Bethel Crc Lacombe

This Advent season we are journeying through selected passages from the Book of Revelation: Angels, Help Us to Adore Him. This morning is the fourth Sunday of Advent, a time when the church slows down and reflects on the gift of Jesus who came to earth to become human like us. We also look forward to Jesus’ return during Advent. This morning we are reflecting on Revelation 5, Who is Worthy? The Apostle John is still in heaven’s throne room and the question comes up, “Who is worthy?” Jesus is the one worthy because he has taken the sin of the world on himself onto the cross where we are redeemed from our sin. In Advent we remember that Jesus became human and redeemed for his Father “persons from every tribe and language and people and nation,” as his own. When Jesus returns, we will join Jesus and the Father as heaven and earth are rejoined once again. 

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, a time when the church slows down and reflects on the gift of Jesus who came to earth to become human like us.  We also look forward to Jesus’ return during Advent.  This Advent season we will be journeying through selected passages from the Book of Revelation: Angels, Help Us to Adore Him.  We will be reflecting on Revelation 4, Falling Down in Worship.  In Revelation 4 we are given a peek into heaven’s throne room and the worship that happens there. It’s an amazing peek into heaven and some of the creatures that are found there. The Apostle John marvels at the worship that fills heaven’s throne room. It’s a good time to reflect on how worship fills and shapes our hearts and lives each day.  

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, a time where the church slows down and reflects on the gift of Jesus who came to earth to become human like us.  This Advent season we will be journeying through selected passages from the Book of Revelation: Angels, Help Us to Adore Him.  We will continue with Revelation 3:14-22, Lukewarm Christians. This passage is a letter to the church in Laodicea.  It’s so easy when you’ve been in a relationship for a long time to take the other person for granted.  It’s not that you love them less, but you stop showing it, you allow other things to take your time and attention away from the other person, and you slowly begin to drift apart, allowing your love to grow less hot.  This creates lukewarm relationships, even with God.  The challenge is how to revive a lukewarm relationship again. 

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, a time where the church slows down and reflects on the gift of Jesus who came to earth to become human like us.  This Advent season we will be journeying through selected passages from the Book of Revelation: Angels, Help Us to Adore Him.  We will begin with reflection on Revelation 3:1-13, Wake Up!  This passage contains letters from Jesus to the churches in Sardis and Philadelphia.  It is so easy become complacent as followers of Jesus, allowing our faith to become only a Sunday thing.  We can lose our passion for Jesus and our passion for the world to know Jesus, so Jesus issues a call to Wake Up!  Do we need a wake-up call from Jesus, how is our passion level for our neighbours and community? 

Today we will wrap up our 5 week series on the Canons of Dordt.  We will conclude our study by reflecting on John 17, Protected and Kept Safe.  In John 17 we find Jesus’ prayer for his disciples and followers.  Jesus prays to the Father for protection for them from the evil one, asking the Father to sanctify the people God has given him.  Jesus mentions how he protected and kept safe the ones God has given him.  This directs us to the last point of doctrine in the Canons of Dordt: Perseverance of the Saints. 

We will continue our 5-week series on the Canons of Dordt by reflecting on Ezekiel 36:22-38, Giving Us a Heart of Flesh.  Irresistible Grace is a beautiful doctrine that points to God’s deep commitment to us.  We sing, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,” and God makes his grace so sweet to us that, while we may fight against it for a time, in the end our hearts are so drawn to Jesus that we find we have no choice but accept his love for us and commit ourselves to become his followers and children of our heavenly Father.

We will continue our study of the Canons by reflecting on John 3:1-21, Whoever Believes.   Jesus’ death for our sin washes us clean from the dirt of sin on our souls and hearts and makes us right with God.  But not everyone is washed clean; there are those who reject Jesus as their Saviour and choose themselves as ruler of their lives and so Jesus’ sacrifice is not applied to them, even though it is capable of washing away all the sin in the world.

We will continue our study of the Canons by reflecting on Ephesians 1:1-14, No Conditions.  In most of our relationships, we are loved or accepted because of something that we bring into the relationship.  When the relationship becomes too costly, it’s common to end the relationship and find new ones that fit us better and bring something of value into our lives.  Our relationship with God is different.  We have nothing to offer God, he has no reason at all to want a relationship with us, and yet he chooses us to be his children.  He gives us his love without any conditions, taking away our worry about not bringing anything into our relationship with God.  

