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Month: August 2017
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Announcements and Order of Worship – August 25 2018
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Announcements and Order of Worship – August 18 2017
Sermon Preview
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
As we come to the end of August, we are down to our last two sermons on the Epistle of Second John. This Sunday we will be looking at 2 John 1:9-11, and then next week we will finish up with John’s final words to the Church recorded in verses 12-13. In our text for this week, John will offer some very practical instruction regarding how the Church should deal with false teachers. As we have come to expect from him, the Apostle’s commands are straight to the point: “do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting” (v. 10). The implications of this blunt directive are many, and they touch not only the life of the Church as a body, but each individual member as well. Strong words for dangerous times!
Looking ahead for the rest of 2017, in September we will once again take up the subject of ‘Great Events In the History of Redemption,’ and our text will be the Book of Judges where we will trace some of the great people (Deborah, Gideon, and Samson) and themes (idolatry, judgment, and restoration) that run throughout its pages. Then, in the month of October, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we will take a brief detour from Judges to consider the five key doctrines of the Reformation, which are summarized by the Latin phrases Sola Fide (by faith alone), Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), Solus Christus (through Christ alone), Sola Gratia (by grace alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). We will return to Judges in November, and then on November 26 we will begin our Advent Series on the Incarnation of our Savior.
Also in view of our special focus upon the Reformation, our Adult Sunday School Class will be studying the subject of The History of the Church: From the Reformation to the Revolutionary War beginning on September 10. The study of church history over this time period is very appropriate since we will be commemorating the Reformation’s 500th anniversary that started when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church Door on October 31, 1517. This marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation against the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe. Out of this Reformation came our Reformed faith. We will focus on the lives of Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox and Tyndale, looking at their theologies and how they differed from the Roman Catholic Church and from each other. We will study how the English colonies started in America, and the First Great Awakening led by Edwards, Tennent and Whitfield. Although we will not be following a single textbook, if you are interested in studying church history of this time period, an easy-to-read book is The Church in History by B. K. Kuiper.
I hope you all have a most restful weekend, and thank you for your faithful payers as we prepare to come together in worship on the Lord’s Day.
I love you so much,
Mike
Upcoming Events:
August 20, 3 PM – New Members Class
August 23, 8:30 AM – Senior Fellows support Bags of Blessings setup at Care Center. Carpooling is 8:00 AM at the church.
August 26, 4PM – Wohleber weddingOrder of Worship:
You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here
The songs for this week are:
Jesus, What a Friend For Sinners
Sweet Comfort
Be Thou My Vision
How DeepConnecting with the Catechism:
Q. 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A. 104. In the fourth petition (which is, “Give us this day our daily bread”), we pray, That of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.
Matt. 6:11.
Prov. 30:8-9; Gen. 28:20; I Tim. 4:4-5.Q. 105. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
A. 105. In the fifth petition (which is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”) we pray, That God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
Matt. 6:12.
Ps. 51:1-2, 7, 9; Dan. 9:17-19.
Luke 11:4, Matt. 18:35.Q. 106. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A. 106. In the sixth petition (which is, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”) we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
Matt. 6:13.
Matt. 26:41.
II Cor. 12:7-8.Announcements:
Children’s Sunday School:
We are beginning to plan for our Sunday school program for the 2017-18 class year. This is such an important part of our Sunday morning teaching time, and we encourage all families to be involved in a class. Click HERE to register each child or youth.Parents with children ages infant thru high school should register. This will help us divide classes and find the appropriate teachers for each group. Registration is open to members or guests.
We can’t wait to see your families in Sunday school starting September 10th!
In Him,
AshleyNursery Help: Our nursery has had a baby explosion! If you are interested in serving in the baby nursery during worship, please see Ashley Turnbull to sign-up for a Sunday this semester. We encourage any woman in the church, as well as teenagers, ages 12 and up
Ladies Summer Scripture Read Along:
You are invited to participate with all ladies of Christ Presbyterian Church:Summer Scripture Read-Along in Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Lamentations
HOW: Start in Isaiah on July 3. Read 3 chapters a day, Monday–Friday.
Take the weekend off to reflect, journal, or catch-up as needed.
