Persecution

August 17, 2025

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Pastor Brad Wetherell - Multiple Campuses

Matthew 14:1-12 ESV

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

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December 19, 2025
The Orchard Itasca shared the following testimony about Kenny's baptism during their weekly Sunday service. Kenny is a resident of the Forest View Nursing and Rehab Facility in Itasca where our people have been ministering for the past two years. Kenny and his friend, Karen now regularly attend services, and Kenny was baptized on Sunday, September 28. We rejoice in the fruit that is being born through this ministry! We are also excited that one of the couples who regularly participates in the ministry has plans to offer a Bible study at the facility. We pray that The Orchard Itasca will continue to bring light and hope to the residents and staff!
December 12, 2025
The Orchard Itasca shared the following testimony about how they are ministering at Forest View Nursing Home. A man named Christian is a resident at the Forest View Nursing Home where our people go to minister quarterly. He likely has some form of Parkinson’s Disease and because of this has lost most of the function in his hands and feet. Some of our people have visited with Christian on previous trips. At our July visit, a couple from our church Mike and Deb Marunde went to his room. Since it had been a few months since our last visit, they didn’t think he would remember them. However, when they introduced themselves, Christian looked up and said “Mike!” He remembered! He looked at Mike and said, “I miss you.”
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David Althoff from The Orchard Barrington shared the following testimony about how he has seen God work in his life at his baptism. For most of my life, I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders. I believed in Jesus, but only in an intellectual way, shaped more by church tradition than by a personal relationship with Him. I thought my success, security, and happiness depended entirely on my own efforts. I worked tirelessly to provide for my family, to control outcomes, and to fix every challenge that came my way. Sin wasn’t something I thought about because I measured life by my own standards, not God’s.