On the night of our Lord’s betrayal and arrest, in those monumental hours before His trial and execution, He uttered some powerful and profound words to the Father in prayer. They are recorded for us in Luke 22:42–“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And while these words may be perplexing to us on many fronts, they should not be unexpected, for this is the very way that Jesus had instructed His Disciples to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus had taught His followers that all of life must be lived in humble submission to the will of God.
In that same place in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had also spoken of God’s providence, a very closely related subject. You might recall His comforting words in the Sermon on the Mount in 6:25-34 where He taught that we should not be filled with anxiety concerning any aspect of our lives, but that we should trust in the Father’s tender care and faithful provision. Throughout the Bible we are told that God is in control, that He is good, that He is wise, and that His eternal plans and purposes shall never fail. And, given these realities, we have been called to live in each moment and in every circumstance as if they are indeed true!
The subjects of God’s will and of divine providence are in view in the words of James 4:13-17—our sermon passage for this coming Lord’s Day. It seems that there were some believers among those addressed in this letter who had forgotten these truths. They were living as if they, not the Lord, were in charge of their lives. You can hear the oozing spiritual pride and pomposity in their voices: “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” (v. 13).
In response to this, as James characteristically does, he warns them sternly against such boastful “arrogance” (v. 16), and then instructs them in the proper way to speak and live: “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (v. 15).
This inspired instruction represents what we might call a profound ‘worldview shift.’ Contrary to human ‘wisdom,’ our lives are not left to the mercy of chance or human decisions. Rather, they are under the command of God. And this fact demands of us a change in perspective and in speaking—how we view our lives in all of their vast complexity, and how we speak of them in daily conversation as we go about our tasks.
So until Sunday, let’s all prayerfully reflect upon this passage and pray most fervently that the Lord will speak to us as we gather before Him.
February 7, 9 AM– Senior Fellows Painting @ Church House
February 7, 6 PM– Women’s Evening Bible Study
February 8, 9 AM – Women’s Morning Bible Study
February 12, 3 PM – New Members Class
February 14, 10 AM – Presbytery Meeting
February 25, 10 AM – Baby Shower for Leah Johnson (at Renee Davie’s house)
February 26, 5 PM – Parenting Class
Connecting with the Catechism:Q. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
A. 15. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.
Gen. 3:6, 12.
Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. 16. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.
Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 5:12; I Cor. 15:21-22.
Q. 17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A.17. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
Rom. 5:12
Announcements:
Annual Budget:
Information about the yearly budget is available on handouts in the Narthex to anyone who is interested.
Senior Fellows:
Senior Fellows will visit the Harris Children’s Home (1210 Church St NW, Huntsville) 10 AM, Tues, Feb 21. Carpools will leave the Church at 9:30 AM. We will have lunch after the visit. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org or phone: 256-532-1856.
New Members Class:
The next New Members class will be held at the church on February 12 and 19from 3 to 5 PM. This class is for anyone interested in learning more about becoming a member of our church. Attending the class does not obligate you to join, but anyone wishing to become a member must attend both classes. See the sign up sheet in the Narthex. Nursery will be provided, and there will be a meal after the February 19 meeting.
Parenting Class: This year, we will meet again and discuss the topic of Leading Our Children to Faith in Christ. He will be using the book “Bringing the Gospel to Covenant Children” as a guide. This will be a wonderful chance for us to learn more about the reformed view of covenant children and their coming to Christ, what this looks like at our church, as well as ask any questions related to the communicant’s book that the Session has us go through with our children before they make a profession. It’s also a chance for us to fellowship! Mark your calendars:
Sunday, February 25th at 5:00 to 6:30 pm
Sunday, March 6th at 5:00 pm (with potluck fellowship dinner to follow)
Location: The Nuwayhid’s Basement, 3002 Firethorn Drive, Hampton Cove
Please RSVP to children@christpreshamptoncove.org, along with $6 for a copy of the book.
So that we may all be present at the sessions, please plan to have a sitter for your children so that they may stay at home. The church is offering a childcare stipend for this event. We will provide a form for you to fill out closer to time.. Don’t let childcare hinder you from coming (email me if you need ideas!).
Presbytery Meeting:
There will be a meeting of the Providence Presbytery at the church on February 14.
Snacks for RUF:
Christ Presbyterian has committed to providing snacks for the RUF at UAH Large Group meeting on Monday, March 6th and Monday, April 10th.Some information below:
We are providing snacks (chips, trail mix, granola bars, fruit) and/or desserts (brownies, cookies, donuts, etc) for UAH students at the RUF “Large Group” meeting – between 75-100 students.
We are asking 4 people to sign up for each night with each person preparing a snack/dessert to serve 25-30 people.
If possible, bring your food in containers/bags that do not need to be returned.
DROP-OFF: If possible, bring your contributions to the UAH Nursing Building on the Monday you sign up at 6:45pm. Come into the lobby of the ‘newer-looking’ Nursing Building and you will find RUF students setting up. If you are unable to drop off at that time contact Norman for pickup (334-313-1298, ndeaniv@gmail.com).
Bags of Blessings:
Our church has volunteered to help March 8th and April 5th with the Bags of Blessings ministry at the Care Center in New Hope. Packing begins at 6:00 PM and lasts around 1.5 hours. We need 25-30 volunteers. Please contact Norman Dean, ndeaniv@gmail.com, if you would like to help or want more information.
Prayer Requests: Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Chris
Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, Katie Dyer,
Rebecca Berry, Jenan Nuwayhid, Bill Dent, Zig Jastrebski, Bill and Mitzi
Cowley, Leon Galecki, Charlotte Powell, Sondra Behmer, Gerry Davie, Linda Baxter, and Suzanne Nimon. Expecting parents: Please pray for the Lancaster family who is due in April,
and for the McCool family who is due in June. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and
Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Reid and
Kelli Jones, Jennifer Kent (RUF UAH); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky
Garcia (seminary student).