Can We Stop Trying to Earn God’s Love and Acceptance? A Conversation with Rev. Alex LaChappelle

Can We Stop Trying to Earn God’s Love and Acceptance? A Conversation with Rev. Alex LaChappelle

What happens when we stop trying to prove that we are good enough? Pastor Nate talks with the Rev. Alex LaChappelle about law and gospel, the pressure to fix ourselves, and the freedom of trusting that God’s love is already present.Together, they explore why the church is bigger than any building, how grace changes the way we see ourselves and our neighbors, and why God continues to see possibility in us, even when we only see our mistakes.What You’ll LearnUnderstand law and gospel in everyday languageRecognize when faith becomes another form of pressureSee sin as separation from God, ourselves, and one anotherPractice viewing yourself and others through graceTrust that God meets us in difficult and imperfect placesChapters00:00 Introducing the Rev. Alex LaChappelle00:55 Friendship, theology, and the Crossings Conference04:45 Is the church a building or the body of Christ?07:20 Why church survival cannot be the main goal11:05 What do law and gospel mean?12:15 When the gospel becomes another set of rules13:35 Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection18:55 Why self-improvement advice often leaves us discouraged20:40 Understanding sin as separation24:20 Loving your neighbor also means loving yourself27:15 A World Cup example of grace33:10 The Parable of the Sower and God’s generosity35:40 Seeing good soil in one another38:10 God sees possibility when we see failure43:10 Why acceptance can lead to transformation45:25 Your struggle is not your identity48:15 What should people hear when they leave church?50:25 God meets us in the rocky soilLike this episode, subscribe to the channel, and share it with someone who needs a reminder that they do not have to hold everything together alone.Connect with Bethany:📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org

Sunday School Remix: What Does David and Goliath Teach About Power?

Pastor Nate explores how this familiar story from 1 Samuel 17 challenges our assumptions about power, leadership, fear, and faith. David does not defeat Goliath by becoming stronger than him. He refuses to fight according to Goliath’s rules. * Why King Saul is an important part of the David and Goliath story * How fear can grow through repeated displays of power * Why David refuses to wear Saul’s armor * How faith helps us see beyond outward appearances * What this story teaches about trusting God instead of worldly strength 00:00 Is David and Goliath really an underdog story?00:45 Goliath’s challenge and Israel’s fear02:10 Why King Saul matters04:00 Two different understandings of power05:15 The ritual of fear and intimidation06:20 David enters the story07:00 Faith changes how David sees Goliath08:00 David remembers God’s faithfulness09:20 What happens when we trust appearances10:45 Why David removes Saul’s armor11:35 Goliath cannot recognize another kind of strength12:30 David refuses to fight by Goliath’s rules13:15 The battle belongs to God14:15 The part Sunday school usually leaves out15:00 David breaks Israel’s fear16:00 What the story asks us to trust Like this episode, subscribe for more conversations about faith and life, and share it with someone who may see this familiar story differently. Connect with Bethany:📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org] What You’ll LearnChapters

How Can Digital Ministry Tell a Better Story of Faith?

In this episode of Together for Good, Pastor Nate Preisinger joins Carolyn Tarr of the Collective Narrative Project for a conversation about digital ministry, storytelling, and what it means to create spaces where people can share their stories. Together, they talk about Bethany’s podcast studio, DU Campus Ministry, and how faith communities can offer something hopeful and grounding in a noisy digital world. This conversation explores why stories matter, how generosity can create new possibilities, and why church can still be a place where people with different backgrounds and viewpoints choose to stay, listen, and learn from one another. What You’ll Learn * How Bethany’s podcast studio became a tool for digital ministry * Why storytelling can help people feel seen, known, and valued * How faith communities can offer hope in online spaces * Why relationships matter more than perfect metrics * How church can become a “village” in a divided world Chapters 00:00 Coming up on Together for Good 01:08 Welcome to the Collective Narrative Project 02:36 How Bethany’s podcast studio began 04:48 Why digital ministry matters now 06:10 Podcasting as relationship-building 07:20 The Collective Narrative Project 08:25 Generosity, grace, and shared space 10:05 DU Campus Ministry and Bethany’s partnership 11:00 Trying something new is messy 12:15 Why relationships matter more than metrics 14:00 Christianity, story, and sacred questions 16:00 Why do people connect with faith? 17:30 Faith, nature, and village-style community 19:00 Church as a place to stay in relationship 21:20 Unlearning narrow ideas of Christianity 23:00 What helps people show up? Like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who cares about faith, community, storytelling, or what church can look like now. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]

Is the Good Samaritan Really About Being “Good”?

We all know the story of the Good Samaritan. Most of us learned it in Sunday school as a lesson about being kind, helping others, and doing the right thing.But Jesus wasn’t just giving us another moral rule to follow.In this Sunday School Remix episode, I take a deeper look at Luke 10:25–37 and the moment that prompted Jesus to tell this parable in the first place. A lawyer—someone who knew all the religious rules—asked Jesus a familiar question: “Who is my neighbor?” Luke tells us he asked it hoping to justify himself.That detail matters.Because this story isn’t about earning goodness or proving you’re right. It’s about how easily religious rules can distract us from mercy—and how God keeps placing opportunities for compassion directly in our path.In this episode, we explore:Why Jesus tells this story in response to self-justificationHow religious rules can become barriers to compassionWhy the priest and Levite walk by—and why that made sense religiouslyWhy making the Samaritan the hero was so shockingHow humility is the starting point for real compassionWhat it looks like to notice the needs God places right in front of usThe Good Samaritan isn’t a story about being a better rule-follower. It’s an invitation to live a life shaped by mercy—again and again.📖 Scripture: Luke 10:25–37Key TakeawaysThe lawyer’s question isn’t about curiosity—it’s about self-justificationKnowing the rules doesn’t automatically lead to compassionMercy requires humility firstJesus centers the outsider as the example of faithful loveCompassion doesn’t mean fixing everything—it means noticing and respondingLearn More at https://linktr.ee/bethanydenver

How Do Teens Find Faith, Service, and Belonging? A Conversation with Addison Andrix

In this episode of Together 4 Good, Pastor Nate talks with Addison Andrix, Bethany’s new youth director, about the youth mission trip to San Diego. They share stories from the road, service projects, border learning, late-night conversations, and the big faith questions students carried home with them. This is a conversation about youth ministry, compassion, privilege, community, and what happens when young people are invited to see the world with both honesty and hope. What You’ll Learn * How Bethany youth served alongside organizations in San Diego * Why mission trips create space for honest faith conversations * How students wrestled with privilege, compassion, and justice * What the group learned at the border about complexity and empathy * Why service is not just about helping, but listening and building relationships Like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who cares about youth, faith, service, and building a more compassionate world. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]