Newsletter
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Building Bethel: We Do Stuff Here You Just Don’t Do Anywhere Else
From December 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs…
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Building Bethel: Stepping Out in Faith
From November 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.…
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Building Bethel: Discernment
From October 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us… ~ Acts 15:28 By the time you read this, another major hurdle in my doctoral program will have been overcome. My thesis proposal is due on September 30 at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN for review by the Institutional…
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Building Bethel: Overcoming 18 Inches
From September 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ~ James 1:22 I once heard that the most difficult journey is 18 inches. That’s the approximate distance between your brain and your heart. Rally Day (September 13) helps us come together and worship in one service at 10:00am,…
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Building Bethel: Waking the Sleeping Giant
From August 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” ~ Psalm 12:5 The Lutheran church has been referred to as the “sleeping giant.” Some people attribute this phrase to the Reverend Billy Graham, but I…
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Building Bethel: Focusing and Re-Focusing
From June/July 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ~ Matthew 6:33 Vicki and I enjoy watching TV … it’s a guilty pleasure. We recently stumbled upon a reality show on CNBC called “The Profit” (www.cnbcprime.com/the-profit). I admit…
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Building Bethel: Sharing
From May 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter Paul said: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:8 We’re taught from a very young age about the importance of sharing. It’s reinforced on…
Epicurious Lutheran 