“ And all the multitude were trying to touch Him . . . . And turning His gaze on His disciples. . . .” (Luke 6:19-20, NASB).
My Beloved Family in the Lord Jesus,
Over one-hundred and thirty times in the four Gospels, reference is made to the multitudes that followed Jesus. It goes without saying that there were many attractive things about this most unusual Galilean teacher.
The Gospels make it clear that the crowds were very much drawn to His teaching, especially the authority with which He spoke (Matthew 7:28-29). Then, of course, there were the miracles He performed, which not only attracted the masses but left them speechless in wonder and amazement (Luke 19:37). It is also apparent that many sought out the Lord because they wanted to witness first hand His many theological duels with the Scribes and Pharisees. After all, few things are as exciting as a good showdown in the middle of the town!
In Luke 6 we find another occasion when the crowds swarmed around Jesus, many of them even attempting to physically “ touch Him” (v. 19). The reason for this frenzy is made clear by Luke in the same verse; “ power was coming from Him and healing them all.” That will draw a crowd for sure, every time!
But what stokes our curiosity, and will be the source for our encouragement on this new Monday, is what Jesus does next. Luke tells us that He turned away from the multitudes and set His “ gaze” upon “ His disciples” (v. 20).
I would be the first to admit that upon initial observation this might seem like a trivial detail. However, there is something very big and equally encouraging here that we must be careful not to miss.
In the Gospels, there is frequently a distinction made between the crowds and the disciples. As we trace the story of our Lord’s earthly ministry, the multitudes came and went. Their opinions of Jesus oscillated radically from one pole to the other. One moment they love Him, and the next they are crying out for His execution (John 12:12; John 19:12-15). At times, they were magnetically drawn to His teachings only to be repulsed just minutes later. In such episodes as these (particularly as seen in John 6) their disapproval of what He had said was emphatically registered when they abandoned Him as quickly as they had once excitedly assembled around Him (6:66).
Even with Jesus, crowds come and go.
They are fickle. They are easily distracted by something newer and better. They cannot be trusted. They slavishly follow the trends and the fads, and they manifest only a shallow commitment to anyone or anything.
In many respects, crowds are inherently selfish. The collective attitude seems to be, ‘What have you done for me lately.’ And, as Stephen experienced, crowds can quickly become murderous mobs (Acts, 7:54). Such inherent defects in human assemblies only makes the wonder of our Lord’s grace that much bigger (see Matthew 14:14).
It’s really no surprise, then, that in Luke 6 Jesus turned away from the multitude and looked squarely into the eyes of those who were truly “ His disciples.” Eleven of the twelve were authentically redeemed. They followed Jesus because there was no other place to go and no one else to follow. After all, it was only the Incarnate Son of God who had the “ words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
It was these that Jesus gazed upon!
While our Lord did perceive the crowds, and He did love them and sought to reveal the truth to them, it was “ His disciples” that He set His eyes upon! They were, to be sure, part of that large crowd. But they were not lost in the masses. Jesus looked out and found them with His eyes!
Earlier, the disciple named Nathaniel had experienced this very thing:
Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel”(John 1:48-49).
My dear Brothers and Sisters, be encouraged by this! The gracious gaze of the Savior is always upon you! He always sees you. He always finds you in the crowds. You are never outside of or beyond His vision and His loving care!
Though he ‘sees’ the eight billion people who are currently alive on this earth, His eyes are affixed on you, the very one He has loved from eternity and for whom His precious blood was shed! He knows His sheep, every last one of them, by name and by sight. Even when, for whatever reason, you are momentarily distracted from Him, or you are caught in the trap of a besetting sin, or you feel as if you have been buried under a pile of troubles and afflictions, His gaze upon you never falters!
He is always turning to you!
Find your encouragement here in this amazing truth!
What a Savior! What a Shepherd! What a Lord and King! What vision He has!
May you live today, and the remainder of this week, in the peace and joy His gaze brings!
We’ve quickly arrived at the last two weeks of our series of messages on Romans 12. This Lord’s Day we will give consideration to verses 14, 17 and 19 which set forth one of the most significant signs of a mind that has transformed and renewed by the grace and mercy of God. This beautiful and Christ-like mark of distinction can be summarized as the virtue of non-retaliation in personal relationships.
With verse 14, the Apostle Paul moves from a discussion of brotherly love within the Church (vv. 9-13) to the subject of the Church’s relationship with her enemies.
And what is written here is as remarkable as it is fully inspired by God!
This Lord’s Day we will begin to probe what it means to “ bless” our persecutors and those who are the enemies of the Gospel.
I hope you will join me in prayer as we come before our Father in worship and in the study of His Holy Word on Sunday.
I love you all!
Mike
Announcements:
Youth Group:
Ultimate Night
I simply wanted to remind you that our last event of the summer (or first event of the Fall) will be on Sunday, August 29th. Originally slated as a geo-caching scavenger hunt, due to some logistical issues, we will resort to some fun fellowship around the frisbee with some ultimate followed by some pizza. Think you can hang with your kids and a disc? Come play with us and show us what you got! We will hang out from 4:30 to 6, eating around 5:30.
As a reminder, our first night of youth group for the Fall will be on September 12!
We look forward to seeing everyone then!
Fall Youth Calendar
August 29th – Ultimate and Pizza
September 12th – Youth Group
September 19th – Youth Group
September 26th – Youth Group
October 3rd – Cookout and College Care Packages
October 17th – Youth Group
October 24th – Youth Group
November 7th – Youth Group
November 21st – Youth Group
December 5th – Youth Group
December 12th – Christmas Party
*All dates are Sunday evenings. Youth group is from 4:30 to 6:30.
Sunday School
Youth Sunday school will meet at the church house each Sunday morning. The middle school will meet downstairs and the high schoolers will meet upstairs.
How can I help with youth this Fall?
1 – Middle Sunday School Teachers – I am still looking for several individuals (or couples) who might be willing to teach/facilitate our middle schoolers this school year. Are you interested in having an opportunity to teach and minister to our youth? You do not have to come up with the curriculum, just prepare and present. I aim to have several people share the teaching load so that it does not rest on one individual. Email if you are interested!
2 – Cookout and College Care Packages – We are looking for a family that might be willing to host our cookout and college care package night. The evening’s focus is on helping our youth learn to serve by helping those who have graduated and are away at school. We are in need of a home that could support a number of students and possibly have a bonfire (s’mores) and cookout. Let me know if you would be willing to open your home in this way!
