Bethany Lutheran Church

Shine Bright | Belong

October 09, 2022 Pastor Anthony Celia
Bethany Lutheran Church
Shine Bright | Belong
Show Notes

The things that make the most impact are not always the big attractional things but impact can happen among a few that gather together and belong to something greater than them. The Christian church didn’t start off big but grew to become a movement of followers of the way because they saw the light of Christ and were moved out of darkness into something greater.  Bethany didn’t start off large. It started off with a vision to reach people in South Austin and 60 communicants and 41 baptized children wanted to belong to that! What things will God do through us big and more importantly small in the future?

Genesis 2:18-22 (ESV)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV)
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.