Sermon Preview

This coming Lord’s Day it will be our great joy to have Matthew Elliott, our Pastoral Assistant for Counseling, preaching for us. As you know, Matthew is not only serving as our counselor, he is also completing his PhD in Pastoral Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.  We also anticipate that as he completes his doctoral studies, he will be preparing for licensure and ordination exams in our Presbytery.

As a part of his training and preparation, Matthew has been assisting the Session in the leadership of our worship services, as well as teaching Sunday School.  Our Book of Church Order also permits those preparing for ordination to have occasions to preach. We will have just such an occasion this Sunday. Matthew will be preaching a message entitled, “With All Boldness: First Century Encouragement for a Twenty-First Century Church.” His text will be taken from Acts 28:30-31.

I am eagerly looking forward to hearing this message from the Word of God, and please join me in prayer for Matthew as he prepares to deliver it to us.

Prayer for High School Graduates on Sunday August 5

As you know, each year we set aside a special time of recognition and prayer for our High School graduates at the beginning of one of our Worship services. We will do it this year on Sunday August 5.  If you or your child is one of our 2018 High School graduates and you will be in attendance on the 5^th, please make sure that Ken Burnett has your name by this coming Tuesday, July 31.

I love you all and can’t wait to see you on Sunday!

Mike

Upcoming Events:

August 2, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
August 5, 2 PM – Kristy Hill Wedding Shower
August 7, 9:00 AM – Senior Fellows Breakfast
August 15, 6 PM – Diaconate Meeting
August 28, 10:00 AM – Senior Fellows at the North Alabama Railroad Museum

Order of Worship:

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

If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:

Come Christians Join to Sing – Hymn 302, v.1-3
O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus – Hymn 535 v.1-3
Before the Throne
Come Thou Fount – Hymn 457 v.1-3

Announcements:

Summer Schedule: Christ Presbyterian is on Summer Schedule. There will be no Sunday School, and regularly scheduled bible studies for men, women, and youth are on hiatus. Fellowship will be each Sunday at 10 AM, with worship beginning at 10:30 AM. Check this space for information regarding when the normal schedule will resume, including dates and times for specific studies and activities.

Children and Youth Sunday School: We are in the process of organizing teachers and classrooms for our Fall semester Sunday school. Please register your child or youth (Infant to 12th grade) by clicking HERE.

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is August 2 at 11:30 AM.

Baby Nursery Volunteers: Moms of babies/toddlers, please sign up to work in our baby nursery at least once this summer. I also encourage all ladies of the church to sign-up. Please consider serving our families in this way! We need help July 29, and August 26. Click HERE to sign up.

Senior Fellows: On Tuesday, August 7 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church House. Guests are welcome. Also on Tuesday, August 28 at 10:00 AM the Senior Fellows will visit the North Alabama Railroad Museum at 694 Chase Rd. N.E, Huntsville. To carpool, meet at the Church at 9:30 AM. The Fellows will go to lunch afterwards.

Member Services Survey: Annually we issue a list of church members who offer skills or services to other members. These may be professional services or just shared skills. This list is sent only to members by email and is not posted on any web site. Of particular interest may be services offered by our youth. Attached is last year’s list dated March 2017. If you would like to add an entry to this list or modify/delete your prior entry, please send your information in the format shown to Jack Loose, jackdloose@gmail.com, by August 1, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Loose by email or 256-881-8953.

Wedding Shower for Kristy Hill: Please join us August 5th at 2:00pm at the home of Jennifer Martin for a bridal shower to honor and celebrate Kristy Hill. See the link below for details and to RSVP.
http://evite.me/9DGzS6J1fj

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Debbie Hill, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliott family, expecting in September, and the Ely family, expecting in November.
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).