Then, keep reading following the schedule below!Read along with us, on your own time, no need to sign-up, just participate if you’re able.
We hope it will be a blessing to our ladies to be united in our devotion to God’s word through this read-along.
Aug 21-25 Jeremiah 37-50
August 28 Jeremiah 51-the end.Tuesday-August 28 Break
Aug 30-31 read Lamentations 1-5If you have questions, please email Denise Brown niniandjb@gmail.com
Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s Bible studies will begin in September with the morning study being held on Wednesday morning at 9:30 at the church and the evening study on Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the church. The women will be studying Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict. Please, contact Kathy Cooper, Gretchen McKee, or Dona Sims for more information. They will be in the Narthex before and after church August 20 and 27 to sign up and to answer any questions. If you need childcare for the day time session, please email Ashley at children@
christpreshamptoncove.org Women’s Morning Bible Study: On Monday, August 28 the Women’s Morning Bible Study will have a Kick-Off Salad Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Christina Bagdazian’s home. Her address is 2614 Legacy Preserve Drive, Brownsboro, AL
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, Nolan Osmer, Frances McQuay, George Boyd, and Sondra Behmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Bryant family, expecting in December.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); RUF at UAH and Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student). -
Announcements and Order of Worship – August 11 2017
Sermon Preview
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Most of us are very familiar with the concept of incentives. Perhaps where you work there are incentives for achieving certain goals or objectives. If you, say, make a certain number of sales, then you get a salary bonus, or even a vacation. Professional athletes often have ‘incentive clauses’ in their contracts. A quarterback who throws a specified number of touchdown passes, for instance, will earn a big check at the end of the season.
An incentive is an encouragement, or stimulus, to do something and to do it well. And all of us need such inducements in various contexts and forms. An incentive to get in shape might be that your cholesterol level will drop, or that you might have more energy, feel better, or look younger. Incentives help us by providing the motivation we need to keep going, especially when things are difficult.
Well, the reason I bring up this subject is because we discover in 2 John 1:8 that there is a grand incentive for remaining faithful to the truth of Christ and to the constant practice of Christian love. There, the Apostle John says,
“Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”
The ‘incentive clause’ in this verse is discovered in that word “reward.” And as you can see, the incentive has both a positive and a negative aspect. The negative motivation is that we might not “lose what we have worked for.” The positive aspect is that we might “win a full reward.” It is most obvious that John is attempting to move, or incentivize, his people toward greater faithfulness and loyalty to our Lord. And this should be understood within the context of the hard things he exhorts them to do in view of the persistent threat of false doctrine. Note verses 9-11:
“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”
So, what is this “reward” that comes to the Church for practicing faithfulness and love, while resisting evil in all of its forms? When is it given? Who gets it? And how is this incentive connected to our salvation, which we know is all of grace? If we cannot earn our salvation, then how can we earn this “reward”? And then, what about this possibility of losing the “reward”? How is that which has been “worked for” lost?
This Lord’s Day we will dive into these inspired Words. And with the help of God’s Spirit, we will discover more about one of the strongest incentives there is for staying faithful to our beloved Savior.
I love you all, and look forward to our gathering together before our King!
Mike
Upcoming Events:
August 11-12 – Women’s Conference at Southwood Presbyterian
August 13, 3 PM – New Members Class
August 15, 10:00 AM – Senior Fellows meeting at the church. Juergen Haukohl presentation.
August 19 – Men’s Rafting Day Trip to Ocoee
August 23, 8:30 AM – Senior Fellows support Bags of Blessings setup at Care Center. Carpooling is 8:00 AM at the church.
August 26, 4PM – Wohleber weddingOrder of Worship:
You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here
The songs for this week are:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Come Ye Souls By Sin Afflicted
Have Thine Own Way Lord
The Precious BloodConnecting with the Catechism:
Q. 100. What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us?
A. 100. The preface of the Lord’s prayer (which is, Our Father which art in heaven) teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
Matt. 6:9.
Rom. 8:15; Luke 11:13.
Acts. 12:5; I Tim. 2:1-2.Q. 101. What do we pray for in the first petition?
A. 101. In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name) we pray, That God would enable us and others to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known; and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.
