Simply the Sermon for May 17, 2026: Seventh Sunday of Easter

Simply the Sermon for June 21, 2026: Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Our Bible texts for June 22, the 4th Sunday after Pentecost are: Jeremiah 20:7-13; Romans 6:1b-11; and Matthew 10:24-39. God does not promise that the path of the disciple will be easy. Jeremiah feels the pain of rejection from those who do not want to hear what he has to say and yet he knows that God is with him and is encouraging him and giving him strength to go on. Jesus declares that his words may bring stark division. Even so, we need not be afraid, for God accounts for each hair on our heads. Though we may experience rejection, frustration, division, and death, God’s grace and love make us a new creation each day. Marked with the cross and filled with holy food, we are sent from worship to witness to Christ in the world. Connect [https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-petaled-flowers-koy6FlCCy5s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] with Bethel Lutheran Church: • To have Bethel news and updates delivered to your email, sign up by sending an email message to office@blctempleton.org [office@blctempleton.org]. • Donate for ministry [https://www.blctempleton.org/donate]. • Come join us on Sunday: 9:30 AM, corner of 3rd Street and Crocker Street in Templeton, California. • Web site: www.blctempleton.org [https://www.blctempleton.org]

Simply the Sermon for June 14, 2026: Third Sunday After Pentecost

Our texts for Sunday, June 14, the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost are: Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8, and Matthew 9:35—10:23 Moses tells the Israelites that they are called to be a priestly kingdom and a holy people. Jesus sends out the disciples as laborers into the harvest. In baptism we too are anointed for ministry, sharing God’s compassion with our needy world. From the Lord’s table we go forth to proclaim the good news, to heal the sick, and to share our bread with the hungry, remembering all the while that we are held in the palm of God's hand. Connect [https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-petaled-flowers-koy6FlCCy5s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] with Bethel Lutheran Church: • To have Bethel news and updates delivered to your email, sign up by sending an email message to office@blctempleton.org [office@blctempleton.org]. • Donate for ministry [https://www.blctempleton.org/donate]. • Come join us on Sunday: 9:30 AM, corner of 3rd Street and Crocker Street in Templeton, California. • Web site: www.blctempleton.org [https://www.blctempleton.org]

Simply the Sermon for June 7, 2026: Second Sunday After Pentecost

Our Bible readings for the 2nd Sunday in Pentecost (the Affirmation of Faith for Lolia) are Hosea 5:15—6:6; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, Though Jesus was a devout Jew who practiced his faith, he was criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously non-observant. Jesus criticizes the self-righteous and reminds us that mercy is to be at the heart of our religious practices. God continues to be made known in those on the margins of society, like Matthew the tax collector and the hemorrhaging woman. As we gather each Lord’s day we receive the healing that makes us well and sends us forth to be signs of God’s mercy for the world. Jesus calls us and we can come running. No fear! Connect [https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-petaled-flowers-koy6FlCCy5s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] with Bethel Lutheran Church: • To have Bethel news and updates delivered to your email, sign up by sending an email message to office@blctempleton.org [office@blctempleton.org]. • Donate for ministry [https://www.blctempleton.org/donate]. • Come join us on Sunday: 9:30 AM, corner of 3rd Street and Crocker Street in Templeton, California. • Web site: www.blctempleton.org [https://www.blctempleton.org]

Simply the Sermon for May 31, 2026: The Holy Trinity

Good day to you all!! Our readings for Holy Trinity Sunday, May 31, 2026 are: Genesis 1:1—2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; and Matthew 28:16-20. Though the word trinity is not found in the scriptures, today’s second reading includes the apostolic greeting that begins the liturgy: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In the gospel Jesus sends his disciples forth to baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. More than a doctrine, the Trinity expresses the heart of our faith: we have experienced the God of creation made known in Jesus Christ and with us always through the Holy Spirit. We celebrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity in word and sacrament, as we profess the creed, and as we are sent into the world to bear witness to our faith. Connect [https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-petaled-flowers-koy6FlCCy5s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] with Bethel Lutheran Church: • To have Bethel news and updates delivered to your email, sign up by sending an email message to office@blctempleton.org [office@blctempleton.org]. • Donate for ministry [https://www.blctempleton.org/donate]. • Come join us on Sunday: 9:30 AM, corner of 3rd Street and Crocker Street in Templeton, California. • Web site: www.blctempleton.org [https://www.blctempleton.org]

Simply the Sermon for May 24, 2026: Day of Pentecost

The readings for Sunday, May 24, the Day of Pentecost are: Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; and John 20:19-23. Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the second giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover. Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us. In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people and creating a new community. Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world. Connect [https://unsplash.com/photos/orange-petaled-flowers-koy6FlCCy5s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText] with Bethel Lutheran Church: • To have Bethel news and updates delivered to your email, sign up by sending an email message to office@blctempleton.org [office@blctempleton.org]. • Donate for ministry [https://www.blctempleton.org/donate]. • Come join us on Sunday: 9:30 AM, corner of 3rd Street and Crocker Street in Templeton, California. • Web site: www.blctempleton.org [https://www.blctempleton.org]