Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Month: December 2024

  • Announcements – December 27, 2024

    Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

    At this same time every year, I always think very hard about the final sermon that will be preached before the beginning of the new year.  For several weeks now, my heart has been drawn to the inspired words of the prophet Isaiah that are found in Isaiah 42:3–

    “a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench.”

    The One speaking is the Almighty Himself, “God the Lord” (v. 5). And He is describing the ministry and mission of the One who is called “My Servant” (v. 1).

    Virtually every Old Testament expert who comments on this passage makes note of the tenderness and compassion that both flows from the Servant’s heart, and is to be beautifully, and perfectly, expressed in His mission.  Here, of course, is a prophecy of Jesus our Lord, who would come to seek and save the lost, those despised souls that are depicted as bruised reeds and smoldering wicks.

    But there is yet another amazing message contained in this prophecy of our Savior’s love and tenderness. It is one that applies to those who already belong to Him by faith. Without spoiling the plot, let me just say that this message is very fitting for the ending of one year and the beginning of another!

    Remember, No Sunday School This Sunday

    Beginning January 5, 2025 we will resume Sunday School at 9:15 AM. We will also begin a new Adult Class on Psalm 119, ‘The Great Psalm.’  This will be an 8-week study of the longest Psalm, 176 verses!

    I love you all with all my heart,

    Mike


    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    No Sunday School – December 29th

    Women’s Ministry
    • Ladies’ Bible Studies will resume in January.
    • Women’s next monthly luncheon is Thursday, January 2nd at 11:00 at Timbers Edge Clubhouse.
    • Senior Sisters next monthly meeting is Thursday, January 16th from 10-11:30am.
    • Senior Sisters weekly exercise class meets Tuesdays at the church, 10:00 to 11:30am.

    Men’s Ministry
    • Men’s Devotion/Prayer will resume Tuesday, January 7th at 6:30am at the office of Paul Matheny. Please contact Adam Turnbull with questions.
    • Junior Fellows – Next meeting is Friday, January 3rd at 6pm at DJ Alhorn’s house for pizza and game night. Contact DJ for details.
    • Senior Fellows – Next breakfast will be at 9:00am on Tuesday, January 7th.

    Youth Ministry
    • The annual Providence Presbytery youth Roots retreat will be on January 24th – 26th at CampToKnowHim. Please contact Gannon Miles for details and registration.

    Career Ministry – No meeting December 29. Regular Bible study/fellowship will resume January 12, 2025 at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.

    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, Ken Galecki (brother of Leon Galecki), Sonny Henry, Elizabeth Holton, Ned Nuwayhid, Joe Sims, and Steve Terry

    Expecting – Please pray for the Bucks and Butlers 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
    • Adam & Lisa Venable (Southside Presbyterian Church)

  • Announcements – December 20, 2024

    Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

    On this coming Lord’s Day, the final Sunday of Advent 2024, we will consider the words of 1 John 4:10, which serve as the Biblical text for the Advent hymn entitled ‘Within a Crib My Savior Lay.’  The hymn’s three simple stanzas are both dense and  beautiful with Gospel truths:

    Within a crib my Savior lay,
    a wooden manger filled with hay
    come down for love on Christmas Day:
    all glory be to Jesus!

    Upon a cross my Savior died,
    to ransom sinners, crucified,
    his loving arms still open wide:
    all glory be to Jesus!

    A victor’s crown my Savior won,
    his work of love and mercy done,
    the Father’s high-ascended Son:
    all glory be to Jesus!

    What I especially appreciate about this hymn is the way that the author has personalized the work of Jesus.  He is “my Savior” who was found in the manger, “my Savior” who was led to Calvary to die, and “my Savior” who rose from the dead and reentered the glory of heaven.

    As you compare the hymn text to the Biblical text, you can readily see the connection.  The Apostle John writes that,

    “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

    Of course, these magnificent truths of the Gospel, or our Lord’s incarnation, His atoning death, and His bodily resurrection mean nothing apart from one’s personal faith in the One found in the manger.  To become His is to confess that He is “my Savior,” not just a Savior.

    As you prepare for the worship and the preaching of the Word, reflect prayerfully on the wider context of 1 John 4:7-11.

