If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
September 26, 2024

As a child, prayers were rote statements. For meals, we said, “Come Lord Jesus” and for bedtime, we said the first verse of the hymn Abide with Me. “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. As darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.” Of course, we made a contest of seeing who could say the whole verse of Abide with Me the fastest. Then, I spent the night at my grandmother’s house. My grandfather was already dead, so she lived alone. I crept by her room and heard her whispering. She was talking to God in a whisper, pouring out her heart to God. It was a showstopper for me. Getting personal with God is a powerful thing. Remember when vows at weddings were the “repeat after me” variety and are now a personal and heartfelt promise? Making prayer personal reminds us that God made us individuals, with our own hopes, dreams and fears to discuss with God.



Prayer: God, thank you for making me the person I am. I pray I make you proud and happy. Amen

365: The History of the Church Section 1 Part 1

By Unknown • June 16, 2026

365: The History of the Church Section 1

By Unknown • June 15, 2026
This devotional series explores key moments in church history, divided into thematic and historical sections with several parts. It is a long and winding story that began on Pentecost and continues to be written by us and by the Holy Spirit today. SECTION 1 – The Church of the Holy Spirit The church began with breath.  A violent wind filled an upper room and scattered ordinary people into the world with extraordinary news. From that first Pentecost morning, the Spirit has been the church’s constant companion, guiding, correcting, and surprising us through twenty centuries of imperfect faithfulness. The devotions in this section explore pivotal moments when the Spirit moved through imperfect people to shape the church’s story. From Paul’s dramatic conversion to the Council of Jerusalem’s radical inclusion, we see the same God who breathed life into the first disciples still breathing life into us today. We are part of this continuing story; inheritors of a wind that refuses to be contained. Nate Preisinger Bethany Lutheran Church Sent with SubsplashUnsubscribe from all emails

365: Third Sunday after Pentecost

By Unknown • June 14, 2026
Click to watch video Today is the Third Sunday after PentecostWe encourage you to join in for worship at Bethany this weekend either in person or through our livestream.   For an additional devotional reflection, we invite you to watch this reflection from Pastors Gary and Nate on the Feast Day of Peter and Paul last year.Peter the humble fisherman. Paul the privileged Roman citizen. Two wildly different origin stories, yet both were rescued, transformed, and called by God to lead the early Church. Pastors Nate Preisinger and Gary Sandberg reflect on the shared feast day of Saints Peter and Paul and what their lives teach us about grace, redemption, and purpose. Through shame and denial, pride and persecution, God rescued Peter and Paul, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the Gospel. And that same story of rescue continues today. In baptism, in forgiveness, in community, we are rescued too. 365 Daily Devotional Bethany Lutheran Church Sent with SubsplashUnsubscribe from all emails
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