Sermon Podcasts

Today, we see Jesus revealing his glory, might and majesty—revealing himself as the Son of God through his miracles. Joining Jesus as he displays his power through miracles of healing, we also understand that Jesus has come to bring a much more thorough healing to all of us.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on January 21, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, we see Jesus reveal his glory at the fig tree, calling some of his first disciples to follow him and to see where he would lead them. As we join Jesus at the fig tree, we also see where Jesus leads us—to faith, life and salvation. He turns our doubts to belief and leads us to call others, as we are compelled to say with the disciples, “Come and see.”Pastor Dennis Belter preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on January 14, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, we join Jesus as he comes to be baptized by John at the Jordan River. Here, Jesus steps out of obscurity and into public view—and reveals himself to be someone worth the attention of the people and worthy of glory. When Jesus appears, he not only reveals himself to be God's own Son. He also invites us to join him in discipleship, to follow him—even into glory of our own.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on January 7, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

In the form of a New Year's letter from our Savior Jesus, we hear about the “new thing” he has done for us—coming to earth as one of us, living a perfect life, dying for our sins, and rising again to seal the victory over sin and death, and bring us to be with him forever in the glory of heaven.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on December 31, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we celebrate the incarnation of our Savior Jesus, we think about all that this means for us. God, the everlasting, almighty God, who fills the heavens and the earth, becomes flesh and blood just like us. He joins us in this world of darkness as a man—God himself, with us. Today we focus on the name "Immanuel," which means "God with us." This Christmas, we consider what that means for us today and for all eternity—that God is truly with us as his people.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Christmas Day worship on December 25, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

In his final sermon at Bethany before continuing his ministry with a new congregation, Pastor Brown shares a farewell message of the joy and peace we have in the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on December 10, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we look forward to Christ's second coming, when he will come again to judge the living and the dead and bring his people home, we also remember his first coming into the world at Christmas. Today we remember that we can rest assured in the one who is coming, knowing that he is bringing joy with him.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on December 3, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

In Jesus' time, John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord's first coming. In our message today, we hear from the Apostle Peter as he asks us what kind of people we ought to be as we prepare for the Lord's second coming.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on November 25, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we recognize that every good and gracious gift comes from our Father above. So we rightly ought to return our gratitude and thanksgiving to him.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Thanksgiving Eve worship on November 22, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

For the last Sunday of the church year, we focus on Christ our King and the victory he won for us. Since by faith we share in that victory with Jesus, this time between his first coming and his second coming is a time for us to worship our King.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on November 19, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Christ came once to accomplish all of his work of salvation. We know he is coming again, but in this in-between time, God has given us important work to do. Today we consider what it means to live lives of faithful service during the time in between.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on November 12, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, God gives us a glimpse of the saints who have gone on before us into heaven. We know that, through faith in Jesus, we have a place among them as well. Today we will see that this time in between is a time for us to look ahead and focus on the future glory that Jesus has in store for us.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on November 5, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

The Reformation is a very important moment in our world's history. But the Reformation is not really about a man named Martin Luther or even a cultural revolution. It was about a simple return to the gospel message—a message by faith, through grace, relying entirely on Jesus Christ crucified for our salvation.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on October 29, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we conclude our series on God's vision for the church, our eyes are pointed ahead to the Last Day when Jesus returns. God wants us to be watchful as we wait for that day—not to be down and out or defeated, but rather to rise up in God's grace and strength to carry out the mission that he has laid before us.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on October 22, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

God is clear: His church is one that he has commissioned to teach the next generation—to proclaim his saving deeds to the our children, and they to their children … and so on, until our Lord Jesus comes again.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on October 15, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

This week follows closely on the heels of understanding that God's church is to be one that values accountability—people who are ready and willing to have those hard conversations when sin gets into the mix of our relationships. But just as we should be ready to do that, God wants us to be ready and willing to then offer forgiveness, just as he has forgiven each one of us in Christ Jesus.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on October 8, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

God's vision for the church also includes valuing accountability. This may not be a part of our lives as God's people that we look forward to—calling sin to the carpet when needed. Yet, this is a very important part of the ministry that God has given to the church—and to each of us—as we look out for the spiritual health of one another.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on October 1, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we continue to consider God's vision for the church, we see that God's vision is a church that embraces the cross. So often in life, we flee the difficult things. We want to stay far away from the hard or painful things. Yet, very frequently, for the sake of Christ's name God calls us exactly to those things—as we embrace the cross of Christ, and embrace crosses of our own.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on September 24, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we continue to consider God's vision for the church, we see that the church is to be a place that is focused on One. We will talk about the wonderful confession of faith that God works in our hearts in his Son Jesus, and our call to share that message with others in this world.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on September 17, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

