Bethel CRC Lacombe

Today we have the pleasure of  Pastor Henry Steenbergen leading us in worship. The focus of our reflection will be on Luke 15:1-3;11-32, Extending Grace to the Lost . Often in this world, we can assume like the older brother in this parable, to be our own saviour. When in reality we need to recognize our need for God’s gift of forgiveness and how we can extend that gift to others.

Today we will reflect on Isaiah 30:1-22, Judgement and Joy.  Without judgement there will never be the joy. These are the two irreplaceable core elements of the Gospel. Jesus echo's these words from Isaiah in the Gospel of Mark, as he starts His ministry on earth, "Repent and believe the good news!" Just like King Hezekiah in the Old Testament, we need to go to the Lord with full re...

Today Eddie Maguire from Central Alberta Youth Unlimited will lead us in a reflection on Hebrews 11:1-3,13, Commitment . When you make a commitment it is usually accompanied by the words “I will”. The words of Jesus in John 14:3, “ I will return.” Many have committed to serving Jesus because of those words. In Hebrews, we see a host of people of faith who were committed to serving God but didn’t h...

Today we will reflect on Hebrews 12:1-13, Run the Race Well . This past week we held our Athletes in Action Summer Camp. W e will reflect on the authors use of a sports metaphor to encourage our faith life. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus as we are called to live our lives according to Jesus’ way.

Today we finish our series on The Covenants by reflecting on Revelation 5, Covenant of Redemption Fulfilled! We enter into a vision given to John of heaven’s throne room, where we find the Lion of Judah who is also a Lamb, a sacrificial lamb. Before the Lamb is a scroll that no one can open, containing the history of the battle against God by Satan. The Lamb is the only one able to open it because...

Today we will reflect on Jeremiah 31:23-37, The New Covenant . Israel’s in captivity, slaves to a foreign power, far from home. The Lord comes to his people through Jeremiah and now offers hope and a promise of a new covenant. This is a new commitment that builds on all the previous covenants by placing it right in the hearts of the people. You don’t get more committed or closer to the people than...

Today we will reflect on 2 Samuel 7:1-17 The Davidic Covenant . David is at peace; he’s brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. But now, as he sits in his palace, he realizes that the ark is still in a tent. He wants to build a house for God, but instead, God’s covenant is to build a house for David, a house of descendants who will sit on the throne. One of David’s offspring will be est...

Today we will reflect on Exodus 20:1-21 and Exodus 24:3-8, The Mosaic Covenant . Here God gives Israel the 10 Commandments and various other laws to shape Israel into his people. A people who will reflect him to the nations. God reminds them of who he is and what he’s done for them, leading them out of slavery and into freedom, using his power and authority on their behalf as his people. The Law i...

Today we reflect on Genesis 17 , The Covenant of Circumcision . This covenant is made with Abraham where God promises to make Abraham the father of many nations. The Lord makes it clear that the child He has promised Abraham will come through Sarah, who will be the mother of the promised child, not Ishmael, who has just been born to the slave girl Hagar. God doesn’t forget Ishmael and promised to...

Today we reflect on Genesis 12:1-9 and Genesis 15:1-21, The Abrahamic Covenant . This is a two-part covenant of land and heirs; a promise to give Abraham an heir from his own body, who will live in the land the Lord is giving him. The Lord tells Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the night sky. A promise that God will protect Abraham’s descendants even though a time o...

Today we will reflect on Genesis 9:1-17, The Noahic Covenant. The Lord punishes the world for its evilness by sending a flood. God sees that Noah is righteous,  so he calls Noah & his sons to build an ark to save themselves and the animals of creation. This flood story takes us back to creation and the Lord’s commands to Adam and his family: to be fruitful and multiply. In Noah’s story, it is...

Today we will reflect on Pentecost; the great harvest feast of the Jewish people. We will focus our reflection on Acts 2:1-13, The Gift . On Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection and 10 days after his ascension to heaven, Jesus sends his Spirit to empower the church and to carry forward his last instruction to go make disciples. The Spirit gives us the gift of communication and courage to g...

