BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
 Thursday January 12, 2017
The Night after meets the day before 4 Thursday
I think It may be hard to comprehend just how much we need each other in the local church, though at times we might be hard pressed to defend that based on our irregularity of interacting with one another.   We talk about our meetings together as a church in terms of commitments, priorities, and available time but fail to appreciate how much the early church viewed any opportunity to gather as a necessity. In a culture whose biggest weekly worry is the stress of a bad day, our children's poor report from school, or the must-see just released movie, its harder to connect with an early church, who in the absence of a completed Bible such as we have, faced the future in uncertainty over their supposed failure to join the rapture (Thess) or the likely future persecution at the hands of the Romans.(Peter-Revelation) Maybe that's why they anticipated each new scroll that their messenger brought and each new day that they could join together to pray. Any idea who was better off? The church needs one another and the Spiritual gifts that they bring to the table.    MJC

The Wednesday Night Insights
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Holy Spirit at work: The Church gets the gifts, and wow what a gift

On Wednesday, we focused our attention on the specifics of the Spiritual Gifts. We noted the importance of the term itself, its presence in the New Testament, and their relationship to the concept of gifted men, as presented in Ephesians 4. 

What makes the Gifts unique? They are displayed by God's servants with consistency and authenticity, and need not be forced or pressed, for they flow out of God's servants.  
First up: The Gift of Teaching: Romans 12; I Cor. 12; I Peter 4
  1. What is it? It represents the supernatural gift that allows someone to explain and apply truth.
  2. What was it designed to do?  It was provided in order that the newborn Christians might know the fundamental truths concerning the Gospel and the Christian life. 
  3. How is it applied? The teaching gift assumes no superior knowledge of the truth and is to be distinguished from the prophetic gift. The teacher must understand the truth and be taught by the spirit, but the gift is expressed in its best form as truth is given full explanation and a practical application. 

Next up: The Gift of ministering (Helps)

MJC  
Friday Morning Men
Know What You Believe by Paul Little
Pages 92-94
This Friday we will move on to the next chapter-- chapter 5. Here we take up the issue of people and the long history of sin we endure.

  • How might a scientist define man?
  • How does God define us?  

Our origins are presented in Genesis 1 with the understanding that we were created out of nothing and in the image of God. What all does that mean? What does this say about our makeup, and the care at which we were created?
 

As Little notes, nowhere does the Bible attempt to prove God. In fact, when the Apostle Paul talks to the "no- nothing" "egg-heads" of Acts 17, who desired to know every new thing, He merely assumes God's existence, He never attempts to defend it... ( The God who made the world...)

We all base our understanding on certain assumptions... We'll continue to look in on God's rationale for the human race.

See you Friday.   

So, pick up the book... and read! As Augustine did, so can you!
MJC
Pastor Mark Congrove
Bethel Baptist Church 
 616.546.0292 
 6633 Blue Star Highway
South Haven, Mi. 49090 

Wednesday Night Insights and Friday men are study helps from  Pastor Mark Congrove  and Bethel Baptist Church. We believe that the Bible is profitable for growth in the Christian life and disciples are strengthened as its principles are presented.