God's vision for the church is to be a church that welcomes all people. As we consider God's Word through the apostle Paul, we'll see what it truly means to welcome all—by understanding how God has welcomed us into his family through the saving work of Jesus.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on September 10, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today we consider the last of our core strategies for living out Bethany's mission as a congregation: We share the hope of heaven that we all have, by telling others about the grace of Jesus.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on September 3, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Serving our gracious God with all that we are and all that we have … it's something that sometimes feels like a burden or obligation. Sometimes we think of a life of service as a life sentence. But it isn't—and it also is. Today God lays before us an opportunity, rather than a punishment, to serve him and serve others. A life of service is an opportunity to live out our praise and thanksgiving to our God.Pastor Mark Henke preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on August 27, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today we consider the second of our four core strategies for living out Bethany's mission as a congregation: We grow spiritually by faithfully studying God's Word, both at home individually and among our brothers and sisters in Christ.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on August 20, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today we consider the first of our four core strategies for living out Bethany's mission as a congregation: Worship God by coming together around Word and Sacrament. Why do we come to church? Why is it so necessary for our lives to gather as a body of believers around God's Word? Psalm 84 provides some answers.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on August 13, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we wrap up our Summer School series, we consider the account of the Feeding of the 5,000. Even though we are not physically fed with the same bread that Jesus gave to the people that day, we are still spiritually fed by what we learn about Jesus and about our God in this account.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on August 6, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we continue to learn at the feet of Jesus, we consider three parables telling of priceless treasure. And in these parables, Jesus reminds us of the value, importance and urgency of his Kingdom.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on July 30, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

The Parable of the Weeds gives us a lot of insight into and explanation for all of the evil that we see in the world around us. But the parable especially shows us how God would have us react and respond to all of this as we live as his people—the wheat among the weeds—in this world.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on July 23, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we continue to learn at the feet of our great Teacher, Jesus, we consider his parable of the sower. Jesus often used parables as a way to share important truths about faith and salvation in simple and accessible language. Jesus wants us to understand—and in the parable of the sower, we can see and clearly understand God's activity in his kingdom, and our place in that kingdom.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on July 15, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

We know that physical rest is important. And we take a lot of steps to make good rest possible—buying the right mattress, keeping the right schedule, taking the right kind of vacations. We place a high value on physical rest. But we need more than physical rest. We need spiritual rest. And the only place to find that true rest is in Jesus.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on July 9, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we wrap up our series, we hear the Apostle Paul tell the young pastor Timothy that the gospel ministry will face opposition from the world—and even from within the church. Still, by God's grace, we see that the gospel ministry is something that will continue among us despite this opposition.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on July 1, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

The gospel ministry is a gift—and it's a gift that God has given to us freely, no strings attached. We don't deserve the love that God has shown to us in Jesus and continues to show to us through the ministry of the gospel. But God has given the gospel to us freely because of his compassion. And because of God's compassion to us, the gospel is a gift that we also freely distribute to others.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on June 24, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Gospel ministry is staffed by sinners. We see plenty of examples of this in the Bible, and we know this is true of our gospel ministers today, as well. Gospel ministers are sinners who are called by God to serve other sinners. Today we will see that through this gift of gospel ministry, God pours out some of his greatest gifts both on those who serve in ministry and on those who are served by it.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 18, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, as we begin to consider the great gift that is the ministry of the gospel, we start where all gospel ministry must start—with the Word of God itself. We see that gospel ministry must stand on the truth of God's Word.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 11, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

On Trinity Sunday, we consider one of the great mysteries we find in Scripture: that God is three Persons, yet one God. We call this mystery the Trinity. It's a truth we confess as God's people, while recognizing that our finite minds will never be able to fully grasp this great mystery. But we also see in God's Word everything we need to understand about how our Triune God blesses us with faith, life and salvation.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on June 4, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