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs and prayer: deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763

Sermon Preview

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

For me, one of the most exciting kinds of movies or television shows is the mystery. I am especially fond of the TV documentaries that tell the story of a crime that has been committed, and then it follows the investigative processes that are used to solve it.  And some of you will remember that once-popular board game Clue.  We used to play it for hours, enjoying the thrill of trying to figure out who was guilty of murder (was it Mr. Green, or Colonel Mustard?).  Mysteries are most intriguing, and virtually anyone can become enthralled in a good ‘who done it.’

The reason I bring this up is because within the Word of God there is a grand mystery, the greatest of all!  Paul speaks of it in Colossians 1:25-29. It is a most magnificent mystery, and it has something to do with each of us who belong to our Savior.  However, this mystery is different than other mysteries. We don’t have to figure it out, for it has been revealed by God.  And this mystery involves something infinitely more important than the solution to a crime!

This coming Lord’s day we will consider this passage from Paul’s letter to his friends at Colossae. And we will learn about this wonderful mystery that was once “hidden” within the types, shadows, and promises of the Old Testament, but has now been “revealed” in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As I write this, my heart is overflowing with praise to the Lord for the wonderful conclusion to our 2018 VBS that we experienced last night!  It was an amazing week of learning for our children, and the fruit that will result from such an investment in their lives will be revealed for years, and even decades, to come. We thank our Lord for Ashley Turnbull and every helper, volunteer, and teacher who assisted her!  And thank you parents for entrusting your little ones to us as we seek to teach them the truths of God’s Word.

May you have a most blessed weekend, and I can’t wait to see you this Sunday!

I love you all with all of my heart!

Mike

Upcoming Events:

July 21, 6 AM – Men’s Whitewater Rafting Trip
July 22, 3 PM – Baby Shower for Meghan Elliott
July 24, 8 PM – Senior Fellows visit to the Von Braun Planetarium
August 2, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
August 5, 2 PM – Kristy Hill Wedding Shower

Order of Worship:

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

If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:

Take My Life And Let It Be – Hymn 585, vs 1,2,5,6
His Mercy is More – New song this week, check it out on youtube
Have Thine Own Way – Hymn 688, all 4 verses
Why So Heavy

Announcements:

Summer Schedule: Christ Presbyterian is on Summer Schedule. There will be no Sunday School, and regularly scheduled bible studies for men, women, and youth are on hiatus. Fellowship will be each Sunday at 10 AM, with worship beginning at 10:30 AM. Check this space for information regarding when the normal schedule will resume, including dates and times for specific studies and activities.

VBS: VBS was a huge success! The children had a great time learning about the Creator of the universe, and they were able to raise around $390 (girls won!) for our missions project. There were several anonymous members who were so moved by the generosity of the children that they added to and matched that number so that the final tally was more than $1300 in support of our missionaries in Ireland. This is enough to send 13 youth to camp at Munster Christian Camps on scholarship. The family night was a big hit as well. Thank you for being a church who loves our kids! If you’d like to see a video of the festivities, click HERE. The password to view the video is christpresvbs.

Baby Shower for Elliotts: Sunday, July 22nd at 3 pm at the church. Please join us as we celebrate the arrival of their baby girl. The Evite is HERE (please RSVP). She’s registered at Amazon and Target.

Music: Attention instrumentalists and vocalists! We are currently in the process of putting together a list of people of high school age and older in our congregation who would like to share their musical gifts in occasional special musical events at the church. Please indicate your interest by sending an email to Rich Bagdazian at rbagdazian@gmail.com and include the word “music” in the subject line. Indicate what instrument you play or if you are a vocalist, what part you sing. We will contact you within a few weeks with additional information after everyone has had an opportunity to respond.

Senior Fellows: On Tuesday, July 24, the Senior Fellows will visit the Wernher von Braun Planetarium located within Monte Sano State Park. Visitors are welcome. Plan to arrive at 8:00 PM and finish about 10:00 PM. For directions or more information send email to seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org. Plan to bring the whole family. Joe Fikes, our guide, says kids will love this adventure. Atmospheric conditions may dictate a change of the date/day of the event.

