Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
Dispelling the Darkness
July 13, 2008

Prelude                                                                                                                     Elaine Anderson

Welcome

Opening Hymns                                         We Bow Down                                            (see bulletin)
                                                                                   We Will Glorify

Scripture Readings:
                     Old Testament: Jeremiah 15:19-21                                                                  OT p. 581
                     New Testament: Romans 4:13-25                                                                     NT p. 124

Confession of Faith:                                  Apostle’s Creed                                    Hymnal front p.4

Confession of Sin:                                                                                          Hymnal front p. 50 #13

 Hymn                                                    I Lay My Sins on Jesus                                                #396

Pastoral Prayer

Children’s Object Lesson

Offering                                             We Give Thee but Thine Own                                         #391

Hymn                                                 Break Thou the Bread of Life                                          #257

Sermon                                         "Coming Through the Right Gate"
                                                                                     Matthew 7:12-20
                                                                              Pastor David Skordahl

Hymn                                                     Is Your All on the Altar?                                              #441

The Benediction

The Doxology                                                                                                     Hymnal (front) p. 24

A pastor and deacons will be in the front of the sanctuary following the service to meet with those who desire to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, those who wish to renew their relationship with Him, and those who need prayer for specific needs. Anointing with oil, according to James 5:14, is available upon request.

Stand (optional)

We are thankful to have you join us for today’s service. It is our desire that you experience the presence of the Lord and the love of God’s people. If you are a first-time guest, please sign a registration card located in your pew and place it in the offering plate.

Deacons at the Altar: Doug Gipes and Len Terry

Greeter today: Carolyn Steele

Additional flowers in the Sanctuary are from the funeral service of Evelyn Helland, which was held here on Wednesday. Please remember the Helland family in your prayers.

You are invited to be part of the prayer time tonight at 5:00 pm in the Fireside Room. Please join us in prayer for our church and our community.

Last Sunday’s attendance: 121

Last Sunday’s offering: Current $4,882    Missions $410

Needed to meet budget: Current $4,250    Missions $306

Weekly offering average (June 1 to present): $4,019

The WMF meeting that was going to be this Thursday, July 17, has been canceled. Watch the bulletin for the date of the next meeting.

Let’s pray this week for the persecuted Church in China and Tibet. Human rights records in China and Tibet are the worst in the world. Thousands are arrested and re-educated, church property is confiscated, Bibles are outlawed. Yet the Church grows by an amazing 3,000 Chinese per day, mainly through house churches. Only about 1,000 Evangelical Christians and 2,000 Catholics are left in Tibet. China is the largest mission field left on the earth. Pray for the continued faithfulness of Chinese pastors and believers.

The city will be replacing the curbing on Wauponsee Street sometime next week. On the days they are working, please use the South doors to enter the building.

The Ambassadors Music Ministry Team from the Association Free Lutheran Bible School in Minneapolis will present an inspirational concert here on Tuesday, July 15th, at 7:00 PM. You are encouraged to attend this concert featuring Christian music ranging from traditional to contemporary. The 60-minute concert includes more than ten songs, two testimonies of faith, and a brief message.

There will be a potluck supper at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, July 15th before the Ambassadors Concert. Chicken and drinks will be furnished. Please bring a dish to pass. Don’t miss this opportunity for food, fellowship, inspiring music, and testimony.

Bethlehem is again responsible for delivering Mobile Meals for the month of August. All routes (A, B, D) are picked up at the Morris Hospital. Participation drops on weekends, so Routes A and B are combined on Sunday and A and D are combined on Saturday.

There is a sign-up sheet in the office. Please consider helping even if it is just for a day. Please include your phone number as you sign up. Any questions, call Merle McTague at 942-2024. Thanks.