3 – Additional Adult Supervision during Youth Nights – Some have expressed interest in being present with middle school during youth nights. I would love additional help for those evenings if you are a warm body and willing to be present for several youth meetings throughout the semester.
Take care …
Matthew K Elliott
Children’s Ministry:
We are now gearing up for fall programming at CPC!
We are looking for preK to 5th grade Sunday school teachers for fall. Please email Ashley to serve our children in this way. We can’t do it without support from the congregation!
Please register your children using the link below. This will allow us to see how to divide up our classes and how many volunteers we need.
We have also updated the nursery volunteer sign up through the end of the year. As a reminder, we invite any Christ Pres woman, teenage and up, to serve our families with young children by volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings. Please consider helping us fill this need and see the sign up genius link below for further details. This is a huge blessing to our young families and a great opportunity for our church body to invest in the lives of our little ones.
On Tuesday, September 7 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church. Starting at 10 AM, Pastor Mike will lead a discussion on Issues Facing the PCA. Members and visitors are also invited to the discussion and breakfast. Please email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org if you plan to join us for breakfast.
Women’s Ministry:
Monthly Lunch: Our next monthly luncheon will be on September 2 beginning at 11:30 at the Timbers Edge Clubhouse located at 1 Timbers Main, Brownsboro. It’s potluck – feel free to bring a dish or just yourself.
Fall Bible Studies:
The fall Bible studies will launch the week of September 6, meeting for 11 weeks through November 17.
The Tuesday study for mothers will be on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM. We will be watching a 10 week video series together by Nancy Guthrie on Saints and Scoundrels in the story of Jesus. I think it will be a very interesting study. You don’t have to purchase the book but if you would like to, here is the link.
We will of course have the most important group discussion and prayer time afterwards.
Let Amy Schnorrenberg know if you will be joining us and how many little ones you need nursery for.
The Wednesday studies will meet on Wednesdays at 10 AM and at 6 PM. I am thrilled to study the first 18 chapters of Exodus together, using the study guide God of Deliverance by Jen Wilkin. From the study promotion:
The exodus of the Israelites shapes our understanding of the whole Bible, its themes reverberating all the way to Revelation. Exodus is the birth narrative of a nation unmistakably guided by the Great Deliverer. In this 10-session verse-by-verse study of Exodus 1–18, Jen Wilkin shows us that Israel’s story is our story: the same God who delivered Israel also delivers all those He loves from slavery to sin and from service to the pharaohs of this world. He lifts our eyes to the promised land He has prepared where we dwell with I AM and worship Him as the one true God.
Please order your study guide before September 8. You may order from Lifeway ($15.99) and Amazon ($16.79). Click either link: Lifeway or Amazon. No preparation is required for the first meeting.
Lastly, please RSVP if you plan to participate in this study. You may email me at maryleemc7@gmail.com. (for the morning study)
The skinny:
Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 – 11:30 am or Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30 pm in the fellowship room
First meeting: September 8
Order your book ASAP
RSVP to Mary Lee McKee
I PROMISE this will be an invigorating, worship-inspiring endeavor. I can’t wait! Thank you!
Career/Singles:
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles meets at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Elliott Dean, Suzanne Nimon, Lincoln Ely, Dave Angotti, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, and Elizabeth Holton. Expecting: Please pray for the Prinzingers, expecting in November. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
It would be impossible and would feel somewhat disrespectful, perhaps even blasphemous, to attempt to rank the sayings of our Lord Jesus as to order of importance. Every word He uttered, every syllable, is the Word of God. In fact, He Himself is the Eternal Word of God made flesh!
Yet, it remains our common experience that we do remember some of His words more readily than others. Some we have memorized, and others we have applied to our lives more frequently. There are some that we treasure very dearly and run to over and again in times of need or worry. We all love the ‘red letters’ in our New Testaments, and for good reason!
The words quoted above might not be on our lists of the more memorable dominical sayings recorded in Scripture. Yet this simple line, an invitation to breakfast, carries within it all of the power, significance, and truth of anything and everything our blessed Savior said while on earth.
The setting for this quaint invitation was the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to the Disciples on the Sea of Galilee, or “ Sea of Tiberias” (see the context in 21:1-11). Not only did Jesus find the men while they were fishing (and unsuccessfully!), He performed the miracle recorded in verse 6, the amazing extent of which is set forth in verse 11.
But the source of our encouragement for this new Monday are those simple words of enticement which are so poetically captured in the King James translation: “ Come and dine.”
The fact is, there are many significant theological themes densely compacted into these words (just two words in the original language), enough for many sermons and lessons. But our focus today is upon what is right in front of us, laying on the surface for our taking.
We know that after this encounter, the eleven remaining Disciples will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will launch off into the mission to which they had been called by their King. As they say, ‘the rest is history,’ and we are believers in Christ because of their faithful execution of that very world-encompassing task.
But I am struck by the fact that despite the enormity of that moment, that one final confirmation of Christ’s Lordship over all creation, Jesus is concerned that they eat breakfast! Tired from a frustrating all-nighter on the water and surely starving as well, their Savior and Master came to them in person there at that beautiful lake. He provided the food (v. 6). He prepared the fire (v. 9). And there were other fish He was already cooking, and bread too (v. 9).
When the Disciples reached the shore there was a blessed reunion-breakfast with the One who had conquered death, hell, and the grave! What an amazing sight that must have been!
I would suggest that one of the lessons here is this: The basic personal needs of the Disciples had not been lost in view of the worldwide mission of their Savior. In other words, Jesus cared for something so apparently mundane as their growling stomachs. And He expressed that care and met that need at one of the most critical moments in redemption history!
Our Lord loved His men! They were not just pawns, mere functionaries, or tools to be used to accomplish the Father’s plan. They were dearly beloved men, real individuals, whom Jesus cared for with a compassion that can never be measured or quantified.
These blessed words, “ Come and have breakfast,” reveal the fact that nothing about our lives is insignificant to the One who saved us! Though you and I are but one of His disciples among the countless followers of Jesus who have lived through the ages, He looks upon us as if we are the only object of His compassionate care. Only a Savior who is both human and Divine can do that!