Matt. 6:9.
Ps. 67:2-3.
Ps. 83.Q. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. 102. In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come) we pray, That Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
Matt. 6:10.
Ps. 68:1, 18.
Rev. 12:10-11.
II Thess. 3:1; Rom. 10:1; John 17:9, 20.
Rev. 22:20.Announcements:
Men’s Ministry Day Trip:
Are you a man? Do you like fellowship with other men? Do you crave moderately dangerous aquatic thrills? If so, we have an announcement for you. The Men’s Ministry is planning a day trip to raft the Ocoee for August 19th. We will likely meet at the church early that morning, drive the 2 hours it takes to get there, raft, eat lunch, then be back by mid afternoon. You’ll need a bathing suit, water shoes that aren’t flip flops, and a change of clothes. Cost will probably be around $40. If you are interested, please talk to Adam Turnbull or Norman Dean, or contact us at deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org. This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the other men in the church. If you would like to go please respond by Sunday August 13. Thanks! Children’s Sunday School:
We are beginning to plan for our Sunday school program for the 2017-18 class year. This is such an important part of our Sunday morning teaching time, and we encourage all families to be involved in a class. Click HERE to register each child or youth.Parents with children ages infant thru high school should register. This will help us divide classes and find the appropriate teachers for each group. Registration is open to members or guests.
We can’t wait to see your families in Sunday school starting September 10th!
In Him,
AshleySenior Fellows:
The Senior Fellows August 15Meeting will feature Juergen Haukohl sharing his story of growing up in a German family with a father who was a member of the Wernher Von Braun Rocket Development Team. We will meet at 10 AM at the Church. Following the meeting we will have lunch at Buena Vista Restaurant in Big Cove. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email: Senior Fellows seniorfellows@ christpreshamptoncove.org or phone: 256-532-1856. Ladies Summer Scripture Read Along:
You are invited to participate with all ladies of Christ Presbyterian Church:Summer Scripture Read-Along in Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Lamentations
HOW: Start in Isaiah on July 3. Read 3 chapters a day, Monday–Friday.
Take the weekend off to reflect, journal, or catch-up as needed.
Then, keep reading following the schedule below!Read along with us, on your own time, no need to sign-up, just participate if you’re able.
We hope it will be a blessing to our ladies to be united in our devotion to God’s word through this read-along.
Aug 14-18 Jeremiah 22-36
Aug 21-25 Jeremiah 37-50
August 28 Jeremiah 51-the end.Tuesday-August 28 Break
Aug 30-31 read Lamentations 1-5If you have questions, please email Denise Brown niniandjb@gmail.com
New Members and Inquirers Class:
The next New Members and Inquirers Class will be August 13 and 20 from 3-5 PM at the church. Nursery will be provided. Attending the class does not obligate you to join the church, but attendance is mandatory if you wish to become a member. Please tell anyone you know who might be interested about this upcoming class.Women’s Conference at Southwood Presbyterian:
The Women of Southwood would like to invite you to hear Julie Sparkman the weekend of August 11th and 12th. Julie is the founder of Restore Ministries and the author of the studies *Idol Addiction* and *Unhitching from the Crazy Train*. She is warm and witty and engaging and we want to open our doors to our sister churches in the Providence Presbytery. Please click here to hear Julie talk about *Idol Addiction.*The doors will open Friday night at 6:30pm for coffee and dessert, with the session starting at 7:00. On Saturday morning, you may join us at 8:30am for a continental breakfast. Julie will speak twice on Saturday, at 9:00 and 10:30, and we should finish up around noon.
There is a $20 charge for the weekend. You can click here to register. No childcare will be available on site.
We hope to see you there!
