The Periodically

Below are the words shared by Pastor Ben on Sunday, 4/25 related to evangelism and Bethany Community Church: 2 Timothy 4:1–2 says [1] I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2] preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. As believers, we get the joy of being a part of God's evangelism ministry to the world--telling other beggars where we, as beggars, found bread. What a delight to be a part of God's mission. Does He need us? No. But He delights in including us in the mission. Think of a father and young son working on a project in the garage. The good father tells his son--come over here and help me drive this nail. The son, smiling from ear to ear, wraps his hands around the hammer, the father wraps his hands around his son's hand, and the work begins. Both delighting in the work. The Great commission ...

Several years ago, when I first heard the term “theology of suffering” I thought, ‘Hhmm, not my favorite topic.” But as I listened, I became more aware that God’s Word addresses the subject often and that I needed to let God’s Word shape my thinking about the topic of suffering. Shortly after this, the Lord brought me into my own period of intense personal suffering, and I quickly realized that whatever my professed theology of suffering was, my practical theology of suffering was simply, “Run the other direction as quickly as possible!”In my own journey to make sense of how a good, sovereign God connects with the intense personal pain of suffering, I have often turned to the book of 1 Peter, written to encourage those facing difficult times to remain faithful. Recently I led a Bible study through the book of 1 Peter and was once again challenged to evaluate how I think about and respond to hardships in my life. As I’ve studied and meditated on 1 Peter over the last nine weeks, four wo...