The Book of Ezekiel
March 15, 2026

Restoration through God's Spirit

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." – Ezekiel 36:26

The Book of Ezekiel is filled with visions, prophecies, and symbolic acts, all of which point to God's message of judgment and hope. Written by the prophet Ezekiel during the exile of the Israelites in Babylon, the book addresses both the reasons for the people’s suffering and the promise of their eventual restoration. Ezekiel speaks boldly, using vivid imagery to describe the sin of the people and the consequences they face. Yet, alongside these warnings, the prophet also delivers messages of God's future healing and renewal.

A recurring theme in Ezekiel is the transformation that God promises. In Ezekiel 36:26, God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” This promise of a renewed heart points to the coming restoration of God’s people, not just physically, but spiritually as well. Through God's Spirit, the people will be transformed and restored to a right relationship with God.

Ezekiel’s message reminds us that God is always at work, even in times of hardship. While we may face difficult seasons, the promise of renewal remains. Just as God can replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh. This is the very movement and promise of our faith. God takes what is broken within us and replaces it with grace upon grace. 

In our own lives, we can trust that God’s restorative power is at work. Whether in times of personal struggle or communal suffering, we are invited to embrace the promise of renewal that God offers through the Spirit, who makes all things new.

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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