Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This coming Lord’s Day we will continue moving along in our series of messages on ‘ The Church Under the Cross.’ And we will consider another dimension of our life together as God’s people, a people who are called to follow our Savior in this world, to walk just as He once walked, and to do so as ‘under the cross.’

The specific dimension of our discipleship that we will think about on this Lord’s Day is how the cross of Jesus impacts and totally transforms our relationships, and especially our relationships with each other in the Body of Christ. Our sermon text will be taken from 1 John 3:16-18:

“ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

In the first part of our message we will look especially at where we go to discover what love actually is. And you can see that in these verses the Apostle John does not refer us to a dictionary for a definition of Christian love, but to an event in history!

Then, in the second part of our message (for Sunday August 16) we will consider how the cross of our Lord and Savior is not simply the one and only means of our eternal salvation, but is also the very pattern that we must follow as we relate to one another.

Before I go, I want to express once again how thankful I am for each of you! Even though we have all experienced some very difficult and equally confusing days since early March, you have remained so faithful to the Lord and to His Church. My heart is strengthened and encouraged to see your faith in action!

Thank you for remaining loyal to our Savior, to one another in His Church, and for worshipping and serving Him so faithfully in these very unusual and trying times.

My earnest prayer for you today is that you will each be full of the joy of the Lord, that your minds will be at ease, and that, despite what may yet lay ahead, you will be at peace in our Father’s tender and strong hands!

I love you all so very much! You are “ my beloved brethren” and “my joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1).

Mike

Announcements:

COVID-19 Message:

For those of you who are attending worship in person on Sunday morning, please practice social distancing as much as you are able and observe the pew markers so that we may keep a safe, 6-ft between families. During this time, we will not have nursery or fellowship time with food and drink. If any family member has been sick, or you have a pre-existing condition, please consider staying home and joining us by watching the recorded service when it is sent out. The Session has asked all congregants, out of love for one another, to wear a mask throughout our worship service if you are able. We hope and pray that if you have any needs, you will let a staff member or deacon know so that we can serve you well during this trying time.

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

Future topics include:
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.

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 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