Sermon Preview

Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Lord,

For believers in the Risen Savior, there’s no greater news in all the world than the simple announcement, from the pen of the Apostle Paul, that God the Father has “made us alive together with Christ”! These wonderful lines are found in Ephesians 2:5, and they form just a small part of one of the most amazing passages in all of the Word of God—Ephesians 1:1-2:22. In fact, you might just stop where you are right now and read this beloved section of the Ephesian letter.

Of course, what Paul says here about all that God has done in Christ to save us—and is yet to do in the future—hinges upon the one truth without which the Christian Gospel would be just another pipe dream, adrift in a sea of innumerable ideologies and religions. That one truth is the bodily resurrection of our Lord!

The logic is simple enough. We could never be made “alive together with Christ,” and “raised” up with Him, and “seated” with Him (2:5-6) had He not first been made alive, raised from the tomb, lifted to heaven, and seated at the right hand of the Father! Amazingly, then, what Paul is declaring here is that all of these things that actually happened to our Savior also happen to us who believe upon Him! There is no greater message than this!

On Sunday, we will explore the vast riches of this Grand Truth; that because our Lord and Savior has been raised from the dead, we also are alive, and we too shall be raised bodily, and our home is where Christ is, seated at the Father’s right hand! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Also, don’t forget that our new Adult Sunday School Class will begin on Easter Sunday. We will be investigating the vital subject of personal evangelism. Our textbook will be Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus Even When It’s Tough, by Rico Tice. The Amazon link is below so that you may secure your own copy of this excellent little book. If you already have the book, we will be covering the Foreword (by D. A. Carson) and Chapter One: Two Halves of the Story on Sunday.

https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Evangelism-Rico-Tice/dp/190991939X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521714294&sr=8-1&keywords=honest+evangelism

I love you all, and look forward to our Good Friday Worship tonight at 6:00 PM, and on Resurrection Day!

With all of His love for each of you,

Mike

Upcoming Events:

April 3, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Breakfast
April 3, 9:00 AM – Women’s Book Study
April 3, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Study
April 4, 9:30 AM – Women’s Morning Study
April 5, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
April 7, 10:00 AM – Mother/Daughter Tea Party
April 8, 2:30 PM – Men’s Spring Bible Study
April 8, 3:30 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
April 8, 4:30 PM – Youth Group
April 12, 6 AM – Men’s Morning Study
April 18, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
April 21, 11:00 AM – Providence Presbytery Spring Youth Event at Westminster Pres
April 26, 6:30 PM – Women’s Quarterly Potluck at home of Sarah Burgess

Order of Worship:

You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here

The songs for this week are:

Crown Him With Many Crowns (Hymn 295, vs 1-2, 4)
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (Hymn 277, all 4 verses)
How Deep the Father’s Love For Us
In Christ Alone

Announcements:

Youth Group: Youth Group meets again on April 8 at the church at 4:30 PM for all students in grades 6-12. Invite friends and neighbors!

Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s weekly studies are ongoing. The Tuesday evening study is at 6 PM, while the Wednesday morning study is at 9:30 AM.

Men’s Bible Study: The Men’s Morning Bible Study is also back in action, meeting every other Thursday. Check the calendar for the next occurrence.

Men’s Spring Bible Study: The Men’s Spring Bible Study of the Psalms continues April 8 at 2:30 PM. All men are encouraged to attend. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Cooper at cooperma777@gmail.com or 256-698-6556

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is April 5 at 11:30 AM.

Visitor Luncheon: There will be a luncheon for all guests, and any members of CPC wishing to join us, immediately following worship on Sunday, April 22, at the home of Rich and Christina Bagdazian: 2614 Legacy Preserve Drive, Brownsboro. Please sign up in the Narthex today.

Women’s Book Club: Life is busy for mothers and we need each other for support and encouragement. To meet that need, a new spring book study will begin on April 3. We will meet on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 10:30 at the church for six weeks. Childcare provided.  We will read Treasuring Christ when your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman.

