Urgent Prayer Requests
* Petra Lau and her family, friends of Karla – her father was murdered
* Bill Sugar, friends of the Diamonds, Lymphoma
* Pete Koelling, health concerns and special request for prayer.
* Special prayer for Zachary
* Cynthia Wordlaw, need for a kidney
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Sandy & Rachelle, working many hours (plus Rachelle is under the weather) & Julie at Mizzou
* Dan, health concerns
* Mueller family, Alicia’s pregnancy
* Marilynn Norvell
* Aaron Wordlaw and his arthritis
* Gene & Lois Schulze at home
* Mark & Julie Johnson and the situation with their Illinois home
* Our church and need for revival
Upcoming Activities
1. Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
2. Bible Study (Brief Books) and Prayer
Meeting, Wednesday, 7 p.m.
3. Sunday school, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
4. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
including the observance of the Lord’s
Supper
5. Discipleship Training (Elisha), Sunday,
5 p.m.
“We who are not of the world should not conform our conduct to theirs. Sleep is natural enough for the sons of night, but it is entirely out of place in the sons of light.”
F. F. Bruce
Sermon Extras
John Bunyan, the author of “Pilgrim’s Progress”, talked about the sleeping Christian in his analogy penned centuries ago. A man named “Christian” is making the journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the way he has met Christ and lost the burden he was carrying on his back. He has made it past the Slough of Despond, Doubting Castle, and other dangers. Nearing the end of the journey, he is traveling with “Hopeful” as they come upon a part of the road called the Enchanted Ground. Note Bunyan’s words at this point:
I saw then in my dream, that they went till they came into a certain country whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, “I do now begin to grow so drowsy that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down here and take a nap.”
Christian: “By no means,” said the other, “lest sleeping, we never awake more.”
Hopeful: “Why, my brother? Sleep is sweet to the laboring man; we may be refreshed if we take a nap.”
Christian: “Do you not remember that one of the shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of sleeping: ‘Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober.’”
Operation Christmas Child
Our collection for Operation Christmas Child is nearing completion. If you would like to fill your own box, please take one of the empty ones from the platform, get a tag from Pam, fill the box with goodies, and return it to the church no later than Sunday, November 3. Or, simply bring your gifts to the church and place them in the large box. You may also help by joining with other church members at our annual packing party. This year the party will be at 6:30 p.m., Monday, November 4th at the Walkers.
You may also help by contributing financially to offset the cost of shipping the boxes. Samaritan’s Purse suggests $7 per box for a donation. If you wish to give by check, make your check out to Bethesda Baptist Church and note that your gift is for Operation Christmas Child.
Get involved and help some child receive a gift for Christmas, a gift which includes the Gospel of Christ!
“This is the common condition of all worldly men. However wide awake they fancy themselves to be, however knowing and sagacious, they are really, as to all highest things—things of the soul, of eternity, of God—in a state of slumber; of habitual, deep, lethargic sleep”
John Lillie
Elisha
The study on the prophet Elijah has finished and now the Discipleship Training hour is looking at the life of Elijah’s successor, the prophet Elisha.
Join us on Sunday evenings at 5 p.m. as we pursue the Word of God and its insights into the life of this great prophet.
Brief Books
We continue our study of 2 John this Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Come join us for our 15 minute look at this book and then pray with us in our weekly prayer meeting.
Pastor’s Postscripts
This Sunday we, once again, celebrate the Lord’s Supper during our morning worship service. Some of you have been ill and others on vacation the past couple of weeks. But I hope and pray to see everyone this Sunday so we may share the Lord’s table as a church family.
IF the Lord wills, we will finish our exposition of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 this Sunday. Our focus will be on verses 9-11.
See you Sunday with your Bible in hand and a smile on your face!