You, my dear Brother or Sister, are not lost among the crowd. Your personal needs are not obscured by the magnitude of the world’s needs, not even the need for the Gospel. Your life as one of His sheep has not been pushed out to the edges by the primacy of the Great Commission. You are not simply a witness that He will use to reach others. You are one from whom His loving gaze will never depart!
His Word to you today is “ Come.” He knows you are hungry. He knows you are anxious. He knows that you are weak and frustrated. He knows that you are battle-weary from trials and temptations. He knows your every need even before you become aware that you have them!
For you, for us, everyday His invitation is the same; “ Come and dine.”
Trust Him today! Come to Him! Rest in His continual care! He will always provide for those He loves!
This Lord’s Day our ninth of twelve sermons on Romans 12 will come from verse 13. We will take a prayerful look at the sixth characteristic of brotherly love.
You will remember, we have identified this quality as love’s generosity and hospitality. As Paul says in this verse, our love for one another will express itself by our ongoing contribution to “ the needs of the saints,” and by our habitual practice of Christian “ hospitality.”
A Quick Word About Sunday School
As we have previously announced, Sunday School resumes on September 12 at 11:00 AM.
Our Adult class, which will meet in the Worship Center, will be a study of the Song of Solomon.
Historically, this Old Testament love poem has been one of the most difficult books of the Bible to interpret and apply. It has also generated its share of controversy given the fact of its rather direct and even erotic language. For this reason, the Song has often suffered neglect by Christians (and pastors!) who, perhaps out of embarrassment, have avoided it.
However, I believe our study will reveal not only the beauty of this divinely inspired poem, but also its powerful message to our world today. Though written some three-thousand years ago, its timeless relevance is amazing indeed!
In preparation for our study, let me suggest that you do two things. First, begin reading the Song and getting familiar with its contents and structure. Then, purchase a copy of our main text for the class, which is The Song of Songs (Volume 19, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), by Iain M. Duguid.
I look forward to our study and I hope that you will plan to join us!
May our Father bless you with His peace this weekend, and I can’t wait to worship with you on the Lord’s Day!
All my love, always,
Mike
Announcements:
Supper Groups:
We are so happy to be restarting our Christ Pres Supper Groups this fall!
What is a Supper Group?
It is Christ Pres adults, assigned to a group of 4 couples/singles, who will meet together once a month, 4 times in the fall, from Sept. to Dec.
One couple/single in each group is responsible to host their group one of these times. You can host the way you feel most comfortable–in your home, at a restaurant, meet for a picnic, etc. Potluck works well so that no one is burdened by making/providing an entire meal.
The assigned lead will communicate with the group to coordinate monthly hosts. From there, each month’s host will arrange the specific date and location for the gathering with other members of the group.
The hope is that you will enjoy fellowship and get to know one another on a deeper, more personal level. It’s such a blessing to know our church family, to share meals together, and to be involved in each other’s lives.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tim or Carol Cummings at tc44.cummings@gmail.com or 256-508-4477.
Youth Group:
Ultimate Night
Our last event of the summer (or first event of the Fall) will be on Sunday, August 29th. Originally slated as a geo-caching scavenger hunt, due to some logistical issues, we will resort to some fun fellowship around the frisbee with some ultimate followed by some pizza. Think you can hang with your kids and a disc? Come play with us and show us what you got! We will hang out from 4:30 to 6, eating around 5:30.
Fall Youth Calendar
August 29th – Ultimate and Pizza
September 12th – Youth Group
September 19th – Youth Group
September 26th – Youth Group
October 3rd – Cookout and College Care Packages
October 17th – Youth Group
October 24th – Youth Group
November 7th – Youth Group
November 21st – Youth Group
December 5th – Youth Group
December 12th – Christmas Party
*All dates are Sunday evenings. Youth group is from 4:30 to 6:30.
Sunday School
Youth Sunday school will meet at the church house each Sunday morning. The middle school will meet downstairs and the high schoolers will meet upstairs.
How can I help with youth this Fall?
1 – Middle Sunday School Teachers – I am still looking for several individuals (or couples) who might be willing to teach/facilitate our middle schoolers this school year. Are you interested in having an opportunity to teach and minister to our youth? You do not have to come up with the curriculum, just prepare and present. I aim to have several people share the teaching load so that it does not rest on one individual. Email if you are interested!
2 – Cookout and College Care Packages – We are looking for a family that might be willing to host our cookout and college care package night. The evening’s focus is on helping our youth learn to serve by helping those who have graduated and are away at school. We are in need of a home that could support a number of students and possibly have a bonfire (s’mores) and cookout. Let me know if you would be willing to open your home in this way!
3 – Additional Adult Supervision during Youth Nights – Some have expressed interest in being present with middle school during youth nights. I would love additional help for those evenings if you are a warm body and willing to be present for several youth meetings throughout the semester.
Take care …
Matthew K Elliott
Children’s Ministry:
We are now gearing up for fall programming at CPC!
We are looking for preK to 5th grade Sunday school teachers for fall. Please email Ashley to serve our children in this way. We can’t do it without support from the congregation!
Please register your children using the link below. This will allow us to see how to divide up our classes and how many volunteers we need.
We have also updated the nursery volunteer sign up through the end of the year. As a reminder, we invite any Christ Pres woman, teenage and up, to serve our families with young children by volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings. Please consider helping us fill this need and see the sign up genius link below for further details. This is a huge blessing to our young families and a great opportunity for our church body to invest in the lives of our little ones.
On Tuesday, September 7 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church. Starting at 10 AM, Pastor Mike will lead a discussion on Issues Facing the PCA. Members and visitors are also invited to the discussion and breakfast. Please email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org if you plan to join us for breakfast.
Women’s Ministry:
Monthly Lunch: Our next monthly luncheon will be on September 2 beginning at 11:30 at the Timbers Edge Clubhouse located at 1 Timbers Main, Brownsboro. It’s potluck – feel free to bring a dish or just yourself.
Fall Bible Studies:
The fall Bible studies will launch the week of September 6, meeting for 11 weeks through November 17.
The Tuesday study for mothers will be on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM. We will be watching a 10 week video series together by Nancy Guthrie on Saints and Scoundrels in the story of Jesus. I think it will be a very interesting study. You don’t have to purchase the book but if you would like to, here is the link.
We will of course have the most important group discussion and prayer time afterwards.
Let Amy Schnorrenberg know if you will be joining us and how many little ones you need nursery for.