Meals for Stafford and Hill families: We have two families that would greatly benefit from some yummy meals being brought to them. It is such a blessing to receive food from our church body. Not only is the food good but the love shown by providing a meal is always sweet. It relieves a burden that may seem small but those who have received it assure me it is not small thing.
Debbie Hill will be recovering from surgery Tuesday and will be greatly restricted for at least a week. The link to that meal schedule is:

Krystal Stafford is on bed rest her last weeks of pregnancy. She is also greatly restricted as she waits for little Dakota’s arrival! The link to that meal schedule is:

If you have any questions let Erica McNeese know! Thanks so much for being so willing to serve these families!

Women’s Quarterly Potluck: The next Women’s Quarterly Potluck will be at the home of Sarah Burgess on April 26 at 6:30 PM. The address is 3009 Twelvestones Rd in Owens Cross Roads. Please make plans to attend.

Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir for students in Second through Sixth Grades meets from 3:30-4:20 PM upstairs in the Church House. New choristers are always welcome. Check the calendar for the next occurrence.

Senior Fellows: The Senior Fellows will have breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church House the morning of April 3. Guests are welcome.

Mother/Daughter Tea: Mothers/daughters, Grandmothers/granddaughters: You are invited to “Muffins & Manners” on Saturday, April 7th, at 10 am at the church. A sweet team of ladies will present a short program on manners & table etiquette, pretty flowers, and how you were created to be a daughter of the King! Put on your favorite spring outfit and come ready for a fun morning of food and fellowship together! If you would like to help with food or decor, please see Libby Loose or Debi Walker. They’ll be in he Narthex the next few weeks before church to answer any questions. There will be a planning meeting on Friday, March 9th at 10 am at Libby’s house for those interested.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Debbie Hill, Allison Randall, Perry Calvert, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the the Stafford and Dean families, expecting in April, and the Elliott family, expecting in September.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).

Sermon Preview

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This coming Lord’s Day we will be looking at one of the more memorable passages from the Old Testament. Many of you will be familiar with the words of the Lord, spoken through the prophet Samuel to king Saul: “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). On the surface, this is a rather odd thing for the Lord to say, given the fact that He had previously established a very elaborate and detailed system of acceptable sacrifices in the Book of Leviticus. So, how are we to understand this statement? What is the connection between sacrifice and obedience? And why does the Lord tell us here that His real “delight” (v. 22) is not to be found in the flames, smoke, and blood of the Old Covenant sacrifices, but in the humble obedience of His people? As you prepare for worship, let me encourage you to read prayerfully and carefully 1 Samuel 15:1-22.

Let me also remind you once more about Easter Week 2018. Our celebration of Holy Week will involve three services of worship, Maundy Thursday (March 29), Good Friday (March 30), and Easter Sunday (April 1). Our two evening services will start at 6:00 PM, and a nursery will be provided. And then on Resurrection Sunday, we will have Sunday School at 9:15 AM followed by Worship at 10:30 AM. Our sermons for these special services will be taken from Ephesians 2:4-7:

Maundy Thursday: “But God Being Rich in Mercy”–Ephesians 2:4

Good Friday: “Even When We Were Dead In Our Trespasses”–Ephesians 2:5

Easter Sunday: “He Made Us Alive Together With Christ”–Ephesians 2:5-7

Also, our new Adult Sunday School Class will begin on Easter Sunday, April 1. We will be investigating the vital subject of personal evangelism. Our textbook will be Honest Evangelism: How to Talk About Jesus Even When It’s Tough, by Rico Tice. The Amazon link is below so that you may secure your own copy of this excellent little book.

https://www.amazon.com/Honest-Evangelism-Rico-Tice/dp/190991939X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521714294&sr=8-1&keywords=honest+evangelism

I love you all so very much, and find such joy in serving our blessed Savior with each of you!

In His abundant grace,

Mike

Upcoming Events:

March 25, 3:30 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
March 27, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Study
March 28, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Downtown Rescue Mission painting project.
March 28, 9:30 AM – Women’s Morning Study
March 29, 6 AM – Men’s Morning Study
April 3, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Breakfast
April 3, 9:00 AM – Women’s Book Study
April 5, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
April 7, 10:00 AM – Mother/Daughter Tea Party
April 8, 2:30 PM – Men’s Spring Bible Study
April 8, 4:30 PM – Youth Group
April 18, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
April 21, 11:00 AM – Providence Presbytery Spring Youth Event at Westminster Pres
April 26, 6:30 PM – Women’s Quarterly Potluck at home of Sarah Burgess

Order of Worship:

You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here

The songs for this week are:

All Creatures Of Our God and King (Hymn 115, vs. 1,2,5)
Take My Life And Let It Be (Hymn 585, vs 1,2,5,6)
Precious Lamb of God (There is a Redeemer)
Joyful, Joyful

Announcements:

Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s weekly studies are ongoing. The Tuesday evening study is at 6 PM, while the Wednesday morning study is at 9:30 AM.

