Sermon Preview
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This coming Lord’s Day is the Third Sunday of Advent! We are continuing our study of the temptation experience of our Lord Jesus in the “wilderness” as found in Matthew 4:1-11.
As we have discovered, this is a strange and mysterious event, that nevertheless reveals our Lord’s deity and true humanity. It shows us how it is that He may be truly called our Great Shepherd, High Priest, King, and Savior! It is here, in the “wilderness” and in the presence of “the tempter,” that Jesus begins to suffer as a man on our behalf. And it is also here that we see Him becoming the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” that the prophet Isaiah had declared Him to be—Isaiah 9:6. And this is why we have come to this place for our sermons on the wonder and glory of Advent!
We remember that the first temptation was for Jesus to meet His physical need, His hunger, in a way that would only serve Himself and not glorify His Father. The devil was tempting our Lord to be unfaithful to His mission, to distrust His Father’s care and provision, and to take matters into His own hands by turning the desert stones into bread in order to alleviate His suffering. And, ultimately, to avoid the cross altogether!
This week will we consider the second of the three temptations in Matthew 4:5-7.
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
This Sunday Is the Last Week of Sunday School for 2018
We will not meet on December 23 or 30. There will be a fellowship time on these Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM. We will resume Sunday School on January 6, 2019.
Don’t Forget our Annual Christmas Eve Service of Worship and Communion at 5:00 PM on Monday December 24
The service will last under one hour and a nursery will be provided. Guests are most welcomed!
I love you all so much!
Mike
Upcoming Events:
December 24, 5 PM – Christmas Eve Service
January 13, 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:
Go Tell It On The Mountain – Hymn 224, all 3 verses
Salvation Is Born
Who Would Have Dreamed
What Child Is This – Hymn 213, all 3 verses
Announcements:
Schedule: Sunday is the last session of Sunday School for the year. On December 23 and December 30 we will meet for fellowship at 10 AM followed by our service of worship at 10:30. Our regular Sunday School schedule will resume on January 6.
Christmas Eve Service: December 24 at 5 PM we will have our Christmas Eve service. Friends and family are most welcome! Child care will be provided.
Baby Nursery Volunteers: I have set up our volunteer schedule for spring semester. Please grab a date or two there if you are able. This website sends a reminder to you two days prior so that you won’t forget.
Items for The CARE Center: Every year at Christmas our church in conjunction with the CARE Center in New Hope collects for the needy in our community. We will collect items over the next two weeks (through Sunday December 16). The following items are most needed: Toiletries – shampoo, tooth brushes and paste, shaving razors/blades/soap and Food Items – spaghetti noodles/sauce, boxes of cereals, oatmeal. Also needed are $10 gas gift cards (to help with transportation for needy attending GED/High School completion prep classes). No toys needed this year. If you would like to contribute, bring items to church and place in marked container in the Narthex through December 16. Questions – ask Norman Dean or Joe Sims.
Youth Group: There is a presbytery-wide winter retreat coming up, the Roots retreat, January 25-27, 2019 at Camp ToknowHim. You can get more info by clicking here. The base price is $100 for the weekend. $110 with the t-shirt, and $122 for t-shirt plus the extreme hike. Students can make the checks payable to our church.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Cynthia Dent, Katie Dyer, Andy Trent, Suzanne Nimon, Robin Holloway, Chris Smotherman, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, Ramona Edwards, and Nolan Osmer.
Bereavement: Please pray for Stanley Gibson, whose father died this week.
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); Franky Garcia (seminary student).
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