I am so glad to have our new banner hanging here, which is a combination, if you'll notice, between the old sanctuary, remember that colorful window that was in the back of the old sanctuary

there, it's still there, you can walk around the other side to see it, and this window here, superimposed the old on the new on the old with

the 125 years mentioned which we celebrate next June the third week of June

will be our 125th anniversary and hanging from that combination of the new and the old is the mission statement which is on the front of this little brochure that we are here spreading

a passion for the supremacy of God in all things, for the joy of all peoples. I want to thank Mark Salzman and his team

for working so hard on this banner and what it will mean to us as we visually allow all the different things that it says over these next months

to get into our heart.

Now I would really like to have everybody in the room have one of these within looking distance.

So look underneath to see if there's one under the pew if you don't have one.

If you brought one with you, good.

Ushers, why don't you come on to the front and they'll walk toward the back and if you can't reach one if you don't have

one or if you're a visitor and we'd like to have one to keep just flagging usher down as they

go back because I'm going to be referring to this as we go through the message this morning.

Thank you so much for your help ushers.

Those of you who keep coming back, regular attenders and members, and bring yours with you, please,

so that we won't run out of these over the several months that we're going to be using them.

But I'm real happy to have visitors get them and take them if they look like they would be helpful for you in your own thinking and your own church.

Bethlehem Baptist Church, according to this statement on the front, exists to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.

Now I want to tell you personally what this is meaning to me right now in these particular days and hopefully it will make a difference

in your particular days.

I spoke over at Northwestern College Chapel on Wednesday and as I was preparing to go over there I was so

gripped by the thought that I'm a pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church and

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