The Lutheran Sermon Podcast From Bethany

April 28, 2024 - "Gathered to Grow!" - Pr. Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: John 15:1-8 15 ⌞Then Jesus said,⌟ “I am the true vine, and my Father takes care of the vineyard. 2 He removes every one of my branches that doesn’t produce fruit. He also prunes every branch that does produce fruit to make it produce more fruit. 3 “You are already clean [a] because of what I have told you. 4 Live in me...

April 21, 2024 -- "Gathered To Know!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: John 10:11-18 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand isn’t a shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand is concerned abou...

April 14, 2024 - "Gathered To Go!" - Pr. Mark Siegert, Bible Text: Luke 24: 36-49 36 While they were talking about what had happened, Jesus stood among them. He said to them, “Peace be with you!” 37 They were terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Why do you have doubts? 39 Look at my hands and feet, and see that it’s really me. Touch me,...

April 7, 2024 - "Gathered to Show" - Rev. John Alwood, John 20: 19-31 19 That Sunday evening, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20 When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad to see the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with yo...

March 31, 2024 "Easter Fools!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Mark 15:48 - 16:7 When the day of rest—a holy day, was over, Mary from Magdala, Mary (the mother of James), and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Jesus. 2 On Sunday they were going to the tomb very early when the sun had just come up. 3 They said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance...

March 24, 2024 -- "Get Off Your Donkey, Too/2!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible text Mark 11: 1-11 11 When they came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of him. 2 He said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it....

March 17, 2024 -- "Connected To The Cross" -- Pastor Kyle Blake, Bible Text Mark 10:32-45 32 Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. His disciples were shocked that he was going to Jerusalem. The others who followed were afraid. Once again he took the twelve apostles aside. He began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We’re g...

March 10, 2023 -- "Connected To Those On The Margins" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Mark 5:1-20, (5) They arrived in the territory of the Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 2 As Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man came out of the tombs and met him. The man was controlled by an evil spirit 3 and lived among the tombs. No one could restrain him any longer, not even...

March 3, 2024 -- "Connected to Community" -- Pastor Mark Siegert, Bible Text: Mark 2:1-12 (2) Several days later Jesus came back to Capernaum. The report went out that he was home. 2 Many people had gathered. There was no room left, even in front of the door. Jesus was speaking God’s word to them. 3 Four men came to him carrying a paralyzed man. 4 Since they could not bring him to Jesus...

February 25, 2024 -- "Connected to Generations Past" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Mark 8: 27-38 27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They answered him, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say...

February 18, 2024 -- "Connected With Temptation" -- Pastor Kyle Blake; Bible Text: Mark 1:9-15 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove. 11 A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.” 12 At once...

February 11, 2024 -- "Cup Overflows: Transfiguration" -- Pastor Kyle Blake, Bible Text: Mark 9:2-9 2 After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and wer...

February 4, 2024 -- Our Generous God-You Have His!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Galatians 2:17-20 17 If we, the same people who are searching for God’s approval in Christ, are still sinners, does that mean that Christ encourages us to sin? That’s unthinkable! 18 If I rebuild something that I’ve torn down, I admit that I was wrong to tear it down. 19 When I tried to obey the laws in t...

January 28, 2024 -- "Generous God--Offering Plate Too Small!" - Pastor Mark Siegert, Bible Text: Genesis 3:9-17 9 The Lord God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 11 God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The ma...

January 21, 2024 - "Cup Runneth Over--Does It Really?" - Pastor Kyle Blake, Bible Text: Genesis 3:1-7 (3) The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman answered the snake, “We’re allowed to eat the fruit from any tree in the garden 3 except the tree...

January 14, 2023 -- "Cup Runneth Over-Christmas Every Day!" -- Pr. Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he creat...

January 7, 2024 -- "Wringing Wet!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Romans 6:1-11 (6) What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness [a] will increase? 2 That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence? 3 Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his deat...

December 31, 2023 -- "Adopted!" -- Pastor Mark Siegert, Bible Text: Galatians 4:4-7 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son into the world. A woman gave birth to him, and he came under the control of the laws given to Moses. 5 God sent him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children. 6 Because you are God’s childr...

December 24, 2023 -- (Advent 4) "Delivering What Really Matters" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Luke 1 : 26-28 26 Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. 27 The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 When the angel entered her home, he greete...

December 3, 2023 -- "And...You're Done!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Isaiah 64:1-9 (64) If only you would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence. 2 Be like the fire that kindles brushwood and makes water boil. Come down to make your name known to your enemies. The nations will tremble in your presence. 3 When you did awe-inspiring th...

December 17, 2023 -- "Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Or Gloom of Night!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 (61) The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. 2 He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released. He has sent me to...

December 10, 2023 -- When It Absotively Posilutely Needs to Be There!" -- Pastor Kyle Blake, Bible Text: Isaiah 40:1-11 (40) “Comfort my people! Comfort them!” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and announce to it that its time of hard labor is over and its wrongs have been paid for. It has received from the Lord double for all its sins.” 3 A voice cries out in the desert: “Clear a...

November 26, 2023 -- "No Surprises Here!" -- Pastor Kevin Kritzer, Bible Text: Matthew 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 The people of every nation will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right but the...

November 19, 2023 -- "No Ostriches Among Us!" -- Pastor Kyle Blake; Bible Text: Matthew 25:14-30 14 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a trip. He called his servants and entrusted some money to them. 15 He gave one man ten thousand dollars, another four thousand dollars, and another two thousand dollars. Each was given money based on his ability. Then the man went on his trip....

November 12, 2023 -- "Kingdom Come! Go - Ready!" -- Pastor Mark Siegert; Bible Text: Matthew 25:1-13 25 “When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. 4 The wise bridesmaids, howeve...