Today we will reflect on Jesus’ ascension to heaven by focusing on Matthew 28:16-20, Last Instructions Before Returning Home . Jesus returns home to heaven 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. Jesus is going home to claim his crown as King of kings; to take up the authority he has been given and take his place on the throne beside God his Father. Before he leaves, he gathers with his disc...

Today we are celebrating the Profession of Faith of 8 young adults as they commit themselves to Jesus and the church. Aiden, Rachel, Connor, Kayla, Torey, Conner, Brooklyn, and Kyler will profess their faith in Jesus and their desire to make him Lord of their life. We will reflect on Jeremiah 29:1-14, For the Welfare of the City ; a verse that shaped our Profession of Faith class. Israel is in exi...

Today we will reflect on Isaiah 56:1-8, A House of Prayer for All Nations . This will be our annual prayer service and will incorporate prayers for various topics. In this passage from Isaiah, the Lord ties together justice and righteousness with keeping the Sabbath. Worship and right living go hand in hand in the Christian life. God is calling not only the Jews, but people from all nations to be...

Today we are celebrating GEMS Sunday, where our girls’ ministry will be leading many of the parts of our worship. We will reflect on Isaiah 40:28-31, Rise Up! Lessons from Queen Esther. Esther is a fascinating woman in Israel’s history, she goes from being an orphan to becoming the most powerful woman in the empire. Esther is called to put her life on the line for the sake of her people and to ful...

Today we are celebrating the sacrament of baptism . The family has chosen Isaiah 46 where God promises “ I Will Sustain You.” God is speaking through Isaiah, reminding the people that he has upheld his people and carried them since they have been born, unlike the idols which have to be borne by beasts of burden or people. Rather than sustain idols, the people are reassured that God sustains them....

This year our Good Friday Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. on March 29, 2024. We will hold a Tenebrae service reflecting on John 1:29 and John 10:14-18, Picture Jesus: The Lamb . This is a service of shadows as we journey to the cross with Jesus. During this service, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Today is Easter the high point of the church year! We will join with the universal church by rejoicing in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We will reflect on John 11:25-26 and John 20:1-9, Picture Jesus: The Resurrection and the Life . These are wonderful words of comfort & hope; knowing that whether we live or die we belong to Jesus. Through his life and resurrection, we also experience lif...

Today is Palm Sunday celebration we will reflect on John 12:12-19, Picture Jesus: The King . Historically Palm Sunday has been associated with Jesus’ kingship; however he was not the king the people wanted but the king that the people need. The Jewish leaders and the Romans felt threatened by Jesus as king. They mocked the idea of his kingship in his trial and his death by posting on the cross abo...

Today is the fifth Sunday of Lent and we will focus our reflection on John 13:1-17, The Foot-washer . This is our Mexico Mission trip commissioning service. We will reflect on what it looks like to be a servant; to be willing to humble ourselves, to place the needs of others first, making serving a part of our character, and a regular part of our life journey as we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We w...

Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent and we will reflect on John 10:11-18, The Shepherd . In this passage Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd; echoing back to the bad shepherds that Ezekiel describes in the Old Testament. Kings, such as King David, were often referred to as shepherds, called to provide and protect their people and ensuring that there was justice in the land. Being a shepher...

Today is the third Sunday of  our Lenten series, John 2:1-11, The Miracle Worker . Picture Jesus at a wedding feast  when an embarrassing problem comes up; the wedding runs out of wine. This is a shameful thing for the groom and his family, so Jesus’ mother asks him to help. Jesus replies that it’s not his time yet, but in a spirit of grace, Jesus turns 6 jars of water into the best of wines. This...

Today is the second Sunday of Lent. We will reflect on John 6:25-40, The Bread of Life . This story happens the day after Jesus fed 5,000 people with only 2 small fish and 5 loaves of bread. During the night, Jesus spent time with his Father and then walked on the water to join his disciples in their boat. Soon after arriving on the other side of the lake crowds begin to gather; their hope is to b...

Today  is the first Sunday of Lent.  During the Lenten season, we will reflect on the pictures of who Jesus revealed in the Gospel of John, beginning with Picture Jesus: The Living Water , John 4:1-15. As Jesus travels with his disciples from Judea to Galilee, he encounters a Samaritan woman at a well during mid-day; an unusual time of the day for someone to come to the well. Jesus asks her if she...