Women’s Bible Studies:
The Women’s Bible studies will begin in September with the morning study being held on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 at the church and the evening study on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 at the church. The women will be studying Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict. Please, contact Kathy Cooper, Gretchen McKee, or Dona Sims for more information. If you would like childcare for the morning study, please contact Ashley Turnbull at children@christpreshamptoncove.org Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, Nolan Osmer, Frances McQuay, George Boyd, and Sondra Behmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Bryant family, expecting in December.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); RUF at UAH and Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student). -
Announcements and Order of Worship – August 4 2017
Sermon Preview
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This coming Lord’s Day we are going to continue our look at 2 John 1:7-8 where the beloved Disciple warns the church about a grave danger she always faces, that of false teaching. And John’s concern is the spread of a brand of false doctrine that specifically centers on the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As you remember, the situation that John is addressing is the fact that an unspecified number of former church members have left the fellowship of believers in Asia Minor. And having defected from the congregation, they have begun to travel around the area, visiting church after church, and seeking to encourage and recruit believers to embrace their malignant teachings.
At the very heart of their false message is the belief that our Lord was not the Son of God and Savior of the world as we understand Him to be. They refused to “confess” that Jesus is both fully God and fully man (v. 7). And by the way this Epistle reads, it would seem that these false-prophets enjoyed some measure of success among the churches.
So John has written to the local church in Asia Minor seeking to warn them and to help them to confidently identify these “many deceivers” who are seeking to lead the unsuspecting into a disastrous theological error.
But then in the last part of verse 7 things seem to change, and we read about “the deceiver” and “the antichrist”:
“Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”
By any measure, that’s a very ominous warning for the church and for all of us who are followers of Jesus. The “many deceivers” (plural) are in some way linked to “the deceiver” and “the antichrist” (singular). What does this mean? What is their connection? And what do we do? What is our duty in light of this most dangerous and deadly situation confronting us in the world?
The answer according to John is summarized by one word, “watch.”
As we prepare for worship, let us pray that through the proclamation of God’s Word we can learn what it is to “watch.”
Sunday School Begins on September 10th
We are looking forward to the beginning of our Fall Sunday School Semester on September 10. There will be classes for all ages beginning at 9:15 AM each week. In preparation for the start of SundaySchool we are asking all parents of infants through high school age children to register for Sunday School on the church website by August 10. The link is on the homepage under ‘Children.’ Thank you so much for helping our teachers prepare!
Fall Schedule of Bible Studies for Men and Women.
For Women
There are two week-day Bible study options available for our Ladies—our Tuesday Night study led by Gretchen McKee, and our WednesdayMorning study led by Kathy Cooper and Dona Sims. Both groups will be studying Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict, written by Tara Barthel and Judy Dabler. These studies will begin on Tuesday September 5, and Wednesday September 6.
Many of you are familiar with The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, and Peacemaking Women is a sequel to that important book that specifically applies the Biblical peacemaking principles to women and their relationships. As we have discovered recently in our sermon series from the Epistle of Second John, love for one another is to be a key distinctive of the Church and of Christian discipleship. Of course, this is challenged when there is relational conflict or friction. And while the potential for such friction and strife is part and parcel of life on this side of the Fall, there is a Biblical strategy for dealing with it in a way that both honors our Lord and leads to the edification of the body of Christ.
It is also quite apparent that in our technologically-dependent world, relationships are more complicated than ever, and with this comes a greater potential for difficulty. This means that we must work even harder to maintain good Christ-centered relationships with each other, beginning in the home with our own families, and then with our fellow-believers in the Church.
I want to encourage all of our sisters in Christ to take advantage of one of these opportunities for study. Not only will you learn the skills needed for Biblical conflict resolution, but you will enjoy rich fellowship while making new friends and establishing strong and loving connections with each other, all to the glory of the One who saved us.
Below is a link where you may purchase your copy of the book. And please contact Gretchen, Kathy, or Dona for more information.
For Men and Young Men
Our four-week Men’s Fall Bible Study, for all of our men and young men, will begin on Sunday September 10, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at the Church, and continue on September 17, 24, and October 1.
Our theme is Maintaining Moral Purity, and specifically, how we might guard ourselves and our homes from the scourge of pornography. The pervasiveness and accessibility of pornography is a profound threat to our spiritual health, to our homes and families, and to the peace and purity of the Church. And given the sheer power and devastating consequences of this threat, we need to develop a Biblically-based strategy for doing battle against this soul-killing enemy. Given the importance of this topic, I want to encourage all of our brothers to be a part of our study.