Prayer Connection —July 13, 2008 Freedom  part II

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘we are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.’" (John 8:31-38) Freedom through the blood of the cross and the forgiveness of Christ is such an important lesson, it definitely called for a part 2. The mercy and grace that is poured onto us because of our faith in Christ gives us another chance, in fact, numerous chances. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Dearest Father God,
How can we not pour onto You our love and worship and praise for all Your grace and mercy and the freedom You have given us through Your Son, our Savior and Redeemer. We are so blessed every day by Your forgiveness and the freedom from our sin when we repent. You have taught us much, and every time we read in Your living Word, you teach us again and again. Not only is Your grace and mercy new every morning, but also Your Word. We are fed and refreshed anew each time we pick up our Bibles. Thank You for Your Word! Lord, we will walk in freedom, for we have sought out Your precepts. We will speak of Your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for we delight in Your commands because we love them. We lift up our hands to Your commands, which we love, and we will meditate on Your decrees. Thank You for Your Son, thank You for His cross, thank You for our freedom! In His name we pray with everlasting praise. Amen!

"There is," he says, "no sin upon my conscience now; there is no crime upon my breast; I need not walk through the earth fearful of every shadow, and afraid of every man I meet, for sin is washed away; my spirit is no more guilty; it is pure, it is holy; there no longer resteth the frown of God upon me; but my Father smiles; I see His eyes—they are glancing love: I hear His voice—it is full of, sweetness. I am forgiven, I am forgiven, I am forgiven! All hail, thou breaker of fetters! Glorious Jesus! Ah! That moment when first the bondage passed away, 1, methinks, I recollect it now. I saw Jesus on His cross before me; I thought on Him and as I mused upon His death and sufferings, me thought I saw Him cast a look on me; and when He gazed on me, I looked at Him and said, ‘Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly.’ He said, "come, and I flew to Him and clasped Him; and when He let me go again, I wondered where my burden was. It was gone! There, in the sepulcher, it lay, and 1 felt light as air; like a winged sylph, I could fly over mountains of trouble and despair; and oh! What liberty and joy I had! I could leap with ecstasy for I had much forgiven, and now I freed from sin. Beloved, this is the first liberty of the children of God. `Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty' from the bondage of sin." (Spurgeon) "Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits, before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever!! Amen." (Revelations 1:5-6)  Call on me anytime at schwiesowfam@sbcglobal.net or 941-4645.  I wish for you a prayer-filled week!

                                                                                             Ann Schwiesow

 

This Week at Bethlehem

Today:                             8:00 am      Men’s prayer in Pastor’s study

                                        9:00 am      Worship Service-Radio 95.7 FM

5:00 pm      Prayer time at Bethlehem

Monday:                        10:30 am      Lawrence Larson Funeral Service

Tuesday:                          6:00 pm      Potluck

                                         7:00 pm      Ambassadors Concert

Thursday:                        6:00 am      Men’s Bible Study (IHOP)

Saturday:                         7:30 am      Men’s breakfast (Kitchen)

Sunday:                            8:00 am      Prayer in Pastor’s Study

 9:00 am      Worship Service-Radio 95.7 FM

Please remember the following people in your prayers this week:

Missionaries: The Ambassadors Summer Team

Special Needs:
Arlene Johnson         Vivian Walker         Gene Timmons          Tom Mickelson
Florence Whyte         Bailey Bergstrom    Jim Koedding            Aaron Noone                      Martha Fritz              Roy Egeland            Mickey McComas    Chris Perry

The family of Lawrence Larson

The family of Evelyn Helland whose funeral was Wednesday

(Special Needs requests will be in the bulletin for two consecutive Sundays.

Please call the office to be included for a longer period of time.)

Church of the Week: Fox River Lutheran Church

Praise: That the Lord provided the WAY!

Pastor Dave and Cheryl Skordahl
38 Lynwood Drive Morris, IL 60450
815 942-3670 (Home) 815 735-7329(Cell)

 

Patrick Lohse, Intern Pastor
Patrick and Jennifer Lohse

510 Narvick Ave. Apt. 6 Morris, IL 60450
815 941-2407 (Home) 815-584-7122 (Cell)

Matthew 7: 13-14

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by
it. For the gate is small,
and the way is narrow
that leads to life,
and few are
those who
find
it.