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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord and King,

I pray that the Lord has blessed and encouraged you with our recent series of messages on ‘ The Church Under the Cross.’ I am continually amazed at the way our Father speaks to us through the Scriptures in such powerful and timely way.

This Lord’s Day our text will be 1 Peter 4:12-13 (be sure to take note of the full context set forth in verses 12-19). The subject of the message will be, ‘ Evil, Suffering, and the Cross.’

As you reflect upon these verses you’ll discover that the Apostle Peter is seeking to encourage his readers in the midst of their frequent tribulations. In fact, this subject of affliction is sprinkled throughout the letter. The first mention of it occurs in 1:1 where Peter addresses his readers as those who are “ elect exiles of the Dispersion” (ESV). This odd phrase has reference to the various outbreaks of persecution that scattered Jewish Christians through the Roman Empire in the mid first century (1 Peter was likely written in AD 63). And then, the subject of suffering is addressed at least nine more times in the epistle!

Chapter 4 contains two interesting and admittedly perplexing references to Christian tribulations. In 4:1 Peter calls upon believers to consider the way that our Lord suffered, and then to “ arm yourselves with the same way of thinking.” Then, in 4:13 Peter declares that we who are redeemed “ share Christ’s sufferings.”

Of course, there are some obvious issues that these passages bring to the surface. First among them is the link between our Lord’s afflictions, which culminated in His crucifixion, and those of His Church.

On Sunday, we will take our initial look at 4:12-13 before returning to it again on July 26.

I love you all so very much, and pray for you daily with a heart full of joy!

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:

All, the Session and I have made the decision to cancel VBS 2020 this coming July. We are so sad to do this, but this is the precedent that has been set within our city and our denomination. Our theme of “Olympics” will be carried over to NEXT year when the actual Olympics have also been rescheduled. In place of VBS, watch for information on other fellowship opportunities in upcoming weeks!

Nursery Use – I have been asked if it is okay for parents to take their children into the nursery during the service if need be to alleviate any overcrowding in the cry room. That is not a problem, but please wipe down any surfaces that you encounter during your stay so that others may feel comfortable using it as well. There will be sanitizing wipes on the counters.

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