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is August 2 at 11:30 AM.

Baby Nursery Volunteers: Moms of babies/toddlers, please sign up to work in our baby nursery at least once this summer. I also encourage all ladies of the church to sign-up. Please consider serving our families in this way! We need help July 29, and August 26. Click HERE to sign up.

Member Services Survey: Annually we issue a list of church members who offer skills or services to other members. These may be professional services or just shared skills. This list is sent only to members by email and is not posted on any web site. Of particular interest may be services offered by our youth. Attached is last year’s list dated March 2017. If you would like to add an entry to this list or modify/delete your prior entry, please send your information in the format shown to Jack Loose, jackdloose@gmail.com, by August 1, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Loose by email or 256-881-8953.

Wedding Shower for Kristy Hill: Please join us August 5th at 2:00pm at the home of Jennifer Martin for a bridal shower to honor and celebrate Kristy Hill. See the link below for details and to RSVP.
http://evite.me/9DGzS6J1fj

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Debbie Hill, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliott family, expecting in September, and the Ely family, expecting in November.
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).

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs and prayer: deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763

Sermon Preview

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Sunday we will continue on our walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. And this week our sermon text will be taken from Colossians 1:24 where the Apostle declares: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, that is, the church.”

As you can readily observe, this is a perplexing verse of inspired Scripture, and it raises some obvious questions that we must answer. For example, is Paul suggesting that our Lord’s sufferings upon the cross for our sins were insufficient, and that there is the need to add to them since they are “lacking”?  Is he saying that our sufferings somehow complete those of Jesus, and contribute in some way to our eternal salvation?  And if these two are not viable interpretive options (and I will argue that they are not, and that our Lord’s sufferings were and are fully sufficient in themselves), then what does Paul mean?

As you prayerfully ponder this verse, let me suggest that you also consider the words of the Apostle Peter, which provide a commentary on this intriguing verse from Colossians:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you”—1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV).

I look forward to probing the rich depths of God’s blessed Word with you this Lord’s Day!

Meet Our Missionaries Fellowship

Don’t forget that Seth and Jessica Lewis, our missionaries to Ireland, will be with us this Sunday. We will have a special time of fellowship with them at 9:15 AM at the Church.

VBS Begins This Coming Monday, July 16

VBS 2018 beings on Monday morning at 9:00 AM.  Please be in prayer for Ashley Turnbull and her staff of teachers and workers who will lead our children in a week of study in God’s Word.  And, you are all invited to our Family Night dinner on Thursday, July 19th at 6 pm. The children will sing a few of their songs for us, and we will hear more of what they learned throughout the week. After the short program, we will eat together in the fellowship hall. Please RSVP at the link below so that we have an accurate headcount.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXtnI5kuJAtYVFhNIeJDeIGTfexOcSOZyPcTe_lXtdKXi4eg/viewform

I love you all and pray for you always!

Mike

Upcoming Events:

July 15, 9:15 AM – Meeting with Seth and Jessica Lewis (Missionaries to Ireland) at church
July 16-19 – Vacation Bible School
July 18, 6 PM – Diaconate meeting
July 19, 6 PM – VBS Family Night Dinner
July 21, 6 AM – Men’s Whitewater Rafting Trip
July 22, 3 PM – Baby Shower for Meghan Elliott
July 24, 8 PM – Senior Fellows visit to the Von Braun Planetarium
August 2, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
August 5, 2 PM – Kristy Hill Wedding Shower

Order of Worship:

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

If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:

By Thy Mercy
What Wondrous Love is This – Hymn 261, all 3 verses
I Need Thee Every Hour – Hymn 674, 1-3, 5
Be Unto Your Name

Announcements:

Summer Schedule: Christ Presbyterian is on Summer Schedule. There will be no Sunday School, and regularly scheduled bible studies for men, women, and youth are on hiatus. Fellowship will be each Sunday at 10 AM, with worship beginning at 10:30 AM. Check this space for information regarding when the normal schedule will resume, including dates and times for specific studies and activities.