On Pentecost, we look at the work of the Holy Spirit. His primary work is to create faith in our hearts through the gospel. And he also pours out many other gifts on his church, so that we can share with others the good news about Jesus as well.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on May 28, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we celebrate Confirmation Sunday, our thoughts turn to what it means to live a life of faithfulness to our God. It's only because of the hope we have in Jesus that we're able to live a faithful life. It's this hope that we have in Jesus—the certainty of our eternal future in him—that enables our confirmands to make their promises of faithfulness. And it's the same certainty of faith that enables us to be prepared at all times to give an answer to the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Confirmation Sunday worship on May 21, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, the Apostle Peter tells us about a number of the struggles we face as God's people in this world. But at the same time, he gives us the sure hope that God will bring us through those things. What's more, God promises to bring us safely to the other side—to his side in eternal glory.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on May 14, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As God's special people, we have a secure place in his house. And we also have a call to serve him with our lives in this world. God has selected us to be his own, brought us into his family, and has set us apart for service in his kingdom. This is God's spiritual building project—and it all rests on Jesus, the Cornerstone of our faith.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on May 7, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

For Good Shepherd Sunday, we consider suffering. As the sheep of our Savior's flock, we sometimes suffer for our faith. But this suffering is proof that we are indeed God's sheep—brought into his flock through the suffering of the Good Shepherd.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on April 29, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

“Be holy.” That's the way of life that God has assigned to us. But we know that being holy isn't possible for sinful people like us. So Jesus had to be holy for us. Through his perfect life, death and resurrection, he has given us a new way of life—one where we have his holiness as our own, and where we empowered to live our lives to his glory.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on April 23, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

The Apostle Peter knew firsthand what the resurrection of Jesus meant for his life and his future. So he's in a prime position to share with us what the resurrection means for our lives and our futures, too. Today we consider that because Jesus lives, we are reborn to a living hope.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on April 16, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

We all have things that are important to us. Our marriage. Children. Health. Career. Finances. The list goes on. But of all these things, what is most important? This Easter, we consider the one thing that the Apostle Paul referred to as “of first importance”—the good news of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for us and for our salvation.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Easter Sunday worship on April 9, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

On Good Friday, some wonder—with so much evil happening on that day, why do we call it good? The answer lies in what Jesus went to the cross to accomplish for us. As we commemorate the Passion of our Lord Jesus and his suffering and dying, today we consider everything that the Passion of Jesus means for us and for our eternity.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Good Friday worship on April 7, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

On Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the institution of the Lord's Supper. Tonight we consider how the sacrament of Holy Communion is a celebration of the community that we enjoy, both with God and with one another.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Maundy Thursday worship on April 6, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

There are a lot of things that we might expect a king to do or to be or to look like. Today, we see a King in Jesus—but he is not like other kings of this earth. Jesus is an entirely different class of King. He is a King who is not only worthy of our service or obedience, but he is worthy of our deepest love and loyalty. As we begin Holy Week, we see Jesus pouring out his love for us in the greatest way imaginable. Because of all that Jesus has done—living, dying and rising again to rescue us from our sins—he is truly the Lamb who is worthy to be called our King.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on April 2, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today we see that our Savior is worthy of our honor and praise because he is the one who undoes death's curse. We'll consider a couple of resurrection stories—Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus, a young boy raised to life through the prophet Elisha. And the point isn't that God would resurrect us for a few more years of life on this earth, as was the case with these two accounts. Rather, we see that through faith in Jesus we have the certainty that we will never be separated from the God who won our salvation.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on March 26, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we continue to consider Jesus as the Worthy Lamb, we are once again seeing what it is about our Savior that makes him so worthy—and what he does for us as our worthy Savior. Today we see that Jesus is the Lamb who is worthy to serve as our ransom from sin.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on March 19, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Today, we see Jesus, the Worthy Lamb, restore sight to a blind man. But in restoring the blind man's sight, Jesus does so much more—he teaches his disciples, the people around him and us today, a deeper lesson.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Saturday worship on March 11, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

What does it mean to be an “insider” with God? Are we insiders? What does it mean to be an “outsider” with God? By nature, we are all outsiders—separated from God by our sin. But God has made us insiders, and now we know what it's like to live with God's glorious presence in our lives.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on March 5, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

As we begin the season of Lent, we consider Jesus as “the Lamb who was slain.” In Revelation, we hear all God's angels cry, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Jesus is worthy of all of this because of everything he does for us and for all of his people. Today, as we see Jesus doing battle against Satan in the wilderness, we see that Jesus is worthy of our praise and honor because he is the one who overcomes temptation.Pastor Pat Brown preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on February 26, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org

Nothing can quench physical thirst quite like water. Spiritually, we all experience a far greater thirst. People search for so many things to try to quench that thirst in their souls. But there's only one thing that can finally satisfy it—Jesus himself, his grace and the salvation he won for us at the cross and in the empty tomb.Pastor Dan Johnston preached this sermon at Bethany's Sunday worship on February 12, 2023.Learn more at bethanyappleton.org