Men’s Bible Study: The Men’s Morning Bible Study is also back in action, meeting every other Thursday. Check the calendar for the next occurrence.

Men’s Spring Bible Study: The Men’s Spring Bible Study of the Psalms continues April 8 at 2:30 PM. All men are encouraged to attend. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Cooper at cooperma777@gmail.com or 256-698-6556

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is April 5 at 11:30 AM.

Women’s Book Club: Life is busy for mothers and we need each other for support and encouragement. To meet that need, a new spring book study will begin on April 3. We will meet on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 10:30 at the church for six weeks. Childcare provided.  We will read Treasuring Christ when your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman.

Women’s Quarterly Potluck: The next Women’s Quarterly Potluck will be at the home of Sarah Burgess on April 26 at 6:30 PM. The address is 3009 Twelvestones Rd in Owens Cross Roads. Please make plans to attend.

Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir for students in Second through Sixth Grades meets from 3:30-4:20 PM upstairs in the Church House. New choristers are always welcome.

Senior Fellows: The Senior Fellows will work on a painting project at the Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) every Wednesday of this month. The project days are March 14, 21 and 28. Carpool from the church at 8:00 AM or arrive at DRM at 9:00 AM. The DRM is located at 1400 Evangel Drive. Drive in the main gate, and park near the main entrance. Additionally, they will have breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church House the morning of April 3. Guests are welcome.

Mother/Daughter Tea: Mothers/daughters, Grandmothers/granddaughters: You are invited to “Muffins & Manners” on Saturday, April 7th, at 10 am at the church. A sweet team of ladies will present a short program on manners & table etiquette, pretty flowers, and how you were created to be a daughter of the King! Put on your favorite spring outfit and come ready for a fun morning of food and fellowship together! If you would like to help with food or decor, please see Libby Loose or Debi Walker. They’ll be in he Narthex the next few weeks before church to answer any questions. There will be a planning meeting on Friday, March 9th at 10 am at Libby’s house for those interested.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Debbie Hill, Allison Randall, Perry Calvert, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the the Stafford and Dean families, expecting in April, and the Elliott family, expecting in September.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).

Sermon Preview

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Lord’s Day we are returning to the amazing, if not bewildering, passage we began considering last week. As you remember, it concerns Saul, the first king of Israel, the king that the elders of Israel had demanded, and the one whom the Lord had specifically commanded Samuel to anoint.

And as we discovered, Saul very quickly proved to be a disobedient king, failing to carry out the command of the Lord regarding the total destruction of the Amalekites—the fierce enemy of Israel, and the very nation who was to become the object of God’s wrath as executed by the covenant people. As 1 Samuel 15:9 makes clear, king Saul led the Israelites to disobey the Lord. The material wealth of the Amalekites and their abundant flocks and herds were too much of a temptation for the people of Israel. So they did not “utterly destroy them” as the Lord God had ordered (v. 9).

Well, in the light of Saul’s tragic failure to listen to and obey the voice of the Lord, we are confronted with the mystifying words of verses 10 and 11:

The word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.

Of course, the obvious difficulty we have with this verse—that asserts the Lord’s “regret” that He had made Saul the king in the first place—is that it seems to suggest that God has, as we say, second-guessed His previous decision. And this would appear to contradict something that we affirm to be true about Him; namely, that our God is unchanging and unchangeable. Theologians speak of this quality, or attribute, as His immutability. And Divine immutability is a fundamental belief about God that all orthodox believers share, as we find it explicitly declared in the Bible.

So what are we to do with this perplexing statement about the Lord’s regret? And are there some essential lessons here about our Heavenly Father that will move us to love and serve Him with greater faithfulness?

Let’s unite our hearts in prayer that the Spirit of the Living God will open the Word to us, revealing our Savior, and blessing us with sanctifying power as we come under its gracious influences.

Let me also share with you our plans for Holy Week 2018.

