Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to all. The first week of school is in the books for our kids, and soon the school schedules will settle. The newness will become normal. Let us encourage our children as they go back to school. This week is also the beginning of our return to Wednesday Nigh Fellowships. As the pandemic eased over one year ago, and returned us to a new normal, Bethel wanted to provide another opportunity to fellowship together. Wednesday nights are the best use of our time for such fellowship.
We never want to stop fellowship. And this is what we do on Wednesday Nights. We meet together, share a meal together, and share our prayers and praises together. There are no strangers in our congregation, only people we need to know better. And we share God’s Word.
Tonight, at 6:00 PM, we will meet for dinner, fellowship, and Bible study. Our main course is fried chicken. If you can please bring a dish and/or a dessert to share it would be greatly appreciated. Also, there will be a gift basket to assist Bethel Baptist. The children will have Mission Friends and the adults and teens will meet in the sanctuary for Bible study.
When we left for the Summer, we were at a natural stopping point in our study of the Revelation. We will finalize our study, and then begin something we originally started when we returned to Wednesday Night Fellowships. Beginning Wednesday, August 23, we will take a deeper dive into the week’s sermon. This will require something from each of you. We will have to be open, bring comments, and be willing to ask questions, and share how the sermon reached us personally. It is wonderful for a preacher’s sermon to be well received, yet it is just as special when the sermon makes us question what is happing around us. Sermons should make us ask how, why, what for, and when. These kinds of thoughts and questions will be welcomed with our next sermon series. Answers may not be immediate, but God will provide the answers.
Through the early fall, we will examine the book of Romans. Romans is written with the motivation and the perspective of a lawyer in a courtroom setting. God’s word to Paul was a pronouncement of truth about mankind, a presentation of proof towards the “right-ness” of God, and placed evidence of God’s supremacy on the table. Romans contains some of the most eloquent answers to today’s arguments for the truth of Christianity. People want to know why they should believe, follow, and worship God – Romans gives us those answers. Romans gives a defense for the Gospel, makes each of us go to the “jury box” of our hearts, and demands us to render a verdict. What we cannot do is believe lies, ignore evidence, and reject truth. The Book of Romans is powerful. And from this power we experience atonement, forgiveness, grace, love, and new life. This Fall do not miss “The Righteousness of God.”
This brings us to our final sermon in our current series “God’s Way”. As your pastor I hope you have received this series well. More importantly I hope you are spiritually healthier and stronger. God wants us to give us things. God knows we need things. Thus, God gives us everything beginning with your life, blesses you within your family, provides you a church, grants you success, prospers you in your community – ALL for His purpose. God knows His plan for you. God’s plan involves lessons from failures, faith from doubts, forgiveness from sins, light from darkness, healing from sickness, and life from death. We cannot experience anything God intends when we do it our way.
Let us finish our Lord’s sermon series strong this Sunday. Come ready to hear what God has to say about your purpose – His way. I know you believe these words. Everyone has a purpose in this life and only God knows what it is. Those around you of all ages and backgrounds want to know their purpose. The best and first thing you can do is invite them to Bethel Baptist. Everything begins with God. Open your heart to someone and watch the Holy Spirit work in their life. If God is speaking to you and working in your life, don’t you want the same for others. I know you believe this to be true about people, “They really want what you have, they just don’t know it yet!!” Join us this Lord’s Day.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael
