Bethany Church of Canby

Elder Bob Yoder brought the message for the end of Jacobs life in Genesis.

The Canby Center's Mark Smith brings the sermon today.

This obscure passage contains the moment that the writer of Hebrews chose to highlight as Jacob’s greatest act of faith. Why is that? It is because it goes against and crosses everything the world values and is a picture of God’s grace. Joseph struggled with his dad’s decision, too. And so do we when God crosses our plans. Let’s look this morning at God’s grace and how to trust it.

Even as Pharaoh becomes a great blessing to Jacob and his family, it is only Jacob who can truly bless Pharaoh. This morning we look at the settling of Jacob and family in Goshen, where the promises of God come true, and an old man of faith keeps his eye on what is important – the future promises of God.

God always provides for his people! This morning we look at the move of Jacob’s family to Egypt. Little did they know but God was already working his plan of deliverance and preservation for them by providing rich farmland and a place where they could flourish and grow into a nation. It was like their very own ark of safety and deliverance. This morning let’s look at what this means.

In this third encounter between Joseph and his brothers, Joseph is finally convinced that his brothers have truly changed as Judah offers himself as a substitute on behalf of the family. Much transformation has taken place in this family, and now Joseph reveals God’s greater purpose in their drama. Let’s look at their transformation and God’s providence.

In this second encounter between Joseph and his brothers, the sunny floodgates of mercy begin to open on this family - From father Jacob’s prayer for mercy for his boys, to the steward of Joseph’s house proclamation of peace, to Joseph’s home shared feast. But would the 10 reciprocate mercy? Let’s find out as we look at three realities in the story.

Jack Rants preaches today on what God is doing behind the scenes.

We are reaching the climax of the Joseph story in chapters 42-45. In this first of two encounters Joseph is seen testing his brothers without revealing his identity and forgiving them. Why did he not just reveal and forgive right away? Joseph wanted more than just reconciliation. He wanted transformation for his family, and that would come at a greater expense to everyone involved. But this was Go...

Joseph goes from the pit of prison to the height of Egyptian power in one day in chapter 41. In all of this, God is asserting and loudly proclaiming that he is sovereign over all things. Yet God loves to work through individuals. So, in Joseph, God is confronting the world by displaying that only his power can bring life to the world. We see this in Jesus too. This morning let’s look at God’s sove...

Joseph’s story continues to go from bad to worse; still separated from his family, still in prison which he describes as a pit and even as chapter 40 comes to an end there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The story causes us to wrestle with big questions like how do I respond when God delays in keeping his promises and why does God allow suffering.

Why did the first women to the tomb need to be reminded that Jesus said he would die and rise when he had already been teaching them this? Had they forgotten? No, it was because they didn’t actually understand the reality, the necessity and the power of his death and resurrection. This Easter morning let’s remember again and enter the empty tomb together. Let’s remember three things!

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that Sunday of Holy Week, he came in an unexpected way as an unexpected King. The people were expecting a ruling political liberator, but Jesus in humility had come riding on the humble means of a donkey to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, and rule as king in the hearts of men and women. This morning our baptisms point to both this unexpected way and un...

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.