Recent Prayer Requests
* Brook family, illness
* Pete Koelling, health concerns
* Brenda Koelling, relationship with her daughters plus their salvation
* Brida’s daughter-in-law, Dawn
* Special prayer for Zachary
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Gene Schulze
* Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
* Our church and need for revival
Upcoming Activities
1. Business Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
2. Sunday school, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
3. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
4. Discipleship Training, Sunday, 5 p.m.
Ministry to Soldiers
Thank you to all the ladies and families who contributed to filling the boxes for our soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. Bethesda sent 12 boxes full of goodies and, per the United States Postal Services, they should arrive a couple of days before Christmas. I’m certain the soldiers receiving them will be blessed by your generous gifts!
Open House
Bruce and Debbie are hosting an open house on Tuesday, December 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. You are welcome to drop in for a quick visit or stay the entire time. We ask, if you do come, to bring a finger food to share with others. Your children are also welcome.
Our address is 233 Cole Blvd. in St. Charles. Please call the pastor (233-0645) if you need directions. Warning: we do have a dog and cats in case you have allergies and, unfortunately, climbing steps is necessary for entering our home.
Business Meeting
Our monthly business meeting is this Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Since this is the last meeting of 2013, there are some important items up for votes.
1. We will vote on a by-laws amendment concerning the number of members on our various committees.
2. We will vote on our church budget for 2014.
3. We will vote on the Nomination Committee’s recommendations for officers, teachers, and committee members for the 2014 church year.
I encourage every member to be in attendance this Wednesday evening and participate in the business of the church.
“… seeing Jesus clearly causes us to be deeply conscious of our sinfulness and our unworthiness.”
John Piper
Christmas Party
The Bethesda Christmas Party will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 21.
Christmas Eve Service
We will have a Christmas service on Tuesday, December 24 beginning at 6 p.m. The service will last between 30 and 45 minutes. Please invite your friends and family to this brief time of celebrating the birth of our Lord!
Sermon Extras
Hebrews 10:12 begins the contrast of the priesthood of Jesus with those of the Levitical priesthood. The ESV translates this verse:
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God”
Essentially, a “word for word” translation would read something like this:
“But on the other hand THIS ONE a single in place of sins having offered sacrifice unto the continuous sat down at the right hand of God”
1. The emphasis is on “this one” who, based on the context of the entire paragraph, is Jesus Christ, our high priest.
2. The action in the verse is on “this one … sat down at the right hand of God”, emphasizing the completion and victory of his work.
3. He is able to sit down because he has completed the offering of the sacrifice (“having offered”). Specifically, this sacrifice was:
(1) One sacrifice (“single”) in contrast to the many offered by the Levitical priests.
(2) A sacrifice to deal with sins (“for sins”) which the author describes by using a preposition which means “in place of”, i.e., a substitutionary sacrifice.
(3) This sacrifice (and the act of offering it) is eternal in its effect. No other sacrifice is necessary for this one sacrifice has accomplished the demands of God for sin (see verse 18).
Pastor’s Postscripts
I believe some “thank yous” are in order. Thanks to Karla and Jeff for getting our new sign off the truck and to David for putting a tarp around it. Thanks to Rich, Jimmy, and whoever else assisted putting down salt and doing some shoveling yesterday. Thanks to “Broken 4 One” for giving us copies of their latest CDs. Thanks to the members of both the Nominating and Financial Committees for their work in preparing for this Wednesday’s business meeting. I sincerely appreciate all your efforts.
And while I am thanking folks, thank you to our deacons for all the help they have been to me this past year. Thank you to all the individuals (musicians, ushers, sound room, readers, leaders, greeters) who have assisted with our worship services in 2013. Thank you to our teachers on Sunday morning and Sunday evening plus other days of the week for your diligence and commitment to the Lord and His Word. Plus, thanks to all who have given financially to support our church as well as missions in 2013.
And thank you to the Lord for permitting me to be the pastor of such wonderful people as make up Bethesda Baptist Church! May He bless you this week in all you do!