The Wednesday studies will meet on Wednesdays at 10 AM and at 6 PM. I am thrilled to study the first 18 chapters of Exodus together, using the study guide God of Deliverance by Jen Wilkin. From the study promotion:
The exodus of the Israelites shapes our understanding of the whole Bible, its themes reverberating all the way to Revelation. Exodus is the birth narrative of a nation unmistakably guided by the Great Deliverer. In this 10-session verse-by-verse study of Exodus 1–18, Jen Wilkin shows us that Israel’s story is our story: the same God who delivered Israel also delivers all those He loves from slavery to sin and from service to the pharaohs of this world. He lifts our eyes to the promised land He has prepared where we dwell with I AM and worship Him as the one true God.
Please order your study guide before September 8. You may order from Lifeway ($15.99) and Amazon ($16.79). Click either link: Lifeway or Amazon. No preparation is required for the first meeting.
Lastly, please RSVP if you plan to participate in this study. You may email me at maryleemc7@gmail.com. (for the morning study)
The skinny:
Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 – 11:30 am or Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30 pm in the fellowship room
First meeting: September 8
Order your book ASAP
RSVP to Mary Lee McKee
I PROMISE this will be an invigorating, worship-inspiring endeavor. I can’t wait! Thank you!
Career/Singles:
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles meets at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Lincoln Ely, Dave Angotti, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, and Elizabeth Holton. Expecting: Please pray for the Prinzingers, expecting in November. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
“ Fear the Lord and turn away from evil”–Proverbs 3:7
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is something great to say about simplicity!
For many of us our booming technological age, with its ever deepening complexity, has produced a pronounced sense of frustration in our hearts. No longer can we simply make a phone call or switch the channels on our TV. We must make use of a ‘smart’ device, a small hand-held gizmo that requires a virtual PhD in engineering or physics to make full use of. The same for our automobiles. It used to be that you could go to the dealer, pick out your new (or new to you) ride, hop in and depart happily into the sunset. But now, a (very young) technically minded sales consultant must spend over two hours with you explaining all of the high-tech features of the car, its safety and security systems, entertainment capabilities, navigation, and self-diagnostic powers. For non-techies, this is totally overwhelming and massively frustrating!
While there is much to celebrate and to be thankful for in regard to the exponential technological advances we are seeing, there is still something so wonderful about those things that are just plain simple!
I think of the beauty of such simplicity when I read the Book of Proverbs. While a part of the Old Covenant Scriptures, the quote above is one of those very uncomplicated verses that seems to summarize the life we are to live as Christians in terms that are as plain as day. No multi-page instruction manual is really required. No engineering student needs to be on standby for personal tutoring. One does not need to learn an entirely new vocabulary or skill set. It is simply a matter of fear and turning.
Now, “ fear” seems to be an odd and even off-putting way to speak of our life as Christian disciples. However, this is a different kind of “ fear” than might be initially assumed. This is a holy “ fear” of “ the Lord.” That is, it is a recognition of His supremacy, authority, and unique kingship.
In a very real sense, this phrase “ Fear the Lord” is the Old Testament equivalent of the basic confession of the Christian faith, “ Jesus is Lord.” To “ fear” our Lord on a personal level is to recognize and acknowledge the sovereignty of the Son over every aspect of our lives. It is perceiving and accepting not only His kingship over all creation, but His kingship over me! Such is the essential core of true Christianity!
The life of a born-again man or woman is one of perpetual surrender to the authority of the One who has redeemed us! Yes, there is an initial once-for-all aspect to this recognition of the Savior’s Lordship. But it is also true that, until He comes again, we will never cease affirming that we are His bondservants! He is, after all, the Lord of our salvation and the Lord of our on-going sanctification!
Along with this “ fear” of the Lord, there is also to be a turning away “ from evil.” And if you think about this, you’ll see that these two simple exhortations stand together, unbreakably so! One cannot acknowledge the Lordship of the Son without also turning away from all that is sinful and evil in His sight. And if one is not always making such a turn away from evil, then there can be no authentic personal claim to His sovereignty. The one always includes the other for good or ill.
In the least complicated of terms, our mission today (and every day) is to confess in our hearts that Jesus is Lord. And as these words flow from our souls and into our mouths, our feet are to move as we make a decisive turn away from all that is incompatible with His Word and with His complete rule over us. It’s really that simple!
After giving us this unexpectedly simple prescription, king Solomon answers a question that might logically follow: What becomes of those who live this way?
The wonderful answer is given in verse 8: “ It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to you bones.”
There are people all over this globe, and some of them professing believers, who are busily contorting themselves into all manner of shapes by practices deemed effective (by unredeemed minds) in bringing a measure of sanity to otherwise discombobulated souls. The formulas for success in the quest for meaning and rest are innumerable, but in the end they are all virtually the same. It’s ‘ The Law of Attraction,’ or ‘ Be You! 6 Steps to Creating Your Personal Success Formula,’ or ‘ Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement.’ And then there’s ‘ Take Charge of your Brand: Quick and Simple Techniques to Help You Own and Manage Your Personal Brand for Professional and Personal Success.’ The cacophonous refrain is deafening! Everyone, it seems, has their best-selling book on the subject of living a life of peace and fulfillment, hawked shamelessly on TV and radio as if it’s never been tried before by previous generations of sufferers. But as Solomon himself would confess in the other book he wrote, “ Vanity of vanities. . . . there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:2, 9).
Our Father’s answer to this universal human dilemma remains shockingly simple; fear and turn! The way to peace and revival of soul is really uncomplicated. Look into the mirror and make this confession: ‘I am not lord. Jesus is! I renounce my way and claim His. I turn away from my sins and all that displeases Him, and I embrace His Holy will as my command.’ When we do this with faith in our hearts our Heavenly Father goes into action! He brings “ healing”! He brings “ refreshment”! Guaranteed! Every time without fail!
Our encouragement for this new Monday is to keep it simple! Your Father’s will for you is most straightforward. No advanced degrees are required. Just “ fear” Him and “ turn away from evil.” And then watch Him bless you!
I love you all so very much, and I will miss you dearly until we meet again on the Lord’s Day!
I hope you are all doing well. I know many of your youth/kids are gearing up or have already started back to school! I simply wanted to give you a few youth announcements as we enter into the Fall.
