Sermon Preview
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
In the English Standard Version of the Bible, David’s name is mentioned 989 times. To put this in perspective, the name of Jesus is mentioned 1058 times. And just in case you’re curious, Abraham’s name is found 234 times, Jacob’s 361 times, Isaac’s 129 times, and Solomon’s 283 times. It’s obvious that David is a very prominent figure in the Bible.
It’s no wonder then, given David’s central place in the story of redemption, that we find such a large section of Scripture dedicated to one of the darkest periods in his ministry as the king of Israel. Almost two full chapters of Second Samuel are devoted to his sin with Bathsheba and its terrible aftermath. This would suggest that this event, as awful as it proves to be, is a central component of the Bible’s unfolding plan of redemption that finds its blessed fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ.
On Sunday, we will probe more deeply into this tragic season of the king’s life. And we will be especially interested to discover how we might face and find victory over our own temptations as we seek to follow our Lord.
I would encourage you to read 2 Samuel 11-12 as you prepare for Lord’s Day worship.
Mission Report This Sunday
This Lord’s Day it will be our joy to have Franky and Alaina Garcia with us in worship. Franky, a recent graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary (in Jackson, MS), will be giving us a report on their call to plant a mission Church in Montreal.
Men’s ‘Stay at Home Retreat’ Next Friday and Saturday
I am looking forward to spending some good time with our men as we gather for our Fall Retreat next weekend, November 1 and 2. Our theme for the retreat will be, ‘ A Man Under Authority and Entrusted With Authority.’
On Friday night we will meet at the Church from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Then on Saturday, we will gather at 8:15 AM for a catered breakfast and will conclude our retreat by 11:30 AM.
All the men of the church are encouraged to attend, and guests are most welcome!
I love you all, and look forward to gathering with you before our King this Sunday!
In His grace,
Mike
Counselor’s Corner:
On occasion someone will ask me what books I might give to someone struggling with grief and loss. This is certainly not a bad question at all. After all, there are a myriad of resources on the issue, many of them having the potential to greatly encourage, describe expectations and provide helpful guidance in the midst of pain. Yet, it is also good for us to consider what books I ought to read as I consider helping those struggling with grief and loss. In this post, we describe three resources that you might consider reading as you approach family and friends dealing with the pain of loss.
Counselor’s Corner: Grief and Loss – Three Resources
Upcoming Events:
Oct 27, 4:30 PM – Reformation Celebration for All Ages at the Church
Oct 29, 9 AM – Mother’s Morning Bible Study
Oct 29, 6 PM – Women’s Evening Bible Study
Oct 30, 10 AM – Women’s Morning Bible Study
Nov 1, 6 PM – Men’s Retreat at Church – Session 1
Nov 2, 8 AM – Men’s Retreat at Church – Breakfast and Session 2
Nov 5, 9 AM Senior Fellows Breakfast at the Church House
Nov 5, 11:15 AM Team B lunch feeding at Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM)
Nov 7, 11:30 AM – Women’s Potluck Lunch at Timbers Edge Clubhouse
Nov 8 – 11:15 AM Team A lunch feeding at DRM
Nov 13, 6:30 PM Seniors Fellows & Wives Night Out at Luciano
Nov 19, 10 AM Bags of Blessings Food Pickup at Sam’s
Nov 10, 12 PM – Second Sunday Fellowship Lunch
Order of Worship:
You can access this week’s Order of Worship by clicking here
If you’d like to sing the songs with your family beforehand, the songs for this week are:
All Creatures Of Our God and King – Hymn 115, vs. 1,2,5
His Mercy Is More
Amazing Grace – Hymn 460, vs. 1-3, 6
Holy, Holy, Holy – Hymn 100, all 4 verses
Announcements:
Children’s Ministry Notes:
For anyone who would like to volunteer in our baby nursery, our Fall semester sign-up is now live. Please click HERE and sign up for a couple of dates for the fall and winter months. Older teens are welcome to serve as well!
All ages are welcome to come join us in helping with another Reformation Celebration on Sunday, October 27th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm as we focus on the life and legacy of John Knox, the Scottish reformer. Through hands on activities, games and fellowship, we hope to teach about this man’s bold conviction to stand for the Word of God while leading the Scottish Covenanters in staying faithful to the truths of Scripture. Activities will run through 6:45, and our singing/teaching time will begin shortly thereafter. We welcome our congregation to join us!
Men’s Morning Study:
Rise early. Drink coffee. Meet with brothers to discuss the Word of God using Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. 6:00-7:15 AM, Panera – Bridge Street. Day TBD. If interested, email darondrown@gmail.com
Men’s Retreat:
Men’s ‘Stay at Home Retreat,’ Friday November 1 and Saturday November 2 at the Church. All the men of the Church and visitors are invited. Schedule: Friday 6:30-9:00 PM, and Saturday 8:15-11:30 with breakfast included. Mike will be leading sessions on the subject, ‘A Man Under Authority, and Entrusted With Authority.’ See Mark Cooper with questions.
Youth Group:
Youth Bible Study for Middle and High School is the following dates:
Sunday October 27–Reformation Day Celebration–4:30 PM. All youth are invited to come be helpers at this event. Set-up starts at 4:00 pm (guests arrive at 4:30).
Sunday November 10–4:30 PM at the Church
Sunday November 24–4:30 PM at the Church
Sunday December 8–4:30 PM at the Church
Second Sunday Lunches:
Women’s Fellowship Opportunities:
The women will continue their “First Thursday” monthly luncheons on November 7. They start at 11:30 am at Timbers’ Edge Clubhouse. There will not be a Thursday Luncheon in December.
The Christmas Brunch for the weekly bible studies is December 4th.
The annual Ladies’ Christmas Dinner is Tuesday, December 10th, at 6 pm at Huntsville Country Club.
Mark your calendars for these fellowship opportunities. Contact Denise Scrip for any questions.
Senior Fellows:
Here is a list of Senior Fellows events for October:
Nov 5 – 9 AM Senior Fellows Breakfast at the Church House
Nov 5 – 11:15 AM Team B lunch feeding at Downtown Rescue Mission (DRM)
Nov 8 – 11:15 AM Team A lunch feeding at DRM
Nov 13 – 6:30 PM Seniors Fellows & Wives Night Out at Luciano
Nov 19 – 10 AM Bags of Blessings Food Pickup at Sam’s
Roots Retreat:
Check this space for updates on the upcoming youth retreat for the teens in our presbytery. The Roots Retreat will be January 24-26, 2020. This year’s guest speaker is Daniel Hightower. Daniel is the RUF campus minister at Jacksonville State University (and former Youth Director at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Payne).
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Steve Terry, John Baxter, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Thoms, expecting in November, and the Brackins, expecting in March.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA).
Emails:
general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org
Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763