As you know, during the week of Easter we also gather together for worship on Maundy Thursday (March 29), and Good Friday (March 30). On each of these blessed nights we will assemble before the Lord at 6:00 PM for worship. Each service will last one hour, and a nursery will be provided. And then we will meet for Sunday School at 9:15 AM on Easter Sunday, followed by Worship at 10:30 AM.

I will be preaching an Easter Series of messages from Ephesians 2:4-7—

Maundy Thursday: “But God Being Rich in Mercy”–Ephesians 2:4

Good Friday: “Even When We Were Dead In Our Trespasses”–Ephesians 2:5

Easter Sunday: “Made Alive Together With Christ”–Ephesians 2:5-7

I hope you will be able to be with us for each of these special times of worship. And, as always, please invite guests to join us as well.

May our Lord bless you all with a restful weekend, and I can’t wait to see you on Sunday!

In His love,

Mike

Upcoming Events:

March 18, 2:30 PM – Men’s Spring Bible Study
March 18, 3:30 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
March 20, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Study
March 21, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Downtown Rescue Mission painting project.
March 21, 9:30 AM – Women’s Morning Study
March 21, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
March 29, 6 AM – Men’s Morning Study
April 5, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
April 7, 10:00 AM – Mother/Daughter Tea Party
April 21, 11:00 AM – Providence Presbytery Spring Youth Event at Westminster Pres

Order of Worship:

You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here

The songs for this week are:

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought – Hymn 600, vs 1,3-4
I Need Thee Every Hour – Hymn 674, 1-3, 5
Doxology – Hymn 731

Announcements:

Meals for Townsley Family: 

Welcome little Audrey! As the Townsley’s adjust to being a family of six let’s bless them with a few weeks of meals. If you would like to sign up for a meal click the link below. Thanks so much for being willing to serve the Townsley family in this way!

Youth Group: Youth Group meets again on March 18 at the church at 4:30 PM for all students in grades 6-12. Invite friends and neighbors!

Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s weekly studies are ongoing. The Tuesday evening study is at 6 PM, while the Wednesday morning study is at 9:30 AM.

Men’s Bible Study: The Men’s Morning Bible Study is also back in action, meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is February 15 at 6 AM.

Men’s Spring Bible Study: The Men’s Spring Bible Study of the Psalms continues Sunday at 2:30 PM. All men are encouraged to attend. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Cooper at cooperma777@gmail.com or 256-698-6556

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is April 5 at 11:30 AM.

Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir for students in Second through Sixth Grades meets from 3:30-4:20 PM upstairs in the Church House. New choristers are always welcome.

Senior Fellows: The Senior Fellows will work on a painting project at the Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) every Wednesday of this month. The project days are March 14, 21 and 28. Carpool from the church at 8:00 AM or arrive at DRM at 9:00 AM. The DRM is located at 1400 Evangel Drive. Drive in the main gate, and park near the main entrance.

Mother/Daughter Tea: Mothers/daughters, Grandmothers/granddaughters: You are invited to “Muffins & Manners” on Saturday, April 7th, at 10 am at the church. A sweet team of ladies will present a short program on manners & table etiquette, pretty flowers, and how you were created to be a daughter of the King! Put on your favorite spring outfit and come ready for a fun morning of food and fellowship together! If you would like to help with food or decor, please see Libby Loose or Debi Walker. They’ll be in he Narthex the next few weeks before church to answer any questions. There will be a planning meeting on Friday, March 9th at 10 am at Libby’s house for those interested.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Debbie Hill, Allison Randall, Perry Calvert, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the the Stafford and Dean families, expecting in April, and the Elliott family, expecting in September.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).

Sermon Preview

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This Sunday morning, we are going further in our study of one of the most important events in the history of the Biblical story of redemption. And it is one that upon first observation may not seem to be all that exciting, or connected to the theme of salvation—the rise of the monarchy, or the office of king, in Israel.

Last Lord’s Day we considered how, during the time of the judgeship of Samuel, the elders of Israel approached him out of frustration and demanded a king for the covenant nation. The leaders of Israel desired a king to do for them what the kings of other nations, the heathen nations surrounding Israel, did for their people. And we learned that the Lord instructed Samuel to listen to their voice, to give the people what they wanted, a king. Yet, what the elders had in mind was not a king after God’s own heart—a covenant–keeping king, a spiritually faithful man of the Word of the Lord, a humble servant of the people—but a powerful, impressive monarch who would be like all the other kings of the world.

