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A NOTE FROM PASTOR JERRY
Several have been thanking me for the current sermon series, “Being Part of the Solution,” and I want to express my appreciation for that. Others, while still complementary, have expressed some concern about it as well. I want to be clear that the point of these sermons is to address issues that are dividing us as a culture AND as evangelicals. Division is extremely potent these days and threatens to upend us as a nation, and also to render the “salt of the earth” tasteless. In order to address these issues, I’ve committed to a “start with the Bible” approach. Many in our culture, including some evangelical believers, know too little about what the Bible actually says about these issues. Therefore my goal is, in part, to make sure we are all starting on “the same page” (if you’'ll pardon the pun) as we explore these challenging issues.
These messages are challenging by design, since following Scripture first will naturally cut across political and idealogical lines. We are looking at “hot topics” in order to help us focus on that important fact.
I want to thank you for bearing with this preacher as he handles a little dynamite and to let you know that the series has only two more weeks left (not counting this week, when Shaun will be in the pulpit). After that, we will be focusing on thankfulness and the coming of our Lord to planet Earth, although there will, I pray, be enough of an edge in these subjects to challenge our thinking and behavior, as is always my aim.
Someone has said that the job of the preacher is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. I have never had a problem with that. That said, the primary goal is to build one another up using the Word of God. I hope that is what is happening at Bethany as a result!
See you on Sunday!
Jerry Schrick, Senior Pastor
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