In addition to God’s Word, our textbook will be Finally Free: Fighting for Purity With the Power of Grace, by Heath Lambert. During the course of this brief time of study, we will seek to be both encouraged and challenged to become men of moral purity in a decadent culture. This study is designed not only for the men of the Church, but for our young men and sons as well (the content will be presented in a way that is most appropriate for our teen-aged young men).
A link where you may secure your copy of Finally Free is below, and for more information please contact Mark Cooper.
I love you all with all my heart!
Mike
Upcoming Events:
August 11-12 – Women’s Conference at Southwood Presbyterian
August 13, 3PM – New Members Class
August 15, 10:00 AM – Senior Fellows meeting at the church. Juergen Haukohl presentation.
August 19 – Men’s Rafting Day Trip to Ocoee
August 23, 8:30 AM – Senior Fellows support Bags of Blessings setup at Care Center. Carpooling is 8:00 AM at the church.
August 26, 4PM – Wohleber weddingOrder of Worship:
You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here
The songs for this week are:
We Will Feast in the House of Zion
I Sing the Almighty Power of God
Amazing Grace
All Things NewConnecting with the Catechism:
Q. 97. What is required to be the worthy receiving of the Lord’s supper?
A. 97. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
I Cor. 11:28-29.
I Cor. 13:5.
I Cor. 11:31.
I Cor. 10:16-17.
I Cor. 5:7-8.
I Cor. 11:28-29.Q. 98. What is prayer?
A. 98. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
Ps. 62:8.
I John 5:14.
John 16:23.
Ps. 32:5-6; Dan. 9:4.
Phil. 4:6.Q. 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
A. 99. The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s prayer.
I John 5:14.
Matt. 6:9-13. Cf. Luke 11:2-4.Announcements:
Men’s Ministry Day Trip:
Are you a man? Do you like fellowship with other men? Do you crave moderately dangerous aquatic thrills? If so, we have an announcement for you. The Men’s Ministry is planning a day trip to raft the Ocoee for August 19th. We will likely meet at the church early that morning, drive the 2 hours it takes to get there, raft, eat lunch, then be back by mid afternoon. You’ll need a bathing suit, water shoes that aren’t flip flops, and a change of clothes. Cost will probably be around $40. If you are interested, please talk to Adam Turnbull or Norman Dean, or contact us at deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org. This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the other men in the church. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can gauge interest and make further plans. Thanks! Children’s Sunday School:
We are beginning to plan for our Sunday school program for the 2017-18 class year. This is such an important part of our Sunday morning teaching time, and we encourage all families to be involved in a class. Click HERE to register each child or youth.Parents with children ages infant thru high school should register. This will help us divide classes and find the appropriate teachers for each group. Registration is open to members or guests.
We can’t wait to see your families in Sunday school starting September 10th!
In Him,
AshleySenior Fellows:
The Senior Fellows August 15Meeting will feature Juergen Haukohl sharing his story of growing up in a German family with a father who was a member of the Wernher Von Braun Rocket Development Team. We will meet at 10 AM at the Church. Following the meeting we will have lunch at Buena Vista Restaurant in Big Cove. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email: Senior Fellows seniorfellows@ christpreshamptoncove.org or phone: 256-532-1856. Ladies Summer Scripture Read Along:
You are invited to participate with all ladies of Christ Presbyterian Church:Summer Scripture Read-Along in Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Lamentations
HOW: Start in Isaiah on July 3. Read 3 chapters a day, Monday–Friday.
Take the weekend off to reflect, journal, or catch-up as needed.
Then, keep reading following the schedule below!Read along with us, on your own time, no need to sign-up, just participate if you’re able.
We hope it will be a blessing to our ladies to be united in our devotion to God’s word through this read-along.