Well, following that episode where Samuel was commanded by the Lord to give the people the king they demanded, the Lord revealed to Samuel that he was to anoint the man named Saul as the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 9:15ff). And, as the Scripture reveals, Samuel did exactly this.

In 1 Samuel 10 we read that Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said,

Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies (v. 1).

But, as we might have already suspected, king Saul did not prove to be a faithful, covenant-keeping leader or savior of God’s people. In the end he was, is so many ways, a king just like all the pagan nations had—wealthy, powerful, impressive by worldly measures, and only slightly concerned about the Lord and His will or the covenants He had made with His people through Abraham and Moses.

And that brings us to the strange and perplexing words that confront us in 1 Samuel 15:10-11–

The word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.

What could this possibly mean, that the Lord regretted that He had installed Saul as Israel’s king? Did the Lord change His mind? Was this a mistake? Did the Lord not know in advance that Saul would make a real mess of things?

For the next two Sundays we will explore this entire scene (1 Samuel 15:1-35) and the mystifying comment the Lord made about His own decision to raise up Saul to this position of leadership (15:10-11). And as we do so, we will learn more about the awesome, sovereign, and gracious God who has saved us, and called us to His service through His Blessed Son.

Let me also remind you that this is that much-dreaded weekend when we ‘Spring Froward’ one hour on Sunday morning (speaking of kings, if I were the king I would either keep the time the same all year long, or make the change on a Saturday morning at 2 AM rather than on a Sunday!). Be sure to set your clocks ahead before falling off to sleep Saturday evening.

I love you with all my heart,

Mike

Upcoming Events:

March 11, 2:30 PM – Men’s Spring Bible Study
March 11, 3:30 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
March 13, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Study
March 14, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Downtown Rescue Mission painting project.
March 14, 9:30 AM – Women’s Morning Study
March 15, 6 AM – Men’s Morning Study
March 18, 4:30 PM – Youth Group
March 21, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
April 5, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
April 7, 10:00 AM – Mother/Daughter Tea Party
April 21, 11:00 AM – Providence Presbytery Spring Youth Event at Westminster Pres

Order of Worship:

You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here

The songs for this week are:

By Thy Mercy
Fairest Lord Jesus Hymn 170, vs 1-3
In Need
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Hymn 457, all 3 verses

Announcements:

Birth: Audrey Kathryn Townsley was born this afternoon (Friday) weighing 8 lbs 5 oz. Kristen and Audrey are doing great.

Youth Group: Youth Group meets again on March 18 at the church at 4:30 PM for all students in grades 6-12. Invite friends and neighbors!

Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s weekly studies are ongoing. The Tuesday evening study is at 6 PM, while the Wednesday morning study is at 9:30 AM.

Men’s Bible Study: The Men’s Morning Bible Study is also back in action, meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is February 15 at 6 AM.

Men’s Spring Bible Study: The Men’s Spring Bible Study of the Psalms continues Sunday at 2:30 PM. All men are encouraged to attend. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Cooper at cooperma777@gmail.com or 256-698-6556

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is April 5 at 11:30 AM.

Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir for students in Second through Sixth Grades has resumed, meeting from 3:30-4:20 PM upstairs in the Church House. New choristers are always welcome.

Senior Fellows: The Senior Fellows will work on a painting project at the Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) every Wednesday of this month. The project days are March 14, 21 and 28. Carpool from the church at 8:00 AM or arrive at DRM at 9:00 AM. The DRM is located at 1400 Evangel Drive. Drive in the main gate, and park near the main entrance.

Mother/Daughter Tea: Mothers/daughters, Grandmothers/granddaughters: You are invited to “Muffins & Manners” on Saturday, April 7th, at 10 am at the church. A sweet team of ladies will present a short program on manners & table etiquette, pretty flowers, and how you were created to be a daughter of the King! Put on your favorite spring outfit and come ready for a fun morning of food and fellowship together! If you would like to help with food or decor, please see Libby Loose or Debi Walker. They’ll be in he Narthex the next few weeks before church to answer any questions. There will be a planning meeting on Friday, March 9th at 10 am at Libby’s house for those interested.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Bill Bower, Mary Lee McKee, Allison Randall, Gretchen McKee, Perry Calvert, Suzanne Nimon, Suzi Jones, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the the Stafford and Dean families, expecting in April.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).

