Announcements – July 5, 2024

By AdministratorUncategorized
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This coming Lord’s Day we will begin our summer preaching series on the subject of “The Gracious Commands of the Gospel.”  Now, you might be wondering about the title of this series.  We normally don’t associate or connect the concepts of grace and commands.  Perhaps they seem even directly opposed to one another, like salt and sugar.
As you are likely well-aware, there has been no small controversy simmering in the Reformed branch of the Lord’s Church over this very matter: the relationship between saving grace and works, or between salvation and obedience, or between faith in Christ and the pursuit of a holy life, or between justifying faith/grace and sanctifying faith/grace.
On one hand, there are those who see a radical opposition between grace and works, such that once saved, we have no obligation to live according to any laws or commands of the Bible. In this view, we are free from any responsibility whatsoever.  Once redeemed, there is nothing ‘required’ of us.
On the other hand, there are those who, rightly so I believe, hold that there is a most intimate connection between grace and works.  In this view, grace and works track beautifully together while remaining distinct in many ways.  The one, grace, actually necessitates and leads to the other, works.  And since this, I would argue, is the Biblical view, we need to explore how this tight relationship between grace and works functions, and how it is set forth in the most explicit and practical of ways in the Word of God.
All of this brings us to our starting text for this series, 1 Peter 1:1-2.
Our sermon for Sunday will serve as the foundational message for this series.  I look forward to exploring this subject with you over the next ten weeks!
All my love for all of you in Christ Jesus,
Mike

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Children’s Ministry
Nursery: The summer quarter nursery sign up is now live. You can sign up through the link in the email you received this week or on the paper sign up in the narthex. Contact Amanda Dean if you have any questions or needs. Thank you for loving our covenant children so well!

Women’s Ministry
• Senior Sisters meet monthly on the third Thursday from 10-11:30am.
• Senior Sisters exercise class meets Tuesdays at the church, 10:00 to 11:30am.
• Monthly luncheon will meet again August 1st at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11am.

Men’s Ministry
• Senior Fellows – Our next breakfast will be at 9:00am on Tuesday, August 6th.
• Summer Book Study – “The Gathering Storm – Secularism, Culture and the Church” by Albert Mohler, Jr. Will meet for breakfast at 8am before each study, location TBA. Study will be on the following Wednesdays: July 17th, 31st and August 14th, 28th at the church. Please contact Joe Sims with questions.

Career Ministry -The summer schedule for the career group will be Mondays at 6:30pm at Big Spring Park. Bring a chair & picnic supper (food trucks are also on site). Feel free to invite friends or other family members. All of Christ Pres is invited to join the Career Ministry for this concert series.

See christpreshamptoncove.org for detailed news and upcoming events.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Care and Healing – Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Collins Bailey, Maurice Belrose, Bill Cowley, Amy Fortenberry, Sonny Henry, Elizabeth Holton, and Steve Terry

Expecting – Please pray for the Thornhills due in September and the Kings due in October.

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
• Southside Presbyterian Church