Month: October 2023

My Dear Ones in Christ Jesus,

Last Sunday we began looking at what is known as ‘The Olivet Discourse.’  This is that final, long period of teaching which Jesus engaged in with the Disciples just before the Last Supper.  The term ‘Olivet’ signals the location of this episode, the Mount of Olives, just to the immediate east of the city of Jerusalem.  Each of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21) include this discourse in their respective narratives, and each adds its own light to the whole event.

At the heart of this discourse is a warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem (which did occur in the year 70 AD), and the climactic Second Coming of our Lord on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead.

As we continue our study of the Lord’s words this coming Sunday, we will focus our attention upon what He said in Luke 21:7-9.  There, the Disciples were told that two great categories of “signs” will precede His glorious return. First will be the appearance of many false messiah’s (v. 8).  Second will be the increasing frequency of wars and great disturbances in nature (v. 9).

Corresponding to these two types of “signs,” Jesus told the Disciples that there will be two great dangers for them, and for all those who believe in Christ.  First is the danger of being misled by the false messiahs (v. 8).  And second is the danger of becoming paralyzed by fear (v. 9).

The Lord’s Day we will seek to apply the words of our Savior to our own lives here and now as we continue to serve His Kingdom in these last days.

I love you all so much!

Mike

Thanksgiving Food Collection for the Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) Our church will be collecting Thanksgiving food for the DRM on Sundays – October 29 and November 5 and 12. DRM needs: boxed mashed potatoes/mac & cheese; canned gravy/vegetables; sugar, condiments, mayo, mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, coffee, spaghetti sauce, water, raw potatoes. A plastic tub will be in the narthex.

College Care Packages – Please consider serving our college students by donating items for student care packages. A donation bin will be placed in the foyer of the church through Sunday, November 12th!

Children’s Ministry
• Nursery – The fall quarter nursery sign up is now out. Please see the link in the email sent recently. Please contact Amanda Dean with questions.

Women’s Ministry
• Senior Sisters meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday, 10-11:30am
• Senior Sisters exercise class meets Mondays at the church, 10-11:30am
• Monthly lunch 1st Thursday of the month at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11
• Women’s Bible studies are on Tuesday Morning, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning
• Save the date for Women’s Christmas dinner, Wednesday, December 6th, at Huntsville Country Club from 6-8pm.

Men’s Ministry
• Senior Fellows – Our next breakfast will be Tuesday Nov. 7 at 9:00am.
• Men’s Friday Bible Study – Meets Fridays at 11:30am at the church.

Career Ministry – Bible study & fellowship meets at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry, Sundays at 5:30 pm.

See christpreshamptoncove.org for detailed news and upcoming events.

PRAYER REQUESTS Healing – Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Collins Bailey, Bill Cowley, Elizabeth Holton, Steve Terry and Kristy York

Expecting – Please pray for the Lancasters, expecting in October, the Stephens (missionaries to Thailand) due in February and the Beams due in April.

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)
• Marcus and Jessica Nobles (RUF at Alabama A&M)
• Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA)
• Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada)
• Dieter and Marty Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL)
• The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

If I were to suggest a theme for Luke 21:5-36, it would be this: “The end times according to Jesus.”

This prophetic section of Luke commences with 21:6 and a blunt prediction of the fate of Israel’s beautiful temple in Jerusalem: “the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  From there our Lord sets forth the events that will transpire both in the immediate and distant future, as human history marches inevitably toward its divinely ordained destiny.

But why would the temple be destroyed?  What would such a terrible calamity signal? And how would this event fit into the explicit and full arrival of the Kingdom of God?

Well, I believe we are in for a very exciting time in the Word this Lord’s Day!  Let me encourage you to be sure and read this entire section from Luke, and also the parallel passages in Matthew (24:1-51) and Mark (13:1-37).

I love you all, and pray for you always!

