Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

In this message for the week of Christmas, Pastor Chad relates how the roads we travel in life aren't always the path we'd choose for ourselves. Sometimes there's an unplanned detour through a lost job, a divorce, a cancer diagnosis, or the death of a loved one. Mary & Joseph did not plan a road trip to Bethlehem, it was a detour caused by a govern…

We took Chad on a journey through some of the most Beloved Christmas Characters and Christmas Movies to ask ourselves where faith can be found in the midst of these stories. How are the Characters knowingly or unknowingly following in the ways of Jesus.Von bethlehemyouthministries1

Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

It is not because we are smart enough to find Him or holy enough to deserve Him or clever enough to make Him want us. We didn’t decide to come to Christ. He came to us. He graced us. He chose us. He loves us. He forgives us. It Is Jesus who makes Christmas what it is and why it is.Von Rev. David M. Reimnitz

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, it is good to ponder the context of His coming. We know from where Christ will come: Bethlehem. But it's more important to know from where peace will come.Von Rev. David M. Reimnitz

Time is a funny thing, sometimes it flies and at other times it drags. In today’s world we are so busy life becomes a blur as it passes us by. Sometimes we wish time would fly through bad parts of life to minimize the heartache. The story of our faith offers us a reminder that sometimes we need to slow down and take in the world around us and when …

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. We light the pink candle reminding us of the Joy the world experienced at the birth of Jesus even as we rejoice in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.While the secular world seeks to mimic Christmas joy in the things of this world, our Heavenly Father gives us the reason to rejoi…

Traditions and expectations fill our lives, especially at Christmas, some add value to our lives and others we need to let go. Letting go of the unrealistic expectations that drain us allows us to focus instead on the peace, hope, and joy of Advent and Christmas. Our Focus text this week, the birth and naming of John, is a reminder that trust & fai…

Advent is about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Season seeks to prepare us for His coming in glory on the Last Day. We do this by remembering the historical narrative of His 1st Coming as if we were there, and by receiving His coming today in Word and Sacrament as we recall and proclaim His first coming while we await His 2nd Coming on the…

Waiting and preparing are big themes in Advent as we draw closer the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. So, are you prepared? Sermons on this week’s focus text this week often talk about how half the young women waiting for the Bridegroom were foolish for not being prepared for the long wait and run out of lamp oil. Pastor Chad invites us to look beyon…

The Holy Spirit shows us our past to remind us where we really went wrong and what Christmas is really supposed to beVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Advent is about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Season seeks to prepare us for His coming in glory on the Last Day. We do this by remembering the historical narrative of His 1st Coming as if we were there, and by receiving His coming today in Word and Sacrament as we recall and proclaim His first coming while we await His 2nd Coming on the…

We begin the Season of Advent, the season of waiting, with the story of the Annunciation. Mary’s life is turned upside down with the announcement that the angel Gabriel brings her. The certainty she had in planning for her wedding to Joseph was gone. How could she be so willing to accept the news of becoming pregnant with the Son of God? Faith! Fai…

We’re grateful to God on this Thanksgiving Day not just because we’re bound to be thankful in view of all He has done for us, but because the Lord Jesus Himself makes us grateful through the message of His saving life and death. We are grateful for the Good News only through the Good News. Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. Unless we abide…

On the last Sunday on the Church calendar, we end on a high note focusing on the center of the Christian calendar and the life of all Christians - Jesus Christ.Von Rev. David M. Reimnitz

Pastor Chad wants to be satisfied and content in life, he wants to be generous in supporting his neighbors, but . . . too often a scarcity mindset takes over. When that happens he moves into conditional (If-Then) thinking: IF I get a raise, THEN I will be content with my income and give more to charity; IF I could retire, THEN I would have time to …

God has not forgotten us or His promises to usVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Pastor Stephanie invites us to consider the big impact a small gift can make when offered out of love and compassion. A meager offering of 5 loaves and 2 fish rippled out across the crowd of 5,000. A simple gesture of caring, like returning a cherished blankie to a frazzled mom and fussy infant, can make a world of difference in the lives of our ne…

This episode is about how people read and understand the bible.Von bethlehemyouthministries1

There is a source of confidence in the face of any self-doubt or challenge in life. Our text talks about those who are confident as they eagerly wait for the Return of Christ on the Last Day.Our source of ultimate confidence is rooted in the person (who He is) and work (what He has done) of Jesus Christ.We can confidently live our lives in eager ex…

Pastor Chad invites us to consider the way our faith lives can flourish if we move from understanding of faith (church, religion, spirituality) as an obligation to something that is a lived out encounter of God’s love for us and our neighbor.Von Pastor Chad Peterson

God sets apart His people and dedicates them for service to Him as they receive His gifts with thanksgiving and share them with the those still outsideVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Pastor Stephanie shares a message for All Saints Day on finding comfort in grief as Jesus promised in the Beatitudes.Von Pastor Stephanie Christoffels

For Martin Luther, grace was both a detailed doctrine as well as the person Jesus Christ.Von Rev. David M. Reimnitz

