Bethel Community Church Orlando

After the stoning of Stephen, a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, causing many believers to scatter throughout Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Meanwhile, those who were scattered preached the gospel wherever they went. Philip, one of the seven deacons, went to Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. As a result, many believed and there was great joy in the city...

From start to finish, Stephen’s life was an example of service and dedication to Jesus. Stephen served the Lord and, on the surface, did everything right; yet he ended up dying for his faith and service. Stephen’s most effective contribution to the kingdom of God came through his martyrdom. God used Stephen's death to produce the greatest Christian missionary, Paul. 

Not everyone can be great in the eyes of the world. Not everyone can be rich or famous. But anyone can be great in God's economy, because serving others is within the reach of everyone. Greatness is open to all, because anyone can be a servant.

We’re here to be witnesses for Jesus. The Holy Spirit will empower us to continually testify the name of Jesus. Although Christians may face opposition or persecution, they are to continually speak the name of Jesus and minister to those who don't know Him.

Ananias and Sapphira, husband and wife, conspire to hold back a portion of the money they received from a sale of some land, while pretending to donate the full amount to the early church in Acts 5. Because of their lies, they died instantly. From their story, we learn that God’s not after perfection, but He’s after our heart. And ultimately, He wants our honesty. 

Despite the persecution that the apostles and early Christ followers began to experience, they prayed for God to give them boldness. Because they prayed this way, the gospel went forward. In addition, because future generations responded this way, the gospel eventually went all around the world. Their heroism led to our salvation. From where does boldness and courage like that come?

Throughout the New Testament, miracles were God's way of showing His divine power and giving validation to the apostles. Ultimately, the need for physical miracles points to our need for spiritual healing through salvation in Jesus Christ. 

The first message ever preached happened in Acts 2 at the Day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter urged the people there to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. That day 3,000 people put their faith and trust in Christ. It marked a turning point in their lives. We have the same opportunity today -- to repent and trust Christ or to trust in ourselves.

Whether Jesus comes back tomorrow or in a thousand years, we have a mission to accomplish for Him. We are to be His witnesses. Jesus's mission is under His sovereign rule to expand His kingdom among all nations. Jesus wants us to be less concerned with His coming and more concerned with our going. 

While different apostles do appear throughout the book of Acts, the only single character who unifies the story from beginning to end is Jesus, appearing personally or acting through the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is about Jesus leading his people through the Spirit to go out into the world and invite all nations to put their faith in Jesus. 

Guest speaker Ward Hodges presents the mystery of the blindness of the Jewish people to Jesus as the Messiah. He expounds on God's working in Israel through the ministry of "Grace for Israel."

Paul is one of the most externally righteous people we read about in the Bible, yet he also persecuted other Christians. His good works didn't lead him to Jesus. No matter what you do to look or act like a Christian, what matters is your relationship with Jesus. Paul realized that on the road to Damascus. Do you have an earnestness to know, to follow, and to worship Jesus Christ?

Christmas is the gift of hope because our hope starts at Christmas. It is the beginning of how we can make the most important and lasting change in our life. Believing in Jesus is how we can become new. If we don't change, we won't have a new year, we'll just have another year.

The message from Bethel's Family Christmas service

When did the earthly life of Jesus Christ really begin? John 1:14 tells us that “the Word (referring to Jesus Christ) became flesh and lived among us.” Christmas did not begin in Bethlehem, but nine months earlier when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and implanted within her the divine-human Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wealth and treasure are the number one contenders for our hearts. Jesus teaches through the parable of the rich man in Luke 12 that we can eliminate the competition for our hearts by being givers. If we give on earth, our reward will be great in heaven, because we have learned to be rich toward God.

The story from Mark 12 about the widow who gave all that she had at the Temple is a lesson in how Jesus viewed wealth. Often, the more money a person makes, the less generous they are. But God is not impressed by how many zeros are at the end of your offering. God is looking for a percentage. 

Amassing earthly riches will give you a false sense of security. Instead of putting your hope in the provisions of the world, you should put your hope in the Provider who has given you life and all you need to sustain it. Not only that, God has provided you with the gift of eternal life. 

Today, we’ll unpack the attitudes of Jesus’ first team and the affect they had on the culture around them.

Every human has intrinsic value because the image God, imago Dei, has been given to him or her. This elevates human dignity over animals. The way we interact with the world in light of the imago Dei must be shaped by our theology. All lives are created in the image of God and have worth. All life, all the way to the point of conception must be protected. The reason that Satan loves murder is that...

Does God really want us to know for sure that we are saved? Yes, just like a good father doesn't want his children wondering whether or not they are loved, God loves us and wants us to have assurance in our salvation. When you believe in the name of the Son of God, you are resting in His actions to save you. The gospel, by its very nature, produces assurance. Because you are not depending on how w...

We are discussing how we can know with certainty that we are saved. So, how we can be sure that we are followers of Christ? 1 John 4 says that our relationship with God is measured by our love for others. Love is how others see God in us.

What dominates your life? Is it the love of the Father, or love of the world? John describes the world as it is arrayed in rebellion against God. He defines this as the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. John then teaches that the way to overcome the world is by embracing the love of the Father.

In 1 John 1:5-10, John identifies three signs of someone who doesn’t know God—even though they think they do. John says that you don’t know God if you sin willfully and habitually, you say you have no sin, and you have no confidence before God because of your sin. John says that being unaware of the sinfulness of your heart is a sign you don’t know God. The clearest sign that you are growing in gr...

The book of 1 John is written to anyone wondering, "How do you know that your experience with God is genuine?" Over the next few weeks, we'll be taking a closer look at answering this question.