. He was the God of the broken hearted and he still is today

After the amazing vision of the angel ladder, Jacob has a lighter bounce in his step, but still moves by his own strength. This week we look at a scandalous story of deception, disillusionment, but ultimate deliverance for the unlovable Leah. Let’s look at the messy lives of Jacob, Rachel, Laban, and Leah to discover the providence of God, the discipline of God, and the Gospel of God.

Baptism Sunday

Jacob is a man on the run as he flees the family drama and leaves it in his wake. There is an irony in the fact that the man to whom the land and family inheritance is promised, is leaving them both behind. This is Jacob’s darkest moment, and he must have been questioning heaven. But it is in this darkest moment that heaven explodes, and God’s grace descends in the most unlikely way. Let’s look at...

At the center of this messy family story is the desire of every family member to lay claim to “THE blessing” for their own desired purpose and person. What results is a sad display of family disintegration and a willful ignorance of God’s Word and means. But we also see a dazzling display of grace. We all want the blessing, don’t we? It is just a matter of where we find it.

How much do we really believe God’s promise that he is present with us all the time? Is it possible that we objectively believe that, but we don’t always live faithful in accordance with that truth? This morning we are going to examine both the promises and presence of God and the faithful obedience these should engender in us.