Ultimate Night
Our last event of the summer (or first event of the Fall) will be on Sunday, August 29th. Originally slated as a geo-caching scavenger hunt, due to some logistical issues, we will resort to some fun fellowship around the frisbee with some ultimate followed by some pizza. Think you can hang with your kids and a disc? Come play with us and show us what you got! We will hang out from 4:30 to 6, eating around 5:30.
Fall Youth Calendar
August 29th – Ultimate and Pizza
September 12th – Youth Group
September 19th – Youth Group
September 26th – Youth Group
October 3rd – Cookout and College Care Packages
October 17th – Youth Group
October 24th – Youth Group
November 7th – Youth Group
November 21st – Youth Group
December 5th – Youth Group
December 12th – Christmas Party
*All dates are Sunday evenings. Youth group is from 4:30 to 6:30.
Sunday School
Youth Sunday school will meet at the church house each Sunday morning. The middle school will meet downstairs and the high schoolers will meet upstairs.
In Romans 12:12, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to, “ Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Standing alone, this sounds like a very good formula for living as disciples of Jesus. But like all verses of Holy Scripture, these inspired words are to be read and interpreted within their setting, or immediate context.
As we have seen over the last few weeks, the context of this passage is “ genuine love” (v. 9). What verse 12 makes apparent, then, is that this authentic love for one another is a love that hopes, endures, and prays constantly. But more than that! It does these things “ in tribulation.” In other words, it is a ‘love for the battlefield.’ I can’t wait to explore the riches of this verse with you on Sunday!
I love you all so much and pray for you always!
Mike
A Special Note from Your Session
Our Session has asked me to pass along this note to our congregation:
In reference to the proposed Church Annex, the Session would like to inform the congregation that the Building Committee has concluded their work and presented an excellent plan for the completion of our Church campus which meets the needed requirements.
However, after significant prayer and discussion, the Session has decided not to pursue construction at this time. The design will be preserved and reconsidered when construction costs are more normalized and the existing Church debt has been significantly reduced.
The Session would like to thank our Building Committee and Diaconate for their hard work and the many sacrifices they have made, and all who have supported us in prayer as we have sought out God’s will.
In the meantime, we would ask that each of you join us in continual prayer for the Building Committee, our Diaconate, and the Session that we would know when would be the right time to build and move forward under the leadership of the Lord.
With the grace of our Savior,
The Session
Announcements:
Supper Groups:
We are so happy to be restarting our Christ Pres Supper Groups this fall!
What is a Supper Group?
It is Christ Pres adults, assigned to a group of 4 couples/singles, who will meet together once a month, 4 times in the fall, from Sept. to Dec.
One couple/single in each group is responsible to host their group one of these times. You can host the way you feel most comfortable–in your home, at a restaurant, meet for a picnic, etc. Potluck works well so that no one is burdened by making/providing an entire meal.
The assigned lead will communicate with the group to coordinate monthly hosts. From there, each month’s host will arrange the specific date and location for the gathering with other members of the group.
The hope is that you will enjoy fellowship and get to know one another on a deeper, more personal level. It’s such a blessing to know our church family, to share meals together, and to be involved in each other’s lives.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tim or Carol Cummings at tc44.cummings@gmail.com or 256-508-4477.
Parenting Conference:
We are very thankful for our congregation’s interest in our Fall parenting conference! We are glad to see many families from our church take interest in the important topics covered in the seminars!
Unfortunately, due to a few circumstances beyond our control, it has become clear that the best course of action is to cancel the conference scheduled at the end of August. We trust the Lord’s providence in these situations and remain thankful for opportunities to help our parents in the discipleship of their children.
Thank you to all those who volunteered in the planning stages to make this event a blessing to our families at CPC. We look forward to serving our parents with other family discipleship opportunities in the future.
Due to ongoing concerns with COVID, the Psummer Psalms meeting is being postponed. Stay tuned to this space for when it is officially rescheduled. It will likely become Pautumn Psalms.
Youth Group:
Ultimate Night
Our last event of the summer (or first event of the Fall) will be on Sunday, August 29th. Originally slated as a geo-caching scavenger hunt, due to some logistical issues, we will resort to some fun fellowship around the frisbee with some ultimate followed by some pizza. Think you can hang with your kids and a disc? Come play with us and show us what you got! We will hang out from 4:30 to 6, eating around 5:30.
Fall Youth Calendar
August 29th – Ultimate and Pizza
September 12th – Youth Group
September 19th – Youth Group
September 26th – Youth Group
October 3rd – Cookout and College Care Packages
October 17th – Youth Group
October 24th – Youth Group
November 7th – Youth Group
November 21st – Youth Group
December 5th – Youth Group
December 12th – Christmas Party
*All dates are Sunday evenings. Youth group is from 4:30 to 6:30.
Sunday School
Youth Sunday school will meet at the church house each Sunday morning. The middle school will meet downstairs and the high schoolers will meet upstairs.
How can I help with youth this Fall?
1 – Middle Sunday School Teachers – I am still looking for several individuals (or couples) who might be willing to teach/facilitate our middle schoolers this school year. Are you interested in having an opportunity to teach and minister to our youth? You do not have to come up with the curriculum, just prepare and present. I aim to have several people share the teaching load so that it does not rest on one individual. Email if you are interested!
2 – Cookout and College Care Packages – We are looking for a family that might be willing to host our cookout and college care package night. The evening’s focus is on helping our youth learn to serve by helping those who have graduated and are away at school. We are in need of a home that could support a number of students and possibly have a bonfire (s’mores) and cookout. Let me know if you would be willing to open your home in this way!
3 – Additional Adult Supervision during Youth Nights – Some have expressed interest in being present with middle school during youth nights. I would love additional help for those evenings if you are a warm body and willing to be present for several youth meetings throughout the semester.
Take care …
Matthew K Elliott
Children’s Ministry:
We are now gearing up for fall programming at CPC!
We are looking for preK to 5th grade Sunday school teachers for fall. Please email Ashley to serve our children in this way. We can’t do it without support from the congregation!
Please register your children using the link below. This will allow us to see how to divide up our classes and how many volunteers we need.
We have also updated the nursery volunteer sign up through the end of the year. As a reminder, we invite any Christ Pres woman, teenage and up, to serve our families with young children by volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings. Please consider helping us fill this need and see the sign up genius link below for further details. This is a huge blessing to our young families and a great opportunity for our church body to invest in the lives of our little ones.