Sermon Preview

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Lord’s Day morning we are moving further down the road in our study of the ‘Great Events in the History of Redemption.’ And our next stop is the book we know as I Samuel. It is, as you would expect, a book largely about the man whose name it bears, Samuel, the last of Israel’s judges.

The reason that this book is the next stop in our study is that I Samuel tells us about a most significant event in Biblical history and in the unfolding story of God’s plan of salvation. And that event is the establishment of the monarchy, or kingship, in Israel. This makes I Samuel, and especially chapter 8, one of the most important books in the Old Testament.

Now, if you are wondering about the ‘connection’ there is between this chapter and the larger plan of redemption which we are investigating, just ponder the subject of kingship, and how this theme finally (and gloriously!) culminates with the arrival of the greatest King of all—the One who bears the title “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).

Your weekend homework is to read I Samuel chapters 1-8, and give special attention to our sermon passage, 1 Samuel 8:1-9.

Let me also encourage all of our men and young men to join us for the first session of our Men’s Spring Bible Study that beings this Sunday afternoon. We will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 PM in the fellowship area, and our subject will be the Book of Psalms. We will also meet on March 11 and 18, and will conclude on April 8.

I love you all so much, and you are always in my prayers,

Mike

Upcoming Events:

March 4, 2:30 PM – Men’s Spring Bible Study
March 4, 3:30 PM – Alleluia Choir at Church House
March 4, 4:30 PM – Youth Group
March 6, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Breakfast
March 6, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Study
March 7, 9:30 AM – Women’s Morning Study
March 15, 6 AM – Men’s Morning Study
March 21, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
April 5, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
April 7, 10:00 AM – Mother/Daughter Tea Party

Order of Worship:

You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here

The songs for this week are:

Nothing But the Blood – Hymn 307 v.1-4
Spirit of the Living God – Hymn No. 726
Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross – Hymn 264 v.1-4
More Love to Thee, O Christ  – Hymn 649 v.1,2,4

Announcements:

Burton Memorial: A memorial service for Ollie Burton will be held at our Church in the Worship Center on Saturday March 3, 2018 at 2:00 PM. There will be a visitation and reception immediately following the service in the Fellowship area. In lieu of flowers please send donations to:

Meals for Susanne Nimon: Susanne Nimon is recovering from breaking her leg and it would be such a blessing to provide meals for a few weeks. Below is the link to her meal schedule. If you have any questions let me know. Link to Meal Schedule: www.TakeThemAMeal.com/BKNT4447

Youth Group: Youth Group meets again on March 4 at the church at 4:30 PM for all students in grades 6-12. Invite friends and neighbors!

Women’s Bible Studies: The Women’s weekly studies are ongoing. The Tuesday evening study is at 6 PM, while the Wednesday morning study is at 9:30 AM.

Men’s Bible Study: The Men’s Morning Bible Study is also back in action, meeting every other Thursday. The next meeting is February 15 at 6 AM.

Men’s Spring Bible Study: As we look forward to spring, please plan to attend our Spring Men’s Bible Study. Mike will be sharing lessons from the Psalms. We will be using Learning to Love the Psalms by W. Robert Godfrey as our main resource. We will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm on Sunday March 4, 11, and 18 and ending on 08 April.

This bible study represents the start of our fourth year of biannual bible studies. The Lord has poured out His blessings on us. We have been able to grow closer together while being challenged and encouraged by our studies. It has been wonderful to have our beloved Pastor teach us, allowing us to hear and see his heart and the heart of our session. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Cooper at cooperma777@gmail.com or 256-698-6556

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is April 5 at 11:30 AM.

Alleluia Choir: Alleluia Choir for students in Second through Sixth Grades has resumed, meeting from 3:30-4:20 PM upstairs in the Church House. New choristers are always welcome.

Senior Fellows: On Tuesday, March 6 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church House. Guests are welcome.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Allison Randall, Gretchen McKee, Perry Calvert, Suzanne Nimon, Suzi Jones, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the the Townsley family, expecting in March, and the Staffords and Deans, expecting in April.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky Garcia (seminary student).