Sermon Preview:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This Lord’s Day, we will bring our series of messages from the Epistle to the Hebrews to a close for now as we consider the words of Hebrews 12:28-29. In this section of his letter, the author reminds us of the fact that all who are in Christ have received an unshakable kingdom! In radiant contrast to all the shadowy symbols and signs of the Old Covenant, those who have received Christ and the fullness of the New Covenant are the beneficiaries of those eternal blessings that are to be found and experienced in the “heavenly“Jerusalem, the “city of the living God”!
On Sunday, we will probe deeply into the beauty and majesty of this immovable kingdom. I hope that you can take some time over the weekend to meditate upon the words of Hebrews 12:28-13:18 in preparation for our worship and our message from the Scriptures.
Perhaps the Most Important Sunday School Class in Our History
While I don’t want to be guilty of overusing superlatives, I truly believe that our new Adult Sunday School Class that begins this coming Sunday may well be the most important one we’ve ever offered.
Your Session wants to spend some time with you discussing the future of our Church in terms of our relationship to the PCA. As we have been telling you for some time now, we (the Churches of the PCA) are currently embroiled in a controversy over some of the critical doctrines of our faith, truths that we believe are essential and non-negotiable. Your Session is deeply concerned about the theological declension that has been occurring in the PCA for many years, and we want to speak to you very frankly about these matters.
In light of all of this, our Adult Class will focus on the topic of ‘The Fundamentals of the Faith.’ We will examine what these ‘fundamentals’ are, why they are essential, how they led to the formation of the PCA in 1973, and how our denomination has since drifted from them.
We believe it is essential that you join us for this eight-week class. We not only want you to be fully informed about these issues, but we also want to hear from you, and address your concerns and questions as well.
Below you’ll find the outline for our first class this Sunday. Please print it and bring it with you this Lord’s Day. We will meet at 9:30 AM in the Worship Center.
I love you all so much, and always rejoice with you and because of you!
Mike
Understanding the ‘Fundamentals of the Faith’ and Why They Are ‘Fundamental’
CPC Spring Sunday School 2022
April 3-May 22
Theme Verse: Jude 1:3
“I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Some Suggested Resources:
- M. Lloyd-Jones. What Is an Evangelical? (Banner of Truth Trust, 1992).
- J. Gresham Machen. Christianity and Liberalism (Eerdmans, reprint, 1999).
- J. I. Packer. “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God (Eerdmans, reprint, 1992).
- David F. Wells. No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? (Eerdmans, 1993).
- David F. Wells. The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World (Eerdmans, 2008).
Some Significant Questions for Consideration and Discussion Regarding Key Terms:
- What do the terms ‘Fundamental/Fundamentalism,’ ‘Evangelical/Evangelicalism,’ ‘Conservative/Conservatism,’ and ‘Protestant/Protestantism’ mean, why are they important, and are they still useful?
- What are the so-called ‘Fundamentals of the Faith’?
- Are some Christian doctrines or Biblical teachings more important than others, and how can you tell the difference?
- What are the differences between the Bible and the Creeds and Confessions of the Christian Church, and are such doctrinal statements still useful?
Some Significant Questions for Consideration and Discussion Regarding the PCA:
- What kind of a Christian Denomination was the PCA when it started? That is, theologically speaking, where did we come from?
- What kind of a Christian Denomination is the PCA at present? That is, theologically speaking, where are we now, and where do we appear to be headed?
- How did the PCA arrive at its current place, theologically speaking?
- What are the current theological issues/conditions/decisions in the PCA that concern the Session of CPC?
- In light of the Session’s alarms about the current status of the PCA, what is the wisest course of action for the members of CPC to prayerfully consider? That is, how can we remain faithful to Christ our Lord and ‘the fundamentals of the faith,’ and “contend” for “the faith” as commanded by Scripture?
Introduction to the Challenge of Maintaining Doctrinal Fidelity
Examples from the early New Testament Church are in abundance:
The ‘doctrinal slide’ is always a grave threat in every generation. Things tend to fall apart:
There is always a need for doctrinal refinement and reformation, as well as on-going reformation in personal Christian devotion and behavior:
This reality, that of the persistent danger of doctrinal declension, comports with the warnings of Christ and the Apostles:
To stand faithfully against the powerful tides of theological drift, the Christian Church (and local Churches like ours) must embrace some doctrinal ‘non-negotiables’ that she is willing to fight and die for:
Ours is a generation of unprecedented doctrinal danger (given our technology particularly, and societal forces more generally):
Yet, it is a most exciting time to be a Christian and to seek to maintain a faithful New Testament Church and witness in the world:
Important Definitions to Know
Protestant/Protestantism:
Evangelical/Evangelicalism:
Fundamentals/Fundamentalism:
Conservative/Conservatism:
Announcements:
Church Directory:
If you haven’t yet, please use the link below to sign up in the new church directory.
https://christpreshamptoncove.