Mike

Thanksgiving Food Collection for the Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM) Our church will be collecting Thanksgiving food for the DRM on Sundays – October 29 and November 5 and 12. DRM needs: boxed mashed potatoes/mac & cheese; canned gravy/vegetables; sugar, condiments, mayo, mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, coffee, spaghetti sauce, water, raw potatoes. A plastic tub will be in the narthex.

College Care Packages – Please consider serving our college students by donating items for student care packages. A donation bin will be placed in the foyer of the church through Sunday, November 12th!

Children’s Ministry
• Nursery – The fall quarter nursery sign up is now out. Please see the link in the email sent recently. Please contact Amanda Dean with questions.

Youth Ministry – Sunday night youth fellowship meets tonight at the church house from 4:30 to 6:30.

Women’s Ministry
• Senior Sisters meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday, 10-11:30am
• Senior Sisters exercise class meets Mondays at the church, 10-11:30am
• Monthly lunch 1st Thursday of the month at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11
• Women’s Bible studies are on Tuesday Morning, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning
• Save the date for Women’s Christmas dinner, Wednesday, December 6th, at Huntsville Country Club from 6-8pm.

Men’s Ministry
• Senior Fellows – Our next breakfast will be Tuesday Nov. 7 at 9:00am.
• Men’s Friday Bible Study – Meets Fridays at 11:30am at the church.

Career Ministry – Bible study & fellowship meets at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry, Sundays at 5:30 pm.

See christpreshamptoncove.org for detailed news and upcoming events.

PRAYER REQUESTS Healing – Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Collins Bailey, Bill Cowley, Elizabeth Holton, Steve Terry and Kristy York

Expecting – Please pray for the Lancasters, expecting in October, the Stephens (missionaries to Thailand) due in February and the Beams due in April.

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)
• Marcus and Jessica Nobles (RUF at Alabama A&M)
• Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA)
• Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada)
• Dieter and Marty Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL)
• The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center 

My Beloved Ones in the Lord,

This coming Sunday, we will continue our studies in the Gospel of Luke as we trace our Lord’s public ministry and His journey to the cross.  Our text will be taken from Luke 20:45-21:4. These verses contain what we know as the story of ‘the widow’s mite.’

Normally when we examine this beloved story we begin at chapter 21 and verse 1.  But here is one of those places where the chapter divisions in the New Testament (added to Bible translations in the 13^thcentury) are a bit unhelpful.  Actually, our story begins back in chapter 20 and verse 45, which details another of our Savior’s condemnations of the Jewish religious leaders, this time the scribes in particular.

As we will discover on Sunday, this episode in our Lord’s life contains a key lesson on discipleship that is often missed.  As we read it, we often see only the surface features of the episode, specifically what the story seems to indicate about giving monetary offerings to the Lord.  But the lesson here is much deeper than that!  And it is a weighty lesson that is still most timely for all followers of Jesus, even two-thousand years later!

I love you all with all my heart,

Mike

Children’s Ministry
• Nursery – The fall quarter nursery sign up is now out. Please see the link in the email sent last week or the sign up sheet in the narthex to sign up. Please contact Amanda Dean with questions.

Youth Ministry – Our next Sunday night fellowship is October 22nd.

Women’s Ministry
• Senior Sisters meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday, 10-11:30am
• Senior Sisters exercise class meets Mondays at the church, 10-11:30am
• Monthly lunch 1st Thursday of the month at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11
• Women’s Bible studies are on Tuesday Morning, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning
• Save the date for Women’s Christmas dinner, Wednesday, December 6th, at Huntsville Country Club from 6-8pm.

Men’s Ministry
• Senior Fellows – Our next breakfast will be Tuesday Nov. 7 at 9:00am.
• Men’s Friday Bible Study – Meets Fridays at 11:30am at the church.

Career Ministry – Bible study & fellowship meets at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry, Sundays at 5:30 pm. See christpreshamptoncove.org for detailed news and upcoming events.

