Good Morning Bethesda!
The singing yesterday morning was outstanding! For the small group we had in attendance, we were LOUD in our praise to God!
A big thanks for our band. They are very good every week but I think they are always “a bit better” when all of them are present.
And thank you again to Mrs. Audrey Crosby for playing the piano. Don’t hymns sound better when there’s a piano accompanying them?
Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday evening!
Urgent Prayer Requests
- Brida Lovett, recoving from heart surgery at home
- Debbie Walker, recovering from foot surgery at home
- Jill, a friend of Pete & Brenda, who lost her mother last week.
- The Bunch family on their Minnesota mission trip.
- Marilynn Norvell
- Pete & Brenda Koelling & Brenda’s father
- Cynthia Wordlaw, her mother, father, and sister suffering physically
- Gene & Lois Schulze at home.
- Caroline, Anne Overton’s sister-in-law, fight with cancer.
- The Overtons as they search for a new church in Indiana.
- Our church and need for revival
Upcoming Activities
- Bible Study (1 Corinthians) & Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
- Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
- Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
- Discipleship Training, Sunday, 5:00 p.m. (Daniel).
Summer BBQ & Fellowship
Our Summer BBQ & Wii/KINECT Fellowship has been re-scheduled for Saturday, July 28 beginning at noon! Whether you play the games or not, there will be good eating and great fellowship!
5th Sunday Q & A Fellowship
July 29th is a “5th Sunday”. That means we will meet at 6pm in the Fellowship for our next “5th Sunday Q & A Fellowship”. Please bring a snack and drink to share and join uns.
If you wish to submit a question for the pastor, please write it on a piece of paper and place the question into the container on the table in the foyer. You do NOT have to add your name if you do not want to do so.
Some Words on Worship
There are few who call themselves Christians who would deny that we ought to make some public profession of religion, and unite with others to worship God. Public worship has always been a mark of God’s servants. From the earliest Biblical times, right through to the present day, God’s people have met to worship. However few, and whatever the difficulties, they have met together for many other reasons, besides offering worship to God. For example, gathering for worship gives public testimony to the world; it is an encouragement, comfort and strength to those who join together, and it trains and prepares them for the worship of eternity.
Right through the Old Testament there are many examples of public worship – from the Patriarchs to the time of Christ. The Jew who was not a public worshipper would have been cut off from the congregation of Israel. In the New Testament, we find that Jesus Christ gave a special promise of His presence whenever two or three are assembled in His name. The Apostles, wherever they founded churches, made the duty of assembling together one of the first principles. It is an undeniable fact that where there is no private prayer, there is no grace in a man’s heart; equally, where there is no public worship there is no Church of God and no profession of Christianity.
This same thing can be seen in Church History. Public worship has always been one of God’s great instruments in doing good to the souls of men. Preventing public worship causes great spiritual injury to people. Only removal of the Bible itself could do greater harm.
From “Thoughts on Public Worship” by J. C. Ryle
Pastor’s Postscripts
Thank you to all who turned out last Wednesday for business meeting. Such meetings are necessary if our church is to function in an organized manner. And, remember, our God is not the author of confusion!
I hope to send out a survey in the next week or so (perhaps with next week’s newsletter) in an attempt to gather information for a church directory. Our present directory is quite out of date. My current thinking is simply to have a directory of member names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. We won’t take photographs this time around.
By the way, if you have an e-mail address and are presently receiving the newsletter by U.S. mail, please let me know what your e-mail address is and I will send the newsletter to you electronically. By doing so you will receive our church information a day or two earlier than you do now.
Finally, don’t forget our web site. Newsletter information is also placed on the site each week.
May our gracious Lord be kind to you this week!
Pastor Bruce
636-233-0645
TheSaxonHus@hotmail.com