Laketon Bethel Audio Sermons

THUNDER IN THE DESERT:  When we find ourselves in a spiritual desert, God sends some thunder that points us to Jesus.

CHANGING YOUR LUCK:  Some of what happens to us, whether good or bad, has nothing to do with our behavior.  But some of what happens we bring on ourselves.  Bad luck can be reduced by doing what is good and running from evil.

SEND ANYONE ELSE:  When God calls us, he qualifies us.  When we report for duty our lives are blessed beyond what we can imagine.  So take a risk and experience the deep joy that comes from being a mess in God’s service.

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN:  God blessed Jacob even though he was a stinker.  When he placed his calling in your life, he already factored in your flaws.  Take comfort in that and move forward.  The “house of God” is populated by stinkers.

THE BINDING OF ISAAC:  today we take a new look at an old strange story from the early chapters of the Bible.  What about this thing of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?  Tune in to find out.

CREATION OR EVOLUTION:  Is our existence meticulously planned and executed or did we just happen?EATION OR EVOLUTION:  Is our existence meticulously planned and executed or did we just happen?

OPEN DOOR TO HEAVEN:  Jesus and human pride are not compatible.  If we wish for heaven, we need to lay down our crowns.

RELIEVING BROMODOSIS: Live like Jesus, be a workhorse who serves and live a blessed life.

COCKROACH THEOLOGY:  When the light of the world presents himself, don’t run for the darkness.  Instead, become vulnerable in God’s presence and allow him to regenerate you into whole and lasting life beginning right now.  

WHEN GOD SENDS HARD TIMES:  Hard times happen.  It helps to think of them as tests.  We can learn and grow through testing.

FAITH AND GRIT:  Your faith will thrive when combined with grit.  So hang in there and watch your faith multiply.  God blesses those who take the initiative.

DOES GOD STILL LOVE US?  Is his love conditional or unconditional?  Let’s take a look at this narrative from the book of Ruth to find an answer.

FOREIGN TONGUES: Am I less of a Christian if I don’t speak in tongues?  Today we trace the origins of Pentecost and the Pentecostal movement, looking for some answers from key biblical passages.

THE ATTITUDE OF CHRIST:  We get to choose our attitude every day.  In this passage, Paul makes the excellent suggestion that we choose the attitude of Christ, which will give us cause to rejoice.

WHY DO YOU WEEP?  The Lord guarantees a bright future that will only get brighter, so why do you weep?  Let’s live instead in gratitude for all he has done and will do for us. 

PARENTAL PRAYER: This is said best by Paul in Philippians 1.9, "I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding." He wants his followers (and us) to keep on growing.

THE UNKNOWN GOD:  Jesus calls us to make a radical life-change.  He helps us move from being self-centered manipulative children to mature adults who act as his representatives with love and service.

JOYFUL ANYWAY:  God can and does give us joy in the worst of circumstances.  We can’t generate joy; we can only receive it and uncover it.

THE FUTURE OF THE RCA:  Eddie Aleman’s vision [Eddie is the general secretary of the RCA] for the RCA is based on Revelation 7 v.9.  A vast crowd looking to report for duty to Jesus.  Let’s go for it. It will be a struggle, but Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes.

DIVINE DISRUPTION:  Every once in a while, God chooses to rescue us with a divine disruption, a life-changing event that propels us to write a different ending to our story.

THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT:  Doubt is a normal part of faith development.  It is OK to doubt.  It is even better after a season of doubt to believe.

NAILED DOWN NO MORE:  Us humans, steeped in sin, want a god we can control, a god we can nail down.  As we nail God down, we only increase the nails that hold us down.  Jesus allowed himself to be nailed down so that we could be set free by his resurrection.  

AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS:  We’re all equal at the foot of the cross.  We’re equal in sin, equal in responsibility and equal for the possibility of redemption.  The one who was declared guilty declares us “not guilty.”  He does this not because we deserve it but because of who he is.  ~from John 19

JUDGING JESUS: Eventually, we all must make a decision about Jesus.  What will your choice be?  Mythical figure?  Fire insurance?  Boring stories?  Madman? Ignore him? Use him to make yourself look religious and trustworthy?  Lord and Master?  Report for duty?

WHAT IS TRUTH?  In a world of deception, we need some absolute truth.  Jesus claims to be the truth, the true representative of God.  Take comfort in the fact that he declares you saved.  His truth will set you free.

