Bethel Lutheran Church Cupertino

Do Not Fear Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29–31 Do not fear. These words are often repeated in scripture. From angel’s greetings to Jesus instructions to the disciples, do not fear appears again and again because we so easily become filled with fear. In times of challenge and chaos, we become anxious. When our physical and financial health are difficult, we worry about our future. Jesus’ message to the disciples is to remember how much God cares for us and loves us. It is a very simple message but one we cannot hear enough. See you Sunday! Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Last Supper Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Death to Life The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Ezekiel 37:1–3 We believe in a God who brings life to where these is only death. The power of the resurrection means that the end of our earthly life is not the end of our story. Jesus defeats death, evil, and all the powers of darkness and opens to us the promise of eternal life. It is also true that God brings new life to us along the way. We can go through times when we feel like dried up and dead bones; when we feel lost, forsaken or in despair. Jesus can give us new life in these situations too. Join us Sunday as we explore the power of life over death. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Living Water Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ” John 4:10–11 Sunday’s gospel text is one of my favorites. Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and they have a life-changing conversation. She has come to the well to fill up with water for the day and finds Jesus there. He tells her he can provide “living water” which quenches the thirst of the spirit, such that you will never be thirsty again. Join us Sunday as we consider what this means for our relationship with God and one another. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Tempted Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:1–3 The story of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days is why Lent is a season in the church. Jesus is tempted by the devil to use his divine power (first for food) for his own personal benefit. With all of God’s power at his disposal, Jesus could have demonstrated that power in all kinds of ways throughout his life. But Jesus’ calling was to use his power to change hearts and lives through his ministry of teaching, healing, compassion, and love. All of Jesus’ power is used to help others and ultimately to give his life for us on the cross. Join us Sunday as we ponder Jesus’ temptation and apply it to our lives. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Encountering God Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Matthew 17:1–2 The story of the transfiguration of Jesus has a lot of rich, symbolic meaning, but it also shows us God has a real flair for the dramatic. On a high mountain, Jesus’ appearance changes drastically, as his face shone bright and his clothes dazzled. This was a moment for the key disciples present to more deeply understand who Jesus was and what God was up to. Sometimes we miss the subtleties of God, but here God took no chances. Join us Sunday as we consider the transfiguration. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Bless You When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:1–3 In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus offers his moral vision for a faithful life. It is worth reviewing regularly as Jesus teaches us principles of how to love God and love our neighbor. It is also noteworthy that he begins with the Beatitudes. These statements about who is blessed in the world (the poor, the mourning, the meek, the merciful, etc.) is an upside-down version of what we tend to experience in this life. God’s blessings are for those who are struggling rather than succeeding, poor rather than rich, peacemakers rather than the powerful. This is a word of challenge and hope, as we seek to see one another as God sees us. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.

Called to Follow The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. John 1:35–37 There must have been something uniquely powerful about being in the presence of Jesus. The call stories of the disciples all hint at this without saying it. The disciples in this story simply see Jesus and start following him. His presence is a powerful force like gravity, people are simply drawn to him. On Sunday we will consider discipleship and the power of following Jesus and how that transforms our lives. Message delivered by Pastor Ben Sandin.