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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Just a quick word before I introduce Sunday’s message.

As I pray for you and reflect upon our sweet fellowship, I am so very thankful for your endurance, your hope, and your vibrant faith in our Lord and Savior. By now we all had hoped that the threat of the virus would have substantially subsided, and we’d be closer to getting things back to normal. But this has not been the case, and I would guess that most of us now know someone who has been infected or otherwise directly impacted by this disease. With this comes more uncertainty and a host of additional questions, not to mention the fear that we have experienced. And yet, I rejoice in your perseverance, and in the sweet spirit of grace that characterizes our fellowship.

I find much personal comfort in rehearsing to myself that blessed Biblical truth that our Father loves us, is ever protecting us, and, even in times like this, is at work accomplishing His glorious and good will. Once again, I am so encouraged that His Word is ever sufficient for us, and is always timely.

This brings me to next Sunday, July 19, as we continue our series on the cross. On that day, the Lord willing, I will be addressing the subject of evil and suffering. I would especially ask for your prayers as this message comes together, for I believe the Lord will continue to nourish, encourage, and instruct us through His Word, especially at such a time as this.

This coming Lord’s day we will open the Word of the Lord together to the Epistle to the Galatians, and chapter 6 and verse 14. You will recall that this summer in our Lord’s Day messages we are looking at the subject of ‘The Church Under the Cross.’ And this week our sermon text will reveal to us another important link between the cross of our Lord and Savior and His redeemed people.

This is, indeed, a most intriguing passage of Scripture from Paul’s letter to the Christians in the first century province of Galatia. And in this letter, in which he sternly warns the Church to be alert to the grave danger of believing a distorted Gospel–one based not upon faith, but upon works– he addresses the believer’s relationship to the world. And, perhaps to our shock and amazement, in this verse Paul actually speaks of three crucifixions! You can spot them very easily:

“ But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Here we encounter our Lord’s crucifixion, then the world’s crucifixion, and then our crucifixion.

As we prayerfully walk through this one verse, we will see how the cross of our Lord and Savior has changed everything about our lives! And this impacts us right now as we, the Bride of Christ, live and serve Him in this world.

Thank you for your prayers for the preaching of God’s Holy Word, and I love you all with all my heart!

Mike

Announcements:

COVID-19 Message:

Our weekly service of worship has resumed! Please observe the following guidelines. First, practice distancing as much as possible – no physical contact, and keep 6 feet between your family and other families. Sit in pews where marked. There will be no nursery, or any other food or beverages on church property. There will also be no communion or congregational singing. Per Madison County Health Order, masks are strongly encouraged. There will be no Sunday School until September. If you have been in contact with someone who been sick, if you feel sick yourself, or if you have any pre-existing conditions, you should remain at home. We will continue to provide a recording of the worship service to allow for participation in worship at home.

Message from your Diaconate:

As we continue through this difficult time, if you have needs of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Diaconate. We’re eager to help you or to find someone who can. This is one of the main reasons the church has deacons, to make sure that congregational needs are being met. Please remember that your Diaconate and Session are praying for you, and we’re here to help however we can.

Senior Fellows:

The Senior Fellows begin a new weekly Bible study on Tuesday, July 21 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. We will use the Zoom virtual meeting application to study Building a Christian Conscience by R.C. Sproul, and the topic will be The Razor’s Edge. Church members are welcome to join us. For further information, email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org.

Future topics include:
July 28 – “The Legalist Distortion”
Aug. 4 – “The Distortion of Lawlessness”
Aug. 11 – “The Degrees of Sin”
Aug. 18 – “The Creation of Ordinances”
Aug. 25 – “The Question of Conscience”

Parenting Conference:

Please save the dates of August 28th and 29th for our parenting conference!  Our guest speaker is John Perritt, current director of resources for Reformed Youth Ministries.  Please mark your calendars for a Friday evening/Saturday morning event to consider how we might better disciple our children in today’s challenging culture.  Further details will be forthcoming.  For questions, please contact Matthew Elliott at matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org.

Psummer Psalms:

Announcing our 3rd year of Psummer Psalms! Everyone, young and old, is invited to memorize one entire Psalm this summer. Then join us for a recitation and light dinner at church on Sunday afternoon, Aug 16. Recitation can be individual, or together in a group or family. New this year: a trophy t-shirt for anyone who recites an entire Psalm from memory! If interested, email darondrown@gmail.com for periodic encouragement and accountability.

Resources for Further Study:

Pastor Mike has posted a list of books on a variety of theological topics that you might find useful. Check out the list by clicking here. You can also find this list from the About Us menu on the web site home page.

Children’s Ministry:

Women’s, Career/Singles, and Youth Ministries:

Ministry activities have been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events.

Men’s Studies:

The weekly Men’s study of John Calvin’s Institutes is meeting via Zoom, contact Daron Drown for details.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, John Baxter, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Elizabeth Holton, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Libertos, expecting in August, and the Elys, expecting in September.
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); 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); 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