A Help for Prayer

Sometimes it is difficult to pray for something (e.g. Iowa floods) without a picture in your mind to go along with raw information.  Take a look at the link below.  It is a blog dedicated to bringing pictures from around the world related to current news events.  Try looking at the pictures and then praying and see if it helps.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

On Break Until September

Verse-by-verse study of 1 Peter over the course of 35+ weeks and 6 worship gatherings– it has been a good year. We’ve heard testimonies of the fruit God has produced through SixSixteen and our hearts are filled with thankfulness.

We’ll be taking a break until September as we dream about what SixSixteen will look like next year and as I prepare for teaching verse-by-verse through Revelation beginning September 7th on Sunday mornings at our weekly Bible study. I may post details about our plans over the course of the summer and as the Lord leads.

Ingrid and I also may periodically host some social activities this summer. If you want to be on our list, hit the “Connect” tab at the top of this page and provide your name and email.

Have a good summer run (Hebrews 12:1-2).

-Boyd

Wow, I Wish I Had Taped That

Thanks again to Jack and Mary Delk for sharing with us last night. I wished we would have taped the Q&A because they had so many helpful things to say to singles.

We Welcome Jack and Mary Delk

Tonight’s Q&A panel will feature Pastor Jack Delk and his wife, Mary Delk.  Jack is the pastor of Covenant Member Care at Bethlehem and Mary is the Minister for Women’s Ministries.  They are both wise and caring servants of God who love the flock at Bethlehem well.  We are thankful that Jack and Mary have made themselves available to answer questions this evening!

Friday Night is Your Chance

Tomorrow evening (Friday) is your chance to ask a Bethlehem pastor a question.  Though we’ll focus most of the Q&A on topics related to singleness, you can ask a question about anything.  Perhaps you have a question about Bethlehem or ministry or life or Christianity.  This is your opportunity.

Friday, June 13th at 6:30p.m. at the downtown campus in the youth basement (look for signs if you don’t know where that is).

Q&A with a Pastor

Singles are invited to a question and answer time with a Bethlehem pastor at the next SixSixteen Friday Night. The gathering will feature a time of worship along with the opportunity to engage with a Bethlehem pastor on any issue, including issues related to singleness.

The gathering takes place on June 13th at the downtown campus (Room 52) at 6:30 p.m.

Wrapping Up 1 Peter

Lord willing, in one week (June 8th) we will complete our study of 1 Peter.  I feel the same mixed emotions about closing 1 Peter as I did when we completed Colossians last year.

I’ve personally been studying 1 Peter for about 10 months now.  By next week we will have covered the book over about 35 weeks.  If you came to every class, that would be approximately 2,625 minutes of studying 1 Peter.  All that to say that 1 Peter has been very much a central part of my life in the last year.

On one hand, I feel excited about completing 1 Peter.  It feels good to have taught every verse of a book of the Bible and to know it much better now than I did a year ago. It also feels good to transition to something new. During our 13-week break, I’ll begin studying for SixSixteen’s fall study, the book of Revelation.

On the other hand, when I look back, I know I wasn’t able to give the book its full due.  There is more to say and more that I need to learn from the book. Ending 1 Peter feels a little like saying goodbye to a good friend.

On June 8th (our last class until September 7th), my plan is to do the following:

• Survey the whole book, highlighting key passages.
• Relate those key passages to 5:10-11 and note the context from the rest of the chapter.
• Think on why Peter begins and ends the book with the doctrine of election and how the doctrine of election helps you when you suffer as a Christian.

We hope to see you there.  (And it is still not too late to come if you’ve never come before.)