PRAYER REQUESTS Healing – Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Collins Bailey, Bill Cowley, Elizabeth Holton, Steve Terry and Kristy York

Expecting – Please pray for the Prinzingers, Lancasters, and Joe and Jennifer Calvert, all expecting in October, the Tomlinsons due in November, the Stephens (missionaries to Thailand) due in February and the Beams due in April.

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)
• Marcus and Jessica Nobles (RUF at Alabama A&M)
• Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA)
• Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada)
• Dieter and Marty Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL)
• The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

In Luke 18:1-8 we discover another one of the colorful parables of Jesus.  It concerns a judge, probably a pagan judge, who becomes so exasperated with a Jewish widow that he gives in to her request for legal assistance.  The judge describes her doggedness in seeking help this way: “I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming” (v. 5).  Simply put, she wore him out!  And in order to get rid of her for good, the judge relented.

What’s very interesting about this parable is that in verse 1 we are told exactly why Jesus used this story in order to teach the Disciples: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”

Here we have a lesson, in the form of a parable, concerning prayer. It addresses not only that we “ought always to pray” (v. 1), but that must do so in the manner of the widow in the story, by crying out to our Father “day and night” (v. 7).

The title I’ve assigned to our sermon for this Sunday is, “The Necessity of Exasperating Prayer.”  And we will consider why we must pray this way–in the fashion of the widow–but also to whom we must pray–in stark contrast to the reluctant judge.

Have a blessed weekend, and I can’t wait to meet with you before our Great King this Lord’s Day!

I love you all,

Mike

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sunday Fellowship Lunch – We will have our 2nd Sunday Fellowship Lunch today immediately after worship. Please join us in our Fellowship Hall.

Church Workday – On Saturday, October 14th, from 8am-12pm. This is an opportunity for your family, including capable children, to serve the church in a tangible way, maintaining this beautiful facility the Lord has provided and meeting/fellowshipping with church members as you work. Please sign up in the narthex. Contact John Dragash with questions.

UAH RUF Support – The next large group meeting is Monday October 16th. Sign-up sheet to provide snacks will be in the narthex. Please bring snacks to the church on Sunday October 15th. UAH RUF students LOVE home baked cookies. Please also pray for the young men and women as many hearts are turned to the Lord during these sessions. See Cheryl Johnson with questions.

Save the Date – We will have a fall fellowship and soup pot luck on Wednesday, October 25th. Look for an email with more information and sign-up soon.

Children’s Ministry
• Nursery – The fall quarter nursery sign up is now out. Please see the link in the email sent last week or the sign up sheet in the narthex to sign up. Please contact Amanda Dean with questions.

Youth Ministry – Our next Sunday night fellowship is tonight, 4:30-6:30pm at the church house.

Women’s Ministry
• Senior Sisters meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday, 10-11:30am
• Senior Sisters exercise class meets Mondays at the church, 10-11:30am
• Monthly lunch 1st Thursday of the month at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11
• Women’s Bible studies are on Tuesday Morning, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning
• Save the date for Women’s Christmas dinner, Wednesday, December 6th, at Huntsville Country Club from 6-8pm.

Men’s Ministry
• Senior Fellows – Our next breakfast will be Tuesday Nov. 7 at 9:00am.
• Men’s Friday Bible Study – Meets Fridays at 11:30am at the church.

Career Ministry – Bible study & fellowship meets at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry, Sundays at 5:30 pm.

See christpreshamptoncove.org for detailed news and upcoming events.

PRAYER REQUESTS Healing – Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Collins Bailey, Bill Cowley, Elizabeth Holton, Steve Terry and Kristy York

Expecting – Please pray for the Prinzingers, Lancasters, and Joe and Jennifer Calvert, all expecting in October, the Tomlinsons due in November, the Stephens (missionaries to Thailand) due in February and the Beams due in April.

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)
• Marcus and Jessica Nobles (RUF at Alabama A&M)
• Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA)
• Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada)
• Dieter and Marty Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL)
• The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center