Berea Update for May 9, 2025
This Sunday is Mother's Day! And as we approach Sunday, we pause to celebrate the incredible women in our lives—mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and other mentors—who reflect God’s nurturing love and strength. Their selflessness and care often point us to the heart of our Heavenly Father, whose attributes we’ve been exploring in this blog series the last several weeks. Just as these women pour out love daily, God’s character reveals His steadfast compassion, patience, and peace, inviting us to rest in Him. This final week of our study on God’s attributes below encourages us to reflect deeply on who He is, drawing us closer to His heart as we honor the mothers among us and prepare for a season of summer ministry. Let’s take time to praise God for His unchanging nature and seek ways to mirror His love in our families and community.
Upcoming Events
1. Sunday, we'll be hearing a message from Pastor Miller entitled "A Parent's Desire" from Ephesians 5:1-21. We'll also be honoring all of our ladies with a Mother's Day gift.
2. We are still in need of volunteers for our upcoming Adventure Camp VBS for kids ages 7-13 this summer from June 9-12. If you would like to help with one of the activities, help with lunch, or help prepare the grounds, please reply to this email if you haven't already let us know your desire to help! We'd love to have a large team working with the kids during that week! For those of you who plan on volunteering, there will be a meeting on Thursday, May 22 at 6:30 PM here at the church.
3. Join the
Berea Bible Church's JOY Club (those 55+) for an afternoon of baseball!
They will be attending the Dayton Dragons game on Sunday, June 1 at 1 p.m. The cost is $15 per individual. Children under 3 are free if they don't require a seat. Grandparents are welcome to bring their grandchildren. Plan early as the Dragons baseball team always sells out every seat for every game. To register, click here:
JOY Club Dayton Dragons Tickets
4. Lifewise Academy is a Bible-based character education program that is available to public school students during school hours. This program is currently in place in some local school districts, and is looking to expand. Lifewise is funded entirely by private donations; Lifewise shares that it takes about $30 per child for them to participate during the year. They have reached out to local churches asking that we promote their upcoming Spring Celebration on May 17 from 3:00-6:00 PM at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. There will be free food, performances by local churches and school, and a silent auction that afternoon.
5. We’re grateful to everyone who has helped make Resurrection Garden such a beautiful, peaceful space for our Berea Family and the whole Springfield community. If you haven’t visited lately, we encourage you to. Currently, we are forming volunteer teams for summer upkeep and asking for just two hours of your time—once this summer. If you would like to volunteer for more hours, that would be great, too! Chores will include weeding, trimming, blowing, raking, and general cleanup. No experience is needed, just a willing heart. Tools and supervision will be provided. If you are interested in helping, please contact the office, or Wendy May.
Ways You Can Pray This Week
1. Mother's Day is not an easy day for some, due to strained relationships, or because of grief due to the death of a mother. Pray for those who grieve on Sunday that God might provide them with peace that goes beyond all understanding.
2. Pray for our upcoming Adventure Camp VBS. There are many details to still finalize, but we look forward to hosting many children this summer and expose them to God's Word and a lot of fun outdoor activities! Also pray for Berea's Youth Group, who is gearing up for a mission trip this summer where they will be putting on a VBS for children in inner-city Cleveland.
3. Pray for our church leadership. There continue to be many important decisions to be made regarding the building and upcoming staff transitions. Pray for wisdom that can only come through the Spirit's leading.
***Please know that there are many individuals who need prayer this week due to health concerns and other events going on in their lives. Out of sensitivity to each individual's situation, these requests may not appear in this weekly blog. We have a "Prayer Team" at the church who receives more detailed information, and commits to praying for individuals in our church family.
This Week's Devotions
This is the final week of devotions on the attributes of God. There is so much more that could be considered about each of the attributes we've looked at, so I encourage you to continue on in your faithful study of who God is through the Word of God. For another resource, I highly recommend The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink.
Day 1: God's Patience
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV): "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
God's patience is His merciful restraint in withholding judgment, giving us time to turn to Him. His patience reflects His desire for our salvation and calls us to extend patience to others.
Reflection Question: How can you show patience today, reflecting God’s patient love toward someone in your life?
Day 2: God's Truthfulness
Numbers 23:19 (ESV): "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"
God's truthfulness means His words are always reliable and true. He never deceives or fails to keep His promises, giving us confidence in His Word.
Reflection Question: How can trusting in God’s truthfulness guide a decision you’re facing today?
Day 3: God's Compassion
Psalm 103:13-14 (ESV): "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust."
God's compassion is His tender care for us, understanding our weaknesses and meeting us with kindness. This attribute encourages us to seek Him in our struggles and show compassion to others.
Reflection Question: Who in your life needs your compassion today, and how can you reflect God’s heart toward them?
Day 4: God's Glory
Isaiah 42:8 (ESV): "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols."
God's glory is the radiant display of His majesty and perfection. All creation reflects His greatness, and our lives are meant to honor and magnify Him.
Reflection Question: How can you glorify God today through your words, actions, or choices?
Day 5: God's Righteousness
Psalm 11:7 (ESV): "For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face."
God's righteousness means He is perfectly just and morally pure in all He does. His righteous character assures us that His ways are always right and calls us to pursue righteousness in our lives.
Reflection Question: What is one way you can align your actions with God’s righteous standards today?
Day 6: God's Generosity
James 1:17 (ESV): "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
God's generosity is seen in His abundant provision of every good thing—both physical and spiritual. His open-handed nature invites us to trust His care and share generously with others.
Reflection Question: How can you express gratitude for God’s generosity and share His blessings with someone today?
Day 7: God's Peace
John 16:33 (ESV): "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
God's peace is His gift of inner calm and wholeness, available through Christ even in life’s storms. His peace surpasses understanding and anchors us in His presence.
Reflection Question: Where do you need God’s peace today, and how can you seek it through prayer or trust in Him?
Kid's (And Kids at Heart) Korner
Here are some crossword puzzles from each of the chapters in Ephesians, which can be a great review of past sermons by Pastor Miller! To view the crosswords, click here:
Ephesians Crossword Puzzles
Let us know if there's something we can do for you this week! See you all Sunday!
Take care,
Mark