Bethel Christian Center

The crowd brought a speechless boy to Jesus. Jesus asked the father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. The spirit has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you are able! All things can be done for the one who believes." Immediately the father of...

Jesus imparted all power and authority, first to his disciples as He commissioned them in Luke 10:18-19 and Matthew 28:18 and then to the church in Acts 2 when the Promise of the Holy Spirit was released. We have all the power and authority of God through the Holy Spirit. Reasons we fail to utilize both the authority and power that is available.

Authority for ministry. Whom Christ commissions He sufficiently endows. In Luke 9:1-2 Jesus gives the disciples the authority to use the power He transfers to them. You can have Kingdom authority available to you, but never use it.

Immediately after taming the wild sea, Christ tames a wild man. This is not just a tall tale. Legion is the picture of Satan's finished product, the destruction of the image of God in man. Satan desires to keep us in bondage; Jesus came to set us free.

Jesus did not leave behind a powerless church when He ascended back to heaven. To the contrary, He imparted divine authority to those who follow Him, along with Holy Spirit power to accomplish great things for Him on this earth. Every Christian, every disciple of Christ, has authority in this world. However, many believers either do not realize that they have this authority, or they simply do not...

The adventure, excitement, and challenges we encounter as we explore the wildlife of VBS. We visit the Israelites as slaves for the Egyptians. We look with amazement as God sends plagues on Egypt. Then we journey with the Israelites as they enter the wilderness. As we look into the New Testament, we behold as Jesus dies and comes back to life. Then with lesson 5, we watch the Israelites build a me...

The peace that passes understanding is a strong, resolute faith and confidence, that no matter what circumstances you encounter, God is faithful, God is good, God will keep you, God will provide for you, and God will bless you. It's a faith that looks pat circumstances to the God who works all things for your good and his glory. As we look into God's Word, we discover God's Peace in a chaotic worl...

Humanity can never be satisfied with what it has, because of this man's cup is always running dry or on empty. Is our cup dry or overflowing? Maybe our view of what God can do has been narrowed by poor theology or unbelief. Possibly we have become dry because we have removed our cup from the "fountain of life" (Psalm 36:9). For the Christian who trusts in the Lord rather than the world to supply h...

I’m profoundly amazed with the unlimited resources of the God of the Bible. 1. He makes an ocean, makes it so deep no man can fathom it. 2. He makes a mountain, makes it so large no one can measure or weigh it. 3. He makes a flower, scatters multiplied millions, no one to admire but Him. 4. He “makes” grace; makes it without sides or bottom and leaves the top off. 5. He pours salvation forth like...

Dan Saldana presents us with a challenge to ward off complacency in our lives and cultivate the hunger and thirst for God.

The prodigal is the stereotypical rebellious adolescent who doesn't know how much he doesn't know. He reaps what he sows and learns a valuable lesson in the process. His is the classic story of the great turnaround. If only all prodigal children could get so smart so quickly! This parable has been called the greatest short story ever told. Some have described it as the parables of all parables. Ot...

Do you ever feel like portions of your life seem unimportant or meaningless? Sometimes the menial tasks, circumstances, and details in the day-to-day may not seem like they’re preparing us for anything, but they are actually preparing us for a divine set-up. This morning we are going to look at how two Egyptian Hebrews in scripture caution us against taking our circumstances for granted with regar...

The Baptism of Jesus by John

How did the early church turn the world upside down? Jimmy Chapman A supernatural power was loose among them that healed the sick, drove out demons, twice blinded its opponents and made hypocrites fall dead on the spot. Within one generation, only by word of mouth, everyone within the known limits of civilization was reached with the Gospel! Incredible!

Joseph of Arimathea is one of the few who is mentioned in all four Gospels. His deed of giving his own tomb for Jesus burial was foretold by Isaiah in the suffering servant passage. (Is.53:9) “He made his grave with the rich.” An overlooked irony is that a disciple of Jesus was found among the Sanhedrin. Not only was Joseph of Arimathea a member of the exclusive seventy, Joseph was a prominent mem...

The bible has several examples of the depth of a Mother's love and commitment to her children. Whether it is Jochebed, the mother of Moses, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, or the unnamed mother that would rather give up her child than have him killed, a mother's love for her children is a unique love that God gives for her children. Today we will look at the life of another special mother in the Bib...

Max Lucado asks a question. Have you and your congregation been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.

It is my desire that we would understand the benefits of worship. Often, when we come to worship, we are not challenged or changed, and we don’t have an encounter with God.

Each spring millions of people around the world acknowledge, in some fashion or another, that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Today, here at Bethel, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

HOSANNA is a word that we hear frequently in worship services, for it is found in many great old hymns and modern spiritual songs. Indeed, it is a word we should hear often, and yet do we all understand what we are singing?

The topic of money and stewardship is always an awkward topic in the church. However, you can't study the scriptures and not know that the bible gives clear direction and commands in both areas. However, this is the most frequent area that church Pastors and leaders are often criticized. How many times have we all heard, "all that church wants is my money!". What the church really wants is for us...

The Philippian Christians had learned the secret of joyful, liberal financial giving. The church in Philippi had taken up an offering to give to Paul, in prison because of his faith. Paul wrote back to the church and expressed his joy (see verse 10). Joy, or its derivative, occurs almost 20 times in this letter. Have you discovered the joy of giving? In what ways can giving make you a joyful perso...

Words of wisdom: “Giving is a matter of the heart and not the pocketbook.” “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” “God will give to us what will flow through us.” “Our life is to be like a river, not a reservoir.” “For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” Four simple suggestions when it comes to giving.

“All over the world the Spirit is moving.” We tend to look at everything from an American perspective when around the world the Holy Spirit is moving as never before. Churches are being built in unprecedented numbers. People are being saved at astronomical rates. They are receiving the Holy Ghost baptism by the thousands daily. In China in any given 24-hour period 30,000 people are coming to Chris...

“All over the world the Spirit is moving.” We tend to look at everything from an American perspective when around the world the Holy Spirit is moving as never before. Churches are being built in unprecedented numbers. People are being saved at astronomical rates. They are receiving the Holy Ghost baptism by the thousands daily. In China in any given 24-hour period 30,000 people are coming to Chris...