This week we will begin a 5-week series on the Canons of Dordt.  This year is the 400th anniversary of the meeting of the Synod of Dordrecht where the Canons were written.  This is our least known and most misunderstood confession ad yet it’s a confession filled with great hope and comfort.  Most of us learnt the Canons through the word TULIP.  We are beginning our study of the Canons with the doctrine of total depravity by reflecting on Romans 3:9-20, Sin Infects Us.  We are also celebrating the Lord’s Supper today.  

Today we welcome Pastor Brian Schouten from Sonrise CRC in Ponoka, as he brings us God’s Word from Luke 12:13-23.

Today we welcome Diana Boot to our worship service as she shares with us her work in Uganda.  We will be reflecting on Luke 9:18-27, Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Some people say Jesus is a great teacher. Others say that he had a special relationship with God and is like a prophet. While others say that Jesus is God, the Son of God, and the Messiah.  Who we see Jesus as makes a difference in how we respond to Jesus, because if he’s simply a teacher or prophet, we can pick and choose what we want to accept from what Jesus says.  If he is God, the son of God, then our relationship with Jesus completely changes. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Today at our special Thanksgiving service, we will be reflecting on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, focusing on verse 16-18.  Giving Thanks In All Circumstances.  Paul reminds us to be joyful always, pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances.  God has blessed us and so we take time on Thanksgiving Day to say Thank You! for his blessings and presence in the past year.

Today we will be reflecting on Jesus’ invitation to Follow Me.  What does it mean to follow Jesus, how does that change our lives, our priorities, and our relationships with God, Jesus, others and ourselves? We all like to think that we chart our own way through life, but the reality is that we all find someone to imitate and follow, so who are you following? 

Today Pastor Jake wraps up to his series on the 3Ts by reflecting on Luke 18:18-30 Treasure. What does your treasure chest look like, what is it filled with? When it comes down to it, is the treasure you’ve collected and stored in your lifetime even yours? What does good treasure even look like? We will be exploring these questions and more.  We will also be celebrating the Lord’s Supper.  Please join us for refreshments in the fellowship hall after the morning service.  

This week Pastor Jake returns to his series on the 3T’s by reflecting on 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, Talents.  God has given each of us different talents or gifts.  Our culture tells us that we should use our gifts to do well in life for ourselves and our families and God doesn’t disagree, but His idea of family is much bigger that our culture’s.  Our gifts are given to us to use to build up our church family, to work towards unity, and for the common good.  This morning is also a commissioning service as we enter a new church year of learning, servicing and equipping each other to follow Jesus wherever the Holy Spirit leads us.  

This week our youth are the focus of our service, Pastor Jake will be preaching from Psalm 139, Where Can I Flee from Your Presence?  It doesn’t matter where you go, God is always there.  That can be reassuring for some and a bit frightening for others if you are trying to get away from God.  God reminds us through creation itself that he is here and he never gives up on reaching out to us. 

Pastor Jake will be beginning a short 3-week series called The 3 T’s.  We will be reflecting on Time, Talents (our gifts), and Treasure.  We will begin with Matthew 25:31-46 and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Time:  God’s Plan for Our Time.  Time is limited and we all have the same amount of it every day.  So how do we use our time, who do we use our time for?  Time is also precious and we have only so much of it to spend, so how we use our time while on earth is important. 

Pastor Jake will be wrapping up his series on trees in the Bible by reflecting on Revelation 22:1-6, The Leaves of the Trees are for Healing.  The Bible begins with stories of trees and the last chapter of the Bible includes trees whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. We all need healing; soul healing, physical healing, relationship healing and more.  Jesus came in order to bring healing in every area of our lives, overcoming the effects of sin through his death on a tree.  This fills us with hope and strength as we journey through life.  

This week Pastor Jake will be continuing his series on trees in the Bible by reflecting on Matthew 12:33-37, Make Your Tree Good.  Being healthy spiritually doesn’t just happen and there are many ways we can prepare and work the soil of our heart in order to be healthy.  We are called to do the hard work in following Jesus to make sure that we produce good fruit and are a blessing wherever God places us. 

Welcome to Bethel!  Today we welcome Mark Patterson as he leads us in worship.  “For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."  When something good happens in your life, doesn't it seem even better if you tell someone else about it?  If someone does something special for you, isn't it natural to let others know how much you appreciate what that person has done?  Today we will have the chance to tell others how you've seen God working in your life.  It might be an answered prayer, a divine intervention, a joyous event, or a new insight from the Word.  To God be the glory!