WHEN THE ROOSTER CROWS:  No matter what you have done nor what you are doing needs to determine your future.  You can be forgiven by Jesus and you can forgive yourself and those who have caused you harm.  Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, helps us reinvent ourselves every day.  Your conscience is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to let you know where you need to grow.

A TOMB WITH A VIEW:  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.”  Let’s trust him and live in peace.

WHO SINNED?  Jesus wants to open, re-open and keep our eyes open to ultimate spiritual reality.  Let him.

PRODUCTIVE PRAYER:  Prayer always gets answered but rarely the way we expect.  God responds to our prayers to our unexpected benefit, better than we deserve and better than we can imagine.  Prayer and work must function together.

FREE REFILLS:  A connection with Jesus brings deep and lasting satisfaction and contentment for our souls.  In him we find spiritual nourishment.

JESUS GOT MAD:  Jesus did not get mad because he had realistic expectations of people.  If we do the same we will spare ourselves much anger and regrettable decisions we make while in that state.  So let’s follow the example of Jesus and learn how to manage our anger.

150 GALLONS OF WINE:  Jesus turns stale and legalistic religion into a party.  New wine symbolizes the new covenant in him, a covenant of grace rather than a covenant of merit.

A WILD RIDE:  When you follow Jesus, you’re in for a wild ride.  You’ll like some of it and be disappointed in some of it.  It will change you for the better or the bitter.  What are you going to do?

ABUNDANCE OF BLESSINGS:  We get because he has given.

FINDING FREE DRINKS:  Jesus invites us to the Living Water, a metaphor for a rich and satisfying life that lasts for eternity.  All we have to do is give up the mundane, self-centered lives we are leading and let him bring us to the water.  Come to the water. 

HOPE FOR OLD, DRY BONES:  When we reach the lowest point in our lives, God sends hope.  Just like he did when the oppressive Roman Empire was taking over the world, Jesus arrived.  He brings life into dried up bones.

UNCOMPROMISED:  When it comes to adiaphora, we can compromise all day.  But when it comes to the core teachings of Jesus, we must remain uncompromised.

EXILE ON MAIN STREET:  God has good plans for us.  Not to spoil the ending, but everything is going to be alright

REDUCING THE DARKNESS:  The darkness in our lives is mostly our own doing.  But we can always choose the light that Jesus wants to give us.  Why not choose the light?  The light is a metaphor for grace.  We can’t generate it; we can only receive it.

NAPS AND DONUTS:  The blues are the common cold of the soul.  They come and go but we are never fully immune to them.  When we experience them, it is good to remember that they are temporary and that God will send relief.

THE REFORMING CHURCH: The Reformed Church must always be reforming according to the Word of God.

HOW GOD MAKES CHOICES:  In David, God chose a king with a big heart.  As with David, he will create clean and willing hearts in us as we choose to do his work.  It is better to be willing than it is to be worthy.

STOP TALKING AND LISTEN:  God is speaking to you at this moment.  Get quiet and listen.  Not everything he will tell you is pleasant, but it all is for your good.  Listen for his voice and you will be blessed.  Invite him to speak to you and he will.  (Based on 1 Samuel 3.)

GRUMBLING AND GATHERING:  Don’t complain.  All complaints are ultimately complaints against Jesus.  Ask the Lord  to help.  Work with him and it will go well with you.

WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE?  Heaven is a place where the curse of this world is removed.  It is a place of healing, rejoicing and meaningful existence.  Let’s not wait to tap into this eternal life.

THE BEAST AND THE DRAGON: Our Lord will see us through times of incredible difficulty.  The beast and the dragon can hassle us but they will not win.  We will pass the test.Tough times don’t last.  God’s people do.

WHO IS WORTHY?  The Lamb paid for our release and ransomed us with his blood.  We are now his priests, representing him to a world that desperately needs him.  It is our joyful purpose!  The lion is in fact a lamb. We are worthy only because he is worthy.

A GANG OF PRIESTS: This passage and a few others of the New Testament make it clear that as followers of Jesus, we are all priests.  The duties of a priest are teaching, caring for those down on their luck, praying for believers and unbelievers and representing Jesus in all that they do.

ALWAYS IMPROVING:  God understands stupid.  When he calls us, he has already factored our stupidity in.  In spite of our foolishness, he is always working in the background to make things better.  He gave us a new, simple covenant, written on our hearts.  The New Covenant is the law of love.

RETURN TO NORMAL:  Optimism in the face of devastation is possible when you realize God’s plan for you and surrender to it.