VBS: It starts tomorrow! Please be in prayer for the children and the volunteers. Also, all those who attended or helped with VBS, as well as our church family, are invited to come hear what the kids learned throughout the week and eat together afterwards. Please RSVP HERE so that we will have an accurate headcount for food. We also still need snacks for the volunteers. Sign up HERE, or see Betsy Morgan to help.

Baby Shower for Elliotts: Sunday, July 22nd at 3 pm at the church. Please join us as we celebrate the arrival of their baby girl. The Evite is HERE (please RSVP). She’s registered at Amazon and Target.

Music: Attention instrumentalists and vocalists! We are currently in the process of putting together a list of people of high school age and older in our congregation who would like to share their musical gifts in occasional special musical events at the church. Please indicate your interest by sending an email to Rich Bagdazian at rbagdazian@gmail.com and include the word “music” in the subject line. Indicate what instrument you play or if you are a vocalist, what part you sing. We will contact you within a few weeks with additional information after everyone has had an opportunity to respond.

Senior Fellows: On Tuesday, July 24, the Senior Fellows will visit the Wernher von Braun Planetarium located within Monte Sano State Park. Visitors are welcome. Plan to arrive at 8:00 PM and finish about 10:00 PM. For directions or more information send email to seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org. Plan to bring the whole family. Joe Fikes, our guide, says kids will love this adventure. Atmospheric conditions may dictate a change of the date/day of the event.

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is August 2 at 11:30 AM.

Missionary Meeting: You’re invited to fellowship with Seth and Jessica Lewis, missionaries to Ireland, on Sunday morning July 15 at 9:15 AM at the Church

Men’s Whitewater Rafting Trip: After surveying the congregation, it looks like July 21 is the Saturday that accommodates the most people. Adam Turnbull will be in touch shortly with those expressing interest. Please contact him if you have any questions.

Psummer Psalms: It’s not too late to sign up for memorizing a Psalm this summer. If interested, email darondrown@gmail.com for weekly encouragement and accountability.

Baby Nursery Volunteers: Moms of babies/toddlers, please sign up to work in our baby nursery at least once this summer. I also encourage all ladies of the church to sign-up. Please consider serving our families in this way! We need help July 15, July 29, and August 26. Click HERE to sign up.

Member Services Survey: Annually we issue a list of church members who offer skills or services to other members. These may be professional services or just shared skills. This list is sent only to members by email and is not posted on any web site. Of particular interest may be services offered by our youth. Attached is last year’s list dated March 2017. If you would like to add an entry to this list or modify/delete your prior entry, please send your information in the format shown to Jack Loose, jackdloose@gmail.com, by August 1, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Loose by email or 256-881-8953.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Bruce Hughes, Debbie Hill, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliott family, expecting in September, and the Ely family, expecting in November.
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).

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs and prayer: deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763

Sermon Preview

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This coming Lord’s Day we will examine one of the most striking passages in all of Scripture. It describes the wonder, glory, sovereignty, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ in terms that are as awe-inspiring as they are mysterious.  Our sermon text will be taken from Colossians 1:15-20.  In this passage, which some New Testament scholars believe to be an early hymn composed by the first Christians, Paul provides us with a stunning picture of our Savior.

Here, the Apostle teaches us that Jesus is both the Lord of all creation (vv. 15-17), and the Lord of redemption (vv. 18-20). There is an abundance of eternal treasures in these inspired words, and I hope you will prayerfully meditate upon them as we prepare our hearts to worship our Savior together this Sunday.

Then, don’t forget that Seth and Jessica Lewis, our missionaries serving in Ireland, will be with us next Sunday July 15.  There will be a fellowship with them and their family at 9:15 AM that morning in our fellowship area.  And then we will hear a report from Seth in our worship service.

