F E B R U A R Y

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Bethel News
Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church

Psalm 84
[1] How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! [2] My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. [3] Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. [4] Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah [5] Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. [6] As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. [7] They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

Experiencing Transformation
We are all born with the same malady. Love for God and affection for Christ are not natural to us. Before we can love God, something must happen to us. Our hearts of stone must be changed into hearts of flesh, hearts that pulsate with new life and new affection for God. When one speaks of being born again, he is speaking of his change of heart. When God quickens us from spiritual death, when He regenerates us by His Holy Spirit, He does radical surgery on our hearts. He turns the stone into living tissue. To be converted is to gain a new disposition, a new inclination, a new bent to our hearts. Where formerly we were hostile, cold, or indifferent to God, now we are warmly attracted to Him. To be a Christian is to be a new person. We have undergone a transformation that is rooted in the heart. The more we know of God, the greater is our capacity to love Him. The more we love Him, the greater is our capacity to obey Him. Our new affection, however, must be made to grow. We are called to love God with our whole hearts. The new heart of flesh must be nurtured. It must be fed by the Word of God. If we neglect our new hearts, they too can undergo a kind of hardening. They will not revert once more to a total heart of stone, but they can get a bit leathery. The new heart is the creation of the Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit is working within us to yield His fruit. As our hearts are more inclined to God, so the fruit of His Spirit is multiplied in our lives. Unregenerate people can perform external acts of righteousness, but no man with a heart of stone can yield the authentic fruit of the Spirit. Our sanctification is a matter of the heart. It is a process that flows from intimate fellowship with God. Jesus summarized the matter by showing the link between love and law: If you love Me, keep My commandments. http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/experiencing-transformation/

Church Information
Fred Scragg...........Pastor Steve Geier..Administrative Assistant Erik Hagedorn....Music Director Ed & Debbie Fawcett....Caretakers

THE BETHEL NEWS Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

FEBRUARY 2014 Fri 1 Sat

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9:30 AM Confirmation 11:00 AM Worship

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5:30-7:00 PM Boys Club & Lamplighters

7:30 PM Bible Study @ Pastor Freds House

7:00-10:00 PM Youth Group: Coffee House 7:00 PM Bethel Coffee House

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9:30 AM Confirmation 11:00 AM Worship

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5:30-7:00 PM Boys Club & Lamplighters

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7:30 PM Trustee Meeting

7:30 PM Bible Study @ Pastor Freds House

6:00 PM Youth Group SHWW

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11:00 AM Worship & Stuyvesant Baptism

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7:00-10:00 PM Youth Group: Roller Skating

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11:00 AM Worship

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7:30 PM Womens Ministry Event 7:30 PM Bible Study @ Pastor Freds House

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5:30-7:00 PM Boys Club & Lamplighters 7:00-10:00 PM Youth Group: Decathlon

Notes:

THE BETHEL NEWS

FEBRUARY 2014

YOUTH GROUP NEWS

February 7th 7:00-10:00 pm
Coffee House

February 21st 6:00-10:00 pm

Youth Group: Roller Skating @ United Skates of America Cost $20

February 14th 17th 6:00 pm

A four-day retreat at Tuscarora for all Students Cost:$190

February 28th 7:00-10:00 pm

Youth Group: Decathlon

Birthdays
2/4 Milan Sivacek Mona Wick 2/10 Tasia Calvagna 2/12 Janelle Poukamissas 2/27 Morgan McNulty

Anniversaries
2/28 Jeremy & Diane Talleur

THE BETHEL NEWS

FEBRUARY 2014

Upcoming Events
Join us as we continue reading The Story: The Bible As One Continual Story of God and His people. Fred will continue to preach on the themes from the book and our small groups will also be using the reading for the week as the basis for their study and discussion.

Bethel Coffee House

February 7th, 2014 @ 7:30 PM Join us for coffee, tea and desserts to a soundtrack of live music, poetry and spoken word at Bethels Friday Night Coffee House!

Senior High Winter Weekend

February 14th 17th, 2014 6:00 pm A four-day retreat at Tuscarora for all Students Cost:$190

Quarterly Business Meeting

March 19th, 2014 @ 7:30 PM The membership of Bethel will gather to hear what God has been doing through our ministries and what plans are being made for the coming year of ministry

THE BETHEL NEWS

FEBRUARY 2014

Find Your Place at Bethel

Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church is a place for your entire family. Childrens Church K-6th grade (meets during Sunday morning service) Boys Club boys K-6th grade Lamplighters girls K-6th grade Youth Group teens 7th-12th grade Leisure Timers- Luncheons for retirees Prayer Group 10:00 AM on Sunday morning

Check the calendar on page 2 to find out when your group meets.
Check the calendar on page 2 to find out when your group meets!

For more information about our Nursery School program please contact the church office or send an email to bethelnurseryschool@yahoo.com. Classes available for 2, 3, and 4 year olds.

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Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church

Address: 10 Pinetree Road, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Website: www.Bethellb.com Email: BethelLBChurch.LI@Gmail.com Phone: (631) 423-4404 Office Hours: M,T,F 9am-4pm; W 9am-1pm; Th 11am-4pm