June 7, 2026
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Sunday Worship
Prelude: Who You Say I Am
Welcome & Call to Worship
All My Boast Is In Jesus
Light on the Hill
Bethany Family Prayer
Death Was Arrested
Sermon: Gospel Freedom
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Communion
Benediction & Compassion Offering
Weekly Schedule
View our calendar HERE for the weekly schedule.
Highlights
Compassion Fund: Generous Impact
Over the past year, our Compassion Fund has distributed approximately $80,000 to meet medical, food, housing, car repair, and scholarship needs within our church family and community, along with care and encouragement baskets. We have also given over $5,500 toward hurricane relief and $40,000 to the Crescent Project Family Housing effort in the Middle East. Thank you for your faithful generosity that makes this ministry possible. You can donate to the fund by going to bethanycentral.org/compassion.
Starting Point Class
Sunday, June 14th, 9:15 am
Starting Point is a single-session class that meets during our first service in The Gathering Room. It’s designed to help you learn who we are, what we believe, and how you can find your place in the life of our church family. You’ll also discover what to expect on Sunday mornings, how to navigate the building, and explore the ministries and classes we have available. RSVP going to bethanycentral.org/start.
VBS Registration & Volunteer
June 22nd
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26th, 2026
VBS is two weeks away! Now is the time to start registering your children for VBS. You can use your myBethany or visit the website. We also need many of you to volunteer to jump in and help us make VBS a reality this year. Use the button below to register your kids or to volunteer. We also want to encourage you to be inviting friends and neighbors. To help you with that, we’ve created a display in the foyer with cards you can hand out.
Announcements
Membership Vote Next Week
Sunday, June 14th
We are excited to vote on the following people for membership into our church family next Sunday. If you have any questions, please contact an elder.
- Kelly & Shannon Catlin
- Kimberly Hughes
- Moe & Tracey Moushon
- Lorena Tran
High School at Summer Camp
June 4th
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7th, 2026
Our students are at The Uplands for Camp Waypoint this weekend. Please join us in prayer for them and their leaders. Pray that God would unite our students in love for God and one another. Pray that God would use the teaching of the word from Pastor Ritch to draw the students to a closer relationship with Jesus.
Volunteers Needed: Children's Sunday School Teachers
Sunday, August 2nd
We are looking for two long-term teachers for our 3s/4s class and two long-term teachers for our PreK class, beginning August 2. If you have a heart for young children and would like to serve in this important role, please contact Michelle Collins at michellec@bethanycentral.org.
Men's Summer Bible Study: Sermon on the Mount
June 17th
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Aug 5th, 2026
This summer, the men of Bethany are walking through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) — the greatest sermon ever preached, where Jesus shows what it looks like to follow him as King in his new kingdom. Come ready to be challenged, sharpened, and strengthened alongside other men pursuing Christ together.
The Table
The Table is simply an opportunity for the women of Bethany to build community with other women. It’s a time to chat, laugh, and maybe make one or two new friends. This isn’t a big-crowd sort of event. Instead, The Table consists of many individual small group gatherings, hosted by various women in the church. These gatherings occur at different days and times to accommodate as many schedules as possible. Each event is unique, since the hostesses of each Table plan their own gatherings. Register by going to bethanycentral.org/thetable.
Temple Builders ABC New Series: "Who Are the Elect?"
Sunday, June 7th, 10:30 am
The Temple Builders Class will begin a new series titled “Who Are the Elect?” starting Sunday, June 7, during the second worship service in Room 807. Mark Schellenberg will be teaching.
Discussion Questions
Icebreaker: What was a specific household rule, chore, or curfew that you absolutely dreaded and couldn’t wait to be "free" from when you finally moved out?
Discussion 1: In verses 2–3, Paul warns that accepting one rule (circumcision) obligates them to obey the entire law, making Christ of "no value" to them. Why do you think Paul presents this as such an "all-or-nothing" scenario? Why can’t we just rely 90% on Jesus and 10% on our own good behavior?
Application 1: We likely aren’t tempted to get circumcised for salvation today, but we often add other "requirements" to the Gospel. What types of rules have you seen added (Ex: political stances, parenting styles, or spiritual disciplines)? What is one "extra" requirement you are tempted to rely on to feel like a "good” Christian?
Discussion 2: In verse 4, Paul uses the phrase "fallen away from grace" to describe people who are trying to be justified by the law, rather than those who have fallen into open sin. Based on this passage, how would you define "falling from grace," and how does this definition differ from how we usually think about spiritual failure?
Application 2: Paul says that relying on works means you have "fallen away from grace." Do you tend to see a reliance on the law/works as a minor mistake or as a complete shift in your relationship with God? How does the seriousness of Paul’s warning encourage you to be zealous about protecting the purity of the gospel in your own life?
Discussion 3: The passage concludes with the essential definition of Christian living in verse 6: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." How does this concept solve the tension between legalism (obeying rules) and license (doing whatever we want)? How is this different from just "working hard to be a loving person"? How does Paul summarize the entirety of the Christian life in this short phrase?
Application 3: If you evaluated your last 24 hours by this metric alone: is your faith primarily focused inward on your own performance, or is it actively working outward through love toward others, how did you do? What is one specific way you can let your faith express itself as love to a coworker, spouse, or friend tomorrow?
