Sermons and Special Music
from services during the pastorate of Ralph L. Wrightstone

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From Bethel UMC Services of
January 3, 2021 thru December 26, 2021

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Click on the symbol to begin playing an audio recording.

January 2021

03 - (02:48) - Introduction and Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
...... (01:17) - Comments on the scripture
...... (16:23) - Message: "Where Is He?"
10 - (04:27) - Introduction
...... (01:29) - Scripture: Mark 1:4-11
...... (18:21) - Message: "The Sign of Noah"
...... (00:45) - Closing Prayer
17 - (02:14) - Introduction & Scripture: John 1:42-51
...... (19:37) - Message: "Under the Fig Tree"
24 - This service featured Missionaries speaking of their work in Southern Asia
31 - (05:35) - Introduction: Mushrooms
...... (02:03) - Scripture: Mark 1:21-28
...... (17:13) - Message: "Sanctified?"
...... (01:05) - Closing Remarks

February 2021

07 - (02:33) - Scripture: Mark 1:29-39
...... (01:34) - Commentary on the Scripture and Prayer
...... (14:38) - Message: "Fever Pitch"
14 - (38:22) - Message: "My Stinky Closet", speaker today is Tina Oaks, while pastor Ralph and Judy are taking a few days away.
21 - (02:40) - Scripture: Mark 1:19-15
...... (19:09) - Message: Untamed
28 - (04:31) - Introduction and Scripture: Mark 8:24-31
...... (24:23) - Message: "Fortress of Hope"
...... (03:45) - Concluding Remarks and Prayer

March 2021

07 - (03:50) - Introduction
...... (03:02) - Scripture: John 2:13-25
...... (19:43) - Message: "Soul Soup"
14 - (02:07) - Scripture: John 3:14-21
...... (02:37) - Commentary on John 3:16
...... (20:54) - Message: "The Law of the Serpent"
...... (01:14) - Closing Remarks
21 - (04:05) - Scripture: John 12:20-33
...... (16:47) - Message: "Holy Hydration"
28 - Palm Sunday
...... (02:31) - Scripture: Mark 11:1-11
...... (21:14) - Message: "Eye of the Storm"

April 2021

04 - Easter Sunday
...... (02:44) - Scripture: Mark 16:1-8
...... (16:26) - Message: "All Wrapped Up"
11 - (03:13) - Introduction and Scripture: John 20:19-31
...... (20:27) - Message: "I Doubt It"
...... (01:19) - Closing Prayer
18 - (04:22) - Introduction and Scripture: Luke 24:36-48
...... (16:35) - Message: "Written in Stone"
...... (02:16) . - Closing comments about Planting Seeds
25 - (04:45) - Introduction and Scripture: 1 John 3:16-24
...... (16:43) - Message: "Tales of the World"

May 2021

09 - (02:13) - Scripture: John 15:9-17
...... (16:11) - Message: "Chosen and Appointed"
...... (02:13) - Closing Prayer
02 - (01:49) - Scripture: John 15:1-8
...... (16:43) - Message: "The Vine"
...... (00:45) - Closing Prayer
16 - (02:55) - Scripture: Acts 1:1-11
...... (19:08) - Message: "The Power to Witness"
...... (01:49) - Closing Prayer
23 - Pentecost Sunday
...... (02:29) - Scripture: Acts 2:1-12
...... (12:23) - Message: "Walking with God"
30 - Heritage Sunday - the service "at the pond" was not recorded but the online message had the same content and is provided here, with the Scripture and Message in separate segments.
...... (02:05) - Scripture: Acts 13:44-52
...... (13:42) - Message: "What Are We About?"

June 2021

06 - A Baptism - this service featured the baptism of little Alice Lanier Bell. The Message was in the form of a now and future "conversation" with Alice.
...... (02:09) - Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 and Luke 2:21-24
...... (16:02) - Message: "What Did We Do to You Today, Alice?"
...... (00:42) - Closing Prayer
...... - Photos and audio recordings from the service in the church.
13 - (01:57) - Introduction
...... (02:05) - Scripture: Mark 4:26-34
...... (23:34) - Message: "The Organic Gospel"
...... (02:06) - Closing Prayer
20 - Father's Day
...... (22:14) - Message: "The Forgiving Father" (scripture: Luke 15:11- 31)
...... (02:05) - Closing Prayer
27 - (04:46) - Introduction and Scripture: Mark 5:21-43
...... (15:49) - Message: "Faith Power"
...... (02:07) - Closing Prayer

July 2021

04 - Independence Day
...... (02:29) - Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10
...... (20:36) - Message: "When We Are Weak"
...... (00:50) - Closing Prayer
11 - (03:07) - Introduction - a "ghostly" story
...... (03:01) - Scripture: Mark 6:14-29 (another "ghost" story)
...... (20:17) - Message: "The Oath"
...... (01:55) - Closing Prayer
18 - (01:43) - Scripture: Mark 6:30-34,53-56
...... (20:53) - Message: "The Magic Cloak" (This message is affected by a problem with the microphone from about 4:45-11:30 of the recording, though the message is still quite audible.)
...... (01:29) - Closing remarks and Prayer
25 - (04:12) - Text . Intro and Scripture: John 6:1-21
...... (15:06) - Message: "The Gospel Ship"
...... (02:10) - Text . Final look at "The Old Gospel Ship"
...... (03:25) - Closing Prayer