The Blind Beggar Bartimaeus puts a bow on several themes that have been developing through the central section of Mark’s GospelVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Pastor Chad hates having to say “I don’t know what to do” But sometimes you can’t escape it, no matter how much you prepare or research or train! That is especially true when facing the "hard things" in life, where we don't know the outcome of our decisions or actions. The Good News in the Story of Esther, is that it’s okay not to know the outcome …

Salvation is impossible for us to accomplish ourselves, but nothing is impossible for GodVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

The question posed by the rich young man is one that haunts many of us, one that has to do with our ultimate concern for eternal life. We too, seek Jesus for our answer, for we know He has come to seek and to save the lost. And He has found us! But our sinful human nature still continues to ask the same question, “What must I do to be saved?”Jesus'…

Pastor Chad shares a message exploring the Calling of Moses. God called a reluctant Moses, who was happy being a shepherd, to be God’s messenger in Egypt even though he wasn’t an eloquent speaker or recognized as a powerful leader. Moses keeps insisting he is not the right person for the job even suggesting God "send someone else" but God has a rol…

Jesus is less concerned with what is lawful and more focused on what is love, as He Himself shows that love to usVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Sometimes perfectionism gets in the way doing the right thing. Perfectionism demands we act & speak in line with society’s expectations but for change to happen sometimes we need to speak the truth to those in power. Society expected the Syrophoenician Woman to know her place and not interact with Jesus instead she puts perfectionism aside to remin…

Jesus calls us to care about the small things, just as He doesVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

There are so many words in use today. Unfortunately, sometimes we can’t trust words because the way they are being used doesn’t reflect reality. And when we can't trust words we tend not to listen. This week Pastor Chad invites us to listen to the story of Jesus visiting the home of Martha & Mary a little differently. With so many words to choose f…

Today’s Gospel comes from a transitional portion of Mark’s narrative. The transition is seen in the secrecy of Jesus’ movements through Galilee (9:30); no longer will Jesus heal the sick there. In fact, only one more miracle is recorded before the triumphal entry: the healing of blind Bartimaeus (10:46-52).Our text includes the second of three Pass…

Throughout our lives we find ourselves trying to be grafted into a vine. Pastor Chad recalls trying to survive on the Cool Kids Vine in the 90’s, a vine that produced a very specific looking fruit with just the right style of the moment. Surviving on that vine was stressful and sapped all your resources trying to keep up with fleeting fashion. Then…

The power of prayer is nothing that has to do with prayer itself, it’s simply that God hears everything, cares about His children, and is able to help in every time of needVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

An ad campaign for a candy bar coined it so well “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Pastor Stephanie admits she gets “hangry” when she hasn’t eaten or is overtired. Our focus text this week shows the prophets of the Bible got hangry, too. The Prophet Elijah is ready to give up after running for his life. God provides a shaded place to rest and an…

The healing of the deaf man describes an event whose sensory possibilities are vividly developed by the prophet Isaiah.The amazed witnesses to Jesus’ miracle echo their response to his words, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped” (Isaiah 35:5).One wonders if perhaps they might not have made a connection be…

Sometimes the cracks of stress are below the surface and it looks like we can carry even more weight of busyness and life's challenges. Pastor Chad invites us to consider those micro-cracks in our lives and the lives of others. How will we Flourish if the cracks continue growing as the weight of life increases? Our focus text for this week reminds …

The Christians’ life is of necessity a life of battle with the powers of Satan. God prepares us for this battle by:- giving us knowledge of the unseen and ever-present enemy,- equipping us with divine defensive and offensive weapons, and- the strength in Christ to use them.We employ these weapons with prayer and thus extend God’s conquest over the …

If you had to write an essay about your life would you write it in the future tense dreaming of what could be or would you write it in the past tense reminiscing about the “good old days”? Pastor Chad uses the focus text as a reminder that we can not predict the future but we also can not live in our memories we must be fully present in today even …

God desires that our hearts belong to Him. He desires that the faith we profess and practice will in fact be the same faith He calls us to…faith based on His Word of promise. Loved by God who gave us His Son, we will respond with faith that loves God with all our heart.Von Rev. David M. Reimnitz

Returning home after an extended absence can leave you disoriented by the changes. In our focus texts for this week the people are returning home after being exiled to Babylon for 70 years! It was a whole new generation that was going back to a “home” that all they knew about was from stories told by parents and grandparents. It’s not surprising th…

All of John chapter 6 comes together to point to God’s solution to the life and death problem that faces us allVon Rev. Matthew D. Priem

Extended warranties. Some think they are a waste of money. Some appreciate the peace of mind that comes with that expensive piece of paper. No matter what you think of protection plans we all appreciate certainty, even in our spirituality. But what happens when God is silent, leaving you wondering about how your faith will get you through. Pastor C…

Jesus points us to His Word as the real foundation for hope and confidence, not earthly blessings or even miraculous signs,Von Rev. Matthew D. Priem