Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Happy 2023!! Everything is almost back to normal. The end of the year comes rushing upon us and the new year always seems to start slowly. Let’s start this year right. Tonight, is our first Wednesday Night Fellowship of 2023. All activities and schedules return to normal times this week (Sunday School at 9:30; Worship at 10:40; Wednesday Fellowship at 6:00pm). Tonight’s main menu is chicken pot pie, so if you are able, bring anything to accompany chicken, or a dessert to share. As we move into 2023, we will continue to improve our Wednesday Night Fellowship in all areas. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Also, please look at Bethel Baptist’s website www.bethelfortdeposit.com. This is where you will find details about our fellowship, hear/see sermons, and communicate with our staff. The website is also an excellent place to send someone interested in our fellowship. Tell others, step back, and let the Holy Spirit work. The desire at Bethel is to add to our fellowship, provide opportunities within our fellowship, and prepare our fellowship to do MORE!!! If we will focus ourselves on doing more, we need not worry about numbers – God will send us many.
We will begin our new year with a new sermon series. The preparation and preaching within a new series is both exciting and encouraging. This sermon series will be no different, and God never disappoints. Over our last few meetings together we have had received several references to the “richness” of the Old Testament. In this new series we will not miss the “richness” of what God will teach us.
Over the next few weeks, we will look into the life, the calling, and the directives of God upon one life. What do we do when we hear about it? How to we prepare to do it? And finally, how do we do it? The series is entitled, “Navigating Through Life” and we will examine the life of Nehemiah the prophet. The theme for this sermon series is so simple, “God Has a Plan!” For Christians we are always called to go through something in obedience to God. God will lead us through, not around barriers, dangers, turmoil, and uncertainty. Why?? Because God will be seen by all, and He gains the all glory along the way. In whatever we are called to go through, God leads the way. God had a plan for Nehemiah’s life, and he has a plan for yours too.
No sermon spoilers here, but Nehemiah was called to rebuild the Jerusalem City walls – the physical walls of a city. Jewish history will tell us why the Jerusalem city walls were in ruins. This Old Testament application is tremendous for us in America, in Alabama, in Fort Deposit, in Bethel Baptist Church, and in our hearts. Tragically we have very important and necessary walls in our lives in horrible disrepair. Strong and thick walls are necessary in many areas of our lives, and we cannot have them damaged, and we cannot leave them destroyed. Where walls are required – Walls must be!! Certainly, strong walls keep bad things and bad people out, but strong walls also keep good things and good people safe. Nehemiah was called to repair walls. The same calling is upon us to rebuild congregations, fellowships, relationships, and opportunities to reach the lost all around us. God has a plan for us!!
Come to Bethel Baptist Church this week to hear God, learn from God, and worship God. We all strive to do things right in our lives. Together let’s strive to do our best for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Come and see what we are to do this year as a church and as God’s faithful servants. When people see you, they surely know you go to church. Tell them where. Tell them why. Tell them how. When you see people, look for opportunities to invite and share about Christ and about Bethel Baptist. Never forget “people really want what we have, they just don’t know it yet.” You have an invitation to radically change a person’s and a family’s life. All you have to do is give them the invitation. See you this Lord’s Day.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Michael
