April 21, 2014

 

STIRRINGS AT BETHESDA

A Weekly Publication of Bethesda Baptist Church

April 21, 2014

 
Julie’s Mission Trip

Julie’s 10 week mission trip to San Diego is just about a month away.  Please keep her and the team in prayer.  If you wish to contribute financially towards this trip, simply write a check made out to the church with a note that indicates it is for “Julie’s Trip”.

North American Missions

This Sunday will be your last opportunity to give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.  We have met our goal of $1200 but you may still give if the Lord so impresses you to do so.

LADIES Book Study

The Ladies will meet again tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 6:30 p.m.  Come out and join the fellowship and study time!

Upcoming Activities

1.  Bethesda Academy, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
2.  Ladies Book Study, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
3.  Bible Study & Prayer Meeting,  Wednesday, 7 p.m.
4. Sunday School, Sunday, 9:15 a.m.
5. Worship Service, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. including the Lord’s Supper.
6.  Discipleship Training, Sunday, 5 p.m.

“He is not here.  He has Risen!”

The Bethesda Academy

The Academy has 5 more Monday meetings including this evening.  Come out and join us as we consider what the Bible says on future events.  We begin at 6:30 p.m.

Recent Prayer Requests

* Cynthia Wordlaw and her family in the death of her mother.  Also Cynthia’s need for a kidney.
* Elijah Mueller
* Alicia’s mother
* Meghan Bartner
* Zachary Mueller
* Dennis fighting kidney failure
* Marilynn Norvell
* Debbie, recovering from foot surgery
* Prayer for the conversions of the lost, especially those in our community
* Prayer for those involved in North American missions.
* Praise to the Lord for our visitors
* Our church and need for revival

Congratulations to…

* Karla Repperger celebrating a birthday on Wednesday, April 23.  Happy Birthday!

Coming Sunday…

“Final Exhortations” from 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 plus we will observe the Lord’s Supper.

“He (Ben-Hur) persisted, as men do yet today in measuring the Christ by himself.  How much better if we measured ourselves by the Christ.”
Lew Wallace

Good Friday and Easter Services

Thank you to everyone who participated in our weekend services.  Both our Good Friday and Easter services were well attended.

I want to publically thank several individuals for their service:

* Bill Savage for his wonderful message on Friday.
* Audrey for playing and for her special music in both services.
* Dennis for leading our singing in both services.
* Jeff for his work in the sound room both days and to Alicia for her help in the morning service.
* Steve, Jon, Christy, Debbie, and Dennis for reading the Scripture on Friday night.
* Our band for leading us in worship with song during the Easter service.
* Sandy for volunteering to read even though she then could not attend on Friday.
* And to those who worked the nursery yesterday morning.  I’m not 100% certain who was in there (though I think Tom was one of them!).

How wonderful it is to see God’s people willing to serve Him!

A new Discipleship Training class begins this Sunday at 5 p.m.  Why don’t you plan on coming out and joining us for study and fellowship?

 

Pastor’s Postscript

We praise God for leading Bobby Henson to our church.  On Friday evening, Bobby asked to join our church!  He is reading through our Constitution and Statement of Faith and then I will sit down and chat with him.  He professes knowing Christ as His Lord and has been baptized.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure you welcome him to our church.

I have two more messages from 2 Thessalonians to share with you over the next couple of weeks.  Then we will prepare for a longer study of another book.  Since coming to Bethesda first as an interim pastor and then as your pastor, we have traveled together through 5 of the 66 books of the Bible (Colossians, Ruth, John, 1 & 2 Thessalonians).  I am so grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to preach through His Word and intend to continue doing so until I am no longer physically able to do so (and that includes being called home to glory!).  I truly believe preaching through books is the best method for proclaiming the Gospel.  Such a procedure forces me to address matters I might ignore with another approach.  Furthermore, this form of expository preaching keeps us in the context of the author’s writing.  We can’t simply pull a verse out of the Word and then say what we want.  May our Lord continue to bless our Scriptural journey!

And may Christ overwhelm you with blessings this week!  He and He alone is worthy of our praise!