Have a blessed weekend, and I love you all!

Mike

Upcoming Events:

July 8, 4 PM – VBS Volunteer Meeting at the church
July 15, 9:15 AM – Meeting with Seth and Jessica Lewis (Missionaries to Ireland) at church
July 16-19 – Vacation Bible School
July 18, 6 PM – Diaconate meeting
July 19, 6 PM – VBS Family Night Dinner
July 21, 6 AM – Men’s Whitewater Rafting Trip
July 22, 3 PM – Baby Shower for Meghan Elliott
August 2, 11:30 AM – Women’s Monthly Lunch
August 5, 2 PM – Kristy Hill Wedding Shower

Order of Worship:

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

If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:

God of my Life to Thee I Call
Sweet Comfort
It Is Well With My Soul (Hymn 691, all 4 vs)
Wonderful Merciful Savior

Announcements:

Summer Schedule: Christ Presbyterian is on Summer Schedule. There will be no Sunday School, and regularly scheduled bible studies for men, women, and youth are on hiatus. Fellowship will be each Sunday at 10 AM, with worship beginning at 10:30 AM. Check this space for information regarding when the normal schedule will resume, including dates and times for specific studies and activities.

VBS Needs: We are TWO weeks away from VBS week, and I just want to make sure all our people are registered so that we can finalize our plans! Here are the details:

• July 16-19 (M to Thurs)
• 9 to 11:30 am
• Family Night dinner on Thursday at 6 pm to celebrate (congregation invited)
• Final volunteer meeting on Sunday, July 8th at 4 pm at the church for all those involved (including youth).

Please click on the links below to register your children.  If you are a volunteer, please go ahead and use the Volunteer link so I’ll have your t-shirt size (free tee). Cost is $10/child and can be dropped in the offering box OR given to Jack Cooper anytime (or brought to VBS Day 1).

Child Registration {Completed PreK to Completed 5th grade}
Youth Volunteer {6th grade and up}
Adult Volunteer

There is also a link to sign up to provide snacks for the volunteers: Snacks for volunteers

Feel free to forward to a friend or neighbor. Please contact Betsy Morgan if you have any questions about online registration.

Baby Shower for Meg Elliott on Sunday, July 22nd at 3 pm at the church. Please join us as we celebrate the arrival of their baby girl. The Evite is HERE (please RSVP).

Music: Attention instrumentalists and vocalists! We are currently in the process of putting together a list of people of high school age and older in our congregation who would like to share their musical gifts in occasional special musical events at the church. Please indicate your interest by sending an email to Rich Bagdazian at rbagdazian@gmail.com and include the word “music” in the subject line. Indicate what instrument you play or if you are a vocalist, what part you sing. We will contact you within a few weeks with additional information after everyone has had an opportunity to respond.

Women’s Monthly Lunch: The next Women’s Monthly Lunch is August 2 at 11:30 AM.

Missionary Meeting: You’re invited to fellowship with Seth and Jessica Lewis, missionaries to Ireland, on Sunday morning July 15 at 9:15 AM at the Church

Men’s Whitewater Rafting Trip: After surveying the congregation, it looks like July 21 is the Saturday that accommodates the most people. Adam Turnbull will be in touch shortly with those expressing interest. Please contact him if you have any questions.

Psummer Psalms: It’s not too late to sign up for memorizing a Psalm this summer. If interested, email darondrown@gmail.com for weekly encouragement and accountability.

Baby Nursery Volunteers: Moms of babies/toddlers, please sign up to work in our baby nursery at least once this summer. I also encourage all ladies of the church to sign-up. We are down a staff member there (Mrs. Irene had shoulder surgery) until the fall. Please consider serving our families in this way! We need help July 29, August 5, and August 26. Click HERE to sign up.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Bruce Hughes, Debbie Hill, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliott family, expecting in September, and the Ely family, expecting in November.
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).

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs and prayer: deacons@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763