August 2021

01 - (03:31) - Text . Intro and Scripture: John 6:22-35
...... (18:52) - Message: "Feasting on Love"
08 - (02:48) - Introduction
...... (03:12) - Text . Scripture: John 6:35,41-51
...... (18:03) - Message: "Seeing with Eyes Closed"
...... (00:42) - Closing Prayer
15 - (02:27) - Text . Scripture: John 6:35,51-58,59
...... (23:06) - Message: "Abiding in the Word"
...... (03:35) - Closing Remarks and Prayer
22 - (03:26) - Text . Introduction, Scripture: John 6:56-69 and Commentary
...... (04:25) - Text . Intro story and Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20
...... (19:26) - Message: "Sword of the Spirit"
...... (00:48) - Closing Prayer
29 - (04:17) - Text . Scripture: Mark 7:1-23
...... (13:33) - Message: "The Heart's Deceit"
...... (02:05) - Closing Prayer

September 2021

05 - Pastor Ralph was unable to be in church for this service so he recorded these audio segments to play during the church service. The same recordings were used for the online service today.
...... (02:11) - Text . Scripture: Mark 7:24-30
...... (01:15) - Text . Scripture: Mark 7:31-37
...... (10:42) - Message: "Uncontainable Faith"
12 - (The message in the church was not recorded. This is the message from the online service.)
...... (03:11) - Text . Scripture: Mark 8:27-38
...... (12:36) - Message: "God Thinks!"
19 - (02:10) - Text . Scripture: Mark 9:38-50
...... (22:47) - Message: "Hope Rises" (There is a 14 second audio problem at about 10:26 of this recording)
26 - (02:48) - Text . Scripture: Mark 9:38-50
...... (17:33) - Message: "Briny Faith"

October 2021

03 - (02:48) - Text . Scripture: Mark 10:2-16
...... (21:33) - Message: "Empowering the Powerless"
10 - (02:14) - Text . Introduction and Scripture: Job 23:1-9
...... (01:24) - Text . Scripture: Mark 10:17-22
...... (14:08) - Message: "Exposed and Expunged"
17 - (04:49) - Text . Commentary and Scripture: Mark 10:35-45
...... (19:55) - Message: "Impetuous Faith"
...... (00:21) - Closing Prayer
24 - Laity Sunday - Lay Leader Tina Oaks brings the message today
...... (00:57) - a "Holy Humour" story
...... (01:27) - Text . Scripture: Mark 10:45-52
...... (09:46) - Message: "Cry out for Jesus" (Part 1)
...... (03:04) - Musical Selection: "Bring it All to the Table"
...... (05:12) - Message: "Cry out for Jesus" (Part 2)
...... (01:18) - Closing Prayer
31 - Reformation Sunday
...... (05:12) - Text . Introduction & Scripture: Mark 12:28-34; Deut 6:4-8; Lev 19:17-18
...... (14:41) - Message: "To Love"
...... (00:41) - Closing Prayer

November 2021

07 - All Saints' Sunday
...... (03:07) - Text . Introduction & Scripture: Mark 12:38-44
...... (19:19) - Message: "Sustaining Faith"
14 - (02:10) - Text . Introduction & Scripture: Mark 13:1-8
...... (22:43) - Message: "Shake it Up"
...... (02:40) - Message: "Closing Prayer"
21 - Christ the King and Thanksgiving Sunday
...... (02:53) - Text . Introduction & Scripture: John 18:33-37+
...... (01:34) - Commentary "What is Truth?"
...... (14:31) - Message: "King of Nobody's Castle"
...... (02:37) - A Message for Thanksgiving
...... (02:53) - Closing Remarks: "Planting Seeds"
28 - 1st Sunday of Advent
...... (02:32) - Text . Introduction & Scripture: Luke 21:25-36
...... (08:10) - Message: "The Readiness Potential"
...... (03:18) - Closing Remarks & Prayer

December 2021

05 - 2nd Sunday of Advent
...... (01:33) - Text . Scripture: Luke 3:1- 6
...... (21:06) - Message: "Touchdown in the Wild"
12 - 3rd Sunday of Advent
...... (03:11) - Text . Introduction and Scripture: Luke 3:7-18
...... (19:39) - Message: "The Art of Fruit"
...... (01:11) - Message: "Closing Remarks"
19 - 4th Sunday of Advent
...... (01:20) - Text . Introduction and Scripture: Luke 1:39-45
...... (11:16) - Message: "Shared Promises"
...... (03:44) - Closing Remarks
24 - Christmas Eve
...... (01:52) - Text . Introduction and Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3
...... (21:15) - Message: "We All Need Hope"
26 - 1st Sunday of Christmas
...... (03:24) - Text . Introduction and Scripture: Luke 2:41-52
...... (14:20) - Message: "The Favorite"
...... (00:59) - Closing Remarks

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