PASTOR ZOEBL’S WELCOME TO ALL

                
                           Reverend Dr. George T. Zoebl

Bethany models its church ‘family’ after the apostle Paul who says, in Christ there is no difference between Jew and Greek, rich or poor, male or female. Bethany is…that ‘in Christ’ part. That means we believe Jesus is right. So what is Jesus right about? Everything. Jesus used scripture in his ministry, and so do we. We don’t believe the Bible superficially ‘contains the word of God,’ but IS the word of God.

As a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, we embrace the three unmovable beliefs on our church seal: by grace alone, by scripture alone, by faith alone. However, the premier “alone” is salvation by Jesus alone. Period. That’s it. Just Jesus. We call it the ‘Jesus plus-nothing- plan.’ Our salvation is complete.

Other church searches will bring you to locations that profess a way to salvation requires some added human extra to complete the transaction. And that is the problem. Our life with the one true God is not a transaction, a business deal with one hand washing the other, or some enhancement we must provide. It is a gift, and undeserved blessing, and a divine heritage from Jesus.

Not the nails that held Jesus to the cross for payment of our sins, but his love. Jesus’ love that is available to us daily. Bethany disciples, with all our bumps and burses as family, come to worship this phenomenal redeemer not only on a Sunday morning but minute by minute. We are all beggars at the foot of the cross: totally dysfunctional. But Jesus calls us His friends…and that’s the real ‘friendly’ part of Bethany, again that ‘in Christ’ part.

Want to know more? Give me a call or stop by some Sunday and see how a messy family continues to be a family of God, by God and for God. Oh, and one more thing. We do a lot of laughing around there. When you have salvation and eternal life secure, it really frees you up. That ‘free part’ is pretty good as well we found out.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor George Zoebl