Has God Abandoned You?

On November 17th, I was blessed with the privilege of preaching at Rio Vista Community Church, and I wanted to share this message with our Bethany family.

To listen, click the sermon title below.
Jesus' Triumph Over Satan's Temptations

Just as the sheep are called to know the voice of our Shepherd, so too are the sheep expected to recognize the whispers of our great adversary. As we read about Jesus' triumph over the devil’s greatest temptations, we discover that our Savior is the only unfailing hero in this world. Our God willingly embraced a life of suffering, so that he could sympathize with our tears and secure our fate in heaven. Incredibly, Jesus loved us too much to accept a kingdom without the Cross. And he did all of this for us! So when the familiar whisper of Satan comes to you in the midst of your greatest moments of suffering (“If God really loved you, he would never allow you to suffer"), let us remember the faithful example of our Savior who persevered through suffering and refused to let go of the faithful promises of God.

I pray that this message richly blesses and encourages your heart!

In Christ,

Sam Kastensmidt
Headmaster
Bethany Christian School

Letter to BCS Middle School Parents...

Hello BCS parents,

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for the privilege of teaching your sons and daughters. As you know, I have taken on the role of teaching Bible this year, and it has been such a great joy for me. I have been so impressed by the maturity and wisdom expressed by your kids. As a teacher, I have always had very high expectations for my students, but I confess that their ability (and eagerness) to grasp the most important concepts of life has been quite impressive — especially considering that they are in the middle-school stage of life. They are an awesome bunch of kids, and they have absolutely dominated my high-school level Bible curriculum. Our textbook is being used in three private, Christian high schools in Broward County, and I’d put my students up against any of their students!

 

In each of my classes, we have had so many great conversations about life, the grace of God, Christian ethics, philosophy, and the most important priorities in life. From my perspective, the students seem genuinely excited to learn about the Scriptures, which has really blessed my heart. Along with you, I am hopeful that their deepening relationship with God is giving them a solid foundation for the rest of life.

 

The Middle School years can be among the most challenging developmental years in all of life. As I mentioned during the Open House, each of the teachers in the BCS Middle School considers ourselves to be partners in shepherding your child’s heart. If you ever notice an area where your child needs encouragement or discipleship, please let us know. While we are absolutely committed to providing the best academic environment possible, each of us serves at Bethany Christian School because we feel called to help shepherd and shape the hearts of our students for a lifetime to come.  

 

Again, thanks for the opportunity and privilege that we have in loving and teaching your kids!

 

 

Blessings in Christ,

 

Sam Kastensmidt

Headmaster

Bethany Christian School