    I love you all so dearly,

    Mike

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Christmas Eve Service – Please make plans to join us for our Christmas Eve service at 5pm.

    No Sunday School – December 29

    Women’s Ministry
     • Ladies’ Bible Studies will resume in January.
    • Women’s next monthly luncheon is Thursday, January 2nd at 11:00 at Timbers Edge Clubhouse.
    • Senior Sisters next monthly meeting is Thursday, January 16th from 10-11:30am.
    • Senior Sisters weekly exercise class meets Tuesdays at the church, 10:00 to 11:30am.

    Men’s Ministry
    • Men’s Devotion/Prayer will resume Tuesday, January 7th at 6:30am at the office of Paul Matheny. Please contact Adam Turnbull with questions.
    • Senior Fellows – Next breakfast will be at 9:00am on Tuesday, January 7th.

    Youth Ministry
    • The annual Providence Presbytery youth Roots retreat will be on January 24th – 26th at CampToKnowHim. Please contact Gannon Miles for details and registration.

    Career Ministry – No meetings December 22 & 29. Regular Bible study/fellowship will resume January 12, 2025 at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.

    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, Ken Galecki (brother of Leon Galecki), Sonny Henry, Elizabeth Holton, Ned Nuwayhid, Joe Sims, and Steve Terry

    Expecting – Please pray for the Bucks and Butlers 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
    • Adam & Lisa Venable (Southside Presbyterian Church)

  • Announcements – December 13, 2024

    Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

    This coming Sunday our Advent series of messages on ‘The Hymns of Christmas’ will continue as we examine the words of the apostle Paul found in 2 Corinthians 8:9.

    This one verse serves as the Biblical text for the beautiful hymn entitled ‘Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor’ (#230 in the Trinity Hymnal). The hymn’s first line sets forth the true miracle of Christmas Day:

    “Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
    All for love’s sake becamest poor;
    Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
    Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
    Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
    All for love’s sake becomes poor.”

    When Paul penned his second letter to the Christians in ancient Corinth, it was the miracle of the incarnation of our Lord that dominated his thoughts as he exhorted his fellow-believers to love one another by means of their lavish generosity.  The inspired words of verse 9 overwhelm any and all who prayerfully reflect upon their depth and meaning:

    “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).

    As we gather before our Lord this Sunday, we will plunge ourselves into this great mystery–that the Lord of Glory impoverished Himself that we might inherit all of the vast riches of heaven!

    I love you all so very much,

    Mike


    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Christmas Eve Service – Please make plans to join us for our Christmas Eve service at 5pm.

    No Sunday School – December 22 & 29

    Care Center Pantry Collection – This Sunday is the last Sunday to donate to our local food bank. Bins are located in the narthex with recommended donations. You may also drop off your donations at the church any morning thru this Friday the 20th.

    Children’s Ministry – RSVP for Christmas caroling on December 18th. Please see email or Anne Swanner for details.

    Women’s Ministry
     • Ladies’ Bible Studies will resume in January.
    • Women’s next monthly luncheon is Thursday, January 2nd at 11:00 at Timbers Edge Clubhouse.
    • Senior Sisters next monthly meeting is Thursday, January 16th from 10-11:30am.
    • Senior Sisters weekly exercise class meets Tuesdays at the church, 10:00 to 11:30am.

    Men’s Ministry
    • Men’s Devotion/Prayer meets Tuesdays at 6:30am at the office of Paul Matheny. Please contact Adam Turnbull with questions.
    • Senior Fellows – Next breakfast will be at 9:00am on Tuesday, January 7th.

    Youth Ministry
    • Youth Christmas party this Sunday (food and games) from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Turnbull’s house.
    • The annual Providence Presbytery youth Roots retreat will be on January 24th – 26th at CampToKnowHim. Please contact Gannon Miles for details and registration.

    Career Ministry – No meetings December 15, 22 & 29. Regular Bible study/fellowship will resume January 12, 2025 at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.

    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, Ken Galecki (brother of Leon Galecki), Sonny Henry, Elizabeth Holton, Ned Nuwayhid, Joe Sims, and Steve Terry

    Expecting – Please pray for the Bucks and Butlers 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
    • Adam & Lisa Venable (Southside Presbyterian Church)

  • Announcements – December 6, 2024

    Beloved Ones in Christ Jesus,
    In our Trinity Hymnal there is a wonderful Advent hymn that you may not be all that familiar with. It is entitled, ‘Comfort, Comfort Ye My People.’ Its title and its four beautiful stanzas come directly from the words of Isaiah 40:1-2.
    Isaiah 40 marks a dramatic shift in the message of Isaiah to the sinful people of Judah.  For the first thirty-nine chapters of his book, the prophet has confronted Israel’s sins with an almost frightening level of directness.  He has made it clear that exile is in their future, sooner rather than later. Yet, as chapter forty commences, the tone of the prophetic message shifts in a blessedly new direction.  God’s Word, given to the prophet to proclaim, is now one of divine “comfort”!
    The first two stanzas of the hymn capture the amazing reversal that God’s grace will cause:
    ‘Comfort, comfort ye My people, speak ye peace, thus saith our God; Comfort those who sit in darkness, mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load; Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them; Tell her that her sins I cover, and her warfare now is over.’
    ‘Yea, her sins our God will pardon, blotting out each dark misdeed; All that well deserved His anger He will no more see nor heed. She has suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away, God will change her pining sadness into ever springing gladness. ‘
    Our text for Sunday’s second Advent message will come from Isaiah 40:1-2. As we examine the inspired words of the great prophet Isaiah, we will learn the wonderful secret of how our gracious God will bring about such a reversal of Israel’s condition.  And, as you might suspect, it has a lot to do with a manger in Bethlehem!
    I love you all so very much,
    Mike


    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Christmas Eve Service – Please make plans to join us for our Christmas Eve service at 5pm.

    Second Sunday Lunch – Please join us for our Second Sunday Fellowship meal this Sunday, December 8th immediately after worship.

    Care Center Pantry Collection – The Care Center pantry shelves are a little bare right now.  The pantry feeds the needy in our area. Let’s help fill the pantry for Christmas with a church-wide collection on December 8 and 15. Non-perishable food, self-care items, and cleaning items are needed. Collection boxes are in the narthex with a detailed list of requested items.

    Church Cookbook Orders – Please order by using this link (also in email sent) or by signing up in the narthex. The order deadline is this Sunday. Contact Tina Alhorn for details. 

    Children’s Ministry – RSVP for Christmas caroling on December 18th. Please see email or Anne Swanner for details.

    Women’s Ministry
     • Ladies’ Bible Studies have concluded for the fall and will resume in January. Details coming soon.
    • Women’s monthly luncheon is the first Thursday of the month at Timbers Edge Clubhouse at 11am.
    • Senior Sisters monthly meeting is on the third Thursday from 10-11:30am.
    • Senior Sisters weekly exercise class meets Tuesdays at the church, 10:00 to 11:30am.

    Men’s Ministry
    • Men’s Devotion/Prayer meets Tuesdays at 6:30am at the office of Paul Matheny. Please contact Adam Turnbull with questions.
    • Men’s Friday Bible study meets 11:30am – 12:30pm studying The Revelation.
    • Senior Fellows will visit our cherished veterans at Tut Fann State Veterans Home at 10am on Tuesday, December 10th. Others are welcome. Contact Alan Cockrell for information.
    • Senior Fellows – Next breakfast will be at 9:00am on Tuesday, January 7th.

    Youth Ministry
    • Sunday Night Youth Fellowship meets Sunday from 4:30 to 6:30.
    • The annual Providence Presbytery youth Roots retreat will be on January 24th – 26th at CampToKnowHim. Please contact Gannon Miles for details and registration.

    Career Ministry – December 8 at 7:00pm – regular meeting, December 14th at 4:00pm – Christmas party, campfire, & chili supper at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry. No meetings December 15, 22 & 29. Resume regular meetings January 12, 2025

    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, Ken Galecki (brother of Leon Galecki), Sonny Henry, Elizabeth Holton, Ned Nuwayhid, Joe Sims, and Steve Terry

    Expecting – Please pray for the Bucks and Butlers 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
    • Adam & Lisa Venable (Southside Presbyterian Church)