Aug 7-11 Jeremiah 7-21
Aug 14-18 Jeremiah 22-36
Aug 21-25 Jeremiah 37-50
August 28 Jeremiah 51-the end.Tuesday-August 28 Break
Aug 30-31 read Lamentations 1-5If you have questions, please email Denise Brown niniandjb@gmail.com
New Members and Inquirers Class:
The next New Members and Inquirers Class will be August 13 and 20 from 3-5 PM at the church. Nursery will be provided. Attending the class does not obligate you to join the church, but attendance is mandatory if you wish to become a member. Please tell anyone you know who might be interested about this upcoming class.Women’s Conference at Southwood Presbyterian:
The Women of Southwood would like to invite you to hear Julie Sparkman the weekend of August 11th and 12th. Julie is the founder of Restore Ministries and the author of the studies *Idol Addiction* and *Unhitching from the Crazy Train*. She is warm and witty and engaging and we want to open our doors to our sister churches in the Providence Presbytery. Please click here to hear Julie talk about *Idol Addiction.*The doors will open Friday night at 6:30pm for coffee and dessert, with the session starting at 7:00. On Saturday morning, you may join us at 8:30am for a continental breakfast. Julie will speak twice on Saturday, at 9:00 and 10:30, and we should finish up around noon.
There is a $20 charge for the weekend. You can click here to register. No childcare will be available on site.
We hope to see you there!
FCA Invite:
You are invited to The Power Leadership Training Party on Friday, August 4th at 7PM at the VBC Propst Arena. I’d love for you to join us. We are expecting over 2000 this Friday night. In addition, we are expecting over 500 middle school and high school students and over 150 College, FCA Staff, FCA adults and coachesYOUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED and APPRECIATED.
In His Grip,
Ken BurnettPrayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, Nolan Osmer, Frances McQuay, Pam Thomason, and Sondra Behmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Bryant family, expecting in December.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); RUF at UAH and Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student). -
Announcement – Fall Bible Studies
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
With the end of the summer break now upon us, I wanted to announce our Fall Schedule of Bible Studies for Men and Women.
For Women
There are two week-day Bible study options available for our Ladies—our Tuesday Night study led by Gretchen McKee, and our Wednesday Morning study led by Kathy Cooper and Dona Sims. Both groups will be studying Peacemaking Women: Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict, written by Tara Barthel and Judy Dabler. These studies will begin on Tuesday September 5, and Wednesday September 6.
Many of you are familiar with The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, and Peacemaking Women is a sequel to that important book that specifically applies the Biblical peacemaking principles to women and their relationships. As we have discovered recently in our sermon series from the Epistle of Second John, love for one another is to be a key distinctive of the Church and of Christian discipleship. Of course, this is challenged when there is relational conflict or friction. And while the potential for such friction and strife is part and parcel of life on this side of the Fall, there is a Biblical strategy for dealing with it in a way that both honors our Lord and leads to the edification of the body of Christ.
It is also quite apparent that in our technologically-dependent world, relationships are more complicated than ever, and with this comes a greater potential for difficulty. This means that we must work even harder to maintain good Christ-centered relationships with each other, beginning in the home with our own families, and then with our fellow-believers in the Church.
I want to encourage all of our sisters in Christ to take advantage of one of these opportunities for study. Not only will you learn the skills needed for Biblical conflict resolution, but you will enjoy rich fellowship while making new friends and establishing strong and loving connections with each other, all to the glory of the One who saved us.
Below is a link where you may purchase your copy of the book. And please contact Gretchen, Kathy, or Dona for more information.
For Men and Young Men
Our four-week Men’s Fall Bible Study, for all of our men and young men, will begin on Sunday September 10, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at the Church, and continue on September 17, 24, and October 1.
Our theme is Maintaining Moral Purity, and specifically, how we might guard ourselves and our homes from the scourge of pornography. The pervasiveness and accessibility of pornography is a profound threat to our spiritual health, to our homes and families, and to the peace and purity of the Church. And given the sheer power and devastating consequences of this threat, we need to develop a Biblically-based strategy for doing battle against this soul-killing enemy. Given the importance of this topic, I want to encourage all of our brothers to be a part of our study.
In addition to God’s Word, our textbook will be Finally Free: Fighting for Purity With the Power of Grace, by Heath Lambert. During the course of this brief time of study, we will seek to be both encouraged and challenged to become men of moral purity in a decadent culture. This study is designed not only for the men of the Church, but for our young men and sons as well (the content will be presented in a way that is most appropriate for our teen-aged young men).
A link where you may secure your copy of Finally Free is below, and for more information please contact Mark Cooper.
I love you all!
Mike
Denise Brown