On Tuesday, September 7 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church. Starting at 10 AM, Pastor Mike will lead a discussion on Issues Facing the PCA. Members and visitors are also invited to the discussion and breakfast. Please email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org if you plan to join us for breakfast.
Women’s Ministry:
Monthly Lunch: Our next monthly luncheon will be on September 2 beginning at 11:30 at the Timbers Edge Clubhouse located at 1 Timbers Main, Brownsboro. It’s potluck – feel free to bring a dish or just yourself.
Fall Bible Studies:
The fall Bible studies will launch the week of September 6, meeting for 11 weeks through November 17.
The Tuesday study for mothers will be on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 AM. We will be watching a 10 week video series together by Nancy Guthrie on Saints and Scoundrels in the story of Jesus. I think it will be a very interesting study. You don’t have to purchase the book but if you would like to, here is the link.
We will of course have the most important group discussion and prayer time afterwards.
Let Amy Schnorrenberg know if you will be joining us and how many little ones you need nursery for.
The Wednesday studies will meet on Wednesdays at 10 AM and at 6 PM. I am thrilled to study the first 18 chapters of Exodus together, using the study guide God of Deliverance by Jen Wilkin. From the study promotion:
The exodus of the Israelites shapes our understanding of the whole Bible, its themes reverberating all the way to Revelation. Exodus is the birth narrative of a nation unmistakably guided by the Great Deliverer. In this 10-session verse-by-verse study of Exodus 1–18, Jen Wilkin shows us that Israel’s story is our story: the same God who delivered Israel also delivers all those He loves from slavery to sin and from service to the pharaohs of this world. He lifts our eyes to the promised land He has prepared where we dwell with I AM and worship Him as the one true God.
Please order your study guide before September 8. You may order from Lifeway ($15.99) and Amazon ($16.79). Click either link: Lifeway or Amazon. No preparation is required for the first meeting.
Lastly, please RSVP if you plan to participate in this study. You may email me at maryleemc7@gmail.com. (for the morning study)
The skinny:
Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 – 11:30 am or Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30 pm in the fellowship room
First meeting: September 8
Order your book ASAP
RSVP to Mary Lee McKee
I PROMISE this will be an invigorating, worship-inspiring endeavor. I can’t wait! Thank you!
Career/Singles:
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles meets at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Dave Angotti, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, and Elizabeth Holton. Expecting: Please pray for the Prinzingers, expecting in November. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
“ The words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands”–Revelation 2:1.
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Perhaps many of you remember the old Gospel hymn, ‘ I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.’ This was one of my favorite songs as a young believer. If you’re not familiar with it, the first lines go like this:
I walked today where Jesus walked, In days of long ago. I wandered down each path He knew, With reverent step and slow. Those little lanes, they have not changed, A sweet peace fills the air. I walked today where Jesus walked, And felt His presence there.
As we would sing those beloved words in church, I would think about how incredible it would have been to have actually shared in that unimaginable privilege with the twelve disciples. They literally walked ‘where Jesus walked,’ with Him all the way, wherever He went. Of course, that honor was bestowed only upon those twelve men chosen directly by Jesus. Theirs was a most unique calling, and it is why we speak of them as “Apostles.”
Yet, while you and I will never be afforded such an opportunity in this present life, there is actually something much better that is reserved only for us right now! The Apostle John, one of the men who actually walked with Jesus, received a vision from the Lord that we know as the Apocalypse, or the Book of the Revelation. It’s the final inspired Book in the Bible, and its stated purpose is to encourage the saints who are still on this earth and are undergoing the tribulations and sufferings that Jesus spoke of and endured Himself.
As you will remember, this amazing Epistle was originally addressed to seven local churches in ancient Asia-Minor, each squarely in the target zone of imperial persecution. What John saw (and heard!) was meant to bring comfort and strength to the faithful believers in those local congregations. The message of the letter is timeless in the sense that it is for all generations of Christians as we await the Second Advent of our Victorious King.
In Revelation 1:9-18 John presents a breathtaking vision of our Savior. What he is allowed to see is not what simply was, or what only shall be in the future, but what is right now! In short, John is permitted to see the reigning Lord and Master of the whole universe whose appearance is unspeakably glorious and whose sovereign voice is “ like the roar of many waters” (v. 15). It is this One alone who holds the “ keys of Death and Hades” in His hands (v. 18).
While that vision all by itself is sufficient to comfort suffering Christians in every era, there is even more!
John sees that Jesus our Lord and King is presently walking “ among the seven golden lampstands” (2:1). Of course, there is significant symbolism here as there is throughout the whole Epistle. John, however, explains the rather odd terms he uses as he sees and writes. The “ angel” of the seven churches represents their seven pastors who, like angelic heralds, sound the Gospel boldly to the world. The “ seven stars” are the seven local churches themselves, which are also represented as “ seven golden lampstands.” By their presence, they illuminate the dark world with their persistent witness to the resurrected King. It is “ among the seven golden lampstands” that Jesus, the Sovereign One “ who holds the seven stars in His right hand,” is ever walking!
Now, just try and imagine how comforting this message would have been to those first-century believers who were enduring the wrath of Rome and her pagan emperor! Where was Jesus? Reigning from heaven for sure. But also walking “ among” His beloved sheep, holding each of their lives and their little churches in His mighty hand! How incredible! While on earth those thirty-three years, our Lord walked only with twelve. But now in heaven, He is walking with every single believer and is in the midst of every church that faithfully proclaims His message!
What this means for us is, then, twofold.
First, our little congregation of believers, Christ Presbyterian Church, is not only being held tightly in the hands of our Risen Savior, He is always walking “ among” us, especially in our seasons of affliction and tribulation. We are never, ever, away from Him! His presence is always with us and He will never depart from us until He comes again in glory! Our weekly celebration of Communion, following the preaching of His Word, is the high point of our experience of His presence among us.
Secondly, you as one of His precious elect sheep, are never, ever, walking alone in this life! He “ walks” with you, and you with Him! There is never a place, nor time, nor circumstance when He is not standing right at your side! This is true especially when you are called to “ walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” He is there with you, always comforting you with His “ rod” and “ staff” (Psalm 23).
Could there ever be a more comforting thought than this!
Let us find our encouragement and consolation for today in this blessed fact: The Holder of the stars is here! While we patiently await His glorious Second Advent He is already present by His eternal Spirit. And every step we take we take with Him by our side! Our church is in His hands! Your life is in His hands! And He will never leave us or forsake us!
I pray that your week has been richly blessed by our Lord, and I look forward to our gathering on the Lord’s Day!
Before I introduce our sermon for this Sunday, there are two important announcements that we want you to be aware of.
First, We Are Postponing Our Second Sunday Lunch that Was Scheduled for this Sunday.
As you know, we’ve seen a significant rise in COVID cases here in Alabama and in Huntsville in recent days. With this in view, and out of an abundance of caution, we are going to suspend our Sunday lunches for the time being. Let me ask you to pray fervently for those who are ill with the virus, and especially for those who have other health issues that make them more vulnerable to infection. Once again, we have an opportunity to trust our Lord, that He will protect and sustain us as we continue to deal with this pandemic.
Sunday School Resumes on September 12th
We look forward to our fall semester of Sunday School. And this year there will be a change in schedule.
Our Morning Worship Will Be at 9:30 AM, Followed by Sunday School at 11:00 AM
Here’s the plan:
9:00-9:30 AM Fellowship/Coffee/Snacks
9:30-10:45 AM Worship
11:00-11:45 AM Sunday School
As always, we will have classes for all ages. For those with children, please see the link below for our Children’s Programming Schedule:
Our sermon for this Lord’s Day will come from Romans 12:10-11. As you remember, Paul is setting forth the characteristics of “ love,” our Father’s agape love. This great love, so beautifully displayed on the cross, is to be the pattern for our love for ” one another.”
In these two verses, we will learn that a love that is “ genuine” (v.9) is one that is self-denying, and full of energy.
May our Father bless you with a most restful weekend, and bring us all together with great joy on the Lord’s Day!
I love you so much,
Mike
Announcements:
Supper Groups:
We are so happy to be restarting our Christ Pres Supper Groups this fall!
What is a Supper Group?
It is Christ Pres adults, assigned to a group of 4 couples/singles, who will meet together once a month, 4 times in the fall, from Sept. to Dec.
One couple/single in each group is responsible to host their group one of these times. You can host the way you feel most comfortable–in your home, at a restaurant, meet for a picnic, etc. Potluck works well so that no one is burdened by making/providing an entire meal.
The assigned lead will communicate with the group to coordinate monthly hosts. From there, each month’s host will arrange the specific date and location for the gathering with other members of the group.
The hope is that you will enjoy fellowship and get to know one another on a deeper, more personal level. It’s such a blessing to know our church family, to share meals together, and to be involved in each other’s lives.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tim or Carol Cummings at tc44.cummings@gmail.com or 256-508-4477.
Parenting Conference:
We want to invite you to our Fall parenting conference, Faithful Parenting in the Digital Age. Undoubtedly, all Christian parents in the modern era must wrestle with questions of technology, screens, explicit material, and the subtle and overt influences that vie for the hearts of their children. This conference targets issues and questions associated with parenting in an age of technology and considers the faithful response of parents who desire to train their children in Christian maturity. Registration begins Thursday, July 15th and ends Friday, August 13th. Please consider joining us for this important time together!
Our speaker is Dr. John Perritt, Director of Resources for Reformed Youth Ministries. John (MDiv RTS ’09 & DMin SBTS ’16) served in youth ministry at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church for over 12 years. Prior to that, he served in youth ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS. He published Your Days Are Numbered (2016), What Would Judas Do? (2017), Time Out! The Gift or god of Youth Sports (2018), Bible 101: Living, Loving & Learning God’s Word (2018), Insecure: Fighting Our Lesser Fears with a Greater One (2019), and Mark: How Jesus Changes Everything (2019). He also serves as the host of RYM’s The Local Youth Worker and co-host for Parenting Today. He and his wife, Ashleigh, have five children and live in Ridgeland, MS.
Here are the conference details and registration information:
Where: Christ Presbyterian Church
When: Friday Evening and Saturday Morning, August 20th and 21st
Childcare: Alongside the conference for parents, we will have nurseries available for young children as well as a Bible club through the age of 12. These childcare times include all sessions of the conference but not the Friday evening dinner or Saturday morning family worship and breakfast. Please indicate on the registration form names, ages, and grades of the children that will be participating.
Cost: The cost of the conference is free. For those joining us at the meals, we do encourage a donation to help offset the cost of food. $10 for adults or $30 for families is recommended.
Sessions: There will be two primary sessions, Friday night and Saturday morning. Additionally, we will have two breakout session options on Saturday morning. These are “Parenting Priorities: What’s my marriage got to do with it?” and “A Vision for Family Discipleship” Please indicate your breakout session selection preference on the registration form.
Who: Are you interested in inviting friends or family that might be interested in these parenting topics? We would encourage you to invite them to register on the link provided. We look forward to an opportunity to reach out to families who are interested in the conference material as well as opportunities to reach out to families who do not have a church home!
Summer is going by quickly, so don’t forget about our Psummer Psalms event scheduled for Sunday, August 15th! The format is simple: pick a Psalm, memorize it, and recite it. You can do this as an individual or as a family or group. The invitation to attend is for the entire church, even if you are not reciting a Psalm. A few coordinating details:
When: Sunday, August 15th, at 4:30 pm. We will have a pizza dinner at 5:30 pm in the fellowship hall, or immediately following the recital.
Where: Church sanctuary
I’ve heard from a few of you that are planning to participate, but I have a feeling there are others busy memorizing a Psalm. We only have about three weeks left, which is still plenty of time to memorize a Psalm!
Important: If you are planning to participate or attend, please send an email to schnorrenberg@gmail.comwith a few important pieces of information so that we can coordinate the recital and make sure that we will have enough pizza:
Reciting a Psalm? Yes or no.
Which one(s)?
How many in your party plan to eat pizza?
Youth Group:
Youth GeoCaching Scavenger Hunt — And Pizza
On Sunday evening, August 29th, we wanted to invite the youth out to the church grounds for a fun night of food, games, and geocaching … with prizes. We will serve the traditional youth favorite for dinner. A reminder of the fellowship will come out the week before!
Additional Help for the Fall
We are looking forward to starting youth group again this Fall on Sunday evenings! Due to the number of junior high youth (plus additional incoming students), we are needing some assistance with junior high students on Sunday evenings during the teaching time (no teaching required on your part). If you are willing to sit in with the class once or twice during the semester, let me know as we begin to look at schedules for the Fall semester.
Children’s Ministry:
I am so thankful for all the ways the Lord provided teaching and fellowship this summer for our children. We were able to have a short Summer Bible Club, along with three additional Friday Night Fellowships. We had over 50 as an average attendance at those. Praise the Lord! I feel thankful the Lord allowed our young families and children to connect after such a strange year.
We are now gearing up for fall programming at CPC!
Please register your children using the link below. This will allow us to see how to divide up our classes and how many volunteers we need.
Some of you have expressed interest in teaching this fall. Please indicate that on the form.
If you are not registering children/youth but are interested in teaching in one of our child/youth classes, please email me at aoturnbull@gmail.com as I would LOVE to hear from you!
On Tuesday, September 7 at 9:00 AM the Senior Fellows will enjoy breakfast, fellowship and a devotional at the Church. Starting at 10 AM, Pastor Mike will lead a discussion on Issues Facing the PCA. Members and visitors are also invited to the discussion and breakfast. Please email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org if you plan to join us for breakfast.
Women’s Ministry:
Monthly Lunch: Our next monthly luncheon will be on September 2 beginning at 11:30 at the Timbers Edge Clubhouse located at 1 Timbers Main, Brownsboro. It’s potluck – feel free to bring a dish or just yourself.
Fall Bible Study:
The fall Bible study will launch September 8, meeting for 11 weeks through November 17.
I am thrilled to study the first 18 chapters of Exodus together, using the study guide God of Deliverance by Jen Wilkin. From the study promotion:
The exodus of the Israelites shapes our understanding of the whole Bible, its themes reverberating all the way to Revelation. Exodus is the birth narrative of a nation unmistakably guided by the Great Deliverer. In this 10-session verse-by-verse study of Exodus 1–18, Jen Wilkin shows us that Israel’s story is our story: the same God who delivered Israel also delivers all those He loves from slavery to sin and from service to the pharaohs of this world. He lifts our eyes to the promised land He has prepared where we dwell with I AM and worship Him as the one true God.
Please order your study guide before September 8. You may order from Lifeway ($15.99) and Amazon ($16.79). Click either link: Lifeway or Amazon. No preparation is required for the first meeting.
Lastly, please RSVP if you plan to participate in this study. You may email me at maryleemc7@gmail.com. (for the morning study)
The skinny:
Wednesday Mornings from 10:00 – 11:30 am or Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30 pm in the fellowship room
First meeting: September 8
Order your book ASAP
RSVP to Mary Lee McKee
I PROMISE this will be an invigorating, worship-inspiring endeavor. I can’t wait! Thank you!
Career/Singles:
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles meets at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Dave Angotti, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, and Elizabeth Holton. Expecting: Please pray for the Prinzingers, expecting in November. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
“ For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” –Isaiah 65:17
My Beloved Family in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Our ability to remember is both a rich blessing and a terrible curse.
That we can remember the good and pleasant things from our past is one of the ways we are encouraged, motivated, and infused with joy, particularly as we serve our Risen Savior (think of all the times we are summoned by Scripture to remember the works of the Lord).
But we are also frequently plagued by those memories that are painful, embarrassing, debilitating, and even shameful. It seems that we can recall, often with photographic accuracy, our sins and transgressions of the past. The memories of yesterday’s failures haunt us as those scenes play over and again in our minds. And with each replaying there is an intensification of our feelings of guilt. This is especially wearisome when we know that our Lord has fully forgiven us, that we have long-ago repented of these sins, that we are not condemned by our Father, and that no accurate charge may be laid at our feet, given that we are accounted as righteous on account of our faith in Christ.
Yet, despite what we know and believe to be true, we are troubled by our memories nonetheless.
This brings us to our word of encouragement for this new Monday.
What Isaiah has written, as inspired by the Spirit of God, is truly amazing! Here our Father promises each of us that when we enter the heavenly City of God, the Jerusalem above, our eternal home on the “ new earth,” there will be no memory of the “ former things.”
In this verse we have a glimpse of what heaven will be like!
What we learn is that there will be some things in the life to come that we shall never remember! I would suggest that the “ former things” Isaiah speaks of here are those memories of all of our sins and transgressions, as well as the recollection of those painful consequences that have impacted our lives and the lives of others.
Just try and imagine this! When we finally arrive in our Lord’s presence everything painful, all that has resulted in our many tears of sorrow, our remorse, our guilt, our despair, and the deep pain in our souls, shall be erased from our minds for all eternity!
A simple illustration might help at this point.
A number of years ago while serving a previous Church, I was making a hospital visit to a member of our congregation who was about to undergo a serious medical procedure. I happened to be in the room with him when his doctor came by for a last minute conversation before the operation began. The doctor rather bluntly explained to my friend that he was about to do some very unpleasant and painful things to him. He said that in the middle of the procedure, he would be briefly awakened so that the diagnostic instruments might be repositioned, and that this would result in some significant discomfort. After what seemed like an unusually long pause, the doctor then said, “But don’t worry about any of this at all. We’re going to give you some medication that will essentially erase your short-term memory. You will have absolutely no recollection of this procedure. You will not remember anything that I’m going to do to you! So relax!”
The next day, I returned to the hospital to see my brother in the Lord. I asked him, “Was the doctor telling you the truth yesterday? Do you remember anything about the operation?” With a huge smile on his face he replied, “Yes, he told me the truth! It was amazing, exactly as he said! The last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist telling me to count backward from 10 to 0. Then, I awaked in the recovery room, looking up into the face of my sweet wife. It was a piece of cake!!”
I think this is a good picture of what we will all experience when we enter the presence of our great King and High Priest.
We will finally be free from the past. No more nagging accusations from our own consciences, or from the devil and his minions. No more regrets, no mourning over lost opportunities, no more grieving over our persistent sins and points of rebellion, no sorrow over what we should or should not have done!
All these terrible “ former things” shall be forever blasted out of our memories by the sight of our Lord, whose blood has paid for us, whose perfect righteousness covers us, and whose very glory and inheritance we share!
One day, the past itself will pass away! All that will remain will be the eternal present of perfect salvation and rest in the presence of the One who has loved us with infinite love.
Oh, my beloved ones in Christ, there will come a blessed day when memory will fail you! And this will be a good and grand thing indeed!
Until then, remember that you’ll soon forget! This is the promise of your Savior! And His Word never fails!