RUF Snacks:
It’s time to sign up for the April UAH RUF large group meeting. These college students love home-baked cookies if you choose to serve them in this manner. Other suggested items will be on the sign-up sheet. The large group meeting is Monday April 4th. CPC sign-up will be THIS SUNDAY in the narthex. Judi Fikes will be there to answer any questions. We collect snacks on Sunday April 3rd and deliver them to campus on Monday evening.
Please let Judi know if you might be interested in delivering snacks to campus on Monday evening at 7 PM. The students appreciate it so much!
Please pray for the young men and women who attend the RUF large group meeting. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and many hearts are turned to the Lord.
Thank you for your help!
Church Picnic:
Save the date for April 29, details forthcoming.
Children’s Ministry:
After many months of prayerful searching, the Lord has provided us with a second nursery staff member!!! Mrs. Irene and Mrs. Sarah are now in our baby nursery. To continue filling our toddler nursery needs, we are asking moms of nursery-age children to fill one spot each Sunday and an additional volunteer to assist them. Please consider signing up to help by clicking the link below. Thank you so so much for all the love and prayers you pour on our children and on us as parents! What a wonderful church family to be a part of!
https://www.signupgenius.com/
Youth Group:
Below you will find the Winter/Spring dates for youth group, which meets at 4:30 PM at the church house.
April 3rd
April 24th
May 1st
May 22nd
Senior Fellows:
On April 5 at 9 AM the Senior Fellows will have breakfast and fellowship in the fellowship hall. Please email us at seniorfellows@
Senior Sisters:
The next meeting will be at 10:30 AM on April 21 at the church. We are delighted to announce that Eleanor will be leading us in making clay doves! If you know for sure that you will be able to attend, please let us know so we can correctly estimate the supplies needed to make them. For sign up and any questions you may have please contact Kathy Cooper, Kathy Hightower, or Suellen Dempsey.
Women’s Ministry:
Monthly Lunch: Our next monthly luncheon will be on April 7 beginning at 11 AM at the Timbers Edge Clubhouse located at 1 Timbers Main, Brownsboro. It’s potluck – feel free to bring a dish or just yourself. If you have questions or transportation needs please contact Pat Galecki at 256-244-0612
Winter/Spring Bible Studies: The Tuesday study for mothers meets at 9:30 AM at the church. Contact Amy Schnorrenberg for more info.
Baby Shower: There will be a baby shower for Katie Jackson from 3-5 on May 1. Location at the home of Cheryl Johnson.
Men’s Ministry:
Please join our Friday Men’s Lunchtime Bible Study on Fridays at 11:30 AM.
For ten weeks, we will be studying the life of our Lord as guided by pastor and theologian Dr. Mark Jones in his book Knowing Christ. Dr. Jones takes the readers on a survey of the many aspects of our Lord’s life as revealed to us in the New Testament. We will cover subjects such as Christ’s incarnation, divinity, humanity, compassion, emotions, sinlessness, miracles, temptations, resurrection, exaltation, and many others.
All the men of CPC and guests are invited to join us as we get to know our Savior better!
Fellowship event:
This week is the final call for you to sign up for our men’s culinary fellowship on April 7th at 6:00 pm! The event will be hosted at the Burgesses home with the food facilitated by Joey McCool.
Want to know what we will eat before you sign on the dotted line? The tentative menu includes:
Smoked Prime Tri-Tip
Grilled Snapper Collars
Spring Vegetable Orzo
Salsa Verde
Corn-Bacon Relish
We are in need of a head count in order to adequately account for the amount of food. Please sign up on the link below and let us know you are coming!
Click here to sign up for the event!
Career/Singles:
Career/Singles meet on Sundays at the Daughtry home at 5:30 PM.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Cynthia Dent, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, Elizabeth Holton, Jean Terry, and Jacky Haynes. Additional details may be found in the Ministries/Prayer Requests section of the church website.
Expecting: Please pray for the Jacksons (June); the Thornhills (August); the Thompsons (September).
Bereavement: Please pray for Pat Galecki and family as they grieve the